The very first...

...almond blossoms in Germany 2015.

Found and taken yesterday.

Along the Palatinate Wine Route near Landau, Pfalz.

For a moment we thought that we wouldn't find one flower on the many almond trees in the Palatinate region - none of bushes or trees in thís region had buds or even green leaves so far.

But then it was like a colour miracle:

On 1 out of 100 almond trees we found the very first gentle almond blossom.

So after a whole day of driving and hiking through this blessed region we finaly found three almond trees where one or two of its branches have born some almond flowers.

In two or three weeks of sunny and warm spring weather

the almond alleys should look like on the painting we saw at the town of Landau.

Gimmeldinger Mandelblütenfest

*** Gimmeldingen's festival of the almond bloom ***

 

It's the end of March and the "Südliche Weinstraße" (Rhineland-Palatinate, Gemany) is painted with vibrant shades of pink and white from millions of almond blossoms.

 It's the time the "Gimmeldinger Mandelblütenfest" takes place. Each year, the date for this festival is determined right after most of the almond blossoms are full-blown.

This year it took place on March, 24 & 25.

Truly the "Gimmeldinger Mandelblütenfest" is just a pseudonym for the first wine festival of the "Südliche Weinstraße" at springtime. Most of the thousands of visitors just cast a glance on the almond trees and thereafter they concentrate on their true object of desire: Pfälzer Wein / Pfälzer Schoppen... ;-)

The region along the "Südliche Weinstrasse" is an old and traditional cultural landscape of viniculture.

A lot of picturesque wine villages with even more enchanting vineyard estates are stringed together along the easterly foothills of the Palatinate Forest / Pfälzer Wald.

 Because of the very mild climate in this area not only grapes are cultivated. You even find a lot of almond trees, sweet chestnuts, fig trees, kiwi and even lemon trees there. 

On the Neustadt market we bought even the first "German asparagus" in 2012. In other regions of Southern Germany you'll have to wait another two to three weeks before you can pick it.

Old and huge almond tree seen from the angle of view of a mouse... ;-)

spring awakening - Frühlingserwachen - part II

Enjoy watching today's almond bloom near the village Birkweiler, Palatinate, Germany