Schmetterling

First butterfly (that's what a Schmetterling is) blip in ages and quite a pretty one.

Out for another day exploring the lovely bits of Hessen. Kloster Eberbach was a definite hit - it's difficult to go wrong with beautiful buildings, gardens and a wine shop where you can try before you buy. Then on to the City Of Bears for Kaffee & Kuchen (coffee and cake) with the QSM* in the roasting afternoon sun.

After that we headed down to Eltville. Eltville is also known as a Rose City - if you visit around now, you'd understand why - and is full of flowers. A bit of a dream location for me. And then after a walk along the Rhine and around the old city, we went to eat.

The restaurant is quite a good one but the location is fab. It's one of the few places along the river where the only thing between you and water is a vineyard. Normally there would be the main road and the railway between the river and where you sit. But there it was just green.

We had dinner outside on their terrace. Which was enhanced by the fact that a pair of birds had nested in the roof of the terrace and kept flying in and out with food for their three young. It felt like a German episode of Springwatch.

Long day but, finally, my mum and the QSM have finally met. That felt good and they got along fine.

*I always like to explain my abbreviations. QSM is Quasi-Schwiegermutter or my de facto mother-in-law.