May 24, 2010

Egypt Part 1 The Resort and the Red Sea...

We had an amazing time in Egypt. I have been thinking about what I would say when it came time for this posting, but it is very difficult to put into words. Yes it was hot, yes it really is all desert, yes the driving is insane, yes it's predominantly Muslim and it shows, yes Cairo is an enormous city of 18 million with a poverty level of 40% and that shows as well. And yes, the water and food will make you sick no matter how careful you are. We knew most of these things going into the trip and yet, actually experiencing a fraction of Egyptian culture was very eye opening and educational. We were shocked and awed and sometimes afraid at the reality of their lifestyles. It is a beautiful and desolate country all at once. One can picture how great a civilization the ancient Egyptians were and modern day Egypt still thrives based on the rise and fall of the Nile. There is literally nothing in the landscape the further from its banks you travel. Hopefully the pictures can portray some of what we experienced. This posting includes pictures of us and our friends, The Albees, who came on the trip with us, as well as pictures from the Red Sea and the resort we stayed at.

May 10, 2010

Spring in Germany...

So far this Spring has alternated from fabulous weather to crap, which is where we stand right now. However, it hasn't prevented the sprouting of young crops, the return of the birdies singing and amazing flowers blooming in all colors. The new heading photo shows one of the many fields of mustard flowers. The picture doesn't do it justice...these fields can stretch on forever and the bright yellow flowers are at least as tall as I am. The other photos are from around my garden. I've also planted strawberries and grapes, tomatoes, cauliflower, eggplant and basil. There is an enormous rhubarb plant that grew from seemingly nothing. Judging by the looks of it, it should be a fruitful harvest this year.

As many of you know, April 30-May 1 is the celebration of Spring and fertility, Beltaine, or more commonly known as May Day. The pretty young ladies in Germany may be blessed on the eve of May Day to have a Birch tree tied to their house and strung with colored streamers, a gift from their boyfriends or admirers. Here I have taken a few pictures from around the villages of this cool tradition. The first one is of my landlord's house, the tree is for her daughter Eva.

Lastly, in keeping with my gradual conversion to greener living, the kids and I have spent some time this week preparing our herbal bug sprays and weed killers for the garden. They work amazingly well and are made from a mixture of vinegar and dish soap for the weeds, and garlic, oil and peppers for the bugs. We have also ventured into the world of jelly making...last week it was Jamaican Banana Jam and this week, Dandelion Jelly! See you all next time. You won't want to miss the next posting!