First Full Week in November

Last week was very November-ish with cold temperatures, cloudy skies and fog, but we saw some sun during the week, and Saturday was glorious.

My journey home from Offenburg on Monday (4 November) was uneventful. I spent the day working from home, interrupting at lunch time for a 25-minute back and shoulder massage at the nearby day spa. 

After work, my sister and I met at our Mum's for a delicious traditional Swabian soup, just the kind of comfort food one wants on a dark, cold November evening. There were a few little jobs to do, such as putting summer dresses up into the attic space and bringing down winter coats and knit dresses.

Tuesday (5 November) was the 15th anniversary of my husband's death. Of course I still think of him often and wonder what he would have said to current events - the US presidential election, and then on the same day the crash of our government here in Germany. Strange times, like something out of a film script.

The morning was cold at 3C/37F and foggy, but once the fog lifted, the sun came out, enticing me to take a good chunk of the afternoon out from my work day (I had no meetings lined up, luckily) and walk to Benningen. 

Sunset over the fields between Freiberg and Benningen

Back home after dark, I put in another couple of hours of work, finishing at 7:30 pm when my tummy told me it was definitely time to get something to eat.

On both Wednesday and Thursday (6 and 7 November) I worked all day at the office with no chance for a walk. On Thursday, I popped in at my Mum's, bringing her a little something I had spotted while shopping for groceries: My Mum's favourite brand of chocolates, only available in the colder half of the year. It had just arrived back on the shelves, and so I got a box for her.

Friday (November 8) was grey and cold enough for me not to mind too much that once again I didn't have time for a walk. After work, I got everything ready for the weekend, and O.K. arrived at around 20 to 9:00 pm. 

I had prepared Shakshouka, another dish I enjoy particularly on a cold dark evening, and I must say the Merlot went with it very nicely.

The sunny Saturday (November 9) saw us browsing the shops (and finding most of the Christmas presents I want to give this year) before we stopped for a snack on the market square, where the farmers' market was just packing up. Across the road to the palace grounds was next, where we caught the last of the afternoon sunshine, before leisurely making our way back home.

No trick - the sky really WAS this incredible sapphire blue that afternoon!

A (kind of) shepherd's pie seemed to be a good choice for food that evening:

The weather reverted to grey, cold, wet and foggy on Sunday (November 10), but we still went out for a walk in the afternoon, at least for about an hour.

Later, we met up with my sister and walked into town with her. My Mum had given us tickets for a guitar concert at Ludwigsburg's Friedenskirche ("Church of Peace"), which I have shown you on my blog before, for instance here.

The guitarist (his name is Volker Luft - it really was just the one man with his acoustic guitar) has been an acquaintance of my Mum's for many years. Originally, my Mum wanted him to play at her 80th birthday in August, but he was away at the time. Now we sat back and enjoyed his music for about 1 1/2 hours. Every piece was introduced with a poem and a short explanation by the guitarist. Some were his own compositions, but there were also some well-known pieces I remember having once learned to play on the piano or the guitar myself. The concert was called "Saitenpoesie", roughly translating into "poetry on strings".

Volker Luft's website is here. It is all in German, but if you scroll down a little, you will find two videos and a link to more videos - you won't need to understand German for them.

The concert was beautiful, but I must admit no matter how warmly we were all dressed, we felt cold after sitting still for such a long time in the large unheated church. Therefore, we didn't hang around for long after the end of the concert. 

My Mum went on with her friends to a restaurant where they had booked a table, while O.K., my sister and I walked across town centre, briefly stopping at the square where Ludwigsburg's synagogue once stood. In remembrance of the terrible events of the Reichskristallnacht (please look it up if you don't know the term) and the horror that followed, and the impact it all still has today, a gathering was taking place there, with speeches and music. We listened for a bit, but we really were cold through and through (and getting hungry as well), and so we moved on.

Not many restaurants and other places to eat are open in my town on a Sunday evening, but you can always count on "my" Irish Pub - and that's where we ended up, having our meals and drinks before walking home.

I was quite glad to change into cosy home wear, but O.K. had to pack and face the long drive home. All went well, though, and he arrived at his cottage 1 1/2 hours after he'd left my place.