Wrap Up Week

This week is not entirely over yet, but I want to get this post out of the way, so to speak. At work, I was mostly busy wrapping up things before my fortnight off, and at home, most of my getting ready for our Yorkshire Holiday will happen today. Tomorrow morning early, my sister and I will start the long trip to Ripon, more or less the same as last year - one difference being that we won't have to wear face masks if we don't want to, and we can not board the TGV in Stuttgart this time. Instead, because of the ongoing construction works, we have to travel to Esslingen first, making our journey longer.

But now, let's look at what this week has been like.

I arrived home from Offenburg on Monday (July 17) morning in time to start work at 10:00. The day was sunny without being too hot for comfort, and it was nice to meet my old school friend after work for a walk in the palace grounds. We live less than a mile apart but usually manage to see each other only a few times a year, meaning there is always plenty to catch up on.

We sat on a bench for a while, overshadowed by a grape vine.

Tuesday, July 18th, was a busy day at the office in Weilimdorf. My boss had been away for three weeks, and I was about to go away for two weeks - you can imagine we had enough topics to sort out. Hardly surprising, I was rather exhausted when I arrived home, and rested on my bed for about an hour before setting off for my customary walk to Benningen. 

A sprinkle of rain almost made me abort the walk and return home minutes after I started, but I am glad I stuck to it: The reward was a beautiful double rainbow over the fields, and a very pleasant walk. My camera only caught bits of it, though, so you have to take my word for it - it was beautiful!

Where ever these grey clouds were headed to drop their load, it was going to be welcome!

First glimpse of the rainbow

Field lane just outside Freiberg/Neckar.

You can't see it, but it was actually a double rainbow.

Looking back across the fields not long before reaching Benningen.

The very welcome rain returned later; in fact I arrived back home with the first clap of thunder.

Another busy day at the office on Wednesday (July 19). Because of a continuing breeze, it felt pleasantly cool at 27C (80.6F). Again, I rested for about 3/4 of an hour upon coming home and then felt too lazy to go for a walk, in spite of beautiful evening light. Instead, I spent a quiet evening at home watching TV, reading and playing a game on my iPad.

Thursday, July 20th, was even cooler. Although it was sunny, we only had a high of 24C (75.2F) - very nice for outdoor activities. Like last week, my sister and I met at Hi.Francky with our Mum. This time, we were lucky - the food truck was there, and we had our evening meal on the spot. It suited me perfectly, as with me being away for 12 days, of course I had not stocked up on fresh groceries the way I normally would do.

My drink is a White Portonic - white port wine with tonic water.

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My Mum was having a Negroni Sbagliato.

Working from home on Thursday and Friday (July 21) meant I was able to finish what needed doing before my holiday. I can't tell you how good it felt to finally shut the lid on my work laptop and put it away in its bag, not to be taken out again until the 7th of August. My holiday started effectively at 2:45 pm at that very moment.

At 3:00 pm, I was at the day spa just down the road for a back and shoulders massage. The blustering wind was blowing in heavy grey clouds, and right after I was back home, more rain fell - that's twice in one week! 

It was proper rain, not just a drizzle, but did not last long. Just before 7:00 pm, the sun was back out, and the golden evening light was very enticing. I went walking for a bit more than an hour, only returning because I was getting really hungry.

To use up what fresh groceries I had in my kitchen, I sliced a zucchini, turned the slices in a plate with olive oil, salt and pepper, dusted them with flour and fried them in more olive oil. The result was a full dinner plate, and I added what was left in a jar of aubergine mousse, an organic vegan bread spread I often buy at Aldi's.

What's going on today, Saturday (22nd of July)? There's ironing to do and cleaning, and eventually, packing. Tonight, my sister and I will be at our Mum's for a good-bye meal, since we won't be seeing her for the next 12 days or so.

I will post when and if I feel like it from Ripon. The weather forecast is not brilliant, but we don't mind. We have "our" cottage there, family and friends will be met and places visited, and all will be well. "Bad" weather should mean more time and inclination to read and comment on your blogs, and post on my own :-)

High Summer Week

On various blogs, we have talked about "high summer" before. In German, "Hochsommer" is right now - it is roughly speaking the month of July, when sumer is (not always) at its hottest. That's certainly true right now!

On Monday, the 10th of July, we had a high of 32C (89.6F) and a mix of sun and clouds. After work (which was unremarkable), my volunteer group was supposed to meet at Kullman's Diner. Unfortunately, we were turned away because we had not booked a table, not having expected that you need to book for four on a Monday evening. In the end, there were only three of us anyway, and we decided to meet at the Irish pub instead. As always, it was nice to sit outside on the market square and enjoy the summer evening along with excellent burgers and refreshing drinks. All three of us chose the vegan option and really liked it.

It was hotter on Tuesday (July 11) at about 35C (95F), and unsuprisingly, there was a thunderstorm late evening, bringing some rain. Because of the heat and the threatening thunderstorm, I did not go for a walk, and the only "exercise" I had were the very short distances between my home, train stations and the office.

Wednesday, the 12th of July, was a little cooler at 27C (80.6F) and windy. I was exhausted from the previous hot days with little sleep, and talking to my colleagues at the office, I wasn't the only one. At 4:00 pm - about an hour earlier than usual - I decided to call it a day and went home, where I did... absolutely nothing. A few times I looked out of my open windows and thought how beautiful the evening light was, and that a walk would probably be a good idea, but I simply could not bring myself to do anything.

After a refreshingly cool night and morning on Thursday (July 13) at 18C (64.4F), the day was no hotter than 27C. Working from home was good. My sister and I met at our Mum's for a pleasant evening on her balcony, enjoying her excellent food and of course each other's company. 

Friday, the 14th of July, was off to a chilly start at 15C (59F), making it easy to let fresh air in and keep the flat cool-ish even when we had 30C (86F) later. I worked at a client's in Stuttgart until 3:00 pm and then rushed home to finish a few tasks and pack my little red suitcase for the weekend. No time for my usual cleaning round - I don't like leaving my flat without having dusted, hoovered and mopped, but in the end nobody cares as there's nobody there when I'm away.

With a delay of 10 minutes, I arrived in Offenburg. O.K. and I enjoyed a meal of salad, bread, assorted cheeses and well chilled rosé on the balcony, and then stayed out there long after dark, looking at the starry sky and trying to work out constellations. I had a hard time finding Casseopeia but finally realised "she" was hidden behind a neighbour's roof - only after I succeeded in spotting my favourite summer constellation was I ready to go to bed.

We were up early-ish on Saturday (July 15) - another wedding to attend. The bride is a member of the village band, and therefore, the entire band were playing at the ceremony, hold outdoors in a nearby village. The sun was beating down, and I felt rather sorry for the groom and the other men in their elegant suits - everybody was dripping with sweat at around 35C (95F), and the cold water bottles provided for the band were gone in no time.

After the ceremony, we moved to a venue up the road for the reception. Everyone was huddled under the parasols to catch at least some shade. Drinks were pleasantly cool, and snacks welcome. When the wedding party started in earnest, most of us (who were not invited) left.

O.K. and I had a little rest at home, trying out a new summer drink (Ramazzotti Fresco) on the balcony, but moved indoors for our evening meal of caprese salad and bread. As on Tuesday, a late thunderstorm brought some rain. 

Both made for a much pleasanter Sunday (July 16, what would have been my parents' 58th wedding anniversary). After a first mug of coffee on the balcony, followed later by fresh fruit and yoghurt, we went for a proper hike - finally! I really missed those long walks/hikes, but over the past weeks, it simply had not been possible, either because it was too hot or we did not have time.

Starting directly from O.K.'s cottage, we walked across the fields to Diersburg and into the woods. Our snacks were eaten at the Pionierstein, before we walked on, taking in the Barack and Handwerkerhütte (both featured in this post) before reaching O.K.'s village again. Exactly 19.19 km later, we were back at the coattage, and for our evening meal, had the tabouleh prepared in the morning along with a bottle of shandy out on the balcony.

On the fields between Hofweier and Diersburg

Pionierstein, where we rested and had our snacks

Cross near the path overlooking Diersburg

Black Forest - not so black!

An inviting grassy path we did not follow this time.

What a wonderful day it had been to end that week of high summer! I so love being in the woods, no matter the time of year, but it was particularly beautiful on that Sunday. Also, it was a lot greener than I had feared after the hot days with so little rain.

A Summer Week

The first full week of July started pleasantly warm and ended hot. There was a sprinkle of rain on the Wednesday, but it was mostly sunny and windy, too, which made the soil dry up and brought plenty of dust through my open windows.

On Monday, the 3rd of July, I arrived home from O.K.'s in time to start work at a decent time. Afterwards, I went for a good long walk on the fields just outside Ludwigsburg. At one of my favourite places, I spotted a fox - he or she was bright orange in the evening light, but of course dashed off before I was able to pull out my mobile phone to take a picture.

It's only the 3rd of July but looks like late summer already.

Here, at one of my favourite spots on the fields, was a fox.

Working at the office in Weilimdorf on Tuesday (July 4), I was glad that local trains were on time for a change, as I had an appointment back in Ludwigsburg just before 6:00 pm (a back and shoulder massage at the day spa round the corner). When I was home, I rested for about half an hour and then decided against a walk; I was just too tired and spent the rest of the evening reading, watching TV and of course talking to O.K. on the phone.

Wednesday, the 5th of July, started with a little rain - much more would have been welcome, but this was better than nothing. When the sun came out, it was windy again, but felt relatively cool - perfect for my standard after-work walk to Benningen. I enjoyed each and every step of it.

Working from home on Thursday (July 6) gave me the chance to pop over to my favourite neighbour, the old lady whose beautiful garden I see from my kitchen window. It was her birthday, and I brought her a card and a little present. Years ago, she told me that since her childhood, she always had freshly picked cherries on her birthday, and indeed for a few years I was able to bring her a small bowl full from my own tree. Not so the past few years; cherries have been ripe several weeks too early, and this year, apart from them being early, there were exactly three (not kidding) cherries that were edible and that I was able to reach from my window.

My Mum, my sister and I met at Hi.Francky, the open space on the old industrial estate at Ludwigsburg's train station for drinks. A DJ was putting on a good mix of Reggae and Ragga, not the popular stuff being played on the radio every summer, but some interesting takes on older pieces, perfectly fitting the atmosphere.

I was on my own on Friday, the 7th of July, as O.K. was at his work place's summer fest. The day was hot at 30 C (86 F), but pleasant enough by the time I walked the 3 km to the beer garden near Asperg to meet a friend. She's part of my group of girl friends who meet more or less regularly, and not long ago she's been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Radiation therapy has been successful so far (the tumor is too close to the optical nerve to be operable), and she is now waiting for rehab to start at the end of this month. It was really good to see her.

Kleinaspergle, a Celtic tomb hill near the beer garden just outside Asperg

O.K. arrived at my place around lunch time on Saturday (July 8). After a light lunch of tabouleh, we went to my Mum's for coffee which today we took in the shape of frappés, matching the hot weather. We strolled into town later, stopping at "my" Irish pub for pints of cider. Right there on the market square, a Croatian wedding was going on - a good spectacle, with beautiful (and some less so) dresses to look at, live music, much singing from the entire crowd, flag-waving and even fireworks.

This is how we saw the wedding from our table at the pub, without zooming in.

On our way back, we popped in at Hi.Francky, but we were hungry and the food truck wasn't there, and so we crossed the road and had a meal at Kullman's Diner before going home. It was too warm to get proper sleep.

Sunday, the 9th of July, was the hottest day of the week at 35 C (95 F). I got up early-ish to take advantage of the slightly cooler morning air to get freshly baked rolls and croissants for our breakfast. Later, I dropped off a birthday card and gift at my friend's place, only a five minute walk from my house. Those were the only "walks" I had that day - it really was too hot to do anything ese but stay indoors, blinds down, rest, read, talk and watch TV. 

We had ice cream in the afternoon and later a salad of tomatoes, yellow peppers, feta cheese and red onions.

When O.K. left just after 8:30 pm, I decided on a short walk to take in the sunset, but it was still too hot for much, and I was home in under an hour.

Read in 2023 - 20: Lessons in Chemistry

Lessons in Chemistry

Bonnie Garmus

My Mum gave me this paperback for my birthday, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. 

Of the four review quotes on the cover, two are true for me, too: "Thought-provoking and stylish" (although I don't really know what makes this novel "stylish" - though-provoking it certainly is!) and "A timeless novel".

The quote I least agree with is "Sparks joy with every page". There is much hearbreak and sadness, too, but of course it is hard to say what the person who wrote the review really meant without me having read the full review. Also, I did not find the book "absolutely unputdownable" - I did put it down many, many times, mainly because I read it mostly during my lunch breaks when working from home, and did not find it at all hard to stop between one chapter and the next.

The story is set in the late 1950s and early 1960s, somewhere in California. A chemist struggles to assert herself not only as a scientist, but as a woman. Her life has all the ingredients to make her an outcast: difficult family background, unmarried mother, under-appreciated full time job in a male-dominated environment, and very good-looking, which attracts men for all the wrong reasons and makes other women jealous to the point of scheming against her.

And yet, quite by accident she becomes the host of a cooking show on TV - and soon, her unwilling celebrity status brings its own challenges.

There is plenty in the book, from humour to love story, from drama to lucky turns of events. Family and friendship are as important as romantic love, and a little girl plays an equally significant role as a dog.

Speaking of the dog, he is probably my favourite character, but there are several others I really grew to like. The only negative point (if you could call it that) I found with the book is character-related, too: While most of the cast have their good and bad sides, like all real people, there are a few who have nothing but bad sides, and like in the Grimm brothers' fairytales, in the end they get what they deserve.

If you get a chance to read this, I recommend you do so. On the back of the cover, it says "Soon to be an Apple TV series" - I happen to be a subscriber to Apple TV, and when/if the series becomes available, I will certainly watch it.

For the author, it must be thrilling to have her debut novel so widely acclaimed and hugely successful! Her website is here, worth checking out.

Last Week of June

The last week of June was off to a hot start when on Monday (June 26) the thermometer reached 30 Celsius (86 F)

My train journey from Offenburg to Ludwigsburg took about 20 minutes longer than usual - not only because there was a delay of about 15 minutes, but also because of ongoing construction work, no stop at Stuttgart main station was possible. Instead, the train was diverted to Esslingen, and so we zig-zagged our way back and forth until I was finally home and able to start work at 10:00 am.

My sister and I spent the evening at our Mum's. Because it was still rather hot by the time we arrived, we ate indoors (a delicious creamy risotto she had made for us). For a refreshing sundowner, we were able to sit on the balcony.

Just before 9:00 pm on June 26

Tuesday, the 27th of June, felt much cooler at 24 C (75.2 F), last but not least because it remained overcast all day. I worked at the office in Weilimdorf and went home directly, not walking part of the way like I often do. But after a short rest at home, I made use of the pleasant summer evening and walked to Benningen, taking the local train back.

Weatherwise, Wednesday (June 28) was pretty much the same, and I was again working in Weilimdorf. I had time for a snack before I rang Mary in Ripon at 7:00 pm. I feel latently guilty for not calling her more often; when Steve was still around, he used to call his Mum every three or four weeks, and of course we went to stay with her for about a week every summer. I took over the regular calls after he died, but after a few years, I rang maybe every six weeks, and nowadays, months can pass without a call. With my sister-in-law who looks after her, I keep in touch much more frequently - it is just so much easier to fit in a text message or an email, and although I love Mary and we usually have a good chat, it is sometimes hard to muster the energy for an hour-long phone call after I have been talking and listening at work all day. 

Not long now until my sister and I will be in Ripon, and of course I will make sure to visit Mary every other day.

Anyway - after our phone call, I knew I had still between 1 1/2 and 2 hours of daylight left, and set off for Pattonville, where I had not been in quite a while.

No walk was possible on Thursday, the 29th of June. My volunteer group met after work, and as always, it was good to see them and spend a few hours talking (not always "shop"), having a shandy and eating pretzels.

I came home to find I had somehow aqcuired a new "pet" - this grashopper was really noisy, and as long as my index finger! When he was still around the next morning, I gently persuaded him to leave.

It rained a little in the early morning hours of Friday (June 30) - not enough to really make a difference, but better than nothing. I worked from home, which gave me the chance to spend my lunch break at Kullman's Diner with a friend - we had not met yet all of this year, in spite of him living in the same street as my sister, a 15 minute walk away from me at most.

After I finished work and did my usual weekly cleaning, I had a little rest before walking over to my Mum's for a chat.

On Saturday, the 1st of July, I had an adventurous train journey to Offenburg, requiring a very quick change of plans and the purchase of an additional ticket. In the end, I still arrived on time, and O.K. and I spent most of the afternoon in town, starting with a nice meal at a place I'd not been to before, and later having ice creams. The day was really pleasant at 22 C (71.6 F).

Once we arrived at the cottage, we rested for about an hour before setting out for an evening walk and then having dinner on the balcony.

Offenburg town centre

view across O.K.'s village

Sunday, the 2nd of July, saw us getting up relatively early (for a Sunday anyway). O.K. and the village band were playing at a neighbouring village. O.K.'s village is one of three villages forming an administrative unit, and they take turns in the annual village fête - last year, it was us, this year, it was one of the other two.

It was really busy, and although the performances went well and we enjoyed our food and drink and even more so meeting our friends, it was not as well organised as "our" fête had been, resulting in long queuing for each and every single thing you wanted. Never mind - when you go to a village fête, you should have time and not be in a rush, right?

This one is for Kay... and her Dad!

Back home, we spent the rest of the afternoon under the big umbrella on O.K.'s balcony. To enjoy the beautiful evening light, we went for a walk around the village later, and then had a light meal of caprese (tomato & mozzarella) and rosé wine on the balcony.

Read in 2023: 16, 17, 18, 19

My recent reads were quite mixed. I'll try to keep this short, also because it is hard these days to find the time for posting.

 

#16: Beware The Past - Detective Mark Ballard Mystery, Part 1

Joy Ellis

You already know that I often read ebooks that are first in a series, made available for free so that the reader gets interested in the next book and ends up buying the series. Nothing wrong with that, but in this case, it has not worked for me.

The story was gripping enough, and the twist towards the end truly unexpected. But it was all rather dark, and the main characters and their various personal problems simply didn't quite "do" it for me.

When Mark Ballard was just a rookie, three boys were murdered. As it was him who found one of the victims, and the murderer was never caught, he feels personally responsible and plans on working on the cold case in his retirement.

Before that can happen, though, another dead boy is found, and it looks very much like it is the work of the same murderer. Could it be that the main suspect from decades back is still around? And who can know so much personal detail about Mark himself, and why do they want to get to him at all cost?

The setting is the Lincolnshire Fens, an area I am not familiar with but found rather intriguing. As for the rest, of course even though the hero's life is in danger, with it being #1 of a series, the reader knows exactly that the hero won't die - which takes away some of the tension.

Some characters were quite likeable, but as I said, none of the cast kept me want to read more. The author's website is well made and worth a visit, even if my review of this book is not overly enthusiastic.

 

#17: The Watcher on the Hill

Samuel J. White

A short ghost story, and actually the first story I have read that deals with Covid and how the pandemic regulations have affected people's lives. 

It is not a scary story, just sad, and in my opinion it captures the setting and the feelings of the main character quite well.

The author was born in 1985. He does not appear to have his own website, but he is present on facebook, instagram and twitter. You can also read about him on goodreads.

# 18: 101 North Yorkshire Gems

Mark Abel

A travel guide of sorts, this collection of gems dotted around North Yorkshire includes places as well known to me as Ripon, Whitby, Richmond, Knaresborough and Scarborough, but also places I have never been to and would love to visit. 

Who knows; some of those gems might be a possibility for one of my next Yorkshire holidays.

Information is concise and clear, with humour thrown in (sometimes quite unexpectedly). As I will have my kindle with me, this ebook will probably come in useful when in less than three weeks my sister and I are going to be in Yorkshire.

 

# 19: Bodies, Baddies and a Crabby Tabby - A Bliss Bay Village Mystery Book 1

Sherri Bryan

I really enjoyed this one, but funnily enough, the cat had not much to do with it (and I do love cats). Maybe it was the village setting I liked, or the way the main characters interact, or how the author sprinkles each conversation and each scene with detail that makes it easy to picture everything.

Circumstances make the heroine return to her home village, where she does not only catch up with old friends (and enemies), but finds herself sleuthing in the company of her uncle (a truly delightful character) when several murders happen in the usually so tranquil and peaceful area. 

A proper "Cozy Mystery" that leaves plenty of room left for follow-ups, and I would not mind reading more of the series.

The author's website is here.