It was also the day I was going to travel home, with work starting again the next day for both of us.
Last but not least, it was Mother's Day in Germany, and while my Mum has never wanted us to observe the day in any special way for her, O.K.'s sister had organised a barbeque in her garden for their parents, and we joined them mid-afternoon for coffees and a delicious strawberry cake. Their beautiful house and garden are spacious enough that we could all sit on the patio at enough distance and still enjoy the sunny afternoon together.
O.K. and I went there by bike; his sister and her husband live in a small town not far away from the village, and the area around is mostly flat and really nice for cycling. It took less than 20 minutes one way, perfect for my first bike ride of the year!
I have mentioned before how in the village, ever since the start of the lockdown, at 6:00 pm each Sunday all village band members are encouraged to play specific songs out of their windows, from their balconies or in their gardens. That Sunday, we joined neighbours in their courtyard; three of the four family members play instruments, and their small open air concert was a nice way for me to end my 1 1/2 weeks at the village.
On the way home, I took this photo; it was taken from the train while we were riding across the viaduct you can see in this post.
After he had taken me to the train station, O.K. went for an evening walk on the hills above the village, and sent me these beautiful sunset pictures:
(I know I keep showing you sunsets, and at first glance, many of them look very similar, but I can never get enough of them.)
It was really good to have some time off work, and being able to spend it with O.K. and in such a beautiful part of the country.
Oh to go on a lovely train trip again. We have really handled things badly here - travel still discouraged unless you are a government advisor.
ReplyDeleteLovely train trip? That would be nice...! But having to wear a mask all the time (not only on board of trains but also while waiting at the stations) does not exactly enhance the experience, and even less so when - as is so often the case in this country - trains are late and connections are hard or impossible to reach without having a time machine at hand.
DeleteIt must all seem so long ago and far away. One of the lovely things about blogging is that one is reminded of things one may have forgotten and one then has a permanent (as permanent as anything is these days) record on which to look back.
ReplyDeleteThat is one reason why I like blogging so much, Graham; I definitely "get out more" of each holiday, trip, special occasion etc. when I take the time to sort out the pictures, write up what I want to say about it (including research about places and people), and can go back to it whenever I feel like it.
DeleteCan never have too many lovely sunset photos. Nice way to end your trip--with O.K. sending some to you as you traveled home.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Mary!
DeleteThis was a great holiday, I think. With O.K. and in such beautiful areas with wonderful hikes. And now you are back but have organized your memories in your blog. I love looking back at my blog, especially seeing how my grandchildren have grown.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was a great holiday - only too short!
DeleteLike you, I love looking back at my blog.
I can never see enough sunset photos!
ReplyDeleteNow if you could only send me some of that strawberry cake!
It was heart-shaped, too, Kay!
DeleteYou had such a lovely holiday with O.K.! It must have been wonderful to have so many lovely walks in that beautiful countryside. How nice that you could join the family get together before you left too. Those beautiful sunset pictures he sent you are special and probably made you want to go back. I hope all was well at home and work has gone okay since your return. Thank you for sharing your trip with us!
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming along, Bonnie!
DeleteYes, all was well at home. The first week back was so busy work-wise that I was ready for another holiday after a few days... good job this is a period with several bank holidays here, giving me a chance to catch my breath every now and then.
What a lovely ending to your holiday, music, family, friends and cake, not to mention glorious weather! (We have the same summer weather here today.)
ReplyDeleteNeither the music nor the cake were meant for me, but it did feel like a proper, fitting ending to the holiday.
DeleteSunny and windy here today, not very warm at just about 20 Celsius.