Having My Cake...

I 

Gitta and Sophie offer us an excursion to Wexlar and we have no idea what to expect.  Everything about the historic old town beguiles us.

The Don is impressive, obviously built or rebuilt over the centuries.  

We wander into a shop selling craft liquors and get to sample some of them.

We buy a small bottle of quince liquor for Ulrich because his own bottling spoiled.  The proprietor tells us about his many visits to California and the Southwest.  He has driven right through San Luis Obispo.

Historic buildings abound.

I have to check out a fair trade store. 

 The shops in Wexlar are really alluring.

Lunchtime!  We pick the closest restaurant and it is a jewel.  All of our dishes are delicious and Ben can't resist the Hessen specialty of eggs and boiled potatoes in green sauce.   So good!  I have the best sandwich and am mesmerized by the cakes on display.  

I am the only one to order cake, but any guilt I feel evaporates with one bite.  One of the best cakes ever - a layer of thick tart lingonberry with thin layers of yellow cake, whipped cream and a toasted meringue topping.  I am going to try making one someday.

Sophie and Gitta are mellow guides and we have such a nice time strolling about with them.

Gitta has made us many delicious meals, making sure we try typical German menus.  Ben and I offer to make lasagna tonight to give her a little break.

Marie, then Amelie, help us with the assembly.

However, the girls convince the adults that there is no harm in gelato before dinner.  We walk to the next village and get cones.  It is dark by the time we sit down to our lasagna and red wine on the  terrace.  We have toasts with Prosecco to celebrate being adopted into the Thode family.  We eat all but one small corner of the tasty lasagna, in spite of the gelato appetizer.

Gitta has a Singer sewing machine but doesn't sew.  I set about to do some last minute, late night mending for Marie. The monkey pajamas I made her in 2014 have a split in the seam and the blue print hippie pants I got for her goodbye gift need to be lengthened.  Gitte has a dress to turn into a skirt. I am in my favorite milieu :).

The repaired pants make a nest for Marie's German bunny with the bunny she received In her American Easter basket.

Even in the morning rush (we all stayed up way too late on a school night), Marie makes sure we have a Parker hug and final selfie.  She and I are both emotional (I am choking down a good cry).  Promises of future visits are exchanged.  I assure her we will be dancing at her wedding.  She assures us that will be a long wait.

Final hug. We see her off on her bike.  

10 minutes later, we get a text with a picture of the last little souvenir she had made, but forgot in her pocket until she was part way to school.  Those tears really are hard to quell. 

Gitta drives us to the train station and words can't express our gratitude for a wonderful week with our extended "Deutsche Familie".