Family Snippets

Want a fish soup that will bring you to the deeps of the sea? for just a few euros at Nordsee restaurant that's exacly what you will get, a Nordic atmosphere, one of our favorite stops when we go out for a quick meal... tomato sauce, various types of fish, shrimp, persil... delicious soup! In the background of the picture is a wall with a landscape that brings a sense of peace and rest... that reminds us a place we love to spent time together!

Bad Homburg with exquisite Baroque-influenced architecture and the huge Kurpark (spa garden) is a destination for a family walk every year after Christmas, we have done this many years and each time is a unique experience. Located at the foot of the Taunus mountains , this place is an extremely popular spot for a walk. For centuries Bad Homburg has been home to celebrity visitors, princes, kings and queens, writers and czars, all looking for a bit of relaxation and recuperation in its amazing natural springs, it is one place we seem never to be tired of in Germany.

When the Advent season opens, Christmas markets also crop up in nearly every German town, large or small. The town squares are lit up and buzzing with activity during this time. Townspeople gather together, listen to brass band music, and enjoy the hearty traditional fare of the region. Vendors peddle baked goods, including gingerbread hearts , sugar-roasted almonds, crepes , cookies, stollen, cotton candy and other sweets. Christmas tree decorations, seasonal items, and handcrafted articles are also sold. Christmas markets date back to at least the 14th century and were one of the many markets held throughout the year. It was here that people bought everything they needed for the Christmas celebration: baking moulds, decorations, candles, and toys for the children. In fact, until well into the 20th century, the Weihnachstmärkte were the only place for people to buy such seasonal items. Markets differ from place to place; each has its own regional imprint. The market at Aachen, f...

Joana arrived today in Frankfurt, -13º Celsius compared with 20º in Lisbon, but she is enjoying the bits of snow and the cold air. According to the weather forecast it will snow on Christmas Eve, it looks like we are going to have a white Christmas ! A Joana chegou hoje em Frankfurt, -13 º Celsius em comparação com 20 º em Lisboa, mas ela está curtindo os pedaços de neve e o ar frio. Segundo a previsão meteorológica, vai nevar na véspera de Natal, parece que vamos ter um Natal branco!

We wish all our family and friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We hope all of us can this year do something good for someone this Christmas! This is a time of Good Tidings of Great Joy!   May the Joy and Peace of Christmas be with you today and always is the prayer of our family in this special time of the year! Our son João will be in New York this year for Christmas, to know more about him go to jnewyork.blogspot.com

Stuttgart's main attractions are clearly the hilly landscape, the numerous vineyards that stretch all the way to the city center, the many parks that make Stuttgart one of the greenest cities in Germany and the mineral water fountains that characterize this region as having the largest source of mineral water in Western Europe. Home to Mercedes-Benz museum and factory . The heart of Mercedes-Benz manufacture, and well worth the visit. There are some 40,000 employees on site, including 9,000 in research & development alone! An impressive city where where the parents of Filomena came in the late 60's to buy their car, a bit nostalgic for her to walk the same streets where her parents once did.