7 April: Spring in Stuttgart

We went downtown today and it seemed like everyone was on the Königstraße, hanging out and soaking up the sun. Interestingly, I believe we heard more English spoken in Stuttgart today than we’ve heard in the past six months. We picked up a bunch of goodies at the Markthalle so I can try making a gnocchi dish with gorgonzola and radicchio (similar to something I had in Rome), then we indulged in frappaccinos at Starbucks and strolled around the Schlossplatz. A golden retriever had jumped into one of the fountains and was having a grand time running around in the pool, snapping at the spraying water. His owner finally made him jump out, and he ran off, leaving a trail of water, only to jump into the fountain in front of the Neues Schloss. Later on we saw him leap into the second fountain in the Schlossplatz. When he finally finished his romp he rolled around on the grass and then shook himself off, sending spray shooting in all directions. I’m not sure the people lounging on the grass nearby really appreciated it, but it was highly amusing to watch.