Freibadzeit is upon us.

Another week, another bank holiday or so it seems.  This time the weather was glorious so cue all good Germans (and us) running off to spend the day at the local Freibad. 

For the uninitiated among you, the Freibad is the outdoor pool (as opposed to the Hallenbad which is indoors).  Usually, come May, these open across Germany.  We're not talking a small open-air pool/lido affair here as you'd imagine in Blighty - oh no....  Here, the Freibad is not just a pool, but a complex of pools (children's/leisure/diving/serious swimming) set amongst rolling parkland - with trees, sun loungers, play park etc.  For what seems a remarkably good price - our Family ticket was less than EUR10 - you get a whole day out!

Of course, being a whole day affair, there are certain things which you need to get right.  Getting there early enough to secure your pitch for example.  We caused a bit of a hiatus with our group as we needed to be near the baby pool as L is only 2 and so needs the paddling pool.  Our friends had set up camp under the trees at the other end of the park - but were actually very accommodating in the end and moved down to the children's area - their children are all older with their respective youngest being the same age as my eldest.

So you've got the ideal spot - spread out your towels to make sure you stake a claim to as large an area as possible, you need then to turn your thoughts to provisions.  Well you should have done it at least the day before as you can't shop on a Bank Holiday to pick bits up on your way there - and 'picnic food' is not readily available to buy pre-prepared.

Now I have to admit I failed miserably in the planning stage here - we were meeting friends and their children at the pool and as I'd been somewhat busy organising the Eurovision Extravaganza, I was not very well prepared in the picnic stakes.  I managed a couple of bottles of water, some paprika crisps, some contraband cadburys fingers - oh and a couple of packs of raisins in the bottom of the changing bag!  What the hell I figured, there's always a Grillstand - or ice cream if we get desperate.

Of course we'd been there about 10 minutes when the Kindling decided they were hungry - they proceeded to snack all day so my meagre picnic supplied would never have been enough.  Our friends had provided home-made cake, home-made Frikadellen, fruit, biscuits etc etc.  So having been outdone on the picnic front, it was all we could do to get the Pommes und Wurst in.  Cue satisfied children at last - well at least temporarily until the badgering for an ice cream began - and seeing as this was probably the hottest day of the year the Schlange for the ice creams was snaking its way around the park.

We queued and queued and finally conquered the ice-cream stall.  By which time we were rapidly coming to the end of a lovely day - plenty of sun (too much for some unfortunately), a lovely relaxing time spent pootling in the water and warming in the sun, children running round entertaining themselves for the most part - and thankfully wearing themselves out.  So much so that we had to beat a hastey retreat at the end as the Kindling were overtired.  At least they slept well.

Hopefully, next week's bank holiday (did I mention there's another holiday and bridging day - so another 3 day week, life is hard!) will be equally as sunny as everyone has requested a return visit.  Definitely a success!

Eurovision Part Deux

So the big day has come and gone and I have to say (blowing my own trumpet a little here) that it went with a bang!  The Eurovision extravaganza party was great fun and a great success.  We managed to represent the following competitors:

Greece           Spain                     Norway          Great Britain
       Azerbaijan         Russia                                                               Ireland     
France                           Sweden                          Germany

There were varying degrees of costume (mostly eastern European hookers....) and pretty much only the gals - the menfolk tended the barbecue and chatted on the terrace as the ladies got louder and louder.

Now at this point I need to say a big thank you to the Kindling who were most oblivion and despite the shrieking, stomping, cackling, cheering and booing managed to stay asleep for the duration!  Hurrah hurrah - well done you (this made for a very happy mummy and some somewhat astonished guests...) although we could have done without the 6am wake up call Hippo!

A big thank you to for all the fantastic and varied dishes which appeared - we managed a very 'Eurovision' spread - from Baklava and Spanakopita - to Bailey's cheesecake, vodka/chocolate truffle cake via a significant amount of Nordic fishiness in between!

All in all a roaring success - the music was, as Eurovision always is, slightly off the beaten track but the Russian Grannies and Jedward's watersports were pure Eurovision gold.  And of course who could forget the highlight of the evening - The Voting!  We were pretty impressive at guessing who the top points would go to from every country - so despite the re-introduction of Jury voting, the scoring is no less partisan than it has ever been - and despite the usual outcry from the UK for political voting, it's part of what gives Eurovision it's charm - you know where you stand when Malta always give us 12 and so on!

Some of the real surprises of the night included how well Albania did, how well Mr. Spain pulled off his costume (the only man game enough to dress up), how badly Jedward did (pure Eurovision gold in my view...), that the Kindling didn't stir - oh and that Sweden was a runaway winner - I'd never have predicted that - but hey I love Eurovision- what do I know about music?!

Anyway - roll on Eurovision 2013 - Stockholm one presumes - and no doubt some Abba throwbacks - now if only it had been one year further on and it would have been a big anniversary for if I remember correctly, Abba won in 1974 with Waterloo.  So girls (and of course reluctant spouses) a date in the diary for next year???

Eurovision - part 1

I have to confess - I love that fantastic musical extravaganza that is Eurovision - I love the trashy-ness, the dubious outfits, the bad singing, the weird lyrics, Terry's commentary (sadly missed) I love the partisan voting and generally the whole over-the-top-ness.  I look forward to it each year and am secretly thrilled that out happy European family is now so big we need semi-finals - a whole week's worth of Eurovision - what fun!!

So as a result of this, and also of finding a couple of other Eurovision fans nearby - I will be holding a Eurovision party on Saturday - you understand with the sole intention of watching the 'Grand Prix' as I understand it's called here - doesn't that elevate it's status so much more!!

At 8pm (the concert starts at 9pm but we need to indukge in the build up too!) on Saturday therefore, 20 or so varied expats will collect chez-moi for what promises to be an evening of great laughs.  It is, in the spirit of Eurovision a slightly themed party - everyone coming needs to pick a participating country, come appropriately dressed (national dress/ iconic figure etc) and provide some food and drink which is traditional to the country - so we will have a bit of a random mix of things and I should imagine it promises to be quite messy.....

Now some of my guests have never experienced Eurovision before - oh the joy of initiating them into this annual fun fest - we've guests from the US and Singapore so understandably they've not heard of it before and I'm not sure have quite understood what it's all about and what it will be like.  In essence, I don't think they really know what they've let themselves in for!!

As for me - fortunately my country made it through the first semi-final.  I shall be channelling the Greek songstress and fervent European Nana Mouskouri - think big glasses, dark hair and beauty spot. Offering up filo parcels, olives, tzatziki and so forth.....oh and I'm sure a bottle of Ouzo will make an appearance at some point.

Just can't wait!

The innocence of a missing apostrophe!

When I returned to blogging at the beginning of May I noticed on my stats (not that I'm a complete reader junkie) that I had a comparatively large number of hits in Russia - this seemed a bit odd given that I blog about mundane mummyness in Germany.

Now it did strike me that there was probably a 'valid' reason for this eastern interest, indeed you may have noticed it yourself - I certainly have and it has caused amusement amongst my friends.

My innocently titled blog "Emma's Expat Adventures" translates in a url to "Emmasexpatadventures"  which, I noticed after I'd started blogging - and have had pointed out to me - reads more easily as "Emma sexpat adventures"!!

Now I'm not sure whether I'd qualify as a 'sexpat' if indeed I knew what one was!!  Well, of course, that mine of information that is Google has provided the answer - a sexpat is an expat who goes abroad with the prime intention of securing sex.  Now it all falls into place - why I was so popular with the Russians!

So am I indeed as self titled a 'sexpat' well sorry to disappoint but not really - three small children and a busy husband do not make it easy to be out on the look out the whole time.....

The question then needs to be asked - should I rename the blog?  Well you know what I'm not going to - I may have the dubious nickname amongst friends of 'sexpat' but so what a little bit of laughter and lighthearted joshing go a long way to keeping morale up.....

Now if only I could have my apostrophe in the url - I'd be home and dry - but it wouldn't be half as much fun!