arrival in Munich

Arrived safely in Germany at the home of our dear friend Petra, her husband Michael, and their four cats (and an extremely elaborate fishtank that, we are told, is being carefully prepped and calibrated to house seahorses in the near future!). They've moved to a new house since we were here last (which was in 2001) so we got the grand tour, and then, as everyone had taken their shoes off but me, I showed myself around the garden.

It's not a large space, but because it's broken up by a summer room, two garages, and a greenhouse, there are all kinds of nooks and crannies. What a delight. I was unexpectedly flooded with memories. I spent quite a few summers in this region as a child, and coming from Arizona, those times were revelatory to me. It was not far from here that I first discovered strawberries hidden in the grass, nor was it far away that I first tasted raspberries I had just picked myself.

It's warmish and a light drizzle was falling, making the lichen stand out against tree trunks and the ubiquitous moss seem unbelievably lush and verdant. I could easily imagine the summer glory of the garden - the faded roses still cling to the brown canes, the large stand of raspberry brambles still has the remnants of last summer's fruit, and grape vines overrun the summer room (don't know what else to call it). Perhaps some of the pleasure simply comes from seeing green, after being thoroughly ensconced in Chicago's blizzardy weather for a while.

Travel is a pleasure. THe world is a pleasure. I am lucky indeed.