at summer’s end, 2018

now that summer’s in its last week, it’s time for some looking back at the best season of the year with my annual “at summer’s end” post. i guess i’m ready as i’ll ever be!

what did you do this summer?

i spent a third of this summer abroad, which is more than usual considering we didn’t fly to the united states this year – it was truly an amazing summer i’ll always remember! right after the school year ended, we flew to southern france and spent a week and a half mostly at a fantastic cottage in the drome provencale (+ a few days by the sea!). we then headed back to czechland to deal with our terrible visa troubles and teach at summer camps for three weeks, and off again to berlin for over three weeks – i took an intensive language course while alex started a new writing project. huge goal accomplishment! in terms of personal / cooking goals, i made ginger beer from scratch (my first fermented drink) with great success this year!

in september, i’ve enjoyed what’s left of our south bohemian summer (and wearing my jeans again!) in addition to watching all the delicious summer reality tv programming, reading and continuing studying german like a madwoman. 

what was the one thing you were looking forward to this summer?

i had planned the france vacation six years months in advance so i was pretty ding dang excited about that! lavender fields, french villages, swimming in the ocean (and pool!), eating loads of french cheese and drinking rose from the winery down the road – perhaps you can see why!

what did you miss the most this summer?

truly, i missed berlin a whole load about one week after we got back! you know, when the “happy to be home” mist wears off.

best breakfast of the summer?

that time in late july we got a whole box of plums from a friend and i went crazy with my favorite late-summer cardamom roasted plum oatmeal! it is so juicy.

song of the summer?

undoubtedly, “failed imagineer” by propaghandi will probably always remind us of the summer of 2018. and generally, just listening to a load of propaghandi in general.

any festivals, plays, art exhibitions?

i finally made it to the annual “end of summer” block party that always takes place at the end of august here in budejovice… usually we’re just returning from travels at that time, but unfortunately the weather was so god-awful. i saw two wonderful historical-related exhibitions in berlin, and managed as well to see a wonderful exhibition of czech landscape artists the other day, which i’ll probably post a little blurb about soon!

best dinner?

this one is always hard!! but i would remiss if i did not say, my favorite, #42 tofu mit reisnudeln at thai huong snack – my favorite hole-in-the-wall asian diner that i’ve been visiting for over a decade.

best drink?

all the bionades consumed while in germany – shout out to the bionade holunder flavor and the biozisch rhubarb flavor.
second place goes to a glass of cold rose and a mid-sommar evening in provence!

funniest memory of the summer?

i’m offering this moment (which i tweeted about, below) going over to a friend’s for a barbecue and the absolute most czech things ever just. kept. happening. the entire evening was literally taken right out of a sitcom:

A really Czech BBQ has
a) grilled hermelín
b) naked toddlers running around
c) a sitcom-worthy neighbor who parts the bushes to offer mushrooms
d) a guy playing the guitar

— Cynthia (@cynthj) July 29, 2018

favorite garment?

this summer was totally the year of the headband. and this blue dress! some dresses are just “summer dresses” and would feel wrong wearing in most other months of the year except the warmer months – this would definitely be one of those.

best swimming?

krumme lanke, grunewald, berlin on the absolute hottest day of the summer in early august. it was almost worth the long commute from prenzlauer berg (almost.) and remains one of my favorite memories of this entire summer.
the beach in cassis, france was pretty wonderful as well, because ocean.

what do you wish for next summer?

i would really like to go to the united states next summer and spend nearly an entire month in washington. two weeks in washington was no where near long enough last year, and i have said that every other year seems like a pretty good “schedule” to go back to the united states as long as we live in europe (if funds allow).

i’d also really like to spend a few days in a new place or an old favorite…. and go to the film festival again! (after a year break, i’ll be ready to return) i’d also like to go camping more (we simply didn’t have time to go this year) and perhaps a weekend away with my czechland friends.

where does the summer of twenty-eighteen rank for you?

ps, past recaps: 2015, 2016, 2017