Last Week of November

Last week started unseasonably warm and ended suitably cold, with us lighting the first candle on our Advent wreaths and opening the first doors of our Advent calendars.

Monday (25 November) saw the continuation of Sunday's warm and largely sunny weather. I broke up work for about 2 hours in the afternoon for a walk. At about 17C/62F, I needed only my light blue coat, not one of my padded winter coats. When it started to rain in the evening, I was even more glad I had gone walking when I did.

My town's beautiful Christmas Market opened on Tuesday (26 November), but I didn't attend the opening. It is too crowded, and I don't like being shoved about by throngs of people in various states of drunkenness after they've had a mulled wine or four. Still, I caught a first glimpse of the market when I briefly walked across it after work on my way to a few Christmas-related errands.

In the morning, I had been out for the customary hour of walking & talking with my friend. It was sunny again after last night's rain, but not quite as warm as the previous two days.

Wednesday (27 November) was my usual office day. I finished at 5:00 pm, took the usual two trains back to Ludwigsburg and then walked to my Mum's. The three of us (my sister was there, too) enjoyed a chat and a meal, and we helped putting up some more Advent/Christmas decoration. Our Mum wisely does not attempt to climb ladders or stand on chairs to hang stars and baubles from the thick wooden beams running through the ceiling of her open-plan living/dining area, but waits for our help with such small jobs. It is the least we can do.

View from my office on Wednesday

Another office day on Thursday (28 November), but with a very different ending: About 15 minutes before I intended to leave, I was tapping away at my keyboard when all of a sudden first the light in my office went off and then the computer screen went black. Others who were still in the building came out of their doors to report the same, and ten seconds later, the fire alarm went off. The nasty, piercing sound was really clear in its aim to drive us all out of the building, and fast!

By then we were pretty sure that it wasn't an exercise. I was glad that my office is on the 2nd floor from the ground up, so no long, winding staircase to master, just two flights of wide stairs. We could not see flames or smell smoke, and everyone left the building in an orderly manner, gathering at the designated spot on a nearby parking lot.

Since I had already been preparing to leave, my coat and handbag were ready, and once we were outside, I reported to a colleague (the head of our department was away on a conference) and then took my leave.

I rang my colleague the next morning to find out what had happened, and he told me that a transformator in one of the service rooms in the basement of our office building had exploded. Thankfully, the room was secure (for just that reason); nobody was hurt, and no fire broke out. But the fumes from the explosion had been enough to set off the alarm, and most of the building was without electricity for the rest of the evening - nobody was able to go back to work that day. By Friday, everything was restored to normal.

The same view on Thursday.

On Friday (29 November), I spent my lunch break with my sister at the Christmas Market. We ate our beloved Dinnede (click here for an older post with a photo of this delicious food) and did NOT have mulled wine (I am not keen on that, anyway), but stopped at a nearby café where we had coffee and a big slice each of a super delicious carrot cake. It was a sumptuous lunch and a real treat.

I finished work, did my usual cleaning, adding the first bits of Advent decoration, and then spent a quiet evening in front of the TV, watching a rather odd Christmas movie starring John Cleese, Kris Marshall, Elizabeth Hurley and several other well known and less well known actors (clicking on the link will take you to its wikipedia entry). 

In preparation of their upcoming annual concert, O.K. had an evening of extra practice with the village band, which was why I wasn't on a train to Offenburg until the next morning.

Advent wreath created by my Mum.

O.K. and I alternate this Advent calendar village each year. This year it's mine :-)

Saturday (30 November) was sunny and cold at -3C/26F, below freezing. Connections on Saturdays and Sundays between Ludwigsburg and Offenburg are not as good as on Friday evenings, and my trip was made more adventurous when three things happened in a row, all on the same line: 1) A passenger needed medical treatment, 2) there was a technical problem with a track switch and 3) a tree had fallen across the line. 

Saturday morning just before sunrise, view from my kitchen window

It meant that the last of my three trains was running later and later, and I expected it to be cancelled any minute. Therefore, in Karlsruhe I changed to a regional train, and of course I wasn't the only person to have that idea. The train was packed, and I stood for the next hour until I finally arrived in Offenburg with only about half an hour's delay.

It was well into lunch time by then, and so the first thing O.K. and I did after reaching the cottage was having a bite to eat.

Mid-afternoon, we walked down to the village square where a small Advent market had been set up for just that one day. Stalls were mainly selling food and drink, and there was a stage for musicians. O.K. and four other band members donned red Santa hats and played Christmas songs for a bit over an hour - it was beautiful, and very atmospheric, especially as it got dark and the lights came on.

Once the quintett finished and the next band took the stage, we got ourselves something to eat and drink, and stayed until we were getting really cold. Of course it was also a good occasion to chat with fellow band members, neighbours and friends.

An example of Christmas decoration in the village.

Sunday (1st of December) was cold but not below freezing. For the afternoon, along with O.K.'s sister and her husband we were invited to O.K.'s Mum for coffee and cake, and a meal later.

Before that, we took advantage of the dry weather and went for a walk in and around Gengenbach, a small picturesque town about a 15 minute drive from the village.

The sun was out there, unlike at the village, where a solid grey lid of clouds made not attempt to budge.

We walked for little more than an hour before heading back in time to keep our appointment, and spent a nice afternoon and evening with the family.

The Christmas Market in Gengenbach was very well attended on this sunny Sunday afternoon! Good job we only walked across, with no intention of buying anything.

Gengenbach Townhall has 24 windows and is turned into a giant Advent calendar every December.

The chapel on the hill was where we wanted to go.

View across Gengenbach and Black Forest hills from outside the chapel

A shrine to some saint or other at a crossing in the vineyards.

The chapel from a different perspective

 The tree to the left of the dead tree caught my eye.

Zoomed in, it looks almost as if its fruit was hung there as decoration. Beautiful, isn't it, especially against the blue sky.

Read in 2024 - 27: Yorkshire

Yorkshire - A Lyrical History of England's Greatest County

by Richard Morris

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I love reading non-fiction, and actually find I need to counterbalance works of fiction with non-fiction, just like I balance my (admittedly too high) consumption of chocolate with healty food such as fresh fruit, salads and vegetables.

I bought this book in the summer during our holiday in Ripon. I can't remember whether I got it at our favourite "Little Ripon Bookshop" or at Fountains Abbey's National Trust shop, but I remember that the cover caught my eye instantly, and it being a paperback, I knew it was going to go in my suitcase without increasing its weight more than I could handle.

When I recently started reading it, I was at first a little disappointed. I found it somewhat hardgoing, with a lot of apparent jumping between topics and no detectable thread. But I persisted, mainly because I really liked the choice of words and style of writing, and after a while, the thread I was missing at first began to emerge.

I started to grasp the set-up of the book and the author's intention, and the more I read, the more I liked it.

Several times on my blog I have mentioned how silly and unnecessary I find the many blurbs and snippets of reviews nowadays printed on book covers, back and front, and inside. This time, though, there are some that I want to partly repeat, because they echo my overall impression: "A quirky, personal history of the Ridings..." and "Reading the book is like watching the author sift through layers of time: whatever will he turn up next?", and last but not least "A restless, poetic, strange book".

According to the book itself, Richard Morris is "emeritus professor of archaelogy at the University of Huddersfield" and started to work on excavations in 1971, under York Minster. He lives in Yorkshire and has not only written several books but also composed music. His other books include "Churches in the Landscape" and "The Church in British Archaeology" as well as a biography of Leonard Cheshire.

The book contains numerous footnotes, photographs, maps and other illustrations. It is not strictly a book of reference, but can be used as such, while it can be just as well enjoyed as a front to back read, like I did. Probably not of much interest to readers with no relation to Yorkshire, but would certainly make a good gift for anyone who does have an interest in the county, its past and present.

An Up and Down Week

...weather-wise! We've seen the first snow flakes and for the first time this season had temperatures just below freezing point, but by the end of the week, an incredible 18C/64F made for a spring-like Sunday (apart from the autumn leaves and lack of birdsong, of course).

Monday (18 November) saw me on the usual trains from Offenburg to Ludwigsburg. It rained in the afternoon, and so I did not go for a walk after (or in between) work that day.

It was a little milder on Tuesday (19 November) than the days before, but windy to the point of stormy. I was working from home and managed to put in a brief (really brief - only about 30 minutes) walk before sunset.

As usual, Wednesday (20 November) was spent working at the office. The morning and evening were rather cold at 2C/35F, matching the season. It was sunny, though, and I got on with my tasks very well. When after lunch nearly everyone in my department said they were going to work from home for the rest of the afternoon, I followed suit.

However, once I'd arrived in Ludwigsburg, I didn't go straight home. Instead, I walked to Benningen, which was really enjoyable in the golden late autumn afternoon light. I spotted a heron and other birds, and was just generally happy to have had (and taken!) this opportunity.

After a brief stop at home, I walked to my Mum, where the three of us (Mum, sister and myself) had our dinner together. 

The first dusting of white of this season appeared on the roofs visible from my kitchen window on the morning of Thursday (21 November). It didn't last (and I have no photo to prove it), but the same temperature as the day before meant that my friend and I wrapped up well for our morning walk.

After work, I went into town for a few errands, some having to do with Christmas, plus getting my Mum's prescriptions for her. I posted my first two Christmas cards of this year, both to blogging friends in the US, hoping they'll get there in time and not mid-January!

Friday morning from my kitchen window; what little white there had been on the roofs the day before was gone.

Unlike other Fridays, on Friday (22 November) I did not do my full weekly cleaning after work. Instead, I packed my little red suitcase and was off to the train station several hours before my usual time. 

The reason was a 50th birthday O.K. and I were to attend, the celebration starting at 6:00 pm (normally, I don't arrive in Offenburg until 8:30 pm), which meant I had to plan for arrival at the station by about 5:00 pm. We could not be late to the party, as O.K. and most of the village band were playing in honour of their fellow musician's birthday.

By mid-morning, I found out that the middle one of the three trains I needed was cancelled. Re-planning was in order, and I ended up leaving even an hour earlier than I had intended - hence no cleaning apart from hoovering (and I had done the bathroom already in the morning).

At Stuttgart main station, a blind man got off the same train as I. The announcement for which side to get off the train was wrong, and of course he was unaware of that, as he could not see that we were pulling up at a different platform. I alerted him to the change, and he thanked me.

Once we were on the platform, he asked me whether I could see anyone from Bahnhofsmission (a volunteer organisation helping anyone who is in need of assistance at the station), since he had telephoned them in the morning to request help with his change of trains. There was nobody there, though, and I walked up and down the length of the platform, making sure we had not missed them.

The blind man very politely asked me whether I had a mobile phone and could ring the organisation; he knew their number by heart. After two phone calls, finally someone turned up, thanking me for having waited with the blind man. The blind man himself shook hands with me, said "thank you" and "you are an angel!" before we parted ways.

Fortunately, I'd had half an hour to wait anyway, what with the change of plans and the cancelled train. Otherwise, I guess I would have only made the phone call and told the volunteer where to find the man. Still, I was glad I could wait with him; during that time, he told me where he was headed and that he was doing a computer course to brush up on skills he'd learned 10 years ago, for an internship with the council of another city.

Finally, the alternative train I had chosen arrived. We were packed like a tin of sardines, and the hour I spent on it was not very pleasant. In Karlsruhe, I had another 20 minutes to wait, but finally the last leg of the journey was done, and O.K. picked me up at the station in Offenburg.

Christmas tree at Karlsruhe main station

We both put on additional layers of clothing and then walked to the birthday do. The brass band played a few pieces while the other guests were listening and clinking glasses with the birthday boy. Food and mulled wine was offered outside, a bit like a mini Christmas market, then to be taken inside the large garage, very clean and nicely decorated for the occasion, with tables and benches; a woodburning stove was in one corner, making for a good, warm party room.

The village band performing for the 50th birthday of one of their members.

Inside the garage/workshop, everything was as usual... not quite!
Where they keep small parts (Kleinteile) such as nails, screws, washers etc., the lowest shelf contained sweets and choccies - a hit not only with the youngest guests :-)

We enjoyed the food, drinks and conversations with other guests as well as with our host and his family and were back at the cottage a little before 1:00 am.

On Saturday (23 November), we did a few small jobs in and around the cottage and ran an errand for O.K.'s Mum. At about 2:30 pm, O.K. drove us to Ludwigsburg, where we arrived 1 1/2 hours later. 

At 6:00 pm, my Mum and my sister arrived for dinner as per my invitation. I cooked spaghetti with fennel, onions and bell peppers in a creamy white wine sauce, adding diced bacon for those who wanted it, and freshly cut chive from the pot on my windowsill sprinkled on top. With the meal, we drank the same white wine I had used for the sauce.

It was a nice evening and probably the last time O.K. was here until after Christmas, which was one reason for us to invite my Mum and my sister; he'll be busy for all of the coming weekends, mostly to do with the village band, such as preparing for the annual concert just before Christmas.

We had a leisurely breakfast on Sunday (24 November), the day being sunny and with a spring-like high of 18C/64F - and that only two days after I had been on a train through snow-covered fields between Karlsruhe and Offenburg, and the night of the birthday party had been just below freezing!

Of course we did not stay indoors on a day like that, but walked to Asperg and on the top of the hill overlooking the small town, visiting Castle Hohenasperg ("high Asperg"). Many people were out and about, enjoying the unseasonally warm and sunny day.

On our way back, we stopped for coffee and cake (not a very good cake, I'm afraid) at a café. Back home, we rested for a bit before I prepared our evening meal. O.K. left just after 7:30 pm, and although the motorways were very busy, he was never stuck and arrived at his cottage before 9:00 pm.

A Week of Going Out

Last week, I was out and about four out of five nights. It was a bit much, but it was all good - and of course I could have said "no", but didn't want to. This week will be quieter - at least after work! ;-D

Monday (11 November) was grey and cold with rain in the evening. I could not have gone for a walk anyway, since I was in an online meeting all afternoon from 2:00 to 6:00 pm, and it is now pitch black dark here at that time.

I was lucky, though, to get an early appointment for a back & shoulders massage at the day spa round the corner from my house, and with my favourite therapist, too.

The round of nights out started on Tuesday (12 November) with my team and I playing our last pub quiz for this year. My town's Christmas Market starts on Nov. 26, and since the pub is tucked in one corner of the market square, it is a popular place for folks to retreat to after the market finishes at 9:00 pm each night, both stall holders and visitors alike. All through the Advent, Christmas and New Year's period, no pub quizzes are held there, but we'll definitely be back in January. 

With one of my team members currently travelling the world on a sabbatical (and he really knows a lot!), the rest of us did as best as we could. We had the third highest number of points, but because two teams had the second highest number, they had to answer a tie question for 2nd and 3rd place, and we left without a prize. No problem; we'd had a fun night with friends, which was just what the doctor had ordered after the anxious days following the US presidential election and the crashing of the German government.

The day had been off to a good start, too, when I met my friend for a morning walk before work.

Wednesday (13 November) was cold in the morning at 2C; that's just a little above freezing point. I worked at the office all day and then got off the train from Weilimdorf and walked into town centre for an event where I was meeting my Mum. 

Every year, a volunteer organisation dedicated to telling the life stories of ordinary people living in our town present four such individual stories. Usually, the people behind those stories attend the event, too, and each story is introduced with a piece of music chosen by them. The stories sometimes tell of hardships beyond my grasp; sometimes they have funny moments, but are always touching - and I believe there is no such thing as an "ordinary" life. Everyone has a story! 

This time, one lady whose story was read wasn't there. She died recently after having lived with a donated heart for 29 years after the operation, and her story dealt mostly with how she coped with the time leading up to it and the aftermath.

I was back at the office on Thursday (14 November), among other things giving a short lecture in data protection basics to a group of employees who have recently joined the company.

After work, I met my sister at the local train station half way to our destination for that evening: Wilhelma, Stuttgart's large and beautiful zoo. (I know - zoos are something most people, including me, have mixed feelings about.)

This time, we didn't come for the animals, but for the lights. For some years now, every year from mid-November onwards, the zoo's extensive parkland is turned into a "Christmas Garden". We'd never been before, but got free tickets from a friend who works there with the animals. 

It was Opening Night, access for employees and their friends and families only  making for an amazingly large number of visitors.

We followed the signposted trail in order not to miss anything. My photos can only give a superficial impression of how beautiful it really was. Clicking here will take you to the official website (in English) with more photos, including an areal view which of course I could not provide myself.

Is anyone else reminded of „Momo“?

 A life-size elephant made of lights

The enchanted forest was my favourite part.

I arrived home just as the bells of the nearby church struck 9:00 pm.

On Friday (15 November), for a change I did not board a train to Offenburg. Instead, after work (which finished unusually late for me for a Friday afternoon), I had only a bit of time that I used for a rest - the three nights in a row that I'd been out after a full day of work were catching up with me.

But I soon recovered, and took a train to Asperg, where I walked to a friend's house. She had alerted me to a dance party we'd visited together in the past (pre-pandemic years), where only music from the 1980s and 90s is played. I was a teenager in the 1980s, and so the music from that time is the soundtrack of my youth.

We had a fun evening, dancing whenever the music was to our liking (it wasn't always, of course), having a drink or three and chatting when we weren't on the dance floor. By 11:00 pm, we both had enough - something that would have been unthinkable in our teenage years, when our weekend clubbing rounds more often than not didn't start until that time and lasted well into the small hours.

Anyway, I had to decide between waiting for 20 minutes at the train station in dubious company or walk home, and you can guess what I did :-) (It's only 5 km and took me about 50 minutes to arrive home.) The full moon was beautiful, and it wasn't as cold as I had feared, and of course I was walking swiftly.

It was nice to sleep in on Saturday (16 November). My weekly cleaning and washing was next, before I finally walked to the station and started the journey to Offenburg. Believe it or not, the last of my three trains arrived two minutes early!!

O.K. met me at the station, and we decided to have a meal in town instead of heading straight home to the village. The first restaurant was packed and had no space for the two of us. The second was shut, but the third was welcoming, and so we settled for that one.

On Sunday (17 November), for the first time this year we met for breakfast in town with a group of friends we used to see more often, but we all know how these things go and before you know it, another year has gone without managing an appointment when everyone can make it.

It was really nice to see them again, and our sumptuous breakfast was good, too.

O.K. and I went for a walk afterwards and still had enough time back at the cottage for a little rest before he had to don his village band uniform. They were playing at a remembrance ceremony held every year on account of everyone who has died in the village. I opted to stay home, and once O.K. returned, we popped over to his Mum for a brief catching up. 

We had our customary evening meal of bread, cheese and salad and then concluded the evening watching a documentary about the Black Forest - a subject close to our hearts.