I’ve been settled in Giessen for a few weeks now getting used to small-town life. I’m keeping myself busy with University classes, computer programming (or trying to), riding around the countryside on my shiny new old bicycle (getting used to braking with the pedals again), yoga-ing in a 1 by 2 meter space and watering my windowsill plants with fervent dedication. It’s nice to be in a more relaxing setting and I can’t wait for weekends to arrive, if even just to visit nearby Kassel which has some stunning public gardens, Marburg for its twisting winding cobbled streets leading up to the old castle, or the riverbank pub with its patio overlooking the lazily flowing river.

While trying to find a topic for my upcoming mini-thesis (note to self googling “potential thesis topic” won’t help) I’ve been stumbling across all sorts of wonderful new websites and blogs based in the same city I’ve just deserted, Dublin. And it is all about the food of course. I know the next time I have brunch it will be in brother hubbard, my next lunch sandwich will be from the green bench cafe, I want my next coffee to be from 3fe, my next cake I somehow get my hands on will be from the wildflower bakery, and my next dinner will be at the damson diner. Either I’m just noticing now or Dublin seems to be slowly finding its culinary roots (thank you lovin dublin). I’ll just have to keep working my way through all the delicious German cakes, local beer, apple wine and schnitzels here! Oh the effort 😉

If this isn’t enough culinary envy, I have just found the greatest cooking show to occupy my evenings. Which are usually spent with me unused to cooking food for only one person, so I’ve been creating enough food to feed an army (or just my hungry flatmates) and playing old school board games (who know mikado could be so dramatic) and working our way through the enormous wine department at the local supermarket. But I’ve been making time to watch “Masterchef: the professionals” the Australian version. It’s worth a watch, if you could smell the food on top of seeing how beautiful it looks and sounds when its being cooked I’m pretty sure I would have eaten my laptop already.