Just Us & A Perfect Weekend

On Saturday, we spent the day out and about...just the three of us.  Add beautiful, summer weather and the German outdoors and what do you get?  Perfection.

We've taken to riding our bikes a lot lately.  Our trip to Lake Constance really inspired us to dust off our bikes and get them out and running!  It's been awesome...although I'm still trying to get used to riding on the roads with traffic.  It can be scary at times, especially when you're the one toting the little one!

I think I've mentioned this several times before, but Germany's (and pretty much all of Europe) outdoors are just heavily laden with trails that people hike, bike, and run all year long.  As you ride the trails, especially on a beautiful day like that day was, you run into tons of people either hiking, walking their dogs, parents/grandparents walking their kids/grandkids, people picnicking and riding bikes.  Even more so, you run into biergartens along the way--restaurants with outdoor seating where people can take a break from the trail to enjoy a nice drink and/or meal. 

On our leisurely stroll through the woods and a mere 15-20 minutes from the post gate, we stumbled upon a biergarten that we had been to before with friends called the Katzenbacherhof.  The place has a ginormous playground that Sina loves (complete with slides, swings, and a sand box), a small restaurant, and just an overall relaxing atmosphere.  And thank goodness we ran into when we did--I was needing a break.  Those trails are quite hilly! 

Here are a few pictures...

Vaiosina absolutely enjoys being out on the trails--probably because she doesn't have to exert any energy!  She actually falls asleep from time to time.  What a lucky duck.  She couldn't get enough of the little sheep.  She kept singing the "Baa Baa Black Sheep" song to herself.  It was so cute.

 

The playgrounds here are just amazing.  I mean, we have cool playgrounds back in the states, but it just seems like the ones here are much more elaborate and more fun--even to us adults!  Coincidentally enough, a lot of the equipment at this particular park had U.S. Corps of Engineers engraved on them.  Why don't they have swings like this at home?

This is my favorite picture of Vaiosina from that day.  Love that smile!  She was clapping and asking for more!

This girl is quite fearless. Even more so when daddy is around and, of course, he encourages it.  Look at her go!

We enjoyed a great lunch!  Grilled steak, wurst and potato salad.  Yum!

Didn't I tell you she couldn't stay away from those sheep?  And there's me hauling precious cargo.  There's a lake along the trail; just minutes away from home.  Love it!

We spent the rest of the weekend doing much of the same.  We've really been lucking out with this gorgeous weather!  I hope it continues at least until Malu leaves (yup, the ugly deployment is rearing its nasty head).  

Hope everyone has a great week!