Friday is my day: Kirschbits

Our trip around Europe and the world continues with a visit to Van in Germany! She makes stylish and colourful bags, including hobo bags, messenger bags, clutches, wristlets and more - you can see them in her Etsy shop Kirschbits.etsy.com. Enjoy!

Haddeby, pleated colorful mauve shoulder bag with flowers and teal satin top band
Kirschbits

Hi! My name is Vanessa, but you can call me Van. I live in Schleswig, a very old town already existing during viking times, that is located at the end of the Schlei fjord in the northern most part of Germany.

Today is Friday and it is a special day. Sadly very few crafting, but a lot of outdoors and photographing. After some days of planning, I'm going on bike to visit my friend Petronella (P8 Accessories, Kraplap, P8iosities) from the Etsy European Street Team! She lives in a very small village on the shore of the Schlei, around 30 km to the east of Schleswig. Very close to Arnis, the smallest city in Germany.

It is a pretty exciting day as I've never made such a long trip totally alone. So I woke up early, but not early enough to say "Tschüss" (bye) to my son when he left to school, around 1 hour before. But it is early enough to capture our playful and crazy Lumi (our cute white cat), still partially asleep in her favorite place: beside my husband's legs!

Matthias is still sleeping, so I have to get the camera silently and capture Lumi, who cleverly opened her eyes to have that expression of "let me sleeeeep".

Then Matthias woke up with the sound of the camera and after cuddling Lumi, he went gently to take the already brewed coffee for our first morning mug of coffee, to enjoy it as every morning, together in bed. Love my coffee mug, who was the perfect birthday gift. A designers coffee mug!

Then while Matthias checks his mails, and the news of the day, I get my crafting basket that I have beside my bed, where I have yarns of different colors, and the boxes with beads. I love crocheting a bit in the morning and in the night before sleep. So today I made 2 crochet flowers that I want to begin to experiment adding them to my bags creations. And to one of the flowers I added a wooden bead. Love the result! As you see in the image I've been also experimenting with different chained beads. Let's see what time and play will bring!

After Matt is done with the news, he gives me the Mac and I check mails, convos, news from Venezuela, weather forecasts for the day and of course the EST thread of the day.

Matt made a quick but healthy breakfast, some defrosted berries mix with cornflakes and milk for him, and my favorite apple, oatmeal, almonds and yogurt! Delicious and full of fiber that I'll need later!

At around 9.40 am Matt leaves to work in Flensburg at the regional newspaper, and I took some few time to advance a bit in some patterns I need cut for some wristlets. I finished the cutting and made some order in my working table to have everything ready to be sewn.

Ups it was getting late! I had no chance to take photos of this part of the day as it was a bit late. I made some stretching and cardio exercises, then took a quick shower, packed my bag, made a sandwich, got an apple and filled my 1 lt. bottle with my favorite energizing drink: water, carrots, orange and lemon juice.

All packed and ready for a long ride. Let's go! I picked up my bike from the basement, put my favorite bag (Haddeby, crossbody messenger bag) and the bottle in the back basket, in the front bag the sandwich and the apple, and gone!

Around 15 minutes later, outside Schleswig, I went through this beautiful bikes and walking path. The first rape flowers field was shining through!

Biking on and on... around 40 minutes later I was in the middle of this amazing road, surrounded by more rape flowers fields. These yellow fields are a trademark in this region. Love them, love the color, love the perfume (like honey and roses), and its the call for summer! (This year they blossomed 2 weeks before).

Some dozens kms ahead I got finally the first sight of the Schlei after a big big yellow field. I went on a slightly shorter way through the area of Angeln here in the north-east of Schleswig-Holstein, instead of biking along the shore, so the view of the Schlei was something I was waiting for since a couple of hours, and for me was the finishing of the second stage of my trip.

Loved the feeling of being one with the nature, so few cars passing by, almost no bikers at all, it was just me, the yellow, green and blue of the almost completely clear sky.

Then I started the last part of my trip, arriving to the town of Lindau where this beautiful Dutch Windmill is still working.

At the end of this town there is a famous bridge to cross the Schlei. It is a one way bridge, shared by train, cars and bikers or walking people. All in one. So when there is traffic, the waiting cars files can be quite long! Even more when the bridge is up for Sailing boats to cross! It is a very old bridge and still working very well.

To my surprise, when I arrived to the crossing, I found that they were working on -precisely!- the railroad at the crossing I needed to take! I didn't want to cross the bridge but to continue along the shore. And that was closed! How annoying and scary moment! I would have to turn back and bike across a hill and give a huge round without being sure where I was going to end! I went close to the working site and asked one of the men if it was possible to.... and without letting me finish he said to me and a skating boy beside me (who also had a face of "please please please"): "on foot very carefully cross there in the corner!" The boy and me thanked him and crossed the railroad quickly (I was carrying my bike in my arms!). On the other side there was this long line of cars waiting to cross the bridge. I stopped in front of the restaurant to take a photo of the scene.

Some meters away to the east I could capture Lindaunis bridge at its best!

And to the other side, while munching my apple, I took this breathtaking view of the south shore of the Schlei.

Few kms ahead was my destination. So I packed up strength and after the short stop, continued on the recently made (still in the making) bikes way along the street. Some minutes after and finally I saw the beautiful house with the blue frames and the nice "Art button" poster outside. I arrived!!! As you can see in the photo courtesy of Petronella, I was still alive and with the camera in my hand)

Peggy ran to me in a single cry of desperation and welcoming as just she can do it! So lovely! I got my camera once more and captured Petronella with Peggy on her arms.

I rested under the sun in P8's backyard, while she permanent refilled my glass with fresh cold water and we talked for a couple of hours in the sun. Totally relaxing. We talked a bit about everything, and also checked fabrics and ideas for a dress I need soon for a wedding. Then in the night Matthias arrived from his work, and we had a delicious fish bbq Pieter cooked for us.

After the fresh strawberries ice cream we had for dessert, we were dead tired, full and happy.

Night was closing in, the moon shining and the stars blinking in the blueish sky. The cold breeze was shaking us, so Pieter lighted up a quick fire using the coal of the bbq. Was beautiful as well!

Matthias had a great time experimenting with the flames and sparkles.

Then it was getting pretty late and we were all tired but happy, so took my bike to the car, packed in and went back home. It was the perfect closing for a perfect day!