Discovering Maria Laach

During the second part of our day trip, we decided to stop by Kloster Maria Laach (German for Maria Laach Abbey). This Benedictine Abbey was finished back in 1156 and it is considered as one most remarkable gems of the German Romanesque architecture.

 

It is located only a few hundred meters away from the lake of the same name.

 

This truly was the perfect end of a perfect day trip. Thanks again to the most wonderful travel buddy in the world! ;)

 

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Impromptu Getaway: Burg Eltz (The Eltz Castle)

 

 

I'm one of these people that enjoy planning a trip almost as much as the trip itself. However, there's something equally exciting about an impromptu getaway. And I have to say that Mr. Schinnen masters the art of coming up with the perfect day trip from one minute to another, and what I find even more difficult: keeping the destination as a surprise. After a one-hour drive and as you can imagine, the moment I saw the magnificent Burg Eltz (German for Eltz Castle) my jaw dropped.

 

Nestled in one of the most beautiful valleys in the region -and one of the most privileged locations from a geo-strategic standpoint- the Eltz castle still preserves all its handsomeness and glorious presence. It was built by the Eltz family back in the XV Century. Their wealth and connections have allowed them to keep the property in excellent conditions throughout the centuries. Now, the castle represents an invaluable testimony of one of the country's most powerful families lifestyle back in the 1400s and its evolution across centuries.

 

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Tomorrow, I'll share with you the details of the second part of the trip (Maria Laach Abbey).

 

Have an awesome week!

 

 

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Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Okay, so as it turns out, I might have gotten a bit obsessed over wild flowers center pieces. I got these during an early morning bike drive to a forest nearby.

 

Have an awesome weekend -a long one for those living in the States. It will be my first Memorial Day Weekend outside the good old USA in eight years!

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Rhine Cruise

 

 

 

 

 



Last Sunday, Michael's mother invited us to spend the day on a lovely cruise alongside the Rhine to celebrate her birthday. It was such a nice -and warm!- day. Hope you enjoy the pics!

 

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Feelin' Anything Rustic

 

 

When it comes to home deco, nothing embodies the perfect balance of warmth and sophistication like the rustic style. At least in my book.

 

To recreate the rustic feel, investing on a bigger piece like a fabulous farmhouse table, plus smaller details such as wild flowers center pieces and candles, go a long way, don't you  think?

 

How about you, guys? Are you particularly drown to this style? Any ideas you would like to share here?

 

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Highlights Of The Weekend

 

Hi darlings! Hope you had a great weekend. On this end, and except from a lovely birthday celebration, the past days were mostly quiet and relaxing. The most remarkable part certainly was the movies selection for Friday and Saturday night (PS. 'Gradma Elsa' felt asleep half-way through both nights and ended up watching them the morning after during breakfast!)

The Life Of Pi: From the director of Brokeback Mountain and based on a book of the same name, this 120-million-dollar-studio movie portrays the most inspiring and encouraging tale about faith and strength. I can't recommend this film enough. It made me believe that life is just this massive metaphor where it all comes down to faith, storms, courage and strength.

Silver Linings Playbook: Once again, the Harvey Weinstein factory backs up an adorably dark comedy about two ridiculously charming bi-polar guys trying to put their lives together through dance, football and love. Bonus: Robert de Niro playing a middle-class dad in his sixties is always something to see.

 

Seriously, I strongly recommend both movies!

 

Have and awesome week and thanks for reading!

 

Source for pics: The Life Of Pi and Silver Lining Playbook.

 

 

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Let's Talk Guilty Pleasures...

 

 

According to Glenda Bailey (Editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar) 'no pleasure should be guilty.' As much as I embrace my occasional self-indulgent treats -which usually involve wine, cheese, gossip magazines and Zimbio's photo-gallery browsing - well, I still have mix feelings about my Laguna Beach and The Hills Netflix marathons. There. I said it.

 

So, where do you stand on the issue? Any guilty pleasures you want to share?

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Highlights Of The (Mother's) Weekend!

 

 

 

 

This past weekend was supposed to be a festive one: Mother's Day in Spain on Sunday, Cinco de Mayo in the States and Rhine In Flames weekend in Bonn. We certainly made sure we tributed every single one! On Friday night, we headed to a Mexican restaurant down the street for an early Cinco de Mayo celebration. Did you know that this festivity is only observed in the USA and in some Mexican regions?

 

As I mentioned, this weekend Bonn celebrated the much acclaimed Rhine In Flames, an annual festival full of music, food, drinks and a wide array of entertainment options for both kids and adults. The cherry on top is the big fireworks spectacle on Saturday night right over the Rhine. We hit the festival on Saturday evening.

 

On Sunday, and taking advantage of the absolute fabulous weather (a whooping 22C/ 71.6F) we went on our bikes (we drove 66km/41 miles in one day!) This time we rolled along the Rhine down to Brühl, a small town with a beautiful palace nestled on an equally beautiful Forrest. Needless to say, the ride was amazing. On our way back to Bonn, and making the best out of an unnecessary detour, I grabbed Sylvester flowers off some bushes thinking on my mother in Spain (she is a gardener pro!) Mamita, these flowers are for you! Muah!

 

I wish you all a very nice week! Thanks for reading! Xo,

 









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Overprepare, Then Go With The Flow (Have A Nice Weekend!)

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The Self-Improvement section of Stumble Upon is one of my favorite readings on the web. This morning, I came across this inspirational gem:

45 Life Lessons, written by a 90 year old

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short not to enjoy it.
4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.
5. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for things that matter.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye… But don’t worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful.  Clutter weighs you down in many ways.
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It’s never too late to be happy.  But it’s all up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, ‘In five years, will this matter?’
27. Always choose Life.
28. Forgive but don’t forget.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give Time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d
grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you think you need.
42. The best is yet to come…
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

Hope you guys enjoyed this piece as much as I did. I also hope you guys have an amazing weekend.

Thanks for reading as always!

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Searching For The Perfect Picnic Blanket

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It looks like Spring has finally arrived here in Bonn. One of our favorite activities to do on sunny weekends is to hit the road with our bikes and roll around the surroundings -mostly alongside the Rhine and across forests nearby. I truly recommend the experience, if you happen to have the chance. At the moment, we usually take ride breaks at beer gardens -nothing like a refreshing German beer to recover after the exercise. However -perhaps when the weather is even warmer- I look forward to having little picnics by the river instead, getting a bit of sun, having a little siesta or enjoying a good book. For that matter, a pretty and functional picnic blanket becomes an absolute necessity. As far as patterns and styles,there are so many options: Tartan, ethnic, stripes... Here you have some of my top choices, if you'd like to see.

 

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Do you guys have any particular suggestion or preference on the matter?

As always, thanks for reading!

 

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