When we first got here three months ago, the wheat was waist-high. Now the fields are fallow after the harvest. The sun shone but the summer was never warm. We got a lot of wind, and too much rain. Even August has been cool. The fruit trees that were once bare now bear purple plump plums, small sour apples, and infant pears. Nature changed before our eyes while we peddled our way through Oberfranken. Where we dwell in Bamberg is the cultural center, our hub.

My bicycle has 3 speeds and a bent rear rim. Riding in hilly country has toughened me up. My thighs are bigger and harder than they were before we arrived, but my belly is a bit doughier from the food.

We are loath to leave but EU law legislates 90 out of every 180 days for American and Canadian citizens. I will cry when we say goodbye but will relish the two remaining weeks, more time than most people spend in Franconia in their lifetime.

In a fortnight we transition from Europe to Asia via a country that straddles both. Turkey’s evocative layers beg exploration as much as Franconia does only we’ll enjoy wine and walking instead of beer and bicycling. We’re excited, even if we will madly miss our beloved Bamberg.

The low cost of living here has been welcome. Can’t say as much about Turkey. September is our slowest season for work, and Turkey is turning out to be twice as expensive as Franconia. Our apartment here is 800 Euros, and there it will be 1500 Euros for the month. Not to worry. Just as there are ebbs and flows in nature, there are with money. And besides, we will write more than we do here given the lack of beerstractions.