Hot Tubs and Carnival Food...

So the workmen, for some reason, did not start at the crack of sparrows this morning thank goodness and it was cooler during the night so we managed to get in a bit of a lie in which is most welcome I can tell you.  A lie-in means that we can sit in bed and catch up on the papers via the two tablets that we have and enjoy a coffee with the windows open and a breeze coming in.  At least we can do for as long as the cats will allow us to!

As we had very little planned for today (until we were off this afternoon down to Sheila and Klaus's to sample the delights of their spa/hot tub), I decided I would tackle the ironing. It was cooler today and by that I mean that it was only about 32 degrees inside and out!  With Hazel coming in a couple of weeks I want to get the guest bedroom ready.  The only trouble with having people to stay over for just one night is that all the bedding needs washing and ironing and somehow Chivers had managed to sneak in with dirty feet and left muddy paw marks on the white duvet cover which wouldn't come out the first time I washed it nor the second!  I resorted to squirting it with the Astonish kitchen cleaner Mum gave me (and swears by) so hopefully it will come out on the third time of asking.  I got increasingly hotter and hotter ironing but I was determined to see it through to the end.

The workmen did pitch up and continued working on the pavements next door but fortunately their activities were reasonably quiet, either that or I am just getting used to their noise - even the beep beep of the reversing digger is going over my head at the moment.

We had been invited to spend the late afternoon and evening with Sheila and Klaus who have now had an awning erected above their spa/hot tub which is an absolutely fantastic bit of kit - you could hold a party in there it is so big and with the addition of a wave machine means that you could get a decent bit of exercise in there swimming against the current.  No good for me I would be pinned to the back of the tub if I lost my concentration for even a moment!!  John was well impressed with what the tub could do and we relaxed with a water temperature of  around 32 degrees and a little glass of vino to keep us company!

 

We do feel very blessed to have made such an amazing group of friends in our short time here in Droushia - for such a remote rural area it has been so much easier than we anticipated to meet and get to know people.  Klaus and Sheila have been incredibly kind to give John and I the opportunity to sample their hospitality.  Klaus was busy in the kitchen putting the finishing touches to his 'carnival' food which was a pretty authentic taste of Germany or as authentic as Klaus could make it!  I know I have said it before but Klaus manages to get me to eat things which I might not normally have eaten or even tried before!

We were treated to a Smörgåsbord of cold tasty treats (if I can say Smörgåsbord when describing German food!) which included a sort of schnitzel and beefburger with pickles and coleslaw and potato salad and sauerkraut (yes Mum I even ate sauerkraut) which was followed by hot Rösti type potatoes and wurst not dissimilar to frankfurters.  This all so reminded me of my late Austrian Aunt - Aunty Margaret although she would have argued that her schnitzel was by far the best Billy (she called me Billy - Jilly/Billy).  The lovely meal was topped off with a scrummy pud and accompanied by a nicely chilled Kolios rose - what more could you want!