Gilbert: Birds and Butterflies

The Orchid Homestead had birds as well.


These are Lori birds and we got to feed them!


Lots of orchids as well of course.




A banana plant in bloom.


Next we visited the butterfly garden.


That is not a butterfly!


It sure was a pretty garden.


If you were careful you could get close enough to take pictures.


I spotted this dead butterfly, a reminder of how fragile these creatures are.






This one had just transformed!




What a beautiful garden for the butterflies.


A butterfly with glass-like wings.










There's the statue again. Beautiful, but a butterfly garden is a weird place to put it in my opinion.




So cool to see them from so closeby.




After the butterfly garden there were more orchids to admire.








What a beautiful place.

I wonder what more we will get to see.

Next: more animals

Gilbert: So Many Flowers!

This blogging thing is more challenging than I thought. It's fun to go on trips, but what a work to get the pictures sorted and up to the blog. But here is finally part 2 of our trip to Germany. Although... this outing was in the Netherlands.


We went to the Orchideeën Hoeve on Saturday!
It was a grey and cold day, but we were going to be mostly inside. The Orchideeën Hoeve (Orchid Homestead) has lots of orchids as you might guess by the name, but also animals!


Soon after entering I spotted my first animals: turtles.


There were beautiful orchids everywhere we looked.


Even above our heads!


There were also statues hiding among the foliage




This one is a little creepy I think.






This plant reminded me of pine cones.


There were lots of fish swimming in the artificial streams.


I totally love this orchid. So beautiful.


These really blue ones are painted.


There was a canoe in the stream as well.
I think it was just for decoration, it didn't look really seaworthy.


A bearded statue.






There were catfish as well.
My owner got to feed them with shrimp. That was fun to watch.


Some orchid blossoms were really tiny!


Here's a closeup.


A taxi bike.
It was also just for decoration sadly enough, or I'd have let my owner bike me around.






Turtle closeup!


What a wonderful place the Orchid Homestead was. And we hadn't even seen everything yet!

Next: birds and bees butterflies

Gilbert: A Wonderful Trip to Germany

On January 22 my owner took me on a trip!
We were going to stay a few days with Diana in Germany. Sullivan had been there last year, and told me it would be really cool, and to make sure I got myself a Zombi and report on it.


First we took a bus to where my owner's friend Diana works, and then Diana drove us to her home in Germany. Once there we unpacked a bit (we got to stay in a room full of books. Sullivan told me to report on those as well).


After we settled in Diana took us out for dinner.


I got to eat a really yummy pumpkin soup.


I also talked with these two friendly people. They didn't mind my German is not that great.


Dinner was delicious and our stay was off to a wonderful start.

Once back at Diana's place we explored the books, relaxed, watched tv, and chatted of course.

The next day we went shopping.
First we looked at furniture. After that it was time for something to drink and possibly to eat.


Germknödel???
Yeah... Although I love a good experiment, I didn't think we should get something with germ in the name. Just a drink it is!


Next we did some more shopping. I spotted this golden gorilla on a pink ottoman.


And this silver alligator who posed with me for a picture. I was totally safe I can tell you in case you are worrying.


After our shopping we went back to the house for some more relaxing and lunch.


Next we went to the cookie outlet. They had tons of cookies, and outside I met these deer.


Next was a visit to the lake.
Wow, it's beautiful there!


Setting sun.


A perfect spot to sit and for a postcard worthy picture.


We then went to the restaurant by the lake for a cocktail. I think I found Sullivan's Zombi.


This is my kind of Zombi.
I am happy to be able to report that the Zombi is delicious. And it didn't turn us into zombies.


We managed to snag a place next to the fireplace and read there for a bit while enjoying our cocktail. After that we went back to Diana's house for dinner and a movie night. We watched Pride and Prejudice the mini series with Colin Firth. It had a lot less zombies than Sullivan had me believe, but I liked it.


The next day was for relaxing, but we did go out for fresh bread and some more shopping. I was tempted by this stand full of After Eight chocolate.

Back at the house we relaxed, tested out some books, and I noted down those I thought Sullivan might like. I even got to borrow some books from Diana to take home for Sullivan to read.


Diana made apple turnover. I had to see how she made them of course.


They got homemade apple compote filling.


Don't these look fun?


And ready to go into the oven.


When they were done they smelled totally delicious and looked awesome.


Apple turnover and hot chocolate with marshmallows.
Yum Yum!


In the evening I got to try strawberry liqueur. That also tasted very good. It was a really fun and relaxing day.


Next: plants and animals in the polder.