Inspiration

Here's the sign we picked up in the hippy shop in Haworth - I love it!

Posh Drinks

Lately, we've seen some of this series on youtube.  It's a little like Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares but for bars and one of the tips we've seen is to have one large spherical ice cube in the drink rather than lots of little ones.  It melts slower so it doesn't water down your drink too quickly and you drink more slowly.  We found some online and they came last week - it was different!

New Adventures of Pete

As I mentioned, Pete has been enjoying a new hobby while we were on our travels - namely exploring.  Nico's Mum bought Pete a special cat lead and walked him around outside for an hour a day while we were away.  He acts really funny on grass, although he had gotten more used to it by the time we came back.  We've ordered one for our flat and can't wait to take him to the park!

Delicious!

Since we came back from our travels, Nico has been spending a lot of time in the kitchen.  First of all he has recreated both of the delicious dishes we had in our favourtie restaurant of the holiday: Van Kerkwijk.

The delicious chicken wings in coconut sauce

The amazing steak on blue cheese with strawberry sauce

Apart from these two dishes, he also made gluten free bread this week.  That makes it official now, there's nothing that I can't eat anymore on a gluten free diet.  We've had homemade gluten free pasta, pizza, cake, crackers and bread!  

Even though it looks like normal German dark bread, it is much more delicious, it's extremely filling and although I thought it would also pile on the pounds, I lost a pound the week we had this, even though I ate most of it.

Masters - at last!

While we were back in England, I was finally able to see my bound dissertation and MA certificate for the first time.  I know that I graduated over a month ago now but it hasn't really felt real.  After five years of studying, it's finally over!  Doesn't it look all official - especially the shiny golden print.  I'm officially in the library now!

28 things - Get a permanent contract!

 It has been eighteen months since I first asked the headmaster of my school for an extension of my placement there.  It has taken blood, sweat and tears to get this far but finally, on Monday, I signed my permanent contract to stay on at my school teaching English and Spanish.

If there is one thing I have learned about Germany since I have been here it's that it's not as efficient as it would have you believe.  There is so much red tape - especially, apparently, in the education department.  I realised also, how far I had come this week when I thought back to that very first week in Bremen, running around between offices, trying to organise health insurance, a new doctor, a new flat and a million pieces of paperwork, all the time struggling with the language and just signing everything they put in front of me.  This time around I dealt with it all much better - read through the contract and asked relevant questions.  It felt right, which made me even more certain that I'm doing the right thing.  I feel more settled and happier than ever...then again, speak to me at the end of the first week back - I hope I still feel this good!

Our celebration dinner of fish and wedges with champagne

The Saturday Update

It's been a lovely last week of the holidays for me.  Since arriving back last weekend, I spent Monday having lunch with the lovely Loreto who I had really missed during our combined travels and then signed my permanent contract!  

On Tuesday we visited Nico's family and picked Pete up.  We even took him for a walk around their huge garden on the lead and are looking forward to his new one arriving so we can do the same here. 

Wednesday was our last day of the holiday together as Nico was back on Thursday.  We relaxed and watched Total Recall!  I love the idea of the film but how dated it looked (I couldn't believe it was made in 1990) was laughable.  Looking forward to seeing the new version.

Thursday was a long, quiet but productive day by myself in the flat.  I got tidied and cleaned up, finished unpacking etc and read over half of Shadow in the Wind in preparation for reading Carlos Ruiz Zafon's latest instalment - The Prisoner of Heaven which I'm well into now.

Friday was more of the same, getting things done and reading lots.  Nico was home a little earlier though so we enjoyed a lovely steak dinner together.  Despite the lovely food and drink all week and not really paying attention to the diet since I'm going back to Weightwatchers, I have lost the pound that I put on on holiday.  I'm still planning to go back to meetings, I'm just waiting to get my timetable from school so I can see which time is best for me.

So next week is the big one, back to work, meeting the new class, more catching up with friends I haven't seen all Summer.... Have a good week!