Sprouting Herbs

A couple of weeks ago, I did a bit of gardening. I had saved some seeds, that I harvested from our balcony back in 2015. Last summer, I forgot all about them, because we travelled so much, but this year we will try to make a kind of wild meadow in our flower boxes, so there won't be too much to tent to besides watering.

I have planted coriander, chives and basil. I was surprised by how fast the first chive appeared, then a couple of days later followed the coriander - Right now it has the lead. The basil still remains to be seen, but I am hopeful. When they have been cultivated for a while they'll move to the balcony for the summer, but right now I enjoy having them in the kitchen window so I can follow their daily progress.

Spring Back and Forth.

The Germans say: Der April macht was er will, and April really does. So far we have had beautiful spring days, almost bordering summer where we could go out in t-shirt, and now it is wet and cold. Weather forecast says rain for the next 10 days, which is quite depressing. Even if everything is blooming and looking freshly green, spring is just more enjoyable when the sky is blue and the sun is shining.

We have manage to bring a little bit of spring inside, as someone butchered a tree in Hasenheide and I took some of the leftovers. So now we can follow the development at close range. I still hope that the forecast is wrong and that easter will be - if not warm - at least a bit sunny, so it will be nicer to take my daily walk with the pram.

I hope you will have some good easter days and enjoy the time off.

Brunch at Sweethearts

At Agora - which I wrote about some years ago - the new cafe Sweethearts opened. They call themselves a brunch cafe, but they don't really serve conventional brunch.

Last weekend, we met John and Lisa there for brunch. I have to say I was a bit disappointed by the menu; there was no sign of pancakes.

The day prior, we had passed a cafe at the canal where someone was eating pancakes outside and it reminded me that we have not had any since Fleur came - it now seems like a long time ago. But despite my slight disappointment in the menu, which seemed more like lunch/dinner than anything else, I have to admit that the food was really good and I can imagine this kind of brunch serving a hangover really well.

I must admit that I don't care too much for the new pink interior, but it is definitely a place I would go for brunch another time.

More Visitors

Some weeks ago, when the spring was still very fresh my mum and her husband came to visit little Fleur. We took them outside the ring for a stroll and could already sense the spring.

The past week we have had an amazing weather, with some days with over 20 degrees, so I have jumped at every chance to go outside and be in the sun.

Let There Be Light

One of the things I enjoy most about this time of year and the low hanging sun is that on good days rays of sun manage to reach all the way through the pantry window and into our bathroom.

Soon we will be enjoying the sun outside instead, but in the winter/springtime it is nice to cherish little things like this.

Spring Feelings

Last Saturday, we had some beautiful weather here in Berlin. And for the first time this year, there was the Dicke Linda weekend market around the corner from us - something I have been missing throughout the winter as the place to get regional fruit and veggies on the weekend.

After a visit to the market, we took a stroll with Fleur in the pram while we enjoyed the almost 15 degrees outside. Getting out of the house is something that I have started to appreciate more and more during the last month, as it is no longer myself who makes that choice at the moment, so whenever it does happen I enjoy it to the full.

Birthday Visit

It has become a bit of a tradition that my dad would come visit us for his birthday, and this year was no different. He came to celebrate with us and to meet Fleur for the first time.

His birthday was mostly celebrated inside with some good food as the weather wasn't too good. We managed to sneak out for a walk in the morning while it was still a bit sunny, but before we made it back home the rain had already started. However, the walk gave us some appetite for lunch and the amazing birthday cake I had managed to make - with a bit of preparation (I wanted to try out a crepe cake for a while and this Martha Steward recipe immediately spoke to me). As always with my father, there was a lot of craft beer tasting over the course of the day and in the evening we finished the culinary fest with a round of sushi.