First Week of June

The first week of June is over. For me, it was the second week of looking after my neighbours' pets (one cat and two rabbits), and because it was the second week of mid-term school holidays with many of my colleagues and clients away, it was also the second quiet-ish week at work in a row. The weather was a mix of sunshine and rain, plenty of wind, chilly mornings and nights but mostly warm days.

On Monday (1st of June), I arrived home on time from my weekend at O.K.'s. I picked up my neighbours' key from another neighbour who had been taking care of the pets on Saturday and Sunday. All was well except for Neo (the cat) having lost his tracker; the collar is designed so that it opens easily when it catches on a fence or in a dense hedge, avoiding potentially deadly accidents.

Neo was at home and eating with good appetite, and so while it was unfortunate that the tracker was nowhere to be found, we didn't need to worry about the cat.

I enjoyed my customary after-work walk to Benningen.

Tuesday (2nd of June) was uneventfully spent working from home, looking after my furry little charges and NOT going for a walk because of the unpredictable showery weather.

The usual day at the office followed on Wednesday (3rd of June). I had arranged to visit a former neighbour after work (she doesn't know yet that O.K. and I got married), but while I was still at the office, she sent me a text that she had forgotten that she already had an appointment and would not be at home that evening. We quickly agreed on a new date next week, and I took advantage of the sudden gap in my diary and walked home from Zuffenhausen.

That evening, when I was cleaning the rabbit hutch, Neo came running from one of the surrounding gardens, clearly happy to see me. He ate quickly, and then he insisted on being on my lap (for the first time). I sat on the step at the front door, Neo purring loudly as I was stroking and petting him. He closed his eyes, and at first his ears were still twitching and moving when he heard a bird twitter or a rustle in the shrubs, but after maybe five minutes he fell asleep. I sat there with him sleeping soundly on my lap for about half an hour, but when the church bells were chiming 9:00 pm (I had not had anything to eat since lunch at work), I gently woke him up, carried him inside to his refilled food dish, and as soon as he started eating again, I left.

It was a very sweet moment, a proof of trust and affection from the young black cat I've been looking after for a little and probably will do so again next time the family go on holiday.

Believe it or not, but Thursday (4th of June) was another public holiday in Germany - the last until October. Rain was forecast for late afternoon, but the morning was fine, and so I went to my Mum's and we walked the short distance to the gardening club's garden, where they were holding their annual summer fest. We found a table, and I brought our drinks and food for me; we listened to the music, talked to a few people we knew and a bit later were joined by Mum's friend R who had come by bike.

Before we could be caught in a shower, my Mum and I were back at her place where we had coffee and watched some TV together until I went home.

As had become my habit over the last 1 1/2 weeks, I had been over at my neighbours' to take care of the pets twice a day, but on this day, I did not see Neo at all, just filled his dishes.

Friday (5th of June) was the last day I was responsible for the cat and rabbits; the family were to return from their holiday late that night. Neo was in the house when I opened the door. He ate well and then went out with me, but once he realised I was busy cleaning the rabbit hutch, he looked for his own adventures and was gone by the time I finished.

I worked and then did my usual round of cleaning before packing my little red suitcase. The regular train connection was not running that evening, but a good one was going earlier than normal, and so I arranged with O.K. to meet me in Offenburg at 7:00 pm instead of 8:30 pm.

Since it was still sunny and warm then, we decided to have our meal not at the cottage but at a restaurant/beer garden with beautiful views of the area.

The Vosges mountains (France) are on the horizon.

Afterwards, O.K. drove us back into town where we had ice cream for dessert - very nice, and a true "summer feel" to it all.

Because O.K. was gardening around his Mum's house for much of Saturday (6th of June), I busied myself with a few household things, walked to the bank for some cash, walked to the bakery and to the fruit & veg hut just outside the village for fresh strawberries and green asparagus and spent good part of the afternoon resting and reading.

In the evening, O.K. and I went for a walk around the village before we prepared a large tray of oven-grilled vegetables.

Sunday (7th of June) was perfect hiking weather, and that was exactly what we did - not just the two of us, but with a couple of friends for a change. They had suggested the tour, and although I knew some parts from previous hikes, the tour as such was new to me, and I was really looking forward to the day.

We drove a short distance to pick them up and left the car on a parking space near a place called Höllhof ("Hell Farm") - nothing hellish about it, but a well-cared for picturesque cluster of farm and other buildings where aspiring foresters are trained, among other things. It being Sunday, all was quiet of course.

From Höllhof to Kalikutt (an odd name for a restaurant/hotel in the Black Forest, but it's been that for a long time) took us under two hours, and our friends had booked a table for the four of us for lunch, which by that time was welcome :-)

Foxgloves give a splash of colour in the otherwise very green Black Forest this time of year.

Approaching Kalikutt

Looking back at the restaurant; our table was with a view of the forest to the right.

I had Black Forest trout, freshly caught and grilled - very nice!

After our meal, we walked on towards the Moosturm, a place O.K. and I have been to a few times in the past but not since August 2024. You can look at the photos from that day here. Our visit now was almost exactly ten years since my very first visit, as you can see here.

Moosturm

A short rest, and on we went, arriving back at the car mid-afternoon. We drove our friends home and then went home ourselves. Because we'd had such a sumptuous lunch (it is unusual for us to have Sunday lunch, since we mostly have a proper meal in the evening), neither of us felt like eating much that evening. Instead, we sat on the balcony with a well-chilled rosé and snacking on crisps, bits of cheese and tomato, enjoying the evening light.

June has indeed started very well for me, wouldn't you say :-)

Read in 2026 - 16: The Predicament

The Predicament

William Boyd

This is the second novel of a yet-to-be completed trilogy featuring Gabriel Dax, travel writer and involuntary spy. I read the first book, "Gabriel's Moon", last year; click here for my review if you are interested.

Because I liked the first book so much, my sister gave me this one for my birthday in March, and I enjoyed it maybe even more - a delight to read, very well written, meticulously researched, and leaving me looking forward to the third book (which I wouldn't mind not being the last).

Just like before, the characters are fully fleshed-out and (mostly) plausible in their actions. We meet some of the key figures of the first book again, but new people are also introduced. Gabriel is his usual self; wanting to go back to his normal life where he travels not for some mission or other he is asked to accomplish for the MI6 (or the Russians), but to do research and take photos for his successful travel books. He is a decent man with a compassionate heart, a good example being the way he deals with another author who accuses him of plagiarism. 

But once a spy, always a spy, it seems, and so he finds himself in Guatemala first and in Berlin later, both trips only outwardly having to do with his next book.

His stay in Berlin is planned to coincide with John F. Kennedy's speech there, and although I am nowhere near as familiar with my country's capital as my sister, I can relate to much of what is described in the book (of course, it is a very different place now than what it was like in 1963, but I know enough history to perceive the atmosphere as quite authentic).

If I may point out just one minor error I noticed: On a day in late June 1963, Gabriel participates in a raid where the police hope to get hold of a suspect planning an attack on Kennedy during his speech. He meets his fellow spies at 5:00 am and describes the morning as completely dark, pre-dawn. Now, I was reading this particular chapter in late May, and I knew that it was definitely NOT dark anymore at 5:00 am, and would have been even less so in late June. The internet is very useful for such things, and I found out that in late June in 1963, sunrise in Berlin was at around 4:40 am - meaning that 5:00 am will have been nice and bright, not dark at all. This error surprised me, because it doesn't fit in with the otherwise very precise and accurate detail William Boyd provides - and it would have been so easy to get it right.

But this is just me being picky, and rest assured that it did not diminuish my pleasure in reading "The Predicament".

I really am looking forward to Gabriel Dax' next adventure!

Last Week of May

The last week of May is over, and here we are in June! 

Just as I am typing this, I realise that I have not yet turned the calendars in my flat: a local history one in my Third Room/study, an "every year" birthday calendar and a calendar printed with my own photos in the tiny hallway, a Yorkshire calendar in the kitchen and a small stand-up one with photos of guinea pigs on the book case in my bedroom (an ongoing joke between my sister and me).

[...]

Right! Job done, calendars sorted, and back to this post :-)

Weather-wise, it was still hot with most days reaching temperatures around 30C/86F, and not a drop of rain until Sunday afternoon. Work-wise, it was quiet-ish in that it's a fortnight of school holidays and many of my co-workers who have children are away (less meetings with and less emails from them).

I was never bored, though, because since Sunday afternoon I have been looking after my neighbours' pets (a cat and two rabbits), and although they are certainly not a lot of work, it is a regular, at least twice-daily task to fit in; cleaning the rabbit hut and open-air cage as well as the cat toilet, feeding them all, and of course making sure that the cat gets his playtime and cuddles.

Monday (25 May) was Pentecost Monday, a public holiday in Germany. It meant O.K. was still here instead of having to drive home on the Sunday evening. Because it was another hot and sunny day, we opted against a more strenuous walk and limited ourselves to the palace grounds and deer park.

Ludwigsburg Residential Palace

in the palace grounds

The rhododenron were glorious and will be as good as gone by now.

Looking for shaded paths as much as possible :-)

Favorite Palace in the deer park

After coffee & cake at home we rested for a bit and then made filet steaks to go with the tabouleh I had prepared the day before. When my husband left for home at around 8:00 pm, I knew I still had almost 2 hours of daylight left, and the temperature was really pleasant; I waved good-bye to him and then went walking on the fields until sunset.

Just before 9:00 pm

Ten minutes before sunset...

...one minute left...

...and a quarter of an hour later, last look back before reaching the end of the fields and the first houses.

Working from home on Tuesday (26 May) was uneventful; I went to take care of the pets three times that day, spending part of my lunch break playing with Neo the cat who was clearly missing his family.

Wednesday and Thursday (27 and 28 May) were both office days. My office in our 1990s building (= no A/C) faces north and never gets direct sunlight, which is nice in the summer because it remains bearable even on hot days. Not so good in the winter when I rarely feel really warm enough there.

Neo was waiting for me by the front door of MY house (not his!) when I came home from work.

He loves to roll around on the ground and be cuddled!

Unlike many Wednesdays, I did not walk home from Zuffenhausen (too hot) nor visit my Mum after work, but I saw her on the Thursday when we met for "Wine After Work" by the lake, which would have been much nicer had it not been so packed. 

The queue at the drinks stall was so long that we opted against a second glass of chilled white or rosé; instead, I walked home (which was nice because it wasn't too hot anymore) and my Mum and her friend R drove home together.

I spotted Neo sleeping on another neighbour's terrace the next morning, but he came running immediately when I called him, and ate his breakfast at his own home.

I gave the rabbit hut a good thorough clean on Friday (29 May) morning ,and after work it was my flat's turn before I went back again to refill all the pet dishes and spent some more time with Neo. Next was packing my bag and going to the train station - for a change, my trains were on time, and we were sitting on the balcony for our customary late "welcome the weekend" evening meal, the moment I had been looking forward to all day.

At around 11 pm, we went for a short walk in the village, enjoying the balmy night air and starry skies until turning in just a little before midnight.

Saturday (30 May) was so hot we did not go for a walk at all, but in the morning it was still pleasant on the balcony so that for the first time this year we had our first coffee there. We then did various jobs in and around the house, aiming to finish before it was going to be too hot. 

A rest in the relative coolness of the darkened living room followed, and in the evening we had a barbecue with my mother-in-law in her yard, where by then we could sit comfortably in the shade there.

As usual, O.K. was responsible for the grill, and we also had a rucola salad (home grown) and a tomato-feta one plus some other bits and bobs, not to forget the delicious crusty bread we usually have, bought by O.K. at a small village bakery near his work place.

Charly, O.K's Mum's cat, was around the entire time.

On my plate: Merguez (spicy sausages), rucola salad, tomato & feta salad, crusty bread.

We had arranged for lunch with friends on Sunday (31 May) at a restaurant; it was their wedding gift for us. The food was superb and the service excellent, and it really was a very nice treat and an enjoyable few hours with them.

Our table was outdoors, and a few times during the meal we shifted our chairs in order to either avoid a shower or the glaring sunlight. By mid-afternoon when we said our good-byes the long awaited rain arrived properly, and it was very cosy to listen to it fall on the roof windows in O.K.'s cottage while we were having a nap.

We took advantage of a break in the rain and walked around the village, taking in the evening light. More rain fell during the night, and it was quite a relief from the hot dusty 1 1/2 weeks we'd been having.

Read in 2026 - 14, 15

Lantern Slides

Edna O‘Brien

 

It is rare for me to read short stories, but my book-swapping friend lent me this paperback and of course I read it.

And of course I persisted and read every story, even though I must admit I was largely underwhelmed.

 

Maybe it’s just me – perhaps short stories aren’t my type of literary genre, perhaps I wasn’t in the right mood, perhaps I didn’t “get” the messages (if there were any), perhaps I simply expected something else after having read the praise on the back of the book.

In any case, I found most of and much about the stories neither captivating nor satisfying.

 

They all left me with a degree of sadness (while not really caring) about the way the characters were dealing with their lives in general and other people in particular.

The “Irishness” of the stories was largely coming from references to Catholic habits, traditions and narrowmindedness (by this I don’t want to accuse all Catholics of being narrowminded, but the characters in the stories certainly are when it comes to thoughts and behaviour based on their religion).

 

Out of the 12 stories, there was only one I liked, and I am not at all sure that the author’s intention was to have readers “like” them, let alone bond with the characters. 

To be fair, I should mention that I enjoyed the style of writing and choice of words. As I said, I guess it's just me, and the high praise is fully deserved.

I was familiar with the name Edna O’Brien but as far as I remember, I had never read anything by her before.

And I must say that I am not planning to give her work another try anytime soon.

The Deadly Detective Agency

Ann Parker

 

In contrast to my previous read, this one was delightful, and I was almost sorry to reach the end.

 

Abigail wakes up one morning, feeling good and unusually well rested – until she realises that she is dead.

A bit at a loss of what to do and where to go, especially once it becomes clear that nobody can see or hear her, she leaves the house (walking right through doors and walls is of course new to her and somewhat exciting) and walks around in the village.

 

Eventually, she meets a man who can see and hear her – another ghost.

Terry introduces her to a group of ghosts who for various reasons have not “passed on” yet.

 

By now, Abigail is convinced that she did not die of natural causes but was murdered, and her new friends are ready to help her solve her own murder.

 

I don’t want to tell you too much, in case you want to download and read this free ebook from Amazon’s Kindle store, but it won’t surprise you that the ghosts manage to find out who killed Abigail, and why.

 

Because they all enjoyed having something to do that made sense and was fun, they start a detective agency, and funnily enough, it does not take long for their “business” (money is not involved, since they would of course not have any need for that) to pick up and their first ghostly clients to appear.

 

This really was a nice, relaxing read. There was humour and quirkiness but also some emotional scenes and food for thought; nothing was overdone, the humour not too daft, the emotional bits not too cheesy and the characters (dead or alive) rather plausible while at the same time the supernatural premises gives the whole thing an interesting twist without being over the top or getting on your nerves.

As is so often the case, this freebie is the 1^st in a series about the “Deadly Detectives”, and I would not mind reading more – especially #2 in the series, called “The Deadly Pub Quiz”.

 

The author was unknown to me. Her author’s profile on Amazon is here.