Nice Tennis Lawn Club

After dabbling in modern art, Rio is now doing the tennis "stage" at one of the oldest tennis clubs in Europe (established in 1890). Her class is just her and a little boy, so they get a lot of hands on training. Plus they get to run around annoying all the older, more serious players, so the tennis club lifestyle is starting to appeal to her quite a bit.

The current dilemma is how she's going to fit in art, dance and tennis in one day during the school year. Yesterday she announced that she already knows how to dance, so tennis is probably a better fit. We'll see.


The little sidekick can't wait to enroll in tennis.

Thurn und Taxis

In the pretty town of Regensburg the Duchess Gloria resides in her beautiful palace.

This night the opera is playing in the gardens, and the girls have been invited by the Count to attend the preparation of the main course for the party of the duchess: here the shaving of the truffles.

Roughly the last time Daddy saw the Count, they were 16 and stumbling downhill through the snows of Fusch, Austria. Needless to say, they had a lot of catching up to do.

Which explains why the girls were treated to deserts and good cheer until the wee hours of the morning.

Sherwald

35 years unchanged. Two boys running then as my daughters now into this timeless spring.

The joy and excitement as the cold water descends suddenly from the sky, and all the clacking of it on the stones, the incredulous squeals and the here and there of pattering feet.

Eternity returned. And I had so needed that it would : )

Four Generations of Ladies

Aren't they pretty!

(And forgive the great-grandfather if he looks a little tired...
it's quite an accomplishment!)

No peeking grandma!

(but apparently - if we don't peek - our little angels will be all grown up,
as if by magic...)

Wartburg

400 meters below, the Thuringian Forest. Here a balmy breeze and some wonderful dining: Daddy loved his Thuringian Dumpling sitting on a rich sauce of forest mushrooms.

Ila seems happy as well, don't you think!

Weimar

Do you know these two giants?
But of course - Rio & Ila!

That was easy.

Now how about the two little guys in the background?

Frankfurt a.M.

La belle vie at Plage Passable

Enjoying weekend lunch at the local Cap Ferrat beach cafe.

Fun in Cannes

We scheduled a very quick visit with Anna Louisa in Cannes. The girls went swimming, played on the sandy beach and then spent the rest of the time making silly faces. It's nice to see Ila becoming part of the group. And it won't be long till Clara, AL's younger sister, will join the rambunctious group.

Rio passes to the next grade!