a lovely day trip
A few days ago, we went on a little day trip to a fairly large city about fifteen minutes from my grandparent's town.

The city is so beautiful. It's so rich in history and laden with shops, museums, and restaurants of every kind. 

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It's also the so called capital of bicycling in Germany...they even have a underground parking garage for all the bikes!

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Do you remember when some of you tried to guess what this is? (scroll down to the middle) 

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It's a miniature street car in a toy store! Super cute. We had to practically drag MeMe and Lilly out of there. 

Next up was a beautiful cathedral.

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It was stunning. It's mind boggling how people could build such magnificent buildings without the aid of modern tools. It really takes your breath away.

Have a wonderful Saturday! What do you plan to do? I'm off to a day of shopping :) 

-carlotta
vivid
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Yesterday my dad and I went on a walk after my classes were over. It was drizzling, cold, and overall unpleasant outside. We made our way out into the countryside (not very far at all...everything is so close in Germany!) and all of sudden the sun started to come out while it was still raining. I didn't have my camera with me - I was too lazy to get the memory card when we left, which was downstairs. When I saw how beautiful everything was in the fields, I lamented the fact that I didn't bring my camera. 

We turned around and headed back to my grandparent's house. I didn't really want to walk all the way back, but my dad saw that I was rather saddened over not being able to capture the beauty. He suggested that we instead bicycle back the spot...and this time with my camera.

I'm so glad he insisted on going back. When we arrived, it was even more gorgeous than ten minutes before. The sun shined next to the dark clouds and the water droplets on the vegetation shimmered and glistened in the light. I alternated between standing in the middle of the road in awe and running around like a chicken trying to accurately photograph everything. It was stunning. The only word I had at the time to describe the scene in front of me was "vivid". It was really, truly vivid. And incredible beautiful. It totally made my day - it was like a little present from God.

Have you ever experienced something like I did? Something so amazing that you just had to stop in your tracks and take it all in?

-carlotta

PS I've started resizing my photos and using a different uploading system. I know I've asked you this before, but would you mind telling me how fast my blog loads for you on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the fastest)? Thank you so much!
miscellaneous ramblings
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1. bicycles. Look at all of them! Bicycling is one of the main ways of transportation in Germany - it's easy, quick, inexpensive, gives you a bit of a workout, and it's ecofriendly. Since everything is so close, bicycling makes even more sense.

2. h&m. I'm a bit obsessed. The last time I'd gone to one was two years ago, when we were in Germany the last time. Yesterday I paid a visit to the store, and it was even better than I'd remembered. I'm now calling it the "IKEA of clothing". I found the most adorable peacoat (which I'm unable to find online) and a headband that I'm in love with. So pretty. 

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3. a sneak peek... This is a sneak peak of something I'm going to share soon. Any guesses to what it is?

4. a question. Do you like my Miscellaneous Ramblings posts separated into different topics by numbers (like I'm doing now) or not numbered - just separated by paragraph breaks? I like both, and can't decide between the two. I need your help!

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5. isn't it the prettiest thing? There was a market here a few days ago...you could buy and sell horses, chickens, donkeys, dogs, cats, etc. I spotted this horse and fell in love. I've always had a thing for brown and white horses.

6. my blogging hero. The Pioneer Woman. Ree takes beautiful photos, her writing cracks me up, and her recipes are mouthwatering. I want to be like her when I grow up.

7. are you getting tired yet? Of hearing about Germany, that is. Because I could keep on talking about it forever...and ever...and ever. As you've probably noticed. But I don't want to bore you. So let me know ;)

-carlotta
happiness is...
*Said in deep TV announcer voice* It's time for another edition of...Happiness Is!

Yes, that was lame. Please ignore me.

Moving right along.

If you haven't played along before, it's simple! Just write a post with two things that have made you happy this week, grab the Happiness Is button to include in your post, then come back here and link up! I only ask that you write the post before you link up. 

Happiness Is...


Happiness is...


...fireworks. Right now a local fair is going on - a very big deal around here. To celebrate, there was a firework show a few nights ago. So pretty.



...tucked away river peninsulas. To get to where I took this picture, you have to trek through the bushes on a narrow dirt path. But once you get there? It's totally worth it. I could stay there all day.

What has made you happy this week? Link up and let me know (Or, if you don't want to write a blog post, let me know in the comments)


-carlotta
carlotta cisternas Comments