I’m Back

I’m Back

Nightstand September 24, 2007

Is vacation really over? I can’t believe it. Actually I just don’t want to admit it is and perhaps that’s why I’ve had the hardest time writing this post. I’m sure in a few days I’ll get used to being back but for now I want to pretend I’m still on vacation.

We really did have a wonderful time. Just some highlights:

  • We went to the Harz mountains for a day of hiking. It was a beautiful day with sunny skies but a bit chilly so I was all bundled up. After some time hiking though the mittens and scarf were put away. A nice hike of course meant a treat at a cafe afterwards.
  • I visited the bakeries a lot. Thank goodness for all the walking we did everywhere otherwise none of my clothes would fit.
  • Spending a day in Goslar. It’s hard to put the camera away in this town – you just want to capture it all. We also went to the Modern Museum of Art which just happens to be located in house built in 1528. How cool is that.
  • Stayed in Berlin for a few days. We visited friends, museums and Knut! That little polar bear is not so little anymore but still very cute. And, Berlin is just all kinds of awesome. I want to live there.
  • Wandered around the canals of Amsterdam. I wanted to visit some museums but we just couldn’t get enough of seeing the city so we just spent hours walking and taking pictures instead. The museums will have to wait until another trip. I also discovered some very cool bookshops like the American Book Center and Boekie Woekie (more on those later).

There’s more to tell and many pictures to show you so I hope you don’t get bored of my vacation talk over the next several days. I took more than 400 pics so it’ll be a while before I go through them and can show you but I promise I will.

And, I promise to tell you all about the books I bought (six) and the books I read (10!).

The only bad thing about vacation is that I’m terribly behind in my blog reading. I’ve missed all of my bloggy friends but luckily that is one thing I have to look forward to now that I’m back. I can’t wait to catch up with all of you. In the meantime, here is one little pic just to give you a preview of more to come.
Goslar

Street in Goslar, Germany, Canon Digital Rebel

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On Vacation

On Vacation

Nightstand September 1, 2007

We are off on vacation! My husband and I leave Sunday to go to Germany to visit family and friends. We will spend most of our time around the Hannover area but we are also planning visits to Berlin, the Harz and Amsterdam. Yay.

The suitcases and backpacks are ready. I managed to fit in nine books even though I’m not sure I’ll get to each one as I always manage to do book shopping over there too. I do know I’ll miss reading blogs from all of my book blogging friends. Don’t be surprised if I do some quick blog visits. I may not be able to stay away.

I’m looking forward to hours of uninterrupted reading, Nutella on Brötchen for breakfast and many walks in some of my favorite cities. Hope you enjoy some great reads and see you after September 23. I promise to be back with lots of pictures and stories of books read, books bought and bookstores discovered.

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Currently Reading

Currently Reading

Nightstand August 30, 2007

So what have I been reading lately? Don Quixote! For a while there I would just read a few pages here and there and while I liked what I was reading I don’t think I was doing the book justice. Too many starts and stops. But this week, I’ve focused more on my Don Quixote reading and I finally feel like I’m really into the story, watching it unfold.

Granted I’m still behind and I don’t think I’ll finish by the end of September which had sort of been my goal but that’s okay. What have I liked best so far? Too many escapades to mention but one scene I really liked is when Sancho Panza tells Don Quixote he knows who the fair Dulcinea is.

“I know her very well,’ said Sancho, ‘and I can say that she can throw a metal bar just as well as the brawniest lad in the village. Praise our Maker, she’s a fine girl in every way, sturdy as a horse, and just the one to pull any knight errant or about to be errant, who has her for his lady, right out of any mudhole he’s fallen into! Damn, but she’s strong!”

Doesn’t he make her sound like the fairest of them all? You’ll have to read the book for even more of Sancho’s description of Dulcinea. Thankfully for Dulcinea’s honor, Don Quixote’s own description of Dulcinea is perfect and just what I expected from the knight errant.

“Sancho, if you do not know already, that two things inspire love more than any other; they are great beauty and a good name, and these two things reach their consummation in Dulcinea, for in beauty, no one is her equal, and as for a good name, few can approach her. And to conclude, I imagine that everything I say is true, no more and no less, and I depict her in my imagination as I wish her to be in beauty and in distinction, and Helen cannot approach her, Lucretia cannot match her,, nor can any of the other famous women of past ages, Greek, Barbarian, or Latin. Let each man say what he chooses; if because of this I am criticized by the ignorant, I shall not be chastised by the learned.”

I know I have a long way to go to catch up to some of the readers over at Tilting at Windmills but I think I’ll continue to have a good time along the way.

In other reading news, I got the latest edition of Yoga Journal. This is one edition I can’t miss because there’s an article on how to take care of sore wrists. I have such a problem doing downward dog and I know it’s because of the pressure I feel in my wrists. I hope the article will help. My other recent read is the BoldType ezine. Great issue especially if you are into graphic novels as there are reviews of new graphic novels.

Aside from reading I also have to figure out which books I’m packing for my vacation. I hope the husband has some spare room in his suitcase. Heh.

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