A peek through the vineyard at the town of Ingelheim

I had an amazing weekend. It was SUNNY and WARM. That alone would’ve been enough for a stellar weekend. But I took full advantage of being back in Frankfurt and embraced this season of fall that has snuck up on us.

On Saturday, I took a yoga class with a different teacher. She is my new favorite. She had such a peaceful and calming style, and it was just what I needed to start my weekend.

Later, I met friends at the market to catch up and stock up on fall produce. I experimented with new recipes that evening–roasted butternut squash, pesto chicken, brussels sprouts and almonds, homemade hummus, homemade almond milk. Needless to say, I went on a little cooking binge. And after dinner, I took a stroll along the Main river, to enjoy the mild evening.

This morning, I headed to English mass, then hopped on the train to Mainz. A co-worker friend lives there and we’ve been trying to coordinate a hike for a while. Finally, our schedules and the weather cooperated, even if the train was trying its hardest not to cooperate (with the ongoing strike).

Mainz, home of printing-press inventor Gutenburg (I keep wanting to call him Steve Gutenburg, but I have no idea what his first name is) is a cute little city on the Rhine river. My friend picked me up at the station and drove us to Ingelheim, a town nestled among hilly vineyards.

I hiked through German vineyards today!

Our hike was gorgeous. Literally over the river and through the woods.

We couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather (a statement that is rarely uttered here).

Even more wonderful was connecting with a new friend. It felt like a real #spiritsunday as we jumped from topic to topic: family, diet, work/life balance, philosophy, and life in general.

The Germans say “wandern”, which means to hike. And they do a lot of it. They always “wandern”. I can’t help but think it really is like wandering. Chatting, walking, taking it all in.

What a way to spend a weekend.

Bring on Monday! I’m ready! (I know I will regret that statement tomorrow morning)