::sunshine::

in the gloomy days, you're my sunshine!

it's the last day of july, more than 1/2 of 2014 has gone, with the many things that happening recently you're comforted by a verse from philippians 1:21 "for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain". with so many air tragedies and wars happening right now, every day that you live on is a gift from God, and the day that you're called by the Lord, you know you've gain because you're returning to the Father in Heaven where
there's no more sufferings, injustices and endurance.

sisterly.afternoon.tea

spending quality time with a dear sister...

 at a cafe tucked at the corner of a converted warehouse that now also selling furniture and interior design

 at the cafe, it's quite when you're there...

 and the service they used are vintage, recycled or second hand, bric-a-brac

 the sweet plateau, nothing sophisticated, you ate the saint honore inspired puff and even then you couldn't finish as too much chocolate ganache  was on it

 then the 3-tiers, generous portion of sandwich, rustic, down to earth and certainly not elegant. you had the choice of 5 different flavor of teas and free refill of hot water. it's really big portion and good thing is none of you had our lunch since your high tea starts at 2pm, so the nibbling and chatting last you till the cafe closing time.

and you visit the furniture and interior shop briefly.
it's good to take time out and catch up, so much sharings and so much encouragements.

opera.on.the.lake

quantum of solace has a scene here.
this year musical is called 'the magical flute' by mozart.
and you're over excited and thrilled like a child.

schwarzwälder kirschtorte

when in black forest one must try the famous black forest cake.  you had this in the conditorei where it claimed to produce their black forest cake with the classical and original recipe.

 this conditorei has a very charming window....

 the cake comes in the expected appearance only it uses the sour pickled cherry which you understand in the land where cherries are abundance in the summer, if you don't do something to preserve the fruits, then they are just rotten away.  then again it's just personal taste that you prefer your black forest cake to be filled with cooked down but not sour cherries. this cake is booze, perhaps not the lightest that you have ever tasted but qualify to be a black forest cake.

 he doesn't have sweet tooth, so a black forest ham croissant is it!

 this is probably the airiest and flaky croissant that you've ever tasted in awhile, yum!

so here's a brief explanation on the take of the classical black forest cake

===
still the story from my recent trip to germany. finally it's raining here, so relief and so refresh! it takes away the heat and moist the garden. i hope i can sleep through tonight.
have a blessed week ahead
===

living.stream

tucked in the middle of black forest is this little town called triberg

where it's famous for a number of things, all touristic attractions

the waterfalls, fairy tales, the steam train... the cuckoo clock (another story)...

but your focus was the hike and the water fall....

not as spectacular as the one back home but this is germany's highest waterfalls

the board encrypted on the rock says psalm 66: 5 come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men

one last thought on the water fall as you look at this water fall...

john 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water
may you find the source of the living water today

silk.road

a visit to hermitage museum for its silk road exhibition. it's educative but most of the artifacts on display are not of your interest though you find the murals with drawing interesting. murals that tell the ancient story that captured history in pictorial forms.
after the visit you sat at the garden just behind the museum enjoy the summer view with a cup of coffee and cake. good way to chill and end your brief visit to amsterdam.

afternoon.tea.with.a.view

how about afternoon tea with a view like this?

 this was your outlook as you sit at the terrace of villa augustus and enjoying your afternoon tea with a dear friend.

 you ordered a big salad and the shrimp croquette to share with your friend.  almost all products are produced  in the house, the green and the flowers on your salad are certainly the produces of the garden right in front of you.

 inside, they are a number of shops, section selling the gardening tools, home made products

 and the bread made by the in house bakery

 a bit further in the hotel, the flower arrangement is ready to dispatch to the dining table

 as you walk out the villa, you're still in a dreamy mood, so pretty are these tiny flowers on the pot

and so gorgeous is this tree planted on the wall, almost picture perfect and almost surreal.
you would love to be back again (soon)!

villa.augustus

a place that you wanted to visit (on a good day) for awhile but never had a chance until today.  after all if life gives you good sunny weather might as well seize the opportunity to enjoy it in the right setting.
so you decided and called a friend (who live in the city where the villa is located) and off you went for a spontaneous (savory) afternoon tea.
what excites you most is as you walk in to the villa and as you see the romans garden, the very well managed flower patch, green house, sculptures and the water tower that now converted to hotel.  it's a malay mui in wonderland moment.  let alone you're blessed with the great weather, summer temperature and blue sky with cotton bud clouds as back drop.  
so blessed and so bliss the life can be. summer in the lowland.