Life as I know it.: Wrapping up Autumn

Vibrant colors dotting the hillsides, a chill in the air and the excitement of approaching Christmas markets is how I would describe the Herbst of Germany. Views of the Bergstrasse never cease to amaze me; with a blue sky and the quietness of nature, my time walking through the hills of our region will always stay with me. Here are a few photos I've captured in the past few weeks. If you came to Zwingenberg today, you wouldn't see these vibrant colors because winter has arrived, but the bare trees of winter only give new perspective and excitement for the coming weihnachtsmarkt season.

Vineyard view with Auerbach Castle in the distance

Rolling hills of the Bergstrasse

Fall Foliage

Wine walk through the hills

Leftovers from the harvest

Looking over Zwingenberg

Last Thursday, as many people celebrated Thanksgiving with family and friends stateside, Derek and I enjoyed too many episodes of Prison Break accompanied by not-so-good frozen pizzas and delicious German wine. But, on Saturday we welcomed our German friends to an American Thanksgiving feast at our apartment. We managed to gather three tables, our dining table, patio table, and random marble table, and created enough room for everyone to sit comfortably. Since I have ample free time, I spent all of Friday preparing the vegetables, chopping onions, carrots, apples, celery, and drying out too much bread for my grandmas' recipes of dressing. I even spent the evening making a homemade apple pie complete with a butter flaked crust. With no rolling pin, I learned that all things can be accomplished with a little faith. On Saturday, Derek and I basted the turkey and let it roast for three hours. While seeking help from Google, Derek "carved" the turkey and Simba had a hayday. Once everything finished baking, our table was complete with a 5.4 kilo turkey (13 pounds), two large dishes of dressing, corn pudding for 20, mashed potatoes for 15, and plenty of bread to last the next four days. Derek and I seriously overestimated the eating power of our German friends. But one of the best parts about Thanksgiving is the leftovers, so I guess I planned accordingly. Not to mention the entire extra cheese ball that is still in the fridge. I should probably throw that out.

On Sunday, we went to the Felsenmeer in the Odenwald, a large rock-bed flowing down a mountain. Dating from the ice age, the Felsenmeer is now part of the Odenwald National Park. There is more history and geological importance, but we were too tired to really dive into the facts. That evening we went to the Formula 1 Racing Championship public viewing party in ~~Heppenheim~~ Vettelheim. Sebastian Vettel, the world champion of Formula 1 is from Heppenheim, and the city goes crazy for the sport. Here's a few photos of last weekend.