Books Revisited

Okay. I did manage to read most of my books while on vacation. This basically means: grabbing a paragraph or two between the kids pushing each other off the stairs, fighting over chocolate, visits to the beach (Balaton, Hungary) etc.

I started with Kunkel's Indecision which wasn't bad (major déja vu about my calling Isa "the Joker" because of her smile and some mentions in the book). I went on to Gibson's Spook Country which seemed to end way too abruptly (like there should have been at least 600 more pages coming). Still didn't get around to Nadine Gordimer's short stories. I did read de Blasis Thousand Days in Tuscany and got myself rightly in the mood for Steingarten's food book (which was quite analytical, therefore not easy reading in the sun, until the travel section). Science fiction: yes started it. Turns out to be the second book of a series. And so complicated, like you have to keep track of intricate plots and characters over millenia of intergalactic dogoodery or warfare. No thanks.

Last book (finished minutes after returning home after a long car ride): Updike's Terrorist (in German). Wish I'd had it in English. Would have made way more sense.

I'll have to wallow in the books of the last ten days (which seem to seep into each other in memory) as I won't have much time to read in the next few weeks...

Books for my vacation

I'm not sure I'll get to read all of these - with the kids tugging at our sleeves - but I figured it would be best to be well prepared. So here is my List of what I'll take along to Hungary next week:

Written in German: John Updike, Terrorist.

Written in English:
Benjamin Kunkel, Indecision
William Gibson, Spook Country
Nadine Gordimer, Loot and other Stories
Marlena de Blasi, A Thousand Days in Tuscany
Jeffrey Steingarten, The Man Who Ate Everything (food writing)
And maybe a science fiction book or two.

Let's see, how many of these make their way back home unread.

Thank the Lord for French Fries

Fries. Gotta love 'em. What would life be like without them? Nothing like a good helping of greasy fries with catsup (or, even better: "chips" smothered in salt and vinegar). The Germans always seem to put that standard salty paprika stuff on top. Makes 'em taste the same everywhere.

Rocks and Things

Katharina, Isa and I went for a long walk yesterday (4 hours!) while Kati was working (wedding at the castle). We spent some time at various rock piles studying the different rocks and things. Katharina seems to have an artistic streak or at least a tendency to rearrange what she finds into interesting piles and lines. More pictures at my flickr feed.

"Weinfest" on the Horizon

Two more weeks until Zeilitzheim's Weinfest (a good excuse for sitting on hard benches on the picturesque marketplace of the village, drinking wine and eating Bratwurst). I can't find anything about the Weinfest on the web, except for what I've written myself (or just a mention of the date).

Zeilitzheim's "Sportverein" that organizes it every year isn't exactly web 1.0 yet. I'm always hoping that some of the younger villagers would be more tech savvy and start broadcasting what goes on in town over the nets (and I don't mean just a mention on some website but actual networking through blogs etc.). I'm sure there is a younger crowd out there that might visit this outdoor event if they only knew that it existed. Regional networking can still go a long ways...

Without Words

Nature, Wine. Village in Franken (Bavaria)

I enjoyed a trip to the vineyards of Zeilitzheim today. The vines / grapes need considerably more water, yet.

Not sure what what Baptist, seen here on his scooter, was up to in the wilderness surrounding the peaceful village of Zeilitzheim. Heck with it. Maybe he's a "naturalist" (no. isn't that something else?)

Summer, Sun, Beach

Okay, it's not a beach, exactly, and I didn't get to go myself, but the kids enjoy going to the lake with their Mom.