A pyramid of gifts :)
2022
February 2022
Düsseldorf - Maasduinen - Berendonck
2022
Itinerary
For my birthday, Volchiy gave me a pyramid of gifts.
In the largest box was a robot vacuum cleaner, which I had been dreaming of for so long.
In the middle box were 48 packs of hummus, the very same hummus we liked so much in Jordan. Volchiy found it here in Düsseldorf, which is amazing!
In the small box were chocolate candies with marzipan, bought to complete the little pyramid.
For dinner, I baked an empanada — a traditional Spanish pie with tuna.
48 packs of hummus!
***
We, Alina and Zhenya. With cards from the game.
On Sunday, February 14, we went to the Netherlands. First, we took a walk in the Maasduinen forest. It is a very beautiful area, with pine trees, a large lake, and sandy dunes. There were a lot of people here that day, and we could hardly find a parking spot. We escaped deeper into the forest and settled under the pine trees for a picnic.
Trail around the lake
Picnic
We had a little time, so we stayed in the forest for just over an hour and then went to the sauna complex Berendonck.
It was so nice and beautiful there. This complex became my favorite.
We spent 6 hours there, which flew by unnoticed.
A warm (truly warm) outdoor pool.
A cozy restaurant with sofas, where we drank delicious Dutch wheat beer Grolsch.
An amazing saltwater pool where music plays underwater; you can hear it if you lie on your back and your ears are in the water.
Taking photos in such complexes is prohibited.
From our photos - only the building from the outside and the corridor in the changing room.
The other photos are from the official website.
Heading to Berendonck!
Corridor in the changing room area
One of the saunas with panoramic windows overlooking the lake
Large indoor pool
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Rally in support of Ukraine. We’re heading home on foot through the central park. The crocuses are already in full bloom there.
Crocuses in the central park in Düsseldorf
In the evening, our neighbor Stefan invites us to dinner. He is deeply moved by the war in Ukraine. He also went to the demonstration today. It seems to me that with this dinner he wants to support us, and through us — all of Ukraine. We don’t feel like going out, but we still decide to go, if only to stop scrolling through the news feed for a while. We brought a bottle of delicious red Italian wine. And Stefan prepared spaghetti Bolognese.
We had a good time. Stefan lives in an apartment just like ours, only two floors above. It’s interesting to be in your own space, but furnished completely differently. Stefan has many records from my childhood, my dad’s records, Mark Knopfler, ELO, Dire Straits, Jethro Tull…
Visiting Stefan
On Sunday, February 27, the fourth day of the war, it already feels like my strength is running out. I persuaded Volchyi to go again to the Berendonck saunas and take a walk in Maasduinen. Nature seems to be healing me on a physical level. The sight of the lake and the pines makes it easier for me to breathe. This time we have more time; we find a nice spot for a picnic under a tree and lie in the tall grass. We walk around the lake and, exhausted, head to the sauna. It’s a спасение…
Walking around the lake