Small colorful houses linked by a complex network of tangled wires.

Like a good neighbor… 🙄 😁

Cool AI depiction of neighborhood relations…

Neighbor relations can be a tricky thing. Bill and I have had our share of moves, and we’ve encountered plenty of people who became our neighbors. We have lived in our current neighborhood since late 2018, and to date, Breckenheim is the neighborhood where we’ve lived the longest as a married couple.

I’ve really liked living here. I often think about how, back in 2018, I was nervous about the prospect of moving. I didn’t like our previous house much, although I did like where it was situated. Our former landlady and I didn’t get along at all, and I hated dealing with her. She could be very toxic. And yet, in spite of that, I was hesitant to move. I worried that the next place would be as bad, or perhaps even worse.

Well, as it turns out, we have enjoyed life in Wiesbaden. Our landlord is our next door neighbor. Although the idea of living next to the landlord initially had made me nervous, I really didn’t need to be concerned. He’s great. He does what needs to be done and we don’t bother each other. He doesn’t freak out over things like dog hair in the doorway, and when something needs to be fixed, he takes care of it promptly, and without negativity.

Yesterday, he came over to tell Bill that he’d ordered us a new refrigerator. It will likely get to us next week, although he and his wife won’t be home. But the landlord has a “guy” who takes care of such things, so the guy will call Bill and arrange a time to change out the fridge. That will mean it will be done before Bill and I go to Switzerland on the 19th.

The landlord even asked us if we minded if the refrigerator was different. Of course not! We just want one that works! He said that only three companies make refrigerators that will fit in the “cabinet” in our kitchen, but he’d bought the best one.

I suspect the kitchen set up in this house is pretty old, and is from an era when it was stylish to hide the fridge with “cabinet” facades. I’d actually love it if the landlord got rid of the cabinet and got us a bigger fridge, but then we’d have less storage space. We do need the storage space, because German houses don’t have closets. Instead, they typically use Schranks (portable cabinet/wardrobe).

Anyway… hopefully next week, we’ll have our new fridge, and that will mean we won’t have to go to the basement to get our cold stuff. That will be a good thing.

Now… on to the next neighbor story…

Back in January, our little cul-de-sac was abnormally packed with cars. People were visiting their loved ones for the holiday season, which made the street especially and uncharacteristically crowded.

One night, Bill was coming home from work, and our neighbor, who works at a car dealership, had parked one of his employer’s cars in an unusual spot, and that made it difficult to squeeze past and reach our house.

Bill was trying to get to our driveway, and as he passed the neighbor’s house, he accidentally traded paint with the neighbor’s employer’s car. Because he’s a very honest guy, Bill immediately told our neighbor what had happened. Our neighbor, who is a really nice guy from Italy, had answered the door in his bathrobe, and was pretty understanding. Bill told him to let him know what the damage was, and he’d pay for it.

Months passed with no word. Then I went to the mailbox yesterday, and found a handwritten note in German, along with an estimate for the damages done to the car. The note was cheerful and apologetic, explaining that the estimate had been sitting in a desk drawer since January.

The damages came to about 1900 euros after tax. Because we’re Americans on SOFA status, we can use a VAT form to get the taxes removed. Bill said he’ll call our neighbor today and come to an arrangement.

Yeah, it is an expensive bill, and it took a really long time to get it. And it could be argued that the car got scratched, in part, because it was blocking ingress to our driveway. But then, we shouldn’t be surprised it took so long to settle this. It took the local hospital a full year to send us a bill for my 2024 colonoscopy. 🤷‍♀️

Bill will probably just pay the bill in full… because he can, and because he’s honest. And we want to show people over here that while our country is a bit messed up right now, not all Americans are assholes. Next time the neighbor parks in an unusual spot that makes parking difficult, Bill will just knock on his door and get him to move.

In spite of all of this inconvenient stuff that has happened, this neighborhood is probably the one where I’ve felt the most like I was part of a community. I also can’t ignore the fact that living here was a good financial decision. There was a time when a bill like the one we got yesterday would have sent us into heart palpitations. But at least for now, it’s not a big deal. We really have been blessed.

Edited to add: Our neighbor talked to Bill and said he gets a 35% employee discount that perhaps could be applied to the total… If that is possible, it would be out of sight, dude. 🥰

German lifestyle, Health, Hessen

Sickness from Spain, and a sudden death in our kitchen…

Featured photo is a screenshot of the ad for the fridge I bought in September 2014, when we first moved back to Germany. At the time, we didn’t have much money, but we needed a fridge of our own, because our house only had a really shitty dorm sized fridge in it. Now that we live in Wiesbaden, that fridge is coming in handy, as the one that came with the kitchen has finally died on us… Meanwhile, Bill and I are both sick.

Bill got back from Spain a week ago. He brought with him a vile respiratory virus, which he has now shared with me. I’m assuming we have the same sickness, anyway, because I haven’t been around anyone else who would have been able to pass it to me.

I have noticed that Bill and I have different symptoms. His are more like a sinus infection. Mine is just annoying crud in my lungs that makes me cough and gives me a sore throat and scratchy voice. He probably picked up the virus on the plane, although he might have gotten it at the conference, which had about 300 people from different countries in attendance.

This is one of the drawbacks of Bill’s job. He travels a lot, and he goes to different countries, where he mingles with all sorts of people. Then, he brings home viruses to me, and I get sick, even though I rarely interact with people in person anymore. It’s a real drag, because I always seem to get these things on weekends and holidays.

I remember when Bill worked in Stuttgart, he often went to African countries. More than once, he brought back really nasty sicknesses that he passed on to me. This virus that I have now doesn’t seem quite as gross as some of the African ones I’ve experienced, but it’s never fun to be sick… especially in the summer!

Last night, I felt so icky that we decided to skip the wine stand. I do enjoy going to the wine stands, but I don’t want to spread this yucky illness to my neighbors– especially the elderly ones who tend to go to the wine stands.

Also, we’re not all that popular, so I didn’t want to feel physically bad, while ignoring the side eyes from the folks who are tired of Americans in Germany. 😏 I’m being slightly facetious, of course. Most people in this neighborhood are nice, and we’ve been here long enough that they know we aren’t troublemakers. But I can tell that some would like it if we left. As it is, we will also miss the next wine stand, because it’s happening while we will be traveling.

Luckily, our landlord is not among those who hope to see us go. In fact, he’s really been great.

Here is a case in point. Last night, we had a mishap with the landlord’s refrigerator. After dinner, I went to put the butter back in the fridge, and the light went out. A few seconds later, I realized that the damn thing had just died. I told Bill he needed to go tell the landlord, because we definitely need a working refrigerator!

Bill was reluctant to bother the landlord, since it was a Friday night. I insisted that he should let him know, because the sooner he knows, the sooner the problem can be fixed.

So Bill went over to tell the landlord. He spoke in broken German, and apologized profusely that he was bothering him on a Friday night. The landlord and his wife (who actually owns the house, because it was built by her brother), were very kind, understanding, and welcoming. In fact, the wife, who speaks less English than her husband does, even figured out the problem first. She said, “Der Kuhlschrank ist kaput!” (or maybe she said it was “tot”).

The fridge in our current home is definitely much nicer than the dorm style fridge our former landlady had in her house. However, the fridge in this house was old when we moved here in late November 2018. It’s also installed in a cabinet, which means that it’s not as easy to replace as a freestanding fridge is.

Anyway, the landlord said he would come over today and measure the space for a new fridge. He’s been really great about replacing appliances when they break. A couple of years ago, he got us a new dishwasher and a new garage door opener. He also put in a new shower head for us, which was really a nice upgrade.

Bill moved all of our refrigerated stuff to the fridge we own. He said the ice cream had already gone soft, so I guess the death wasn’t as sudden as it had initially seemed.

It’s actually kind of a blessing that all of this is happening this weekend. Next weekend, we have to go see the eye doctor at Ramstein, so I can update my prescriptions for glasses and contacts. I definitely don’t want to be sick for that.

The weekend after that is my birthday, and we are going to Bern, Switzerland for two nights to celebrate. Then we will move onward to Küsnacht, so Bill can attend courses during the summer session at the Jung Institute.

Also, the landlord said that he and his wife have been in Munich, not for a vacation, but because she’s having hip replacement surgery. In a couple of weeks, they will be going back to Munich for a month. So… it’s fortuitous that the fridge gave up the ghost now, so it can be replaced before they go away.

Meanwhile, I am so glad I bought that spare refrigerator back in September 2014… the one the ex landlady accused us of stealing. We bought it because the existing dorm sized fridge, which she later claimed we had “dumped” on her, wasn’t going to serve our needs adequately. Fortunately, I had a photo that I took on the day we moved in, which proved it was there when we took possession of her house. I now wish I’d bought a bigger fridge. I hesitate to replace the one I bought now, because who knows how much longer we’re going to be living here…

Sigh… one of the many challenges of contracting life in Europe, especially during the Trump era. Hopefully, I’ll feel better today, and the whole weekend won’t be ruined. I actually do feel better than I did when I woke up this morning. We’ll see if it lasts.

German lifestyle, Hessen, Purchases

Our first visit to Fornara Feinkost in Wiesbaden…

A couple of weeks ago, Bill and I decided to visit Celpro, an Italian market in Mainz-Kastel. That store is like a traditional market, and it carries things one might find in a small Italian grocery store. While we were at Celpro, I couldn’t help but notice that it was kind of stressful to shop there. The aisles are jam packed with goods, and it tends to be crowded on Saturdays. However, they have some really nice products from Italy, so it’s great to have them nearby.

I got curious and wanted to see if there were other Italian markets near us. That’s when I discovered Fornara, a Feinkost with its flagship store in Taunusstein. I also noticed that Fornara has a satellite store behind the train station in Wiesbaden. Even after living here for going on eight years, I didn’t know we had such a store so close. Today, Bill and I decided to visit.

It turns out that two weeks ago, they moved into their brand new space, which is very close to the old one. Consequently, it looked to me like they are still setting things up somewhat. However, they had enough there that we ran up a 300 euro bill… 😈

I found high end pastas, lots of sauces, liquor, lots of wines from Italy, France, and Germany, and plenty of frozen seafood and meat. They also had frozen Italian desserts like tartufos, and frozen sorbet filled lemons and oranges. Pour a little vodka in those, and you have yourself a classic French dessert called a “Colonel”.

*Never thought I’d find these in a store!*

They sold Tomahawk steaks, Wagyu steaks, flat iron steaks… but they also had huge scallops, tiger shrimps, octopus, and salmon filets. I think they’re still working on expanding their stock. The helpful English speaking staff said they were expecting a shipment this week of more goods.

This Feinkost is very convenient to downtown Wiesbaden, as it’s very close to the train station and bus services, and even has free parking. You can pay with euros or credit cards. The guy who rang us up said that Fornara was founded by one Italian guy, and everybody else is German!

I really enjoyed the ambiance in Fornara. They played energetic music, and the lighting was not too harsh. The store is in what looks like it used to be a warehouse, so I think they will turn that space into something very cool, indeed… and I don’t mean literally, because of all the freezers. Below are some more photos from today’s visit.

I look forward to another visit to Fornara, especially after they get everything set up in their new space. I also hope Bill and I can take a “field trip” to their flagship store in Taununsstein, which is about 18 miles away and appears to be much larger and more expansive.

The flagship store has event space that can be rented for private affairs, as well as classes on different foods and wines. For instance, at this writing, they’re offering a class in different cuts of meats, a Primativo wine tasting, and a summer wine tasting, among other events.

There is also a store in Norderstedt (near Hamburg) and another one coming to Berlin. Bill said Fornara gave him “Eataly” vibes, although I wouldn’t go that far. Eataly is a lot bigger and more overwhelming… but I don’t mind a smaller version of Eataly in these parts.

Bill has to go to Spain next week, so a visit to the store in Taunusstein will have to wait until he gets back. The good news is, we got word that my driver’s license application was approved, so I will soon have my new license in hand. Maybe I can do the driving when we go to the big Fornara store. 😁

German lifestyle, Hessen, United States

Photos from last night’s wine stand, and the last thing I have to do for my driver’s license…

Today, we have to go to Ramstein and visit the optometry store, so I can get one last requirement for an updated Texas driver’s license fulfilled. For some reason, Texas is now requiring people to get peripheral vision tests. I have never, in the 38 years I’ve had a driver’s license, had to get this particular test done for a renewal. I’m not even sure if every Texas driver has to do it now. But anyway, the local optometry clinic can’t do that test, so we have to go to Ramstein. Hopefully, we’ll get it done; I’ll pass (which shouldn’t be a problem); and my new license will soon be on its way.

This week, we sent the people in Texas a properly filled out form, and proof that I’m a Texas resident. That also turned into a bit of an ordeal, because I never got my updated voter card, which is the one other document I have that proves I vote in Texas and am, therefore, officially a resident. I think things got messed up when I tried to vote in the primaries, earlier this year, and unwittingly changed the address on the paperwork to our old house in Texas, rather than my mother-in-law’s apartment. So, although Bill got his voter card, I never got mine. It probably went to our old address.

Fortunately, I was able to prove my status because I could go to the Texas Secretary of State’s Web site and find myself listed as an active Texas voter. BUT– in order to do ANY of this shit, you pretty much must use a VPN. It’s like the people of Texas have forgotten that there are a lot of military affiliated people who reside in their state and need to stay in touch with state officials. They don’t ever mention needing a VPN, so you kind of have to figure it out for yourself, which can be pretty annoying.

I often forget about the need for a VPN, so it can be frustrating trying to get stuff like this done. VPNs also typically cost money. I don’t understand why they have to block people from foreign countries, since anyone can get a VPN to circumvent that shit, anyway. People with nefarious purposes will certainly be doing that, or something worse, to get at that boring bureaucratic data.

Anyway… after breakfast, our plan is to head to Ramstein so I can get that last bit accomplished and maintain my legal right to drive. Updating my license has been more of a pain than usual; that’s for sure! I needed new photos, money to pay for the license, an expanded eye test, paperwork, and proof of residence. Phew… but at least I didn’t have to stand in line at the actual office.

Moving on…

Last night, our village had a wine stand. It was hosted by the fire department, and was very well attended. I got some photos, and we had a nice visit with people in our neighborhood, Gabby and Boris. They are always so nice to us, but they don’t speak much English. We had to ask their names again, because we don’t see them often enough to remember… although I never forget their kind faces, and I also remember that Gabby’s birthday is in June, like mine is!

The wine was the usual stuff… Rieslings, Cabernets, Feinherbs, and a few non-alcoholic choices. We stayed for a couple of hours, and by the time we left, it was really busy! I love these wine stands, and the sense of community that I feel here. It’s a great way for people to mingle with their neighbors, and prevent loneliness. We feel welcome, and it’s such a blessing to know that no gun nuts are going to show up and be violent… which is more than we can say for our homeland…

*I never noticed this tree blooming before. How pretty!*

Well… I’m sure we’ll have an interesting experience in Ramstein today. Please wish me luck on getting this last bit of my driver’s license saga accomplished! I look forward to having one last thing to worry about on a long list of things to worry about…

blog news, German lifestyle, Hessen, holidays

Winter can scram now, bitte!

I’m just writing a quick post to update this blog, since it’s been 13 days since my last entry. The weather has been pretty crappy since my last post. This week, we had two snowstorms. One occurred Sunday, and though most of the snow had melted by the afternoon, Bill’s planned business trip to Prague was abruptly canceled.

The meeting he was supposed to attend still happened, but his flight was called off, and there was no way to get to Prague in a timely manner. I heard that not only was the weather bad in Prague, but there was also an airline strike. So I don’t know what actually caused the cancelation– the winter weather, or a strike. I was glad he missed his business trip, because I like it when Bill is home with me. However, it did kind of spoil Presidents Day weekend, which used to be a good time for short trips away.

*It’s been quite a winter in 2026. This is the kind of snow we experienced in BW. But it doesn’t hang around for as long up here.*

The other snowstorm happened on Thursday. A couple of inches were dropped and then promptly melted. Not quite all of the snow from the first storm was gone. The backyard is sodden, and the creek that runs through Breckenheim is very high right now.

Bill has another trip planned starting Monday. He’ll be gone until Thursday. It’s only to the Netherlands, though, so no airplanes are involved. Meanwhile, once again, a shipper has decided not to deliver to my house. I got an email letting me know that DPD tried to deliver yesterday, and wasn’t able to, because they didn’t have my full address. Of course, that’s not true… it seems like nowadays, shipping companies just want you to go schlep to a packstation. 🙄 The same thing happened last week.

Valentine’s Day was also pretty boring. Bill did send me 30 roses, but they didn’t last long. I think maybe it’s best not to get roses for Valentine’s Day. Maybe choose another flower, or get it a day or two ahead of time… or just buy diamond earrings. 🤣 My roses arrived on Friday, but they were pretty small. I remember last year, the florist sent a small bouquet, which they claimed was the “wrong order”. The roses were tiny and quickly wilted. The following week, they sent a new bouquet that was much better and lasted a lot longer.

*Sadly, these only lasted a couple of days before they were depressing to look at. But I did appreciate the lovely thought.*

Anyway, I’ve been giving some thought as to where I’d like to travel next. We will definitely go to Switzerland again this year, because of Bill’s studies at the Jung Institute. But I would like to go somewhere we haven’t been yet… providing that we don’t end up in another world war. So, I’m working on that, and waiting for the sun to come out again. Maybe we’ll go out and do something tomorrow… maybe not. But I do look forward to getting out and doing something fun in Germany, soon. The days are getting longer, so it won’t be long before spring arrives, and we can get out and about… then this blog will “spring” back to life. 😆

Baden-Württemberg, German lifestyle, short breaks

A winter break in Waiblingen… Dinner at Untere Apotheke (part seven)

As I’ve mentioned a few times so far, Waiblingen has several good restaurants. We didn’t get to try them all, but if we ever manage to go back there, we’ll have to make a point of visiting a couple of the others. One place I wish we’d had a chance to visit is Brunnenstuben. It gets high marks, and looks like it offers great Swabian cuisine.

As it was, though, we did manage a visit to Michelin Guide mentioned Untere Apotheke (Lower Pharmacy), which is located just behind Bachofer. Because Bill didn’t take any classes on Saturday, we made a reservation for 7:00 PM. It’s a good thing we did that, because the restaurant is rather small, and it filled up completely while we were there.

From their Web site:

From Monday to Thursday, we serve our full à la carte selection and all set menus in the evenings as usual – flexibly and entirely according to your taste.

On Friday and Saturday evenings, we kindly ask our guests to choose a set menu of three or more courses. You can customize your menu from our selection – even spontaneously on-site.

We were warmly welcomed when we arrived for our reservation. A couple of young guys offered to take our coats, although there was a little bit of bumbling as they determined what to do with them. I got the sense that they were a bit inexperienced and new to the job, which is fine. We all have to start somewhere.

Bill and I sat at a two top in a corner, on a long banquette that ran along the back wall. As we were looking at the menu, the proprietor came over to say hello and get a drink order. He said he’d seen us at Mamma Roma, the Italian place next door. He was the guy who was sitting at the table behind Bill, talking on the phone, while were having lunch there. I don’t know for certain, but I wonder if the restaurants are owned by the same people. Both offered really good food.

I was surprised that the proprietor had noticed us at Mamma Roma’s, let alone remembered us! Maybe it’s my hair… and the fact that we’re obviously Americans in a town that probably doesn’t get many American visitors. He apologized that they didn’t have a menu in English, but we said it was fine, since we live in Germany and understand “restaurant German” pretty well.

The proprietor suggested a Negroni, which delighted Bill, because it’s one of his favorite cocktails. I thought I might have a conventional aperitif, like sparkling wine, but ended up having a Negroni, too. That was mainly because I’d never had one before. The proprietor did say he could make a cocktail that was like a Negroni, but “lighter”, but I decided to go for the real thing. Now that I’ve had a Negroni, I think I’d opt for the lighter cocktail at a future visit.

The kitchen sent out a lovely “amuse bouche”, which turned out to be a very comforting cauliflower based soup. I don’t usually like cauliflower much, because it tastes like farts to me. I would make an exception for this soup, which didn’t have that flavor at all. It had a slight essence of vanilla.

There were several options available for dinner. We decided to go for the five course tasting menu with wine pairing. It was mostly a good choice, although the wait staff did not seem to know much about serving or drinking wines.

At one point, a waiter brought a wine to us that he couldn’t even identify. He said he was new on the job. I can understand that. I used to wait tables myself, and wasn’t a wine drinker at that time. But, for a Michelin mentioned restaurant, it did seem odd that the waiter couldn’t even tell me what kind of wine I was drinking that was chosen to pair with my food. Like, he had to go ask what type of wine it was– not the specific label, but the actual grape. I think it was a Pinot Grigio.

Anyway… below are some photos from our dinner at Untere Apotheke. I enjoyed every course.

We started with a smoked trout with a horseradish sauce. I took the second photo because it looked like the sauce had turned into a work of art after I had enjoyed the fish!

Next was a “hirsch” (venison) carpaccio, which was absolutely divine. I haven’t eaten much venison in my lifetime, but this was really good. I did give a couple of extra bites to Bill, though.

The third course was sturgeon with cabbage and potatoes espuma. I’d never had sturgeon before, and only had heard was a very expensive fish. It was pretty dense and mild. The sturgeon tasted good, although I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to have it again.

The sturgeon was followed by a ragout of “Ochsenschwanz” (oxtail) with pears and red cabbage. I don’t think I had ever had oxtail before. I know Bill has had it. I enjoyed it, but again, maybe I wouldn’t go out of my way to order it.

We had a palate cleanser of sorbet, followed by dessert, which was Swabian apple cake with caramelized vanilla ice cream. Naturally, I enjoyed the dessert, especially since it didn’t look like a mushroom! It came with a very nice dessert wine that went well.

I did really enjoy the food and wine at Untere Apotheke. The service was very friendly, although the wait staff was a bit “green”. They mostly appeared to be young guys who are just learning about how to wait tables. Again, I totally sympathize. I have been there, myself. And their friendliness definitely made up for slightly bumbling service. I have no doubt they’ll get the hang of things soon, especially given how many people were dining on Saturday night.

The tables in Untere Apotheke are a bit close together. We sat next to a male couple who kept sneaking glances at us, probably wondering why we were in Waiblingen, intruding with our “Americanness”. I may be a bit sensitive, given what’s been going on in our government, lately. But I think they soon figured out that I’m definitely not a follower of the regime. 😉

I would certainly be happy to dine at Untere Apotheke again. It was a fine place to enjoy our last evening in Waiblingen.

One more post to go before this series is finished!

Baden-Württemberg, German lifestyle, Hessen

Winter is definitely here now…

Featured photo is of our view from the front balcony…

I don’t have too much to write about today. I might have decided to go out and get my new banjo set up, but it’s snowing outside, and I can’t be bothered… As I’ve gotten older, I’m less inclined to go out in weather conditions that are less than perfect. In Germany, that means I’m a virtual shut in, especially during this time of year!

I did want to share a couple of photos, though, especially for my mother-in-law, who is stuck in hot old Texas. I don’t mind looking at the snow falling, but I don’t like walking or driving in it. I’m always afraid I’ll fall and break my ass!

Below are a couple of photos taken an hour after the featured photo. The snow is really falling right now!

We woke up to snow yesterday, and it fell off and on all day. I noticed a young man I’d never seen before, clearing a walkway to the trash bins. I also saw that he even cleared a path in front of our house. It wasn’t a lot of snow, but I appreciated his effort, just the same. Especially since he looked contented as he did it.

I remember living in Jettingen, where it snowed more often. Before I realized how compulsive our former landlady was, I’d usually clear a path on the driveway for the mail delivery. But one day, she showed up, unannounced, as usual, and furiously grabbed a snow shovel and cleared the whole driveway! I wasn’t going anywhere and my car was parked under the carport. I guess it really bugged her that I didn’t clear the whole thing. She seemed to expect me to adhere to her standards and know instinctively what they were.

Remembering that– and all of the other crap we dealt with down there– just makes me appreciate our current living situation all the more. Cheers to neighbors who are kind, helpful, considerate, and not inclined to be jerks. On the other hand, some of our neighbors seemed to want to set our house on fire with explosives on New Year’s Eve… 🤔

My German friend says that there were a few house fires this year on New Year’s Eve, thanks to the armageddon style fireworks. I’ve read that many Germans would like to ban them, and some neighboring countries already have. People do get really stupid on New Year’s Eve, especially when you combine alcohol with fireworks. A couple of people died in the house fires, and my friend also reported that there was a fire at a barn in nearby Mainz. Fourteen horses were left homeless, although thankfully, they were rescued before they were hurt or killed.

I’m glad that shit only goes on once a year!

Anyway, here’s to a new blogging year. Hopefully, we’ll be able to explore some new places and new aspects of German life. Can’t believe this has been my life for so long! Also can’t believe how fast the years have flown by… 👀

I think we’ll just enjoy the weather from inside… Maybe we’ll light a fire and drink some red wine. I’m up for coziness.

German lifestyle, holidays

Happy New Year– 2026!

Here’s a video and photo dump from New Year’s Eve 2025/New Year’s Day 2026. We got a new neighbor last month, and I think he might have influenced our other neighbors to set off a shitload of fireworks. We usually get a pretty good show on New Year’s Eve, but last night was beyond the pale. This was my 14th New Year’s Eve in Germany, and I’d rank it as one of the wildest yet!

This is kind of long, but it was hard to choose a segment to feature. It was a little scary at one point. The fire was pretty close to the house!

The dogs were a little scared at first, especially Charlie, who clung to us all night. By the end of the evening, they were used to the noise and realized it wasn’t going to hurt them. The fireworks went on for about an hour, allowing us to go to bed at about 1:00 AM. Bill was getting perturbed, because they were setting stuff off pretty close to our house and car.

*A bit blurry… zoomed in image of all the ambulances at the top of the hill.*

We had fondue for dinner last night– something we don’t do that often. Today, Bill made cheese souffles for breakfast, and he’s using the sous vide to cook a pork shoulder for dinner. We listened to music and talked, and had a good time. You can see Charlie is in his jacket. I thought it might work like a Thundershirt to calm him down. We later took it off, because we didn’t want him to get too warm.

I used to like to go out for New Year’s Eve, but now I like staying home, so I don’t have to put on a bra. We went through some sparkling wine, and tried a couple of cocktails. It was a nice evening. Of course, now I’m going to have to take down all the Christmas stuff. Maybe this weekend, that will get done.

Hope you have a very Happy New Year, and a successful 2026! I’m grateful we survived last night without any house fires or injuries! And I’m glad the dogs managed to chill out. They even went potty before things got really nuts!

German lifestyle, Hessen

2025 Wiesbaden Christmas Market photo dump!

Yesterday afternoon, it was cloudy and damp, and the skies were kind of dark. I wasn’t really in the mood to venture out, but changed my mind when I realized that it had been ages since I last left our neighborhood. I had considered going to the Globus, but realized how huge and overwhelming that place is, even when it’s not days before Christmas. I thought about going to AAFES to pick up some skin cream, but Bill also mentioned going to the commissary to buy groceries, which I really didn’t feel like doing.

So, although the Wiesbaden Christmas Market pretty much looks the same every year, we decided we’d go there and get some photos… We did that, and also visited BrewDog for a late afternoon lunch. Below are some photos from our outing. The sandwiches we had at BrewDog were good, but I see that I didn’t even take photos of them, which is a rare thing for me!

I wore a heavy coat, which I didn’t need to do. I thought it was colder than it was, because there was a stiff breeze at our house in Breckenheim. But, as you can see in the photos above, there were people who wore short sleeves and shorts. One guy, which I got a photo of, even took off his shirt. I noticed him making a hasty exit as a group of stern looking Polizei got close.

I’m glad we went to the Christmas market. It was very pretty, especially when it got dark outside at around 4:30PM. I saw a lot of nice looking things– some of which were very cute and creative– and I might have been interested in buying some of them, but it’s hard for me to shop when there are hordes of people around. I guess the grandchildren will get an Epiphany box, instead of a Christmas box. But Bill already sent a box of stuff we picked up on our latest travels, so they’ll have something to unwrap on Christmas day.

We might end up going to AAFES today… Lord, give me strength. I would like to go to Globus, too, but it’s Sunday… Maybe next weekend, when it’s sale time. The market was crowded yesterday, but I’ve seen it worse. At least we didn’t have to hunt too long for a parking spot.

German lifestyle, holidays

Wow! Halloween was quite the success this year!

Halloween in Germany seems to be hit or miss. There have been years when we’ve had candy and no one comes to the door, leaving us with leftovers for months. A couple of years ago, we had a moderate turnout for Germany… maybe a dozen kids. This year, I was thinking it was going to be a bust. I turned on the porch light at 5:00 PM and by 7:00 PM, no one had rung the bell.

But then at 7:00, several waves of kids showed up. The last wave was about six or eight kids, and they were like feral animals! When they came to the door, the bowl was about half full. When they left, it was completely empty! They were grabbing candy as if the bowl was a pinata! At 7:30 PM, I was done!

I guess it helps that this year, Halloween is on a Friday. It looks like the neighborhood was participating, because I saw kids with a fair haul of candy. I guess they’ve never really learned Halloween etiquette, though, because it wasn’t a custom their parents participated in, back in the day. So they don’t seem to realize that they should let the person with the bowl hand out candy, rather than grabbing it! I suppose it’s my fault, though. I was shocked into speechlessness, plus I don’t speak German that well.

Anyway… so ends another Halloween. I turned off the porch light and blew out the candles in the jack o’ lantern. If we’re still here next year, we’ll have to get more candy. 🤣 I think Halloween has officially caught on in our neighborhood!

Good news… Mr. Bill is going to come home tomorrow morning, instead of on Tuesday. So that means tonight is the last night I’ll be spending alone. I made a music video earlier tonight, when I was looking forward to Tuesday, but it’s even more appropriate now. I’m “wild again”…

I know the syncing is messed up toward the middle, but there’s nothing I can do about it…

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Category Archives: German lifestyle