Springtime

Alfredo's mom had a conference in Paris in mid-April, and she was able to come for a quick weekend visit afterward. That turned in to a 9-day visit thanks to the volcano in Iceland. She couldn't escape this continent for over a week, but in the meantime it gave us a good excuse to get out participate in some local tourism (photos). We went to the cities of Mainz and Heidelberg, saw castles, cathedrals, and picturesque cobblestone streets; we sampled the local cuisine, lounged at open-air cafes, and of course did some shopping. And walking through a castle wasn't the only thing that made the week seem like a fairy tale: Alfredo came home early every day (ie 6pm), we ate dinner at a reasonable hour (9pm), someone else volunteered to do the dishes, and it was warm and sunny every day...
Now that May is here, it's a different story. Cold and rainy. Not just most of the time, but all of the time. Quite similar to January, February, and and March, except there's no more snow involved. On the brighter side though, the indoor weather has helped my study habits. I started a German class on two nights a week, and I discovered within the first 10 minutes on the first day that it was a few notches above my current skill level. There are only 4 other people in the class, so the 'sit in the back and avoid eye contact with the teacher' strategy doesn't cut it here, either... I love the challenge and I'm really enjoying myself so far.
In other news, Alfredo and I decided we should take advantage of the two national holidays coming up, because after that there are no more "free" days until Christmas. Our decision: a long weekend in Venice this month, and then a June expedition to the Fjords on Norway's west coast, where we hope to catch a glimpse of the midnight sun. This should result in some good stories...and pictures.