Danke, Nivea! (Thanks, Nivea)

We've been a fan of Nivea for a long, long time. And nope, this is not a paid advertisement :-)

Got our free Nivea bath towels

And I guess, it is times like this that solifies the reason why. Aside from their skin products that are really to be recommended, they have these special offers that makes us all smile.

First Garden Party in our New Home

Hey, we've moved!

And we even had our first garden party with our new landlords.

Will just show you the pictures for now as I am still busy with the boxes and yes, the cafe, too...

Look Who Turned 4

Yey, Rikki is now 4-years-old!

A day my girls cannot forget. Because it is also the same day every year that Nickolodeon Germany has declared a playtime date. What's that? It means there's no television program running between 1 to 5 p.m. If you turn to the Nickolodeon Channel, you'll find the words 'Go and Play Outside' on the TV screen.

Anyway, back to the birthday girl... here she is with her special cake made of chicken broth and spices from our garden.

Happy 4th Birthday, dear Rikki!

Patiently waiting to blow the candle :-)

Winter Camping and Flea/Crafts Market in Bad Wildbad

And my late posts continue....

This is still a part of our Christmas camping break in Camping Kleinenzhof, Schwarzwald. Only this day, there's more snow and there's a Flea and Crafts Market in the camping grounds organized by the long staying campers.

Yes, that's what I like in this camping ground, the long staying campers always organize fun activities, remember the Halloween party?

This time, it's supposed to be a combined flea and crafts market, with some food and drinks and yes, fun, too!

Our pitch, taken during the early morning walk with the dog

Camping on a Snowy Second Christmas Day

As you might already know, Germany celebrates December 26th as the Second Christmas Day, compared to England's Boxing Day.

We were home on Christmas Eve but we decided to go Christmas camping on Christmas Day. Around 9 a.m., we were already on our way to our favorite camping area in the Black Forest.

The drive was smooth and surprise, no traffic :-D And what a nice surprise, it's beginning to look a lot like a white Christmas when we arrived!

I didn't get the chance to take photos during Christmas Day because we got busy preparing our caravan for our stay and it was really cold, brrrrr... but the next day, we got to explore! Here's the beautiful, snowy Second Christmas Day in photos!

Taken early morning, during a walk with the dog.

Snow, snow, snow

The 6th Weinheimer Tiermesse (Animal Fair)

The 6th Weinheimer Tiermesse (Animal Fair) was held in the same venue last year.

I urged my husband to go because I wanted our dog, Rikki, to get her favorite dried treats which we got there for a pretty reasonable price last year. Plus, we wanted to check out whatever they offer.

But unlike last year, there's an entrance fee of One Euro per person this time around :-( Anyway, you could win something if you'd join their quiz game (which we didn't as we didn't plan on staying for a long time).

What did we buy this time? Of course, Rikki's dried treats consisting of beef and pork ears, plus some fish and bones, too!

The dried treats corner was manned by a blind man

World Cup: Deutschland ist Weltmeister!

Germany 1 - 0 Argentina

JAWOHL (YES!)!

Rikki's tribute to Germany's win

Germany wins World Cup after a beautiful goal by Mario Götze in extra-time!

World Cup: Brazil 1 - 7 Germany

Who would have thought? My bet was 2-1.

The girls begged me to allow them to watch a teen movie with them before we focus on the World Cup game between Brazil and Germany.

I said yes. After all, I already told them they could watch the World Cup though it would start at 10 and might end around midnight. MC and IC's schools were a bit lenient, they could come to school the next morning a little late.

And so we plopped ourselves in the living room sofa. The girls already dressed up in their Deutschland shirts, complete with the face paintings of the German colors. Fifteen minutes before the actual game started, my husband came, asking us to change channels, 'the game would start in a few minutes!'

The girls and I decided to watch the teen flick in another room. And then a few minutes after, we heard my husband (who is normally a Formula 1 fan and is not a soccer/football enthusiast)
screaming so loud, followed by fireworks. Fireworks would mean a goal!

Yey! And after a few beats, I heard my husband screaming again. And again, and again, and again! The girls dashed to his side during the second goal but I lagged behind. I could only hear them screaming, doubled by the fireworks!

Okay, since we were cheering for the German team, the first goal was like "YAY!!"

The second one was "ok, let's get one more goal to be on the safe side."

The third was "this would be harder for Brazil to get even."

The fourth was like "is this possible?" The fifth goal was "more!!!", you know, just to check if they could deliver more and to be really, really sure. And the team got two more goals, too!

Sixth and seventh goals were already unbelievably amazing (no more words!).

During half-time, IC said she's tired and wanted to sleep. After bringing her to bed, she told me, "I think five goals are enough. Germany is the winner already. That means we won't have homework tomorrow!"

MC stayed until the end. She was a bit irritated that Brazil managed to score, complaining about the extra minutes. I told her it's a consolation goal for the beautiful people of Brazil.

And then...my husband climbed in bed. MC slept. IC in dreamland for hours already. I stayed until 3 a.m., watching the analysis, reading the newsfeeds, leaving FB comments and savoring the goals over and over again. What a World Cup night! Germany is flawless!

Rikki stayed with me, after the noise of celebration, she found a place to finally take a snooze. Sunday would be another big day! Good luck, Germany!

Being German, the first goal was like "YESS!!!". The second one was "OK, now it's gonna be hard for Brazil to catch up.". The third was like "Is this possible?" and from then on it was just "Please let these guys at least score once, it's enough, really."

Our World Cup Mascot got bored during the game last night

World Cup Tonight: Germany vs France

The girls are ready to cheer!

Our cheering squad is ready for tonight's World Cup Game -- Germany vs. France!

Our World Cup mascot

Mascot Rikki is ready, too.

Let the game begin! Good luck, Germany!

(As if I would really watch. I confess, I tend to escape the tense atmosphere and über excitement by keeping myself busy in the house. I would only appear during moments of 'winning'.)

Benefits of Watching the World Cup with the Family

The World Cup started when we were out camping in the Black Forest, during the Pentecostal holiday break of the girls. Because of the time difference, the last game ended after midnight. And because we were in a camping site, we could hear different groups of people cheering for their favorite teams. Oh yes, I guess, nobody got to sleep early that night :-D

Our mascot

The next day, you could see people around the camping area preparing for another late night: tons of chips, cases of beer and softdrinks, meat for barbecue, etc. were being readied by our fellow campers. Not to mention the different flags hanging around and about -- in cars, around their motor homes, in hats, etc.

Now, my girls got interested in watching the game the first night we arrived back home because the German team would be playing. Actually, they have been wanting German flags for our car but my husband and I refused as we usually drive along the highway (and I have seen lots of car flags littering the highway). IC settled in having stripes of the German colors on her left cheek and her left arm. MC begged me to buy flags and something to decorate our car.

A Review: Camping Wiggerspitz in Switzerland

We actually were looking into two camping areas in Switzerland as a pit stop during our trip to Lago Mergozzo, Italy.

But after checking the images in the internet, Camping Wiggerspitz became our favorite and we are happy with our decision.

Located in Aarburg, Switzerland - Camping Wiggespitz is a small but well-maintained campsite. It is situated right beside a tourist magnet, the Fort of Aarburg, and is right behind the amazing Aare River. A football (soccer) field is also right beside the campsite.

There is also a swimming pool but it was still closed when we stayed there last May.

It is also conveniently located because you could easily reach the campsite if you are travelling using the autobahn.

Be warned though that there's a train track passing the area so it could be a little loud, though the noise didn't disturb us at all. The campsite's gate opens around 7 a.m. and closes around 10 p.m. There is a visitor's parking area right outside the camp, too.

Aare River

I heard that most camp guests would rather swim here than in the camp's pool.

Visiting Baveno, Italy (in photos)

Because I really wanted to go to another open air market in Italy before we leave camp, I told my husband we definitely should get the famous Italian salami from the local markets as presents to some lovely people back home.

I could have chosen a better day, but despite (and maybe because of the rain), my husband and the girls were also eager to get out of the campsite. Cabin fever maybe?

We chose the city of Baveno because of the open air market and we're lucky enough to find a parking area right away. Okay, it was raining hard when we arrived but hey, it's shopping time!

My husband got a pair of jeans and a jogging outfit, the girls found bracelets, and I got to taste the assortment of cheese and salami before I finally settled to the regular-flavored Italian salami. I would have loved to browse longer but many of the stall owners have started folding up earlier than scheduled. I can't blame them, the weather is not really inviting for shoppers.

Gloomy weather during our visit in Baveno City

Baveno open air market

A Review: Ristorante Raggio di Luna in Verbania, Itay

We took a chance, visiting this restaurant, during our camping trip in Italy this Easter.

After visiting the city of Mergozzo, we used the opposite direction in finding our way back to our campsite and that's when we saw that this restaurant, Ristorante Raggio di Luna, was very near Camping Continental.

 My husband and I decided to explore while walking the dog. I was not so convinced because we had to walk along the narrow highway where there's almost no space for pedestrians! We did the duck walk, then, just to check out the place. You see, we wanted to go fine dining on Easter Sunday.

It was early in the afternoon, so it's not strange that the restaurant is still closed. But the owner was enough of a dog lover to want to cuddle with our dog, that he opened the restaurant's door.

Struggling with both English and my little knowledge of Italian (derived from my Spanish lessons in college), I learned that the restaurant is open for dinner but that they are fully booked for Easter Sunday. We ended up with a reservation for Easter Monday.

The very old bridge we passed on our way to the restaurant

Happy to finally get a table, my husband and I decided to explore the walkway along the restaurant's parking area and discovered, to our delight, that it leads right to the path that would bring us to the campsite's entrance! No need to use the dangerous highway, whew!

Okay, when it was time for our restaurant visit, the girls specifically informed us to please dress-up. After all, it's time for our special Easter Monday dinner. (We already indulged in a bit of shopping, and dressing-up is not a problem anymore.)

A Review: Camping Continental in Verbania, Italy

How did we land up in Camping Continental in Verbania, Italy? Because we were looking for a warm place for our first Easter camping and because we wanted to be near any body of water.

I googled for a campsite that would fit our needs: located in a warm place, near a body of water, accept dogs, with swimming pool, good sanitary facilities. My first search focused on areas along Lake Maggiore in Italy and when I gave the rest of my requirements, Camping Continental would always appear on top of the list.

Since Camping Continental is already open during Easter time and they match our needs, we booked our pitch. In my e-mail, I specifically asked if the lake side area would have electricity and water access, the answer was there's no water access. Therefore, I asked for another area near the lake where electricity and water would be ready. The e-mail stated that there's no need to book a pitch because the site is not fully booked for Easter.

During our arrival, it was my husband who talked to the reception people as I had to walk the dog. (We arrived after more than a two-hour stop-and-go trip near the Gotthard Tunnel (The Gotthard Pass was closed to traffic.) so Rikki absolutely needed her walk!)

He ended up taking a pitch in the lake side area because the reception informed him (in German), that there's indeed water and electricity access there. I didn't argue as they should know better, right? Nope. When we arrived at our chosen pitch, we looked and looked for the water access, there's none.

Reception area.
Note that all guests are asked to show their passports and management reserves
 the right to hold one document which would be returned upon departure and payment.

A helpful Italian family beside our pitch pointed to the tap water connection on the other side of our pitch. That was supposed to be the water access the reception people were talking about. Hmmm... That means we had to fill our caravan's water tank using a borrowed water hose, again, from the helpful Italian family camping beside us. Oh well... The girls already loved the pitch and I am not moving anymore, after minutes of pulling and pushing our caravan until we found the right spot.

That means, we stayed put, but my husband went to the reception to vent his frustration (as if water access would appear near our pitch once we complained, I am being mean, thing is, it's our vacation, let's stay cool :-D)

I loved our lake side pitch, despite having no direct water access, because right in front of us is Lake Mergozzo.

Lake Side Pitch in Camping Continental

Beside the lake is a pathway where we could walk the dog. There's even a 'dog toilet' box! What a luxury for dog owners like us! The walkway is actually the side of a golf course.

Our First Caravan Trip: Campingplatz Kleinenzhof in Schwarzwald (Black Forest)

To try-out all the functions of our new caravan, we've decided to drive to Campingplatz Kleinenzhof in Schwarzwald (Black Forest) one weekend.

The main function of the drive to the camping area is to check if everything is working properly-- the toilet and shower, the electric switches and plugs, the gas cyclinder, the lights, the ref, the burner oven and the tap. We also wanted to make sure that the grill oven we bought would be grilling and the awning would have all the parts to be installed properly. What else? We wanted to know if we could have missed something that we would surely need during long trips.

We were lucky that we chose a sunny weekend, although it was real cold at night. That's an excuse to check if the heater is working!

Most important, I wanted to know how my husband would handle driving a caravan. I want to be assured that everything would be safe.

That's the reason why we ended up at Camping Kleinenzhof in Schwarzwald (Black Forest), and I supposed, it was a lucky choice, too.

Camping Kleinenzhof is a clear choice because they accept dogs (a number one in our checklist); and because they have an indoor pool (a number one in our girls' checklist), plus an outdoor pool for spring/summer use, too. Also, because they are open all-year round. Other camping areas in Germany are still closed at this time of the year.

Here are some photos of Camping Kleinenzhof.

Our Caravan: Adria Altea 562PK

Remember last month we were contemplating on buying our own caravan/motor home? Well, here's the result.

It was not an easy decision but we simply cannot control the rising enthusiasm and so we went for it! After all, dreaming the impossible doesn't always mean it won't come true, right? Thanks to a friend who's business is caravaning, who pointed us to the right direction.

Adria Altea 562PK

It was a challenge looking for the 'best' caravan/motor home for our family. But when we found it, we all fell immediately in love!

Admittedly, it was my thoughts about savings and my inherent nose for bargains that made me go for the cheaper one with almost the same features. My family managed to persuade me just because it was a three against one decision :-)

A Black Forest (Schwarzwald) Sunday

My husband finally received a Tom Tom, a Dutch GPS system. He has been giving us hints last year that maybe, a GPS in our car would make our life easier.

Naturally, he's been eager to test if this navigation system really works! I suggested driving to a certain place where we have never been this Sunday to test his Tom Tom.

I wanted to go along the border between Germany and France, but after learning that we needed extra shots of our dog, Rikki, we decided to stay within Germany.

My husband found a nice place in Schwarzwald with a great restaurant called Rote Lache, so off we go after breakfast.

This area is located in Black Forest, near Baden-Baden, a famous spa and cultural area.
What about those witch brooms? 

It means they are celebrating Fasching (Carnival), a pre-Lenten festivity. 

The streets have been decorated with witch brooms and colorful bunting.

And then we  were driving up the mountain, the Black Forest. 

Are We Read to Own a Caravan?

We are active campers. We have been pitching our tents since the girls were toddlers.

Now, I would love to be pampered in hotel with their all-inclusive-offers but I admit, I have also fallen in love with roughing it. And last year, during our camping trips, we enjoyed checking out those caravans that were on sale. That could have ticked our 'dream' of owning our very own caravan.

A few weeks ago, we spent a Sunday cruising around town checking out the available caravans, used and brand new. We enjoyed going up and down the different motor homes, opening cupboards and bathroom doors, testing the beds, and measuring the dining areas.

A caravan with double bed and oven

A Saturday with IC and Rikki

IC is not really into hiking in the woods. She loves the outdoors but it would need time (and some treats) to convince her to go with us for long walks. But last Saturday, she was eager to go for a walk. In fact, she was the one who urged me to join her for a walk.

Well, why not? We geared up for the not so nice weather (it has been raining on and off for days) and took Rikki with us. It turned out, IC has a specific goal for her adventure into the woods. Let me show you....

After reaching the curve that would bring us into the woods, IC immediately disappeared.

Rikki just discovered that IC has disappeared from her view

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent...

My husband woke up to feed the dog, who refused to eat. That means, I had to get up and feed the dog before walking her (yawn)! The reason why the dog won't eat? My husband forgot to give her her early morning Christmas treat, before feeding her :-) Spoiled dog, huh.

Our breakfast was short as we had to drive to a trout breeder in Mossautal-Hüttenthal because the girls wanted fish for our Christmas Eve's dinner. When we arrived, we noticed a note on the door stating they are not open Sundays! Oopss, but when we tried the door and it opened, a friendly woman greeted us and informed us that as long as people arrive to buy, they are ready to serve. Arent' we lucky they have excellent customer service?

She told us to go down to the pond where the owner would catch the fish for us. I chose a big salmon trout to the suprise of the owner because as she said, 'it is too big for a woman so small like you.' I told her not to worry. Since I am the only one who chose the salmon trout, I am sure the girls would be wanting to 'taste' my fish. Meaning, I would have enough for the three of us, right? The girls and their Papa would rather have the normal trout.

We also brought two pieces of smoked trout for our appetizer.