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London Tower Bridge

In Germany and UK. On May 31 we return from our vacation, on June 6 Peter is already sitting on a flight to Germany. It's not even one week he could enjoy at home... This month Claudia will fly to Europe as well, for the first time since we settled into Sydney. By mid of June she is giving a presentation at the Audio Engineering Society (AES) conference in London, and stops over in Germany. Thus, the title "Stories from Australia" is not really true. It's more "Stories from Europe".

Shower gel, shower gel, shower gel...

Peter's birthday. It is not exactly by chance that we are both in Schwetzingen for Peter's Birthday. Has this guy managed again to have a summer birthday (last year, the weather on his winter birthday was probably not according to his taste?!?) that he tradinionally celebrates with friends and family at Johanneshof near Hockenheim. They almost all come this night: Anne, Oli, Rebecca, Annabelle, Christian, Susanne, Lucas, Elisabeth, Jörg, Felix, Esperanza, Gerolf – and Claudia! As well, all of them have thought about the long flight back around half the world when they were looking for presents, hence no present is heavy or large. However, what do you offer to a 41-old that mustn't be heavy or bulky? Shower gel, shower gel, shower gel, and, right, bath salt and massage oil. Or does this flood of presents have a different, more subtle reason and is a hidden hint to... more often?

Gisela, Claudia und Mickey in Old Heidelberg

Catching up with the family. Hence, we celebrate the big summer reunion in and around Schwetzingen. Claudia's stopover nicely breaks Peter's long business trip into smaller sections and takes away some of its monotony. Even Gisela and Pico come over from Florida to see their junior again. This assures Peter's week-ends, whilst Christian & Susanne and Anne, Oli & kides always offer him an open house during the weekdays to get him out of the hotel routine. A Saturday in the greater family circle, a Sunday of hiking around Baden-Baden, a Tuesday night with Chris and Susanne at the movies, a Friday night with Jörg in a pub... Thus passes Peter's June.

Petra, Siegfried, Elke, Claudia

Detour to Lippe. Meanwhile, Claudia spends three days with her family in Lippe where Elke and Siegfried invite her to a magnificiently modern performance of Mozart's Enchanted Flute in Schloß Wendlinghausen under the sky. With Petra, she runs around the Emmerstausee and goes to he local Ice Creamery with Daniela, Gunnar and Yannik, and has a BBQ at Petra's and Armin's place. Pork chops. That is probably the real difference between Germany and Australia ;-) In Sydney, we had exactly three times pork since our arrival, but always beef, fish, lamb, etc... Thus passes Claudia's June.