Tea for two

A wonderful morning today, spent in the company of some (but not all, as some cried off sick) of my girlie expat friends, having breakfast. Breakfast is one of many things that the Germans take seriously & we embrace that, getting there at 9 (in theory it opens at 930, but we're foreign and regulars so we get away with it) and only tearing ourselves away from the buffet (10 types of bread, smoked salmon & trout, ham, salami, wurst, cheese (sliced, spreadable, chunks) yoghurt, fresh fruit, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs....and endless coffee) around 1130.

In 2 1/2 hours we discussed the wearing of fur (could have been heated but we're too nice) the inappropriateness of another mother asking whether your son has started having wet dreams (Germans can be so blunt and matter of fact but we did feel that this crossed some line) whether we should take a girlie trip to a castle in Belgium (personally - if the majority rules then fine, but I can think of nicer places to go than Belgium) and why a child shouldn't be allowed to call his mother stupid. Oh, and blip of course, we talked blip - impossible not to with 3.5 blippers at the table!

Our venue was Villa Landleben, a large open barn type structure with the seating and eating area nestled in amongst cutesy homewares, clothing, jewellry, the kind of stuff you never really need but you always desire - I have never before seen teapots as lamps, look great hanging in the café but I think I'd get laughed out of home if I brought some home.