Easter Week - II

The week starting with Easter Monday was a short week in terms of work, only 4 days for most people. In addition, it being school holidays in Germany meant that many of my colleagues and clients were away, making for a relatively quiet week (with still plenty to do, though - just not quite so many meetings).

On Easter Monday (21 April), as usual the village band were providing the music for the family mass, and so I went to church about half an hour after O.K. had left (of course the band members need to be there early to set everything up and for some last-minute rehearsing).

The church was full but not too crowded. It was well into lunch time when we got home, but we simply heated the leftovers from our family meal the previous day.

We both wanted a rest afterwards, and since it was drizzling anyway, weren't really drawn outdoors. Later, we had coffee and the remainder of yesterday's cake before crossing the street to visit briefly with O.K.'s Mum.

The sun had come out by that time, with that sharp, clear light one often sees after it has been raining. 

Of course we went for a walk around the village; not very long, just enough to stretch our legs, get some fresh air and enjoy the early evening sun.

Tuesday (22 April) was like Monday in "normal" weeks, meaning the alarm was set to 5:20 and O.K. took me to the train station in Offenburg. Trains were still running on a different schedule due to construction work along the line, but in spite of some confusion in Karlsruhe, I made it home on time and worked from there as usual.

After a cloudy grey morning, the sun came out, and it got as mild as 17C/62F. I walked to Benningen in the evening and had to wait there for the local train home quite a long time (some technical problem or other along the line), but had wisely brought my kindle and finished a book.

apple blossoms

I worked at the office on Wednesday (23 April) as usual. On the way back, things were again chaotic train-wise, and instead of the scheduled 17 minutes, it took me an hour to get home.

Thursdsay (24 April) was chilly and wet. I was very glad to be working from home and NOT needing any form of public transport.

After work, my sister and I met at our Mum's. My sister had been to the south of France to spend Easter with our cousins who live there, and of course we wanted to hear all about it.

Mum had made artichokes in the classic way: boiled as a whole and then put on a plate, where you pull off the leaves and suck the "flesh" off them. She had also made a delicious dip, and we started the meal off with a fresh leafy salad.

In our childhood and youth, our parents sometimes made this for our Sunday dinner. I remember that I always needed help for the last part: You remove the "hay" and cut out the soft, "fleshy" bottom of the flower head, which is the most delicious part of the artichoke.

I had not had this delicious dish in at least 30 years, and still needed help :-D

O.K. and I spent the weekend separately due to an appointment with the village band where it didn't make sense for me to travel there (besides, my recent adventures with publich transport made me NOT keen on doing that all over again only a few days after the last time), nor for him to travel to my place.

Therefore, on Friday (25 April), there were no preparations for me for either a house guest or going away myself.

I worked until mid-afternoon and then walked the roughly 40 minutes to where my former upstairs neighbours have moved to a couple of years ago. Fatma and I are still in touch, and I have visited her a few times at their new place. Our birthdays aren't far apart, and I had gotten her a little something, but it was only now that we found the time to see each other.

We spent a pleasant couple of hours catching up while drinking Turkish coffee (which is quite different from "German" coffee), and on the way home I walked through the palace grounds, having them almost entirely to myself as it was still raining on and off.

On Saturday (26 April), my sister and I intended to meet for breakfast at our favourite café in town, but it was so packed that we tried somewhere else (again without success) and ended up having very nice croissants almost straight from the oven and tea/coffee at a small bakery not far from the palace grounds.

We ventured there afterwards and had a leisurely stroll among the beautiful spring flowers, some of which are already past their best.

Peonies in full glory - compare this with the photo of the same shrub in my previous post!

Walking back through the town centre, we stopped at the farmer's market for a few things my sister wanted, and then walked to our respective homes, just as it began to rain again.

I spent the next hours quietly doing this and that and not much at all until shortly before 5:00 pm, the sun appeared, and I went out for an enjoyable early evening walk of about 1 1/2 hours to Asperg and back via Eglosheim.

My sister and two of her colleagues were meeting for a walk in Stuttgart on Sunday (27 April), and since I was on my own, I accompanied them. We followed a specific trail called Blaustrümpflerweg (literally "blue stockings way") of just over 7 km, including two short trips on a tram and a funicular railway, taking in beautiful views of the city.

The weather was perfect, if a bit chilly at times. The wind was strong enough to make one want a scarf even in the sun, but where there was no wind, it was warm enough to go short-sleeved.

Our small group of four women had a good time; we walked the trail with many stops to admire the view, take photos and chat. At one time, we sat on a sunny bench, drinking from our water bottles and sharing the snacks we had brought. At the end of the trail, we were lucky to find a table outdoors on a busy square in the city and had pizza there.

Part of the trail leads through woodland, of which Stuttgart has quite a bit.

Click to enlarge and look at the "inhabitants" of this abandoned building looking out.

Next door is another abandoned building, part of a former military complex. Efforts are being made to have both buildings restored and make them accessible to the public.

This park-like landscape is part of a cemetery.

On another cemetery, Stuttgart's Waldfriedhof ("Forest Cemetery"), this fountain - not running at the moment - intrigued us.

The statue was made in 1914 and is called "Virgin with the bowls of tears". When the fountain is running, water trickles from the bowls she is holding, and each drop of water falling into the basin at the bottom symbolises a human life ending at that very moment.

Enameled sign in the historic funicular, telling passengers that it is their duty to get a "firm grip" immediately on boarding the car.

inside of the funicular car

Driver's compartment and his personal things

The funicular car from the outside, after we were all off, with only the driver still there.

This stretch of grass is in the middle of a relatively busy street leading down into the city.

View across Stuttgart from a beer garden ("Karlshöhe") where we stopped for a drink

My sister and I then walked to the station and took a local train home. By that time, I was so tired (I had not slept very well and got up early) that I rested on my bed for about half an hour.

The rest of the evening went by quietly, and of course O.K. and I spoke on the phone.

Now only three more days of work (including today, Monday, 28 April) remain until the start of our May holiday!

Easter Week - I

Actually, Easter straddles two weeks - the first week has Good Friday and Easter Sunday, and the second week begins with Easter Monday, which is a holiday in Germany. This post is about the 1st week.

Here are some bits and bobs of Easter deco that I put up in my flat:

bedroom

bathroom

hallway

On Monday (14 April), my maternal grandmother would have been 110 years old. In 2022, my Mum wrote a guest post about her mother; you can (re-)read that post here. My sister and I met at our Mum's that evening.

The day had started early with me travelling back from Offenburg to Ludwigsburg. A grey morning turned into a day sunnier and warmer than expected.

I worked at the office on Tuesday (15 April) and afterwards walked home from Zuffenhausen. It was again sunny and beautiful, and I was glad to have those couple of hours of walking after a busy day spent at my desk and in meeting rooms.

On the fields between Stammheim and Ludwigsburg

Wednesday (16 April) morning saw me getting a badly needed haircut before work, which is feasible since my hairdresser's is literally just around the corner from my house. It was windy and cooler now, but remained dry, and so I happily walked to Benningen across the fields after work.

No walk on Thursday (17 April), which was wet, cold and grey - and that rain was so very welcome! In Germany, the Thursday before Easter is called "Green Thursday". In my region, it is tradition to eat Maultaschen on that day, and my Mum makes them herself every year.

My sister had flown to Nice/Nizza to spend Easter with our cousins in France, and so it was just me who turned up at Mum's after work. We were joined by Mum's friend R who lives on the ground floor in the same house, and R's brother.

Good Friday (18 April) was the start of the long Easter weekend. The weather was chilly, grey and windy, but after some rain in the morning, the day remained dry, and so my Mum and I agreed to meet at the bus stop in front of the palace grounds for a stroll.

Ludwigsburg Residential palace, as seen from a bench where we rested for a bit.

The peonies were glorious!

I love Bleeding Hearts, which in German are called "Tränende Herzen", weeping hearts.

These are neither snowdrops nor lily of the valley. According to wikipedia, they are leucojum aestivum.

My Mum perfectly matched some of the Easter deco in the park - or was it the other way round?

We enjoyed our outing a lot and ended it with a meal of fish & chips (it was Good Friday, after all!) at "my" Irish Pub.

Travelling to O.K. on the Saturday (19 April) was quite adventurous and took about twice as long as usual. Let it suffice to say that construction work along the railway line meant different trains and other means of transport, and I missed one connection because I was following the railway staff's instructions. GRRRR!!!

On Easter Sunday (20 April), just like the previous couple of years, O.K. and I hosted a festive family lunch at the cottage. We made goulash from wild boar, served with mixed oven-roasted vegetables. The same Merlot that went into the goulash we also offered with the meal. For starters, we served filet of smoked trout with horseradish cream, rucola and a triangle of toast. Dessert was ice cream, and later in the afternoon, we had coffee and cake together (the cake was contributed by O.K.'s Mum).

This sumptuous Easter basket was brought to my bed on Sunday morning!

Everything had turned out very well, and we enjoyed the food and drink as much as the company. 

It rained all afternoon, but finally, about an hour and a half before sunset, it let up and the sun appeared. By then, our guests had gone home, and so O.K. and I went for a walk around the village in the beautiful late afternoon / early evening light.

(All pictures from the walk are O.K.'s.)

Read in 2025 - 6: Im Rausch der Zeit

Earlier this month (in this post), I described my champagne-themed gift to my Mum last Christmas, and how we watched the film based on a book about the Widow Clicquot (Veuve Clicquot).

By that time, I had already begun to read the book that I had given to my Mum and borrowed from her as soon as she had finished it.

Here is my review of it.

Im Rausch der Zeit

(original title: "The Widow Clicquot - The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled it")

by Tilar J. Mazzeo

Clicking here will take you to the author's own website, where one of the first things you'll see is a trailer of the film we saw, about the widow's years as a young wife, mother, widow and business woman.

Unlike the film, the book covers her entire life from early childhood to her death and a little beyond. Frequently it is stated that not much has survived in terms of letters, diaries etc. from or about Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, whereas her business archives have been kept meticulously, and sometimes these offer a rare glimpse into the kind of person she was.

The wikipedia entry about this formidable lady is here.

In the book, she comes across as a woman who, after being widowed at 27, throws all her heart and energy into her own wine business, eventually becoming one of the richest women of her time. As a public figure, she was well known to her contemporaries, but as a private person, only her family and a select few close friends knew her.

It was by no means totally unusual for a woman to run a business at that time, but those were mostly small family businesses, often in hospitality or related to crafts that were considered "feminine" such as dressmaking. Mme Clicquot sought international markets and expansion; she had managers and workers, and deliberately excluded family members from the operating of her business.

She was by no means a feminist; all she wanted for her own daughter was a good marriage, and when the young woman found an impoverished count to marry, it was a dream come true - the money came from her, the aristocratic title from him.

Even long after she officially retired, leaving the day-to-day running of her highly successful company in the hands of her trusted manager, she still took a keen interest in everything, and up to the last day of her long life she looked into the company's books.

Under many aspects, hers was an extraordinary life. The times were forever changing, making things difficult for the economy more than once, with new regulations coming into place seemingly at the whim of whoever was in charge at any given moment (sounds familiar). The early death of her husband certainly was a determining factor in Mme Clicquot's life. Male friends and business partners seem to have been closer to her than female friends, apart from a cousin whose private correspondence is one of the few sources of personal information about the Widow.

I liked the book well enough and appreciate that a lot of research and effort went into it. Also, the author is very knowledgeable about wine in general and champagne in particular. These facts are well presented, and I certainly learned a lot.

The writing style as such wasn't so that I am now going to buy and read all of the author's books. I must admit that sometimes I found it to be a little repetitive and not very elegant in terms of language. But how much of this is down to the translation (I bought the German version locally), I can't say.

A Wish Come True

As I said in my previous post, last Saturday (12 April) we went for a walk that I had wanted to do ever since I found its description in a booklet a few years ago. For various reasons - lack of time, inclement weather, us spending the weekend at my place - we'd not managed this particular walk at the right time, i.e. when the orchards along the way would be in bloom.

But last weekend, we found that we had no pressing obligations or appointments lined up for the Saturday, and the weather was going to be great. No time like the present, as the saying goes, and therefore we got up early-ish (for us, on a weekend at least) and were at the starting point for the suggested tour by 11:00 am.

To give you a bit of background: About half an hour's drive from O.K.'s village is the town of Oberkirch. Its surroundings are famous for there being many orchards, and nearly every farm or older family home in the area has its own distillery. Many sell their products (schnaps, liqueur and other things made from the fruit of their orchards) directly on premise, often from some kind of self-serving kiosk or other.

While O.K and I rarely have schnaps, we love walking among orchards, vineyards and woodland, and so this trail sounded perfect for us.

"Brennersteig" means "Distiller's Hike". The tour included several informative boards about the area and the work of the distilleries, and of course several of the farms could be visited along the way.

The dominant fruit cultivated in this particular area is cherry - maybe you have heard of Blackforest gâteau and other traditional Blackforest products, which often center around cherries. But of course there are many other trees in the orchards, too; all sorts of plums (some varieties I had never heard of), pears, apples, and much more.

We were not only lucky with the weather - sunny and warm at 23C/73F -, but also in catching the best and almost last of the brief period when most of the orchards are in bloom. A week later, and there would have been few blossoms left; a week earlier, and many would not have opened yet.

For lunch, we found a bench and long, narrow table positioned above a valley; it made for great views while we were eating what we'd brought in our rucksacks. A red kite kept gliding across the valley, beautiful to watch especially when the sun lit up the orange-red colour in its tail feathers.

The view we had from the bench where we stopped for lunch

One of the things I love when out for longer walks :-)

The trail included a viewing tower where we'd been before, the Geigerskopfturm. You can see pictures of the tower and its immediate surroundings in my post from May 2022; just click here if you are interested.

These two pictures were taken by O.K. from the tower. Click to enlarge, especially the panoramic one:

For most of the 14 km, we encountered very few people, and even fewer bikes. There was a rather noisy group of young men around the tower, which is why I took no pictures there. Fortunately, they left soon after we arrived, and peace was restored once more.

The first tender green in the woods is particularly beautiful.

One of several farms with their own distillery along the way

Exactly 4 hours after we'd set off we were back at the car. According to O.K.'s smart watch, we had walked for 3 hours and 20 minutes. I had enjoyed every step and every minute, and this walk really was a Wish Come True for me.