Frosty Week

All of last week, the termometer did not reach above freezing point. We had cold nights and mornings, -8C/17F being the coldest I experienced. No new snow fell after what came down last Sunday night, but because of the cold, it simply remained where it was, hardly melting under the sun. Yes, the sun! Several sunny days in a row were really enticing for walks, but never very long; the cold eventually made itself felt, no matter how warm I dressed.

My longest walk last week was on Monday (8 January) when I took two hours out of work in the afternoon, not having any meetings, and walked my standard route to Benningen. At -3C/26F, it was not too bad as long as I was moving.

View from my kitchen window at 1/4 past 8:00 that morning...

... and at 1/4 to 2:00 in the afternoon.

On the way to Benningen

An uneventful day was spent at the office on Tuesday (9 January); waiting at the train station was not very nice at -7C/19F, but I survived :-)

Maybe some of you have noticed that I work at the office mostly on Wednesdays, not Tuesdays. I changed that last week, because train drivers were on strike from Wednesday to Friday.

Wednesday (10 January) was another sunny but crispy cold day. 

After work, my sister, my Mum, two close friends and I met at our favourite Italian restaurant to celebrate my sister's birthday. That place is our favourite not because of the food (although it is good, I wouldn't call it excellent), but mainly because we like the familiar atmosphere and the nearness - we can all walk there within 10-15 minutes from our respective homes, and are made to feel very welcome, no matter how busy.

It was nice to bump into two friends of mine who happened to be there, too; we had a brief chat, but of course I was there for my sister and so we really kept it brief.

The thermometer showed -4C/24F on Thursday (11 January), and it was sunny again. I made use of that late afternoon, walking on the fields for 2 hours and taking in the sunset. By the time I arrived home, I was really glad to get back to the warmth of my flat.

A shady figure!

There's the shady figure again!

View from the opposite direction of what is one of my favourite places.

O.K. and I were spending the weekend separately; we both had separate and time-conflicting appointments and so decided to remain each at our own place.

Friday (12 January) saw me working as usual, but already at 3:30 in the afternoon, I had to leave in order to be on time for a meeting related to my volunteer work. 

As part of a group of around 40 people, I was invited to view and evaluate different plans and ideas for how the former industrial area next to the train station could be opened to the public for different uses. I wrote about that area on my blog a few times, for instance here.

The event lasted until after 7:00 pm, by which time I just wanted to go home and settle in front of the TV for a quiet evening.

With an early bedtime on Friday, I was up early on Saturday (13 January) and finished all my cleaning etc. before meeting my Mum and my sister in town at 11:00. After a few errands, we were glad to be out of the cold and sit in a café for an early spot of lunch - very nice (the café and the food), very full (the café) and very filling (the food) :-)

My Mum took the bus home, while my sister and I walked first to her place to drop off her groceries etc., then on to my Mum's. We helped pack and put away most of her Christmas decorations; a lot of climbing up and down a ladder to the attic is involved, much easier for us than for her.

Coffee and a remainder of Christmas cookies were welcome before going home, where I spent another quiet evening relaxing, reading, playing my favourite computer game and watching TV.

Sunday (14 January) was just as sunny and cold as it had been during the week. I fully intended to go for a long-ish walk, but was back after only 1 1/2 hours - actually, not as much because of the cold, but mainly because I needed the toilet, and since no shops are open on Sundays (and I was not near any shops anyway), I had no alternative but go home.

Now let me treat you to photos O.K. sent me - he spent Sunday afternoon walking in the Black Forest near the village for nearly 15 km, and look how beautiful it was:

I just wish I could have been with him! My urban walk - apart from being only half as long and far as his - can't compete:

But don't get me wrong - I really like my hometown, which I hope is obvious from when I blog about it.

Such a largely quiet weekend on my own is not standard for me, and of course I love spending time with O.K. either at my or his place, but every now and then it is quite welcome. And of course we spoke on the phone every day, sometimes twice, to keep each other updated with what we'd been doing and how our various events went.

First Week in 2024

The first week of a new year always feels special to me. It is usually a relatively quiet week, in spite of the inevitable return to work, and has a certain "newness" about it - new calendars are hung on the wall, a new diary (I keep my appointments in a book-type diary, apart from the work ones which are electronically) is started, and the end of that first week usually sees me taking down my Christmas decorations.

I was of course still at O.K.'s on Monday, the 1st of January. Because of our quiet New Year's Eve, we'd not been up all that long after midnight and therefore were up and about earlier than most other New Year's. Between noon and 2:00 pm, we walked to the next village and back, covering about 10 km. It was still mild at 10C/50F and partly sunny, but very windy.

This and the next two pictures are all from that same walk, but the wind made for very rapid changes in the sky.

At 5:00 pm, we crossed the road to meet with the family at O.K.'s parents'. His mother (who will be 84 in August) made her customary New Year's Day meal of Badische Schäufele with horseradish and spuds salad - always something to look forward to! (There does not seem to be an equivalent English term for it, but it's pork shoulder, cured and smoked, then cooked until very tender - it even has its own wikipedia entry in English.)

After this delicious meal, O.K. and I spent the remainder of the evening at the cottage, watching a rerun of Midsomer Murders and going to bed as early as 10:00 pm in view of the next morning's early start.

Tuesday (2nd January) was here soon enough when the alarm went off at 5:15. O.K. took me to the train station, and with my trains being on time, I was home just after 9:00 and started work immediately. It was a stormy, rainy day, but I managed a short walk of 45 minutes mid-afternoon.

There was a better chance for a walk on Wednesday (3 January), when it looked like there was going to be a longer break between showers. I started off early in the afternoon, only to land in a shower about half way along my intended route, and cut the walk short by hopping on the next train back. I still was out about twice as long as the day before, and was rewarded with not one, but TWO rainbows.

Can you see what I saw?

You can now, can't you!

By Thursday (4 January), the temperature was "down" to 8C/46F, still very windy, and again with a mix of sun and rain. In other parts of Germany, the storms and heavy rain have been causing flooding and disruptions, but fortunately not in my area.  

I met with my sister for an early lunch break spent walking, some of it again with a shower. Typically, by the time we were back at our respective homes, the sun was out again.

My first working week of 2024 was over mid-afternoon on Friday (5 January). Before starting on my cleaning round, I put away my Christmas things. Afterwards, I still had time for a bit of a rest before packing my little red suitcase and head to the train station. 

Because it still was the school holidays, my usual Friday evening connection was not available, but the alternative looked good enough. Well, it turned out not to be - I missed the connection in Vaihingen by only a few seconds!! What was supposed to be my next train was still standing at the platform when I rushed across from my delayed first train, but the doors were already closed, and just as I was near enough to press the button to open them again, the train pulled away. For a moment, I felt like throwing a tantrum, but of course it was no use, and so I merely texted O.K. to let him know I was going to be at least an hour later than planned.

And so it was; I had almost half an hour to lurk around Karlsruhe train station, and arrived in Offenburg at 9:32 instead of 8:28 pm. I am always happy to see O.K. when he picks me up there, but that night I was extra glad!

It was 10:00 by the time we sat down for supper (you guessed it - cheese, bread and wine, plus rucola salad).

Saturday, 6 January, is a holiday in my part of Germany. It was cloudy with showers, and we only managed a brief walk around the village before having a quick lunch of hot soup and bread, then a little rest, followed by coffee and cake.

Not long after 4:00, we left for the next village, where O.K. and four others from the village band were to play carols at a "barn nativity". Such nativity scenes, set up in open barns for everyone to admire, are not uncommon; some are more beautiful and elaborate than others, some go back centuries, and the one we visited was first started as a family nativity in the late 1800s.

In the early 2000s, it grew in size and became so popular that the then owner decided to transfer it to the barn next to his house. After his death, the Craftsmen's Association of the village took over, and since then, it has continually grown. New buildings were made, new figures acquired, more landscaping was added, and nowadays it is an entire village with the actual nativity scene at its heart.

The traditional village crafts and trades are represented; there is winemaking, a smithy, cattle and poultry, a bee keeper, an angler, a small market stand selling fruit and vegetables, a baker, and a house is in the process of being built, with carpenters, bricklayers and others working on it.

Click on my pictures to enlarge, or have a look at the ones on the website. 

close-up of the wine press

The smithy and bakery have "fires", and there is running water in a fountain and the fishing pond. The love of detail is amazing; there was so much to look at, and nothing placed accidentally. For instance, a fox observes a flock of geese, and in the next field, his family is waiting for him to bring home dinner!

There is even a starry sky!

The brass band members played beautifully, and everyone joined in at the last coral after an hour . Afterwards, we had mugs of mulled wine (there was also cake for those who wanted it - and all based on donations), and chatted with friends and relatives.

The five musicians

There were many visitors; I took advantage of a quiet moment to take this photo.

When we started to feel cold and hungry, O.K. drove us to another village where we had burgers before retreating to the cottage for a cosy night in.

This was a very fitting and beautiful end of the Christmas season for me.

It was considerably colder at 3C/37F on Sunday, 7 January, and windy but dry. We wrapped up well for a walk after breakfast (at noon) and were home two hours later.

Ortenberg castle, which you have seen several times on my blog.

Vineyards and the Black Forest

After a late lunch of crusty bread, made in the oven with ham, cheese and lots of other good things, we paid O.K.'s parents a quick visit before having coffee and cake.

At 5:30 pm, O.K. took me to the train station - for a change, I went home on the Sunday evening instead of Monday morning. 

There were two reasons for that change: Train strikes were forecast for the following week, and it was unclear when they were going to start (in the end, they did not begin on Monday). Plus for a while now, farmers all over Germany have been protesting about government plans for cuts in their funding, and it was going to be next to impossible to reach the station on Monday morning with the roads being blocked by tractors.

I was lucky in that my trains were on time, and in Stuttgart even managed to grab an earlier one than originally planned. By 8:30 pm, I was home, having walked from the station in sleety snow fall.

Along the road to my house, I spotted first this snowman on the bonnet of a car, followed by similar illustrations; there were a unicorn, flowers, an angel, snowflakes, fireworks and message wishing everyone a happy new year. 

I found this rather sweet, but only stopped to quickly take a photo of the first "drawing".

Between Years

In German, the period between Christmas and New Year is called "between the years". It fits, I think; the old year is not yet over, but as good as, and the new year has not yet begun. For many, it is a time off work, when they visit friends and family or take to the mountains for skiing or simply relax, start on the books they got for Christmas and maybe go for walks they don't have time for otherwise.

On Monday (Christmas Day), I got up early-ish and once more lit all four candles on my Advent wreath while unwrapping the presents that had been sent to me from the UK. I then walked to the train station where there were much less people about than usual when I am on my way to O.K.'s.

All three trains were on time, and O.K. and I arrived at the village at 2:30 pm. It was mild at about 10 or 11C, partly sunny and windy, and we took advantage of the dry weather by going for a walk before having coffee and cake at the cottage. Afterwards, we exchanged our Christmas presents (one of which was the book I reviewed here).

It was still almost an hour before sunset!

Later, I rang my mother-in-law in Ripon to wish her Merry Christmas, and we had our customary hour of chatting about this and that. Mary will be 90 in March, and although she has many health issues, with the help of carers, a nurse and her daughter (who lives only a 5 minute drive away) she still lives in her own home. Mentally, she is fully there, and interested in a variety of topics.

Boxing Day in Germany is simply the "2nd Christmas Day". As usual, for us it meant a morning at the village church; the traditional family mass is accompanied by the village band, and when O.K. plays, I attend.

O.K.'s sister and her husband hosted our equally traditional festive family meal afterwards. They always serve an excellent, sumptuous meal of a starter, main course and dessert, with sparkling wine to begin with and a wine matching the main course.

Back home in the evening, O.K. and I watched "Love, Actually" on TV - can you believe I had never watched it before? Of course I knew about the film but somehow had never gotten round to it until now. I remembered what Alan Rickman had written about it in his diaries which I have reviewed here.

Wednesday, 27 December, was again sunny and mild, allowing for a stroll in town, running an errand or two, and later a walk around the village before coffee and cake at the cottage, followed by a brief visit with O.K.'s parents.

O.K. drove us back to Ludwigsburg on Thursday, 28 December. We were expected at my Mum's for a gathering with friends and family at 2:00 pm; our late friend R's brother and partner had come from Berlin, and two other friends as well as Mum's friend who lives downstairs in the same house joined my Mum, my sister, myself and O.K. Nine around the table does not sound all that much, and in past times there were more of us at various festive occasions, but it was very nice and of course my Mum served an excellent meal, too.

Us "young people" (we're all in our 50s) went to the cemetery before it got too dark so that we could visit R's and my Dad's graves.

On Friday, 29 December, O.K. and I had a late breakfast (it was actually noon) after a lazy morning and then walked across town to the palace grounds. 

As it got dark, we popped in for a glass of prosecco at our favourite winebar, and at 7:00 pm, we arrived at the Italian restaurant near where I live and where we had been lucky to grab a table for two and enjoyed a pizza each.

Saturday, 30 December, saw me hosting a family meal for a change. There were just the four of us (Mum, sister, O.K. and I), and I made game goulash, roast vegetables (spuds, carrots and parsnips) and Yorkshire Pudding after a salad of baby spinach leaves with an assortment of chopped nuts and spring onions. Dessert was meant to be ice cream, but my Mum brought a Christmas cake (very  chocolaty!), and so we had that. 

I don't have a dining room; we eat in the kitchen.

Who said something against individual YPs instead of one big one?

It was all much better than it looks here, even if I say so myself.

Of course, there was sparkling wine to start off the evening, and red wine (a Syrah) that I had also used to make the goulash.

Early afternoon, O.K. and I had been out for a walk on the fields.

O.K drove us back to the village on New Year's Eve. It was raining for much of the drive, and rained again later, but kept off long enough for the neighbours to have their fireworks. We watched quietly from inside the cottage - a nasty cold wind had come up, and we just didn't feel like going out.

The last sunrise of 2023, as seen from my kitchen.

We had spent much of the afternoon in the warm kitchen, preparing boar in a thick dark gravy (based on red wine, surprise surprise!) with onions and carrots. O.K. served a linguine-type of noodles with it, and it was truly delicious.

At midnight, of course we clinked glasses with sparkling wine before starting to exchange messages with friends and family.

In the course of the evening, we listened to music, watched some silly stuff on youtube, and talked. It was a cosy, quiet New Year's Eve - just what we wanted.

- - -

What a lot of food and drink! But it was all good, and all in good measure - I can honestly say that I did not wake up with a headache once, and although I never left the table hungry, I can also say that I did not eat to the point of feeling unwell. We tried to intersperse all that eating and drinking with walks, and it was simply good not having to be up at a certain time every morning.

And now it's over for another year, and the first half of the first working week of 2024 is already behind me.