Relaxing Sunday...

I love the relaxation time that Sunday brings in Germany. It's so quiet here as Sundays mean family time and so shops are closed and most people chill out at home or go for a long Sunday walk. Today we visited family in a small village about 30 minutes south of here called Antendorf and it was so, so nice to see it covered in snow... to feel the cold air in my face, the smell of chimneys... heaven. First we had cake and coffee... Lots of it. It was delicious. My favorite was the chocolate pear cake (you can find a good recipe here on the Berry Lovely blog). My husband loved the Eierlikör Kuchen (recipe here).



Then we went outside and walked through a huge snowy field right before sunset. The sky was gorgeous - blue and pink and flecks of gold... The air fresh and pure. And so, so quiet except for the crunching of the snow beneath our boots.



As the sun moved, the colors of the sky changed and it became very gray blue and in some parts, indigo. It was a gorgeous display.



After walking through the field, we went down a hill and into the snowy village. So many pretty brick houses there, many new, some very old (100 years or more) and all very well kept.



We then spent time at home with our family, talking and relaxing, and then they drove us back to Hannover and we went out for a special traditional German dinner together, us four. It was nice and peaceful, just how a Sunday should be. I feel completely refreshed for the week to come. What a nice way to spend the second day of a new year.

... What did you do during the first weekend of the new year?

(images: holly becker for haus maus)