Snapshots of Europe (part 1)

Celebrating our arrival in Germany with champagne

First night's traditional German dinner at the in-laws

Enjoying a morning stroll through hubby's hometown

Daily breakfast of fresh bread, meat, cheese and sausages

Rietberg town centre

Enjoying the quaintness...

... and cobbled streets

Surprises on every corner

Simply beautiful German architecture

Hubby and I in front of the Town Hall

Beautiful spring tulips

Resting after a hard day's walk

The neighbours had a surprise for us

The finished product

Visit to Paderborn

The historic Paderborn Cathedral

Inside the beautiful Cathedral

More amazing architecture

My brother-in-law and I

The best currywurst in town! (According to The Husband)

The summer palace we considered buying...

... and settled for a photo instead!

Kuala Lumpur Picturefest

Partying it up at Skybar, Traders Hotel

The young-er ones

View of the Petronas Twin Towers from Skybar

Family dinner at Rakuzen, Chulan Square

Sushi galore!

Some of the group at the lobby of Millennium Hotel where we stayed

Enjoying chocolate 'sacrifices' at Starbucks, The Pavillion

Our beautiful head-table setting at the wedding dinner, Courtyard Garden

Cake-cutting

Tea-drinking ceremony with my in-laws

Tea-drinking ceremony with mum and dad

Tea-drinking ceremony with my brother-in-law

Tea-drinking ceremony with my godparents

Our turn to drink tea!

Plenty of red packets!

Catching up with old friends

Enjoying drinks at Changkat Bukit Bintang

Another Long Island?

Me and my beautiful cousin

This is refreshing!

Klang Bah Kut Teh... yummm

Luna Bar...

... for the second time

Hawker stalls for a wanton noodles breakfast

Hubby and I chilling out in Bangsar

highlights

This vacation may have been one of the most memorable trips of my life. The Husband and I have travelled together overseas a couple of times before and I've always been very grateful for how compatible we are when doing so, being an avid traveller myself. But this trip was not only a test of our teamwork and ability to put up with each other 24/7 for nearly three weeks, but also our ability to co-ordinate a large group of people that were all travelling for us, showing everyone a good time, as well as finding time to do the things we want to do in between - all while maintaining our sanity. 

Needless to say, there were moments of great highs and incredible lows throughout the entire trip. Going from Auckland to Malaysia, to Germany and then Holland and back to Auckland again, not only meant catching many planes and trains across many countries, but also took a lot out of us in terms of the drastic change in weather and time zones, but also in trying to do and see as much as possible in the time we had, amidst all the wedding celebrations that have been organised for us. 

We both returned to Auckland feeling like we needed a vacation from this vacation. But I'll only focus on the positive events that have occurred, because really, when the months have passed, that's what you want to hold on to and remember the most. 

And some of the highlights for me were:

• Meeting my brother-in-law for the very first time
  
• Meeting my husbands family, relatives and friends (Now I can finally put a face and mannerisms to the people he talks about all the time)
  
• Gorging myself silly on Nasi Lemak, Hokkien Mee, Satay, Char Kuey Teow and much more in Malaysia
  
• Gorging myself silly on Bratwurst, Currywurst, Barbecued Steaks, Schnitzels, and freshly-baked breads in Germany and Holland
  
• Drinks at SkyBar, Traders Hotel
  
• Drinks at Luna Bar, Pan Pacific Regency Hotel Apartments
  
• Drinks in general 
  
• Catching up with my family and friends
  
• The beautifully decorated venue of our Malaysian wedding dinner
  
• The charming and quaint streets and houses of my husband's hometown, Rietberg
  
• Shopping!
  
• Beautiful and historic German architecture that leaves you enraptured
• Setting eyes on the breathtaking Cologne Cathedral for the very first time
• Visiting the beautiful city of Hamburg 
• Experiencing my first-ever live soccer match between Hamburg and Bremen - all the way through to penalty kicks
• Walking through the romantic and historic canals of Amsterdam
• Falling in love with Germany

and home again...

The Husband and I are back in Auckland, after over 30 hours of travelling, which left us both feeling a little like we've just been hit by a bus when we arrived. We left Amsterdam on a Friday evening, and only arrived in Auckland on a Sunday at noon, stepping out into the windy, cold rain greeting us at Auckland International Airport, feeling dazed and disoriented.

I wanted to go to sleep right away, but there was so much to do. First, all the unpacking needed to be done. Then the first load of laundry. And then we had to go grocery shopping as we emptied out the fridge just before we left. After that, we swung by the Pet Hotel to pick up our cat, who have been very clingy since. Finally, we came back home to have a shower, hung up the washing, before going back out again to grab a quick dinner, both of us struggling to keep our eyes open over our plate of noodles and rice. 

We were back home at 7pm, and without a word, the both of us climbed into bed, pulled the blanket over our heads, and fell into a soundless, immediate sleep, waking up at midnight even more disoriented and dazed. 21 days of travelling across three different time zones will do that to you. 

I am feeling a little better after a cup of coffee this morning, and The Husband has dutifully gone off to work, leaving me feeling a little empty after having him around me 24/7 for the past three weeks. Auckland also seems a little colder and paler today, in comparison to the warmth and vibrancy of Malaysia, and the charm and quaintness of Germany and the Netherlands. 

Nevertheless, life goes on, and there's much to do before I get back into the groove of things. I will write more about our trip and post up some pictures, when I'm not feeling quite so jet-lagged and my body and mind synchronises itself into the proper time zone. 

bulletpoints

Apologies for the brief hiatus, but in my defence, I have had to:

1) do last-minute things around the house

2) attend a last-minute job interview 

3) have last-minute drinks with friends

4) eat out the content in my fridge

5) watch back-to-back episodes of Brothers & Sisters

Doesn't quite cut it, does it? Okay, fine. I had a lazy, relaxing last week in the City of Sails, before The Husband and I pack our bags and head out into the big, bad world for our Malaysia/Europe sojourn tomorrow. I am psyched. The bags are half-packed, the fridge is cleared out of anything edible, the wine is emptied, the cab's been ordered, and the cat will say good-bye tonight when we drop her off at the cat hotel. Yes, she too is on a vacation. I hope she has a lovely holiday fling. 

But in the meantime, I am looking forward to this pseudo honeymoon, which really will be anything but, as we're surrounded by the family from both sides for all 20-days, watching movies on the plane and giggling with my husband as we order rum and coke like naughty teenagers, eating delicious Malaysian food, seeing old and new faces at the wedding dinner the folks have laboriously planned for Easter Weekend, visiting my husband's hometown in Rietberg, Germany, drinking plenty of vino, and hoping beyond hopes we'll be able to squeeze in some 'honeymoon time' in the middle of all that. 

I am also hoping beyond hopes to come home at the end of the month to a spanking new job I can really get my teeth into, my residency finally approved, and a life that doesn't involve me saving every last penny just to buy a lovely new jacket for winter. But I'll settle for a new job. The rest will come in time.

So Happy Easter, have a great Anzac Weekend, and enjoy the burgeoning fall colours. I'll be back with plenty of pictures, and many stories to tell. 

Marotti Campi Salmariano Verdicchio dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico Riserva 2003

A new boutique wine shop, La Cantina, just opened in our neighbourhood, which makes me very, very, happy. 

The first day we found out about the new shop, The Husband and I promptly went over to pick out a bottle of white for our seafood barbecue dinner. I met Liam, the owner of the store, who's not only informative but also sincere and passionate, and he introduced us to the Marotti Campi Salmariano Verdicchio dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico Riserva 2003. 

Okay, so it is a ridiculously long and complicated name. But this wonderfully perfumed and intensely flavoured white from the Marches, Italy, is my first taste of the verdicchio grape, and I must say I am truly delighted with this find! I've never been too big a fan of the very widely available Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay here in New Zealand. Actually, I'm not too big a fan of white wines - period. But the warm summer months that's all but disappearing, saw me drinking plenty of thirst-quenching, refreshing whites, mainly in the form of Rieslings, Pinot Gris, or Gewurtztraminer whenever I can. 

The Salmariano, named after an old castle built at the company's vineyard, as I was informed, is balanced, nutty, rich without being cloying, and one of the more exciting Italian whites (okay, probably the only Italian white aside from Pinot Grigios) I've had in awhile. It is also affordable, which is very important in my eyes, and immensely drinkable today. We had it with salmon grilled on the barbie, a side of herb-mushroom rice, and broccoli fried with garlic. It was completely delicious, and neutralised the oiliness of the salmon without being overpowered by the garlic. 

Fortunately for the Husband, we will be leaving for our sojourn in about five days, which means I'm not pestering him to let me go back for more. Unfortunately for him, we will be returning at the end of the month, which means Liam will be seeing much, much more of me in the near future. 

I simply love unexpected finds of the uncorked variety.