A super tasty mixture of plums, yellow plums (German: "Mirabelle"), cherry plums, wild plums (German: "Kriechele"), sloe and cinnamon!
After three years of renovation, the "Rusenschloss" above Blaubeuren was finally reopened in October 2020. Originally, it was built in the 11th century, extended, later torn off and partly rebuilt in the 1970s. Although the castle itself is only a ruin nowadays, it is still impressing. And the view is amazing, even in the winter fog!
The wheather guys on TV call it "November summer". But how do you take advantage of 15° in mid November in times of lockdown because of Covid-19? We just took the chance and drove to the woods of Fischen, Oberällgäu, in Bavaria, to feed some squirrels and to build some stone dwarves (small cairns).
I had forgotten about the Cretan sun in October. But destiny - in combination with a low-fare-airline - granted me another few days of summer in paradise! So I went to the ancient site of Lissos, near Sougia, at the south coast of Crete, and had an unexspected fantastic day with sun, sea, boat, beach, swimming and hiking!
Pickup of our freshly bottled favourite wine (Pinot Grigio) + an appointment with the landscaper + an available kidsitter for home = three good reasons for an October short trip to Leutschach in Southern Styria!
Rainy sunday at home. Quick check on the internet: Obviously sun at Lake Constance, 90 minuten by car southwards! So we hit the road and spent a cool, but sunny afternoon in Meersburg.
There's an old house in a small village near Kounoupidiana on Akrotiri, Crete, which I would take immediately, if I had the choise to pick a historic house and renovate it! Three rooms total with a sunroof plus an extra cottage. Solid stone walls, huge chimney, backyard and space for carport in front. I've been there several times and I still love it. Dream-material for the cold damaged north-European...
Pink sands, turquoise waters: The bayou of Elafonisi is truly a beautiful beach! But: still too many tourists although it was already September (barely distance - #covid19). I'd never come here in high season. We walked for a good mile through shallow water, passing the crowds, before we found a lovely spot for our own.
Every local, every tourist on Akrotiri knows this hill - although probably only a few might actually have explored its top. Well - I'm still not quite sure whether we were allowed to be here. But the gate up the narrow road was open, I was with a Greek and the distant view is spectacular!
At Arkadi monastery, symbol of Crete's fight for freedom from the Ottomans. On November 8th of 1866, after a day-long-fight of resistance, the last surviving Cretans - mostly women, children and priests - blew themselves up by lightening barrels of gunpowder, choosing to sacrifice themselves rather than surrender to the Turks (read more here).
