Brussels

View from our hotel room

I like her soooo much....

Sorry, in front of Manneken Pis there were too many people

Amazing!!!

Back to Tokyo...

Holidays are over for our friend from Tokyo. Today she flew back to Japan. Well, five days in Europe is a really long holiday....She enjoyed it very much as she told us. We sent her to Amsterdam on Monday for a short stay. She came back yesterday evening and was really happy about the trip. Being an organizing talent we matched her with another Japanese friend, who lives in Amsterdam and stays home with her baby at the moment. So she wasn't alone yesterday. Mission completed :)  Now we are preparing for Brussels!!

This was in Aachen, next time you'll see Manneken Pis here... :)

Sightseeing – Japanese style....

Our friend from Tokyo came on Friday. We were thinking what to do with her, because she has been to Germany several times before and we were having a really hard time to think of something she has not seen or visited ,yet. 

But then she saved us! She told us she is on research here.... Little spy, hä???? ;) As a freelancer she designs stamps for a company, who wants to enter the German market, so she just wanted to visit German stationary shops and find out what kind of stamps are sold over here. Well I can tell you, there only few and I am not sure there is a market in Germany because we did not really find many nice stamps except stamps for companies, but those do not count. So Saturday was shopping and researching! In the evening we met friends in a typical German pub and had some nice drinks. 

Our friend says this is a kind of wellness holiday for her and she has not been sleeping so long and so good for ages.... The only thing at the moment is the weather, gosh we have summer and there is 14°C outside!!!! Summer? Not at all at the moment. 

Sunday we did some sightseeing after all, we were in Aachen freezing and getting wet because of the bad weather. Anyway,  very beautiful city! This time our task was not only visit the famous Imperial Cathedral, where the coronation for 30 German kings and 12 queen took place, but also to buy some angels. Yes, our Japanese friend loves angels. Oh yeah, there was also that gorgeous cafe on our way and lots of printen shops....

Churches and angels....

Printen

Cakes!!!

Fukoshima still moves everyone's live in Japan. Governmental behavior after the accident changed many minds mainly of the young Japanese. It is interesting how their opinion changed and what kind of needs they express now and how they try to find a way out of the tragedy and how to deal with their politicians. Interesting for us to get them to know a new.

Life at home

So busy with so many things happening over here. My parents came over for some days to look for an apartment. They were seeing seven apartments in three days, which were mostly a failure. They stayed in our place while we were working. I think it was nice for them to get around the town for themselves. Two days ago a friend from Japan called first at our phone at home. My mother answered the call and did not understand anything, because she does not speak Japanese... well, why should she. She was really having fun with the girl calling several times. And we were wondering who called us. The girl called at two at night again and finally after being awake we have found out is was the daughter of R.'s guest parents in Japan. She will came to Germany tomorrow and wants to visit us... she just got tired of work having a kind of burn out and decided to go on holiday. So she booked a flight to Germany and will stay here for a week. Funny, isn't it? So my parents went back home the day before yesterday, some friends from London came over yesterday for dinner and today the Japanese girl is coming. Am I getting bored? Not at all.By the way, next week  we are going to Brussels! But first we will do some sightseeing with our Japanese guest on the weekend....

En pleine campagne ...

Well, flying to Paris does not always imply you ARE in Paris... this time at my friend's country house...

Chicory fields, the real Picardy!

 Simply great to see old friends and spent a smooth weekend with best friends, excellent French food and champagne.

What else did we do???? Well....

Sightseeing in Amiens

Shopping!!!! (isn't it great? this are CDs and cables)

French cakes, we loved this small patisserie!

Something to bring home....

Friday: Paris again!!!!

I love the colours of big cities at night. It was middle of the night in Paris, 30° C hot. I was coming back from Biarritz. It started to rain. People drinking wine in the streets, getting wet. Who cares. A summer storm lightning up the air. Magnificent feeling.  And all I wanted was to cry, cry so loud. Ru. What is important in our lives? And then I knew it was the right decision. The right decision for him and after all for me. And I know we are happy and as he always said: Happiness is the most important thing in our lives. And I am happy. France was so unbelievable beautiful. And I am going there again on 8th and this is sooo soon.... this time flying to CDG.!!!!