Tag Archives: community bonding

Hessen

Breckenheim Yard Sale 2026…

Today, our village had its annual yard sale. As usual, it was well organized and attended, with plenty of locals walking around, buying their neighbors stuff, and then enjoying wine, Brats, and ice cream. At one point, some guy rang our doorbell, wanting to know if he could park at the end of our street. Bill told him it was our landlord’s/neighbor’s decision, since it’s his property. He’s in Munich right now, though.

Bill and I didn’t really buy or sell anything, save for some strawberries that appeared to come from a local strawberry vendor. We did stop by the wine stand and enjoyed wine and ice cream. The ice cream vendor was friendly, and we were telling him about how we were hiding out from our government. He was sympathetic, and said Germans wanted to talk about it, but couldn’t really.

We also ran into the guy who has Stella, the awesome dog we met Friday night. He said hello, and tried out our neighborhood toilet, which I had lamented that I never seem to lock properly!

We saw our city manager, who is always attentive and shows up at every event. He brought a woman with him. I assume it was his wife. He may not appreciate Americans, because we can’t vote for him, but I do think he does a really good job. I’ve noticed an uptick of fun events since he got his job. It’s made Breckenheim an even better place to live.

The sale is set to go on until 4 PM, which is about 40 minutes from now. Below are some photos I took as we walked around…

I was particularly fond of the cat, who was friendly and looked like he or she wanted to hunt. Some German kids came over to ask what we were looking at while we were standing there at the creek. We answered in English, pointing out the cat… One girl was talking about the cat jumping, but that was about as far as I got.

I really love that our little community does these things, people show up, and they are very neighborly and friendly. We even ran into our neighbor, Massimo, who has always been so nice to us.

I know there will come a day when our time in Breckenheim will be in the past, but I am pretty sure it will always be a bright spot in my memories. We really lucked into a wonderful community. On another note, I saw some art I liked. I need more for our house. But maybe it’s better to find it on our trips.

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Hessen

Photo dump from last night’s wine stand…

We had absolutely gorgeous weather last night, so Bill and I decided to go to the wine stand. It was our first one in a long while. We were sick in mid June, and then we were in Switzerland. I think the one before our sickness we missed because Bill was in Spain, and I hadn’t wanted to attend the wine stand alone.

We sat in the corner, where we usually sit, waiting for people to show up for the event. Bill got me a Riesling, and himself a Graubürgunder. I think the stand was hosted by a local winery.

Below are some photos I took. We talked to our American neighbors, and I told one of them about my Peace Corps experience in Armenia. She said she’d always wanted to join the Peace Corps, but feared it might not be possible, because her partner is in the military. I explained that military members can join, as long as they aren’t involved in intel… and even if they are, I believe that after some time, they can join if they wish. I actually think the two of them would be great Volunteers, if they were ever inclined to join. But, of course, that all depends on if Trump ruins the Peace Corps with one of his horrific policies.

We also met a man who had a beautiful dog named Stella. Stella is an Australian Shepherd and Border Collie mix. She was very friendly to us. I think I won her over with many butt scratches.

The sausages they were selling actually looked really good last night. We probably should have had one.

Sweet Stella!
I love what they did with this bottle.

It was nice to go to the wine stand again, even if I did have to pee like a racehorse at the end. I think tomorrow, there’s going to be a flea market, and the wine stand will be open again.

Hopefully, this week, there won’t be any fires to put out. I think Bill has bought some ribs for our modest July 4th celebration, here at home. I don’t see it as celebrating America’s birthday so much as having a reason to cook some awesome ribs. 😋

It’s crazy that it was so hot last week, and today, it’s just 80 degrees. Last night, it was 76, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I’d love to see this weather stick around, if only because maybe my ankles will stop being so swollen.

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Hessen

Breckenheimer “Kerb” or “Kerwe” October 12, 2025…

Yesterday, Bill came back from walking the dogs and said our village was having some kind of event in the Dorfplatz. He looked it up on the town’s Facebook page, and discovered that for the first time since 2009, they were having a “Kerb” or “Kerwe” (depending on your preference). This is a regional term for a street or village fair.

They had a carousel for kids, a game booth, snacks, beer, wine, cakes, and live German music. They also had tractors pulling trailers that played music. I don’t know much about who organized the Kerb, or what it was about, but it looked like several youth clubs put it on. It was very well attended, so I have a feeling that it will be something they do more often.

One thing I really like about living in Breckenheim is that there are a lot of social events. They are family friendly, and promote community. And, as a foreigner, I never feel unwelcome, even if we are “Ausländer“.

Below is a video I made of clips I took. I wasn’t very steady with the camera, because I didn’t want people to think I was focusing on them. I also took some photos…

Eight minutes of German style community fun!

I don’t know how much longer we’ll get to enjoy this community, but I really have enjoyed my stay here so far. I love this about living in Germany. I wish we could do stuff like this in the United States and not worry about idiots with guns or people getting violent over politics. We could learn a lot from the Germans.

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German lifestyle, Hessen

A few photos from last night’s chilly wine stand…

Last night, we decided to go to the wine stand, which happens every other Friday, here in Breckenheim. There wasn’t a big crowd, probably because the weather was a bit iffy. We had rain and storms yesterday, but the sun also came out for awhile. The temperature was slightly brisk, especially for June. I brought a light wrap with me to ward off the chill.

I’m glad we decided to go, even if I did drink too much wine and woke up with a hangover. We ran into a really lovely elderly German couple who are always kind to us when they see us. They joined us at our table, and we practiced our German, while the wife practiced her English. They ate pizza, and offered us some, but we had chili on the stove.

Even though sometimes we feel a little party crashers when we go to the wine stands, we’ve really come to enjoy these community events. The people in Breckenheim are mostly friendly and inclusive… moreso than what we experienced when we lived in Jettingen and Pfäffingen. Sometimes I do miss living down near the Black Forest, though, if only because there was a lot to do, especially on the weekends. There’s a lot to do up here, too, but it has a different vibe. I especially miss taking hikes in the Schwarzwald. I could do that here, too, I guess… but the scenery is not as beautiful to me.

Anyway… here are a few photos.

My favorite photo of the night!

We don’t always go to the wine stands anymore. Sometimes, we just don’t feel like it, or the weather isn’t good. I tend to drink too much wine when we do go… But I have to admit, with a few exceptions, we usually have a good time hanging out with our neighbors. We’ve been told that Breckenheim actually started the wine stand trend in this area, which is used to raise funds for different clubs. The clubs host the stands at the weekly markets, too.

We left the wine stand at just the right time. Bill was getting hungry, and he was very tired from an early flight back to Germany from Poland. Not long after we left, the sky opened up with rain!

Tonight, we have reservations at Landhaus Diedert. It will be the first time we’ve gone there for dinner. Tomorrow, we have lunch reservations at Villa im Tal. So stay tuned for lots of food pictures over the weekend! It’s also a religious holiday on Sunday and Monday (Whit Sunday– the final day of the Easter season– and Whit Monday). I think there are community events going on for that, too, including a raffle that Bill bought tickets for.

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Hessen

Breckenheimer Oktoberfest 2024…

Here’s a quick post about yesterday’s Oktoberfest celebration in Breckenheim. I don’t remember this town ever having one of these “fests” before, and we’ve been here for almost six years. We had lovely, but slightly chilly fall weather, and there was food, music, beer, and wine. A good time was had by all… Below is a video of the singer they had who was gamely entertaining us. I’ve seen more enthusiastic crowds! But he was doing his best!

Mainly just a few clips of the guy singing and smartass comments from yours truly.

Naturally, when I used the bathroom, yet again, someone walked in on me, even though I checked the door before I closed it and thought it was locked. I had the red light and all. SIGH… I guess I should just give up on trying to use the toilet in our square. I can’t figure out how to use it without someone thinking it’s open and barging in on me.

We came back home and I was delighted to see Charlie chewing on a dog toy instead of my underwear.

He’s finally learning what to do with toys!

And this morning, Bill made some excellent grits. I took a photo for friends back home who are looking for good grits. I order these from Amazon. They’re from Kentucky!

A taste of home…

Today, we have a lunch date at one of our favorite restaurants. I may be writing about it later today, or perhaps tomorrow… Hope you have a nice Sunday. Here in Germany, it’s cool, crisp, and clear. We have to enjoy this weather while it lasts. Pretty soon, it will turn to shit.

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Hessen

A few photos from last night’s wine stand…

We had really beautiful weather last night, so Bill and I decided to go to the wine stand. We saw some familiar faces and even tried out our German with an older couple we met at a previous wine stand. We also enjoyed the company of a very sweet dog who reminded me of our departed Arran.

Last night’s wine stand was hosted by the volleyball club…

He was so cute!

I love how friendly and social our neighborhood is. People really seem to get along well here. We didn’t bring Noyzi and Charlie, because we figured it would be too crowded. I think we were right. I probably should drink more apple juice and water instead of wine, but it is a lot of fun to share libations with our community!

Next week, they’re going to have an Oktoberfest. That should be a lot of fun, too!

Tonight, we’re going to Wiesbaden to try a new restaurant. Hopefully, it will be a good experience I can write about tomorrow.

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Hessen, trip planning

Our last wine stand in August…

We had really pleasant weather last night. It was warm and sunny, but not too hot. Bill and I decided to go to the wine stand, but we left Noyzi and Charlie at home. It was pretty well attended last night, so it was probably good that we didn’t take them with us.

The wine was pretty good last night– better than usual, actually. I didn’t wake up with a hangover! And the company was especially fun. We ran into the American couple who live around the corner from us, and their two kids. A German lady who sat with us last time we went to the wine stand greeted us warmly.

And the pretzels and Spundekäs were both totally off the chain! The pretzels were very fresh and tasted like they had just come from the oven. The Spundekäs was creamy and tasted like it was made “mit Musik” (with music– raw onions that supposedly make one fart more). I already fart a lot anyway, so I don’t know if that’s a real thing. I determined that I liked it better with the onions. This is a very special cheese dip to the Rheingau region. It originated in Mainz, which is about twenty to thirty minutes away from where we live. The only time I ever saw anything like it near Stuttgart was when we visited the home of a guy who married a woman from Hanau. And she had Handkäse, which isn’t really the same thing. I doubt I would like Handkäse.

I got some photos of the event. Most of the usual people were there, so it wasn’t super unusual or exciting. Once again, I was very glad to be in our little village, which has become my favorite of the three I’ve lived in during our German sojourns.

The pretzels were so good!
So was the Spundekäs!
Charming Schnauzer who behaved very well.
I love these gatherings!

Next week, we’ll be in Iceland, enjoying everything… I don’t know how much travel blogging I’ll have the time and energy to do while we’re gone. We have a pretty full schedule. But I’ll do my best to at least share some photos. Hopefully, we’ll have good weather.

We came home last night to our dogs and enjoyed a light repast as we closed out another week here in Deutschland… I can’t believe we’ve now been here for ten years!

Tater tots, cucumbers, hummus, and pita…
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Hessen

A very popular wine stand… attended by Noyzi!

Last night, the weather was nice, so Bill and I decided to attend the wine stand hosted by the Feuerwehr Wiesbaden Breckenheim. They also hosted the wine stand at the weekly market this week, but I didn’t venture down the hill for that.

I probably shouldn’t go to the wine stands, given the state of my liver these days… On the other hand, I was on the proverbial wagon while Bill was away on yet another business trip. I will be on it again later this month, when he goes to Texas for work and then visits his daughter in Utah. So yes, we tried some wines last night, and Noyzi had a good time getting used to be out among the neighbors. He was pretty nervous for the first hour or so, but then calmed down and even relaxed on the pavement a few times.

One thing I noticed last night was that there were so many children at the wine stand. Normally, the community events in Breckenheim are very family friendly and popular, but last night, it seemed especially so. There were so many kids there, and they were so incredibly innocent and beautiful. As I watched a group of them playing with toy dinosaurs, I noticed how they managed to be so effortlessly gorgeous. Then I realized, there was probably a time when Bill and I were like that… In fact, it seems like it wasn’t so long ago that I was young. And now, I am well into middle age, starting to experience the “joys” of chronic health issues. Time flies!

At one point, this very ethereal looking little boy, maybe about two years old, came over and obviously wanted to pet Noyzi. He warmed my heart with his platinum blond hair and blue eyes, and his obvious affection for dogs. I noticed his mom was similarly dog friendly. She’s to be commended for teaching her children to respect dogs as well as they did. The little boy has an older sister who, I swear, looked like a literal angel in her white cotton dress. Like her little brother, she had big blue eyes and blonde hair. I imagine that she will be quite stunning when she’s older. The kids were all very well-behaved, too.

I hope these effusive comments about beautiful children don’t seem weird or creepy to anyone. I was really just observing that moment in time, remembering how it doesn’t seem that long ago that I was still a child, untouched by the relentless march of time and the sins against my health. But, unlike most of the children I saw last night, I was a bit of a terror. 😉 See the below early 80s era photo of me with my cousins at our Granny’s house in Virginia…

I’m the one in the red nightgown. I look kind of devilish with my bowl haircut and baby toothed snarl.

Below are some photos from last night. You can see that it got crowded. I love watching Breckenheimers at wine stands, interacting with their friends and relatives. So many of the people in this village act like they’re long lost relatives. Some of them probably are… as this town seems to have a lot of families within it. It reminds me of my own family in the States, back before politics ruined everything.

I took this a couple of days ago. One of my neighbors has interesting taste in decor.
People never want to sit with us, until there’s no choice…
Noyzi was a little nervous a few times, but he settled down.
Noyzi was so good! He’ll always be my kid.
Always a provider.
I should have videoed this… Noyzi’s little tail was wagging.

I’m not sure what we’ll do today. There was some talk about visiting Darmstadt. Maybe we’ll do that. Maybe not. It’s nice to have Bill home again. I’m glad July is almost half over. It’s usually a terrible month for me.

One more development pertaining to travel… Bill made a deposit on our Iceland trip yesterday!

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Hessen, Rhein

Wine Fest 2024- night number 2!

I kind of wondered yesterday if we would want to go to the second night of the wine fest. It was kind of stormy, and we had about an hour of a steady downpour during the afternoon. But sure enough, at about 5:00 PM, the rain stopped and the sun came out. I’d been watching cop videos on YouTube that were very triggering for me, plus fretting about whether or not I want to go through with being treated by the gastroenterologist I met last week.

We ended up deciding to go to the fest, where we drank more local wines and listened to more live music. Last night, I didn’t see any other obvious Americans, other than a woman who lives very close to us with her partner and works in Frankfurt as a lawyer.

We stayed for a couple of hours, and I got more photos of the event. It looked like it might rain again while we were there, but every time it looked like the sky might open, the sun would come out. It seemed like everyone had a good time enjoying the Rheingau’s most famous products as we all enjoyed live entertainment. Again, I love this about living in Germany, even if my stomach pays for it later.

Below are some photos from last night, and a video that offers a taste of the music.

I didn’t recognize the first song on this, but Bill says it plays all the time on German radio.

A good time was had by all, as you can see. It was a very well-attended event, in spite of the threat of rain. I’m glad we were able to attend this year. Now, the next big event is the ultrasound and blood draw I’m scheduled for next week. With any luck, I’ll have more confidence in the idea that my foray into German healthcare will be more than just an added expense.

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Uncategorized

Wine Fest 2024– night number 1!

Last night, after it rained, we decided to go down to the Dorfplatz for the first night of our Breckenheimer Wine Fest. It was actually a pretty good time. There was a good cover band playing, and several local wineries were in attendance. There was also food, and lots of people bonding over many years of friendship. Below are a few photos I took yesterday on Noyzi’s walk. They were setting up the Dorfplatz. It was raining.

I got the usual photos and a video, but also another reminder that there are lots of Americans in this area. Sitting at the table next to us was a group of Americans and their children. They were a bit loud, and as usual, Bill and I were passive aggressively murmuring among ourselves about how Americans don’t seem to realize how efficiently their voices carry.

I decided to give my German friends a thrill on Facebook. I wrote “Americans are very loud” in German. I probably didn’t write it properly, though. I immediately got a warning from Facebook that my post was still up, but other posts similar to it had been removed due to “hate speech”. Wow… really? So I took it down and reposted my comment in English. No issues there.

Last night was yet another example of how different life is in Breckenheim as opposed to Jettingen. We have a lot of social activities in our little town, most of which revolves around wine. Jettingen didn’t really have a lot of these kinds of social things, although there were restaurants there we occasionally visited. Tommi’s Bistro, which closed the year we left, used to be a great place to go for steak and live entertainment. The guy who owned Tommi’s moved to a new location in nearby Nagold, which did have a lot of fests. I loved Nagold, but we couldn’t walk there easily. Here, we can just walk down the hill and be at the party.

It’s not a great video, but we did enjoy the band. I love this about Germany. There’s always something to celebrate.

We indulged in a few glasses of wine, then came home and had dinner. I’m sure we’ll go to the fest today, too, if only because it’s so easy to just go down the hill and hang out. They’ll have a different band playing. I should probably quit enjoying wine so much, given my digestive issues of late… but hell, you only live once. These are some pictures of the fun before it got busy. It got pretty crowded after a couple of hours.

When the place started filling up, we gave the table over to the group of young Germans who sat with us. They were really nice and didn’t smoke us out of our table! I did kind of pay for last night this morning… not gonna lie. I’m probably getting too old to drink like a college student.

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