After a relaxing day of working, eating ice cream sundaes, and enjoying delicious, cheap Chinese food, we cycle back to our riverside free-camp along a string of nice bike paths on the outskirts of Bamberg.

It is a nice change of pace to arrive at camp and set up without thinking about what to have for dinner. After pitching our tent, we move to the next next item in our new "routine" for the next day or two: a swim in the canal. Before doing so, I go out for a quick walk around our neighborhood to capture the scenery.

It's a beautiful area that reminds me of home in Illinois, full of green fields and shady patches of forest.

In the sticky summer heat, crickets and other insects chirp loudly, a droning chorus in the sea of wheat and tall grass. The noise is comfortingly familiar, it reminds me of my childhood summers.

I am so grateful the sun has decided to shine for us! Finally, we can resume starting our mornings with a resounding, "I am thankful for good heath, AND good weather."

Sweaty from walking, and done with photography for the day, I'm ready for a dip in the canal! I walk back to where Tyler is waiting at our free-camp, and together we make our way to a rocky place on the shore. Avoiding nettles, we scramble down, and slip into the cool, glassy water. We swim around, very briefly, laughing and gasping for air in the frigid waters before rushing back to land.

Now it is time to head back to our tent, snuggle up, and watch a movie. What a great day.