I know I promised to write more about the places I have lived, but perhaps we can make that a rainy day blog....when nothing else interesting is going on. Then I can revisit my past great living arrangements....but right now, in this Spring...I must write what is current.

This week we have been blessed with a visit from our 20 year old niece Jessica who is on break from studying Art in Florence. (Yes, I am totally jealous). It has been great having a young creative, intelligent spirit in the house. We having gone too far a field yet, but we did get to a wonderful festival that I feel motivated to tell you about.

On a beautiful breezy warm early Spring day, we drive up the Deutsche Weinstraße, (the German wine route) and stopped in a village called Gimmelingen. I had read that they were having a Mandelblüten festival, (almond blossom) and just could not imagine what it could be.

We drove into the village which is surrounded by vineyards and there were droves of people trying to find parking along the streets. The whole area was intensely fragrant and the roads were lined with trees blooming in this soft pale pink. I would have guessed that they were a flowering Cherry, but we were later to discover that these were the almond blossoms that this whole celebration was based around.

We parked at the foot of the rolling wine covered hill. From the bottom you could see on the different step like plateaus of the hillside, the many tables and benches with people sitting, enjoying the sunshine and the view while sipping their wine or coffee. Everywhere the place was a light in color...this soft pale pink of the almond blossoms.

On each table there were two grape branches entwined and tied with a soft pink organza bow. Even the cookies there were selling were delicate and perfectly packaged. I am always amazed at the attention to detail the Germans give to small fests like this. The cookies were sealed in a beautiful clear plastic sack that had pink fleur de lis (sp) printed on them and inside....there were round delicate almond cookies with five soft pink meringue pipped icing to represent the petals of the blossoms. They were delicious. Even my manly husband enjoyed them. :)

There was a coffee and cake stand on the top level of the hill, wrapped around a beautiful enclosed round garden feature where obviously people could sit if the weather was not optimal. You could imagine the growers sitting in there during the picking season enjoying their bag lunch and the view. Of course everything was served off of china and in glassware. That always amazes me about festivals here. No styrofoam or plastic for these civilized people. That would all just end up in a landfill...they have large portable dishwashers and they wash continuously all day during the fest. It is all just ordered perfection.

I enjoyed watching a small girl discovering the beauty of a small flower with her digital camera. I snapped a shot of her and her mother laughed....I smiled and said..."future photographer". Her parent's smiled and said "Perhaps". There was also an artist capturing the many views and displaying and selling his sketches. A very theatrical painter that seemed from another era.

I think Jessica soaked everything up as if she were using a crusty piece of bread to clean up a delicious sauce. I could see her recording it all in her minds and it was great. As much as I still enjoy these kinds of days even this many years later, it is never better then when shared with someone who sees it all with fresh eyes.

I hope you enjoy the shots from the day...and I hope you get out and breath in this glorious Spring.