I went out to the Eisgrub Brauhaus for dinner today with a couple of my coworkers.  The Eisgrub is a local brewery and is one of my favorite restaurants here.  It is located in Mainz, the city just across the Rhein from Wiesbaden.  It was nice to spend a bit of time together outside of work, while enjoying some delicious German food.

After enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving meal, we went for a little walk.  There is a small refuge for storks in Kandern, that many of these birds call home.  There are even a few ducks living there and one very moody goose.  The storks are not caged at all, and are able to come and go as they please.  Here are a bunch of them hanging out on a roof at the refuge.

We are down in Kandern this weekend at Jason’s aunt’s and uncle’s place.  Because of work and such, we decided to celebrate Thanksgiving this coming Sunday, and we spent this morning preparing some pies.  I rolled out and pressed the crust for the pumpkin pie below.  I’ve actually never made a pie before, so it was a lot of fun.  Aunt Leigh Ann gave Antje and I some great recipes, like pecan pie and poppy seed bread.  I’m excited to try them out!

Remember the first photo below??  It is the photograph from day forty two of the Russian Orthodox church, which sits atop the Neroberg in Wiesbaden.  Well, here are the rest of the photographs I took from that day.  The weather was rainy and cold, but I still had a lot of fun exploring the area, which includes a small vineyard, many walking paths, a cemetery, and some amazing views.

I pass by this cute little church often.  Its steeple stands so much higher than all the buildings that surround it.  Because I normally walk by on the road next to it, it is difficult to get a good look, being so close.  This morning, I decided to walk onto a nearby overpass for a better view.

This is one of my favorite stores downtown.  It is called Bären-Treff, and I’m pretty sure they have the most delicious gummies ever.  Upon entering the store, each customer is offered sample to enjoy while checking out the assortment–it’s great!  Today, I asked if I could take a photo inside, and here’s what I got.  I then bought some Saure Johannisbeeren gummies.  I had to look up what kind of berry a Johannisbeere is…it’s a red currant or a gooseberry.  I think it sounds better in German!!

This is the lovely sight that greeted me at 7:30 this morning, as I walked out of our apartment and down to the bus stop.  Rows of big, beautiful trees line the street we live on.  This colorful morning sky lasted only a few short minutes, and I’m so glad I was able to capture it!

I took this shot with my 28-105 mm lens.  Because I most often shoot with my wide angle 16-35 mm lens, I sometimes forget what beautiful bokeh (blurry background) can be had with a longer focal length.  I love how the background in this photo looks a bit like a painting.