A couple of weeks ago, I asked you who you think the most enchanting German women are, and you replied.

After two weeks and a few hundred votes, you not only let me know who your clear favorite is, but also gave 8 (!) women the exact same amount of votes. Which means that I now get to present you with a list of not only 10, but 12 enchanting German women and one honorable mention.

Even though the vast majority of votes were sent in from Germany, there were also votes from France, the UK, the Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand and the U.S. In total, the lists of nominees included the names of more than 80 women from all areas of life, not only actresses, TV hosts, musicians and sports women, but also a politician and even a former bishop.

The youngest woman in the Top 12 list is 29, all of the others are in their 30s and 40s.  (Which means that, unlike last weekend, 19-year-old German ESC winner Lena did not rule THIS vote.) Also, four of the women in the Top 12 are dating women in real life, including the lovely lady who snatched the top spot, whereas four only kiss women on TV (at least as far as I know).

So, have I teased you enough? Well then, without further ado, here they are: The Most Enchanting German Women 2010, according to your votes!

1. Anne Will
2. Claudia Hiersche
3. Miriam Meckel
4. Dunja Hayali
5. Ulrike Folkerts
6. (With the same amount of votes, in alphabetical order:)
   1. Maria Furtwängler
   2. Ina Müller
   3. Franka Potente
   4. Meike Schlüter
   5. Esther Schweins
   6. Maike von Bremen
   7. Anne Wis

Honorable Mention: Romy Schneider

]]> http://www.melsblog.de/2010/06/enchanting-german-women-2010/feed/ 4 http://www.melsblog.de/2010/05/poll-enchanting-german-women/ http://www.melsblog.de/2010/05/poll-enchanting-german-women/#comments Mon, 17 May 2010 20:07:22 +0000 MeL http://www.melsblog.de/?p=3749 In the springtime, it seems as if every self-respecting magazine/website/blog comes up with a list of people they think are hot/sexy/beautiful, so why should MeL’s Blog be different? Here’s your chance to vote for the “10 Most Enchanting German Women”!

It’s springtime, which means it’s also “list time” again. Last year, I wrote a blog post about how every spring, we’re being presented with tons of lists which tell us who the most beautiful or sexy people in our country or even the world are supposed to be.

It’s probably not a surprise to you that the list that I am most interested in is the annual AfterEllen Hot 100 list, which was published today. And though I in general agree with this year’s outcome, I’m still disappointed because there are no German women on the list, not even “Starla” Claudia Hiersche and Anne Wis. Which, in my opinion, is a pity, because there are some great German women who deserve their spot on the list, or, if not AE’s, at least a list similar to it.

That’s why I decided to create my own list and ask you, the readers of this blog, who should be on it:

Wer sind eurer Meinung nach die bezaubernsten deutschen Frauen?

Who do you think are the most enchanting German women?

Some of the women who could be on the list (from left to right): TV couple “Carla” Claudia Hiersche and “Stella” Anne Wis; real-life couple Anne Will and Miriam Meckel; TV host Dunja Hayali

Until midnight on May 31, 2010 (CET), you can submit a list of five women who you think deserve to be on the list. For the purpose of this poll, the term “German” also includes women who were born and grew up in Germany, even though they might now live somewhere else. For example, Heidi Klum und Steffi Graf both live in the U.S. today, but are still eligible for the list.

Please also let me know which country you are from. It’s purely for statistical reasons, as it’s going to be interesting to see whether all readers of this blog have a similar taste, or if there are differences depending on where they are from.

If you’re wondering why I’m asking ALL of my readers and not just the Germans, the answer is simple: Because, if you’re a reader of this blog, it’s more than likely that you have a thing for German women, or at least one or two of them. So, let us know who they are!

And if you’re now thinking “Help, I don’t know any other German women than certain soap actresses!”, don’t worry, I’m sure that you do know a lot of German women without being aware of it. You have heard of Claudia Schiffer before, haven’t you? But to make it a little easier for you, I’m going to post short portrayals of some of the women who are eligible for the list throughout the next two weeks.

But now, without further ado, let the voting begin!

Voting is now closed. Thank you for participating, the results will be posted shortly.

After you have voted, please feel free to share your thoughts or maybe even your list of nominees in the comments.

Carla and Stella are at the Lahnstein offices. Carla closes the door to her office behind her and tells Stella that now, all there is left for her to do is to return the key. Arm and arm, they walk down the hallway to the reception desk where Carla leaves the key card.

Stella wonders whether it is difficult for Carla to leave her work at the Holding behind, but Carla replies that she is feeling relieved, as for the last years, her work has mostly been about keeping Ansgar in check.

Stella then asks about Königsbrunn, where Carla grew up. Carla admits that she is going to miss it, but says that they can always return once they get tired of travelling. She takes Stella’s hand and leads her to the elevator.

While they are waiting for the elevator, they talk about Maria. Stella once again tries to convince Carla to talk to her, but Carla refuses to. They enter the elevator, and Carla says that there are things that she rather wants to focus on now. She hugs Stella and reminds her of their plans to get married, that they are going to be on a plane to Toronto the next day, and that the Niagara Falls and Honeymoon City are waiting for them. In between her words, Carla starts to kiss Stella, while the elevator doors are closing.

The next day, Maria is in the kitchen of Königsbrunn to oversee the preparations for Carla and Stella’s farewell dinner. Stella comes into the kitchen to say goodbye to her former colleagues. When she realizes that Maria makes every effort to have Carla’s favourite dishes prepared, she tells Maria that Carla is not willing to talk to her, no matter what. Maria says that she knows that, but that she still wants to do that for Carla because it is all she can do. She asks Stella not to tell Carla about this, and Stella agrees.

Later, Carla and Stella are in the dining room with Elisabeth, Carla’s uncle Ludwig, his children Tristan, Helena and Rebecca and his daughter-in-law Lydia.

Stella reminds Carla that it is time to go. Carla tells her family that they actually make it difficult for her to say goodbye, and praises the delicious meal. Stella says that somebody tried very hard. She looks over to Maria, who is hiding behind the door to watch the scene, but Maria motions to her not to say anything. Instead, Stella praises the cook. Carla says that she will going to miss her, but also her family. She looks at them nostalgically, then takes Stella’s hand.

Outside of the castle, Elisabeth says goodbye to Sophia, whom Stella is carrying in her arms. While Stella places the little girl in the car, Elisabeth hands Carla the family’s farewell gift, a video that includes messages from every family member. She starts to cry and hugs Carla and tells her that her family will be thinking of her.

One by one, Ludwig, Lydia, Helena, Tristan and Rebecca say goodbye to Carla and Stella. Before getting into the car, Carla looks up to the castle and sees Maria standing at a window. Maria waves goodbye to her, but Carla looks away and gets into the back seat of the car, next to Sophia. In the car, Stella and Carla once again wave goodbye to Carla’s family, until the car takes them away to start their new adventure: marriage.

THE END

With this episode, the guest appearance by Claudia Hiersche (”Carla”) and Anne Wis (”Stella”) draws to an end. As of now, it is unknown when the next guest appearance will be, or if there is going to be one at all. Judging from the send-off the characters got this time as compared with last time, it looks like they might be gone for a while – maybe even forever.

If you need something to ease the wrench, you could take a look at this beautiful video with scenes from the final episode, which was created by Song2519:

Thanks Song2519, and once again thank you so much to all of you who kept coming back to read my recaps, and who even left so wonderful comments.

Carla (Claudia Hiersche, left) surprises Stella (Anne Wis)

Monday, February 8, 2010 (3555)

No Stella & Carla scenes.

Stella meets Olli at the No Limits. She tells him that she and Carla are planning to continue their “round-the-world” trip very soon, and that for the next stop, she would like to travel to the Niagara Falls.

Olli pours out his heart to Stella about his relationship problems with Christian. She tries to cheer him up and gives him a magazine with advice for a happy relationship. Olli is sceptical at first, but decides to give it a try.

Olli (Jo Weil) seeks relationship advice from Stella

Meanwhile, Carla and Elisabeth officially introduce Ludwig as the new CEO of the Lahnstein Holding to the press.

Carla and her uncle, Ludwig von Lahnstein (Krystian Martinek)

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 (3556)

Carla is relieved that Ludwig’s introduction as the new CEO of the Holding went well. She again assures him that she does not regret her decision to ask him to run the family business and that he and Elisabeth will make a great team

Stella is in the kitchen of Königsbrunn, defending a cake that the cook gave her against Christian’s big appetite. When she explains to him that the cake is for Carla, Sophia and her, he wonders when they are planning to eat it, as Carla is at the office and will probably have to stay there for a while to catch up with business.

Instead of waiting for Carla, he suggests that they should eat the cake right away, and reaches for it. Stella manages to bring the cake to safety, and tries to convince Christian – and probably also herself – that Carla only went to work to take care of the handover of the Lahnstein Holding to Ludwig.

Meanwhile, Carla, Elisabeth and Charlie are at Schneider’s and talk about Carla’s plans for the future. Charlie tells her that they will miss Stella and her, and Elisabeth once more tries to convince Carla to stay, but Carla stands her ground. She explains to them that she always wanted to travel, and that now is the right time because she will not be able to do that anymore once Sophia is older and has to go to school.

Back at her office, Carla’s is working on her computer when she realizes that she is late for an appointment. She calls Stella, who is waiting for her at the No Limits together with Nathalie and Matthias, and explains that she is going to be late. Stella is annoyed when she hears that Carla is still at the office, and urges her girlfriend to hurry up.

When Carla finally arrives at the No Limits, she sits down next to Stella and starts to explain why she was late. With a serious look, she says that there is something that they have to do before they can continue travelling the world. Then she hands Stella a red envelope and asks her to open it.

While Stella opens the envelope, Carla can barely refrain from grinning. In the envelope, Stella finds plane tickets to Toronto and a reservation for a hotel suite at the Niagara Falls. With a big smile, Carla says that she she knows that Stella always wanted to get married there, and that is what they are going to do now. Stella is overjoyed, and they hug and kiss.

Carla (Claudia Hiersche, left) is happy that she can soon start a new life with Stella (Anne Wis)

Monday, February 1, 2010 (3551)

Carla, Stella and Elisabeth are still in the hall. After letting go of Carla and welcoming Stella as well, Elisabeth asks for Sophia. Carla and Stella pretend to be shocked for a moment for having forgotten about Sophia, then Carla smilingly tells Elisabeth that Sophia is outside with Justus, the butler.

Carla asks for her uncle Ludwig. Elisabeth explains to her that Ludwig is on a business trip to Zurich but will be back the next day. She then wants to tell Carla about Maria’s deceit, but is interrupted by Ansgar and Maria, who enter the hall.

Upon seeing Carla, Ansgar of course cannot stop himself from making a snarky comment about her return. Carla ignores him and goes over to say hello to Maria, whom she hugs and calls “mother”. When noticing Maria’s apparent uneasiness, Carla becomes suspicious and asks what is going on. Maria asks to speak with Carla in private, but Elisabeth intervenes, saying that she wants to make sure that Carla learns the whole truth. Both Carla and Stella look confused.

Carla and Maria go into the living room, followed by Elisabeth. Maria again tries to get rid of Elisabeth, who insists on staying. Maria starts off by saying that she is sorry and never wanted to hurt Carla, then confesses to Carla that she is not Carla’s mother Francesca, but her younger sister Maria. She tries to apologize to Carla and explains to her that all she wanted was to have her own family.

Carla is shocked, and asks about the DNA test. Elisabeth explains to her that the test was fake. Carla wants to know whether her brothers Leonard, Constantin and Ansgar already know that Maria is not their mother. Elisabeth tells her that they do, and that Ansgar was actually the first to find out. Carla wonders why he did not say anything, then realizes that Ansgar used his knowledge to gain power over the Lahnstein Holding.

To up the ante, Elisabeth then also reveals to Carla that Ansgar actually is Maria’s biological son from a brief affair she had with Carla’s father Johannes. All those news are too hard to handle for Carla. She leaves the living room, but not before stating that her whole family is just sick.

Later, Stella finds Carla in the administrator’s office. She apologizes to Carla for having forgotten the time while catching up with her former colleagues among the castle’s staff, who told her that Elisabeth had taken over her job as the castle’s administrators for a while, and also about Ansgar’s wife Tanja. Stella assumes that that was what Maria wanted to speak with Carla about. When Stella refers to Maria as Carla’s mother, Carla explains to her that Maria is not her mother.

Stella wants to comfort Carla, but Carla explains to her that she will not break out in tears because of Maria, as Maria is not worth it. Stella tells Carla that she does not have to pretend to be strong in front of her and takes Carla in her arms.

Carla enjoys Stella’s embrace for a moment, then lets go of her and assures her that she is fine. She then goes to to look after Sophia, leaving a worried-looking Stella alone in her former office.

The next day, Carla is back in her office at the Lahnstein Holding, apparently catching up with the latest business developments. Ansgar comes into her office and, in a sarcastic tone, offers his support, saying that she might need it because of all the shocking news she has to deal with. Carla retorts that at least one of the revelations was good news, which is that Ansgar is not really her brother.

In a condescending tone, Ansgar then asks whether her trip with Stella – who he refers to as Carla’s “service mouse” – was so boring that Carla needed to go back to work, but Carla chooses to ignore him. Before Ansgar leaves her alone, her warns her to keep an eye on their uncle Ludiwg, who – in Ansgar’s opinion – tries to establish himself in the Lahnstein Holding.

When Ludwig returns to the castle, he receives a phone call from Carla, who asks him to meet her for lunch at Schneider’s. Ludwig then meets Maria, and they talk about Carla’s response to the revelation that Maria is not her mother. Maria thinks that Carla and her brothers will never forgive her, but Ludwig encourages her to keep trying to explain her behaviour to them.

At Schneider’s, Carla and Elisabeth are waiting for Ludwig at the bar. Elisabeth asks Carla whether she remembers her uncle Ludwig. Carla tells her that she does not, but that Ludwig’s voice on the phone sounded somehow familiar to her.

Ludwig arrives at Schneider’s. Carla greets him with a hug. Ludwig tells her that he is happy to meet her, but that their getting to know each other will have to wait for a moment. He looks over to the door, where Maria is standing. Carla turns away, but Maria approaches her and tries to talk to her.

When Maria touches Carla, Carla loses her temper and slaps Maria in the face. Then she turns around and starts to cry.

Elisabeth (Martina Servatius) welcomes Carla (Claudia Hiersche) and Stella (Anne Wis)

Last November, Carla & Stella left Königsbrunn to go on a “round-the-world” trip. A lot has happened since then:

Elisabeth temporarily took over Stella’s job as the castle adminstrator so she could have an eye on Maria and Ansgar, but that did not stop them from drugging Ansgar’s wife Tanja, who almost died und is now in a coma.

Carla’s cousins Helena and Tristan von Lahnstein and Helena’s now-boyfriend Andi Fritzsche traveled to South America to look for Ludwig von Lahnstein, Helena and Tristan’s father and the brother of Carla’s father Johannes. They found him in a local prison and managed to get him released. When they returned to Königsbrunn, Ludwig saw Maria and – not knowing that she was claiming to be Francesca von Lahnstein – revealed that she in fact was Maria di Balbi, Francesca’s younger sister.

Elisabeth took advantage of Ludwig’s return and his revelation about Maria and reclaimed her position both in the family as Johannes von Lahnstein’s widow and in the Lahnstein Holding, thus disempowering Ansgar. She hoped to win Ludwig’s support, but they soon clashed because of their different opinions on Johannes, who Ludwig is mad at because Johannes did not help Ludwig when their father disinherited him.

All the while, Elisabeth had been trying to reach Carla to tell her about the latest developments, but she could not get a hold of her and assumed that she was still in Burma, the latest stop on her and Stella’s trip (on which, by the way, they apparently also took Sophia, Carla’s daugther, even though they were not shown leaving with her). Not being able to talk to Carla made Elisabeth feel even more isolated and lonely.

Which brings us to today’s episode. After a fragile reconciliation with Ludwig and another unpleasant encounter with Ansgar and Maria, Elisabeth is in the entrance hall and on her way upstairs when she hears that the front door is being opened. She turns around and, much to her surprise, sees Stella. Stella smiles at Elisabeth, than turns to look at Carla, who is entering behind her. Elisabeth is relieved and overjoyed to see Carla and goes over to hug her. In Carla’s arms, she tells her again how happy she is that Carla is back and starts to cry.

You can watch today’s episode on the show’s official website. There is also a video of THE scene, with the scene with Maria and Ansgar leading up to it, already available on YouTube.

Carla and Stella will finally return to “Verbotene Liebe” next Thursday. In the meantime, why not take a look at this beautiful video made by Song2519, a reader of this blog and an avid “Starla” fan. Thanks so much, Song2519!

And here’s a preview picture of the two of them together – Carla and Stella are back, yay!

Official caption: “Carla (Claudia Hiersche) vehemently rejects Stella’s (Anne Wis) suggestion to appoint [Carla's uncle] Ludwig as CEO of the Lahnstein Holding”

TV Couples

Callie and Arizona (Grey’s Anatomy)

When it comes to the romance of Callie and Arizona on “Grey’s Anatomy”, the year 2009 could not have started in a better way. In the very first episode of 2009, the TV audience got to know pediatric surgeon Arizona Robbins, played by Jessica Capshaw, and only three episodes later, Arizona also introduced herself to Callie – by kissing her in the women’s room of a bar.

It took a few more episodes before they finally got together, but their relationship has evolved and deepend ever since. Arizona was by her girlfriend’s side when Callie clashed with her father, who had come to Seattle to  “pray away the gay” from his daughter, and Callie tried to support Arizona during a difficult time at the hospital, when Arizona was forced to perform surgery on a boy who she had grown fond of and who later died on the operating table. Though Callie eventually failed, her efforts were so sweet and well-intentioned that it prompted Arizona to tell Callie “I love you” for the first time.

What makes this storyline so noteworthy is not only the show’s trademark superb writing, but also the two actresses who bring the characters to life. “Callie” Sara Ramirez and Jessica Capshaw portray their characters in a way that lets them be believable but still fun to watch, a little edgy and complicated at times but still very likeable. And the entertainment media seems to agree: TV Guide just included Sara Ramirez’ portrayal of “Callie” in their list of the “Best Performances of the Year”,  and Jessica Capshaw aka “Arizona” was named “Girlfriend of the Year” by US Weekly.

The only thing that fans have kept complaining about ever since the beginning of season 6 has been the lack of intimacy between Callie and Arizona, aside from a few kisses and embraces. In 2010, this might finally change, at least according to TV Guide, who quote Jessica Capshaw as saying that “Callie and Arizona get a little sexy soon”.

Let’s wait and see, but honestly, as long as they keep Arizona away from the “parking lot of no return” on which Erica Hahn vanished and Callie away from Mark Sloan so they can have a relationship that survives this season and maybe even the next, I would be more than pleased.

Carla and Stella (Verbotene Liebe)

No end-of-year review would be complete without a mentioning of Carla and Stella. After all, they just won an AfterEllen2009 Visibility Award in the category “Best Lesbian/Bi Moment On Scripted TV (International)” and were runner-up in the category “Best Scripted TV Series with Lesbian/Bi Characters (International)”.

Even though it was sometimes painful to follow the love story of Gräfin Carla von Lahnstein (Claudia Hiersche) and Stella Mann (Anne Wis), especially as it seemed to take forever until they finally got together, it attracted the attention of lesbians worldwide, who – thanks to the internet – shared Stella’s pain when Carla once again chose the family business over her relationship, and were overjoyed when Stella proposed to Carla and Carla said yes.

Knowing that they would at least have a happy ending even made it a little easier for “Starla” fans when the couple left the Lahnstein family estate to go on a “round-the-world” trip – that, and knowing that they would not be gone forever, but that the actresses would return for guest appearances, the first one coming up this January.

Olivia and Natalia (Guiding Light)

Another couple who attracted the attention of fans worldwide this year were Olivia Spencer and Natalia Rivera aka “Otalia” on the U.S. soap opera “Guiding Light”. Maybe it is a soap opera thing, but much like it was the case with Carla and Stella, it seemed to take forever until they finally admitted their feelings for each other.

Unfortunately, and unlike on the German “Verbotene Liebe”, where Carla and Stella were allowed to role in the hay almost naked when they finally got together, the couple was never shown in any intimate moments, and it was barely noticeable that they were, in fact, a couple. Still, when the show ended its 72-year-long run in September, “Otalia” at least got a happy ending.

Frustrated “Otalia” fans also had their happy ending of sorts in December, when the new web series “Venice” started, which is co-produced by “Olivia” Crystal Chappell and which also stars “Natalia” Jessica Leccia. In the very first scene of the very first episode, the two of them are shown in bed together. And no, they are not sleeping.

Claudia Hiersche and Anne Wis on the set of “Verbotene Liebe”
© Offizielle Claudia Hiersche Fansite

About a month ago, we said goodbye to Carla and Stella, the lesbian couple on German soap opera “Verbotene Liebe”, as they left the Lahnstein estate to go on a round-the-world trip and get married. The characters had to be written out of the show as actress Claudia Hiersche, who had played Carla Gräfin von Lahnstein for more than six years, decided to leave the cast.

What eased the pain for “Starla’s” growing number of fans was that there were reports that at least Claudia Hiersche was supposed to return for guest appearances. What was still uncertain, though, was whether Anne Wis, who plays Carla’s fiancé Stella Mann, would join her for those guest appearances.

Luckily, the answer is yes. According to reports on Claudia Hiersche’s official fansite, both Claudia and Anne returned to the Verbotene Liebe set in Köln-Ossendorf in November to film scenes for not only one, but several episodes, which will start to air January 28th, 2010.

*SPOILER*

Judging from the previews of the first two episodes, which were just released, Carla is furious when, upon her return, she finds out that Maria is not her mother Francesca. But instead of confronting Maria, Carla keeps her feelings bottled up, until the situation escalates during an accidental meeting.

*END OF SPOILER*

You can find a detailed fan report of a visit on the Verbotene Liebe set in the forum of the Official Claudia Hiersche Fansite. Previews of upcoming episodes are available on the official VL website and here (search for “Verbotene Liebe”). As soon as there are more reports, you will read about them here.

H/T to adsullata for keeping me posted and to CHF for letting me use the picture.

Looking out for a happy future together: Carla (Claudia Hiersche) and Stella (Anne Wis)

Monday, November 9, 2009 (3502)

At the wedding, Carla and Stella look on as Louise and Gregor dance the wedding dance. When Stella leaves Carla’s side for a moment, Carla looks at the happy couple and whispers to Nathalie that she can already see Stella and herself like that, at least as happy. Nathalie replies that she wishes that for Carla – and herself.

Back at Carla’s side, Stella tells her that she does not want a wedding that is as pompous, but one that is as happy. Carla replies that she will get it. Stella caresses Carla’s shoulder. She says that first, they will go on their round-the-world-trip together, and then… Stella does not finish the sentence, but just smiles at Carla, and they kiss.

They get interrupted though by one of the waiters, who comes up to them and says that he cannot believe his eyes. He hands Stella a glass of champagne and tells her how surprised he is to meet her again, and at a wedding of all places.

Stella looks confused. Justus intervenes and tells the waiter not to bother the guests. The waiter makes a snarky remark about Justus, then pinches Stella’s cheek and tells her that they will meet again after he has finished his shift, and that they will celebrate their reunion then. He leers at her and winks, then finally turns around and leaves them alone.

Both Carla and Stella look dumbfounded. Finally, Carla asks Stella how she knows this guy. Stella replies that she does not have the slightest idea.

When the waiter later passes them and winks at Stella again, she asks Justus about him. Justus explains that he does not know him because he is from a catering firm. He starts to rant about the waiter, but a stern look by Carla stops him. After Justus has left them, Carla says that the guy probably knows Stella from one of the hotels she worked at, and tells her not to get angry about him.

Louise announces that she is going to throw the bridal bouquet. She wonders who is going to be the next lucky lady to get married. Carla and Stella, who stand in the front row together, both raise their hands and smile from ear to ear. Before she throws the bouquet, Louise wishes all of them that they may get a husband that is as wonderful as hers. When she sees Stella and Carla, she adds “or maybe a wife”. But neither of them catches the bouquet.

Later, Carla looks after Maria, who is in Ansgar’s suite after Tanja tried to poison her and Ansgar could safe her at the last minute. Ansgar explains to Carla that Maria had a migraine attack and tries to send Carla away, but Carla insists on talking to Maria herself. But Maria confirms Ansgar’s explanation and sends Carla back to the party.

Carla and Stella adjourn to Stella’s office. Carla seems disappointed. She does not understand why Ansgar behaves like “Francesca” was only his mother and not hers as well. Stella comforts her by saying that once they are away on their trip, Carla will have forgotten about her feud with Ansgar in no time. Carla agrees with her, then asks her to show her their hotel in New Guinea again.

They cuddle up on the sofa together, and Stella shows Carla the website of the hotel on her laptop computer. She tells Carla about the bathtub, from which they will be able to see the ocean, and says that she wishes she could already be there with Carla.

Carla looks at her in silence for a moment, then asks why not just do it. She suggests to Stella to leave the very next day, because what she learned from her accident is that life is too short and that one has to make use of every minute.

Stella is surprised by Carla’s spontaneity, but Carla explains to her that her rational thinking did not get her anything but trouble, and that she almost lost Stella because of it. She grabs the computer and announces that she will book the hotel right away, and that there is no way back. Stella is delighted.

The next morning, Stella and Carla are in the entrance hall of Königsbrunn. Stella tells Carla that she has to go now, because there is so much to do and she still has to pack. She starts to wonder where she put her passport, and wishes for it to have a built-in beeper so she could find it. Carla looks at her, her eyes full of love, then tells Stella that she is so cute when she is nervous, and kisses her. Stella looks a little shy, and says that it is not just travel nerves.

Stella kisses Carla good bye and wants to leave, but Carla holds her back. She whispers into Stella’s ear that apart from her passport, maybe she could also bring her birth certificate. When Stella looks at her questioningly, Carla says that she does not want to wait any longer, and suggests to get married on their trip, if Stella wants that, too. Of course Stella wants that, too.

Back at her apartment, Stella is looking for her passport. While she is rummaging through a box of papers, Louise picks up a postcard and starts to laugh. It turns out to be a picture of the waiter who was at the wedding, and Stella finally remembers that his name is Paule and that he was a musician on the cruise ship where she used to work.

Stella returns to her office at Königsbrunn to look for her passport there. In the kitchen, somebody turns on the radio, and the song seems to remind Stella of something. In her mind, she suddenly hears how someone asks her whether she wants to take this man to be her husband, and how she, sounding very drunk, says yes.

Christian enters the office and asks whether Stella is alright. She sits down, looking shocked and confused, and tells him that it looks like she is already married.