It looks nice, today‘s date written down like this, almost like one of those puzzles that ask you to continue the row of numbers. But I digress. Let me really start this, my first post of the year, by wishing all my readers all the best for this still very new circuit of our planet around the sun. We are realistic enough to know it won‘t be all nice and good, but of course we all hope that there will be more of the good and less of the bad.
After a week at O.K.‘s, I am going to travel home this evening. We both start work again on Monday, and I will use tomorrow to get ready, sort my washing and my Christmas presents, catch up with my family - hopefully a walk with my sister - and just generally settling back in. There will be three different trains to catch, none of which is expected to be full. I shall be wearing an FFP2 mask and avoid touching door handles. If all goes according to plan, I will arrive in my home town at 10 to 8, giving me just about enough time to reach my front door before curfew.
I enjoyed this time of rest, and being with O.K. for a full week. We went for walks, had delicious meals and saw his parents, sister and brother-in-law. It was good not having to be up at a certain time and generally just doing what we felt like. It could be May before I have time off work again (apart from the weekends, of course, and holidays such as Easter), so I am really grateful for what I had now.
Looking back through the pictures stored on my phone, I have found a few from around Christmas that I have not shown you yet; nothing special, just to illustrate the past 1 1/2 weeks a little:
Wearing my silly Christmas jumper on Christmas Eve morning:
The very large Christmas tree at Stuttgart main station:
A very light dusting of snow on Boxing Day morning, as seen from O.K.‘s balcony:
Addendum:
All three trains were on time, and few other people were on them, so that there was plenty of space between me and them. Curfew here hits at 8:00, and I put the key in my front door exactly as the nearby church bells rang 8! There had been quite a few police around at the train station, and I saw them in discussion with a group of people with suitcases, but I simply walked past and nobody wanted anything from me.
This morning, on the 3rd of January, my neighbourhood is covered in about an inch of snow. It looks beautiful, and I will certainly go for a walk in a bit, while it lasts.
Snazzy jumper! Good to hear you've had a restful, pleasant time off. Wishing you safe travels and timely trains (not the kind of problem in Germany that it is here).
ReplyDeleteA travel tip: One thing I find that helps to avoid directly touching anything is to always wear a long, rectangular scarf (don't ask how many I have--obscene number :). I use it whenever I need to open a door, press an elevator button, pick up anything. Just wash it when I get home.
Oh, believe me, Mary, train times ARE a big problem here in Germany. It wasn't like that in my childhood and youth, but at least over the past 20 years, things have gone very much downhill in that area.
DeleteGood idea about the scarf. Now that it is winter, I wear a woolly scarf anyway, but not quite as long, as I find it difficult to handle my luggage AND running to catch my connection, which is often the case.
Happy new year to you, Meike! I meant to tell you that your lovely card arrived on Christmas eve! It's still up on my mantle above the fireplace with the rest of the cards I got, even though our Christmas decorations are all packed away for another year.
ReplyDeleteCute jumper! It's nice to hear that you had such a great holiday with O.K. I was supposed to return to work on Monday, too, but our district has decided to go all virtual for at least two weeks because our infection rates are through the roof. What a strange school year it's been. May we all have access to a vaccine sooner rather than later so that life can go back to normal!
Dear Jennifer, I found your card waiting for me when I got home last night - it is very pretty and definitely one to keep, so that I can put it up as part of my decorations next Christmas season :-)
DeleteIt will be months before people like me, with no underlying health problems and in my age group, not working in health & care or otherwise exposed, will have the vaccine. But I hope my parents, who are in group II here, will have it soon-ish.
Like your jumper, we call them sweaters here in the US, and I have one I wear one day a year on Christmas day.
ReplyDeleteJust so you will know, I have enjoyed your blog all this past year and look forward to joining you on many hikes in 2021.
Thank you, dear Jill! Comments like yours make a blogger's day, you know!
DeleteNice to see a recent photograph of you in the jumper!
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty view from OK's balcony.
I can tell on the photo that I have stopped working only the afternoon before and still look a bit exhausted.
DeleteO.K.'s cottage is just off the main street of the village, aptly called "Village Street".
The view from OK's balcony is like a movie set. It reminds me of writers who have their photos on the back cover of their books. *Meike divides her time between New York, Paris, and her hideaway home near the Black Forest in Germany.*
ReplyDeleteSomeone gave you a book by Stephanie Powers? She was in a scary movie *Experiment in Terror* (1962) directed by Blake Edwards, set in San Francisco, starring Lee Remick and Glen Ford.
She was very close to William Holden who was interviewed by Dick Cavett (YouTube).
Holden was in one of the great Billy Wilder films, *Sunset Boulevard* and *Sabrina* with Audrey Hepburn.
Hahaha, make this "Meike divides her time between York, Florence and her hideaway home near the Black Forest in Germany"!
DeleteYes, Stefanie Powers' autobiography was a gift from my sister. We both love her - not just for being a beautiful lady and much better actress than what she is sometimes credited for, but also because she has been using her position to support good causes. In William Holden's name, she still works hard to promote their foundation for wildlife protection.
Aye! York, Florence and the Black Forest would be the perfect locations for 3 homes.
DeleteYou could pop into Betty's in York for breakfast and morning coffee; have lunch in an outdoors cafe in Florence; and a glass of white wine with supper on OK's balcony.
Happy New Year Meike! I am happy to hear that you have enjoyed your time with O.K. It sounds like you have had a wonderful break from work. I hope your trip home goes well and your return to work is good. Take care my friend!
ReplyDeleteThat break was as wonderful as it was welcome, Bonnie. As for my trip home last night, see the addendum I have just written at the bottom of my post.
DeleteYou too take care!
Thought I'd commented but it hasn't appeared - it was just to ask whether you were going to be the first to point out that the 12th February will be palindromic in UK format: 12-02-2021.
ReplyDeleteYou accidentally commented on my previous post, Tasker.
DeleteNow that you have pointed it out I can not be the first one anymore to talk about the 12.02.2021 (as it is written in German format).
I make do with silly ties and socks rather than jumpers. So long as we have something silly and seasonal we're okay. I like O.K.'s balcony. It seems like a good way to be able to pass the time of day with one's passing neighbours.
ReplyDeleteO.K.'s balcony is a great place for Sunday morning coffee, a BBQ meal with a glass of rosé wine or a late G&T under a starry sky in the summer. This part of the street is a cul-de-sac, so there are not that many neighbours passing - just enough to keep the place alive.
DeleteLooks like you had a perfect Christmas break! I am wondering what 2021 will bring to all of us. I will be looking forward to your hikes!
ReplyDeleteIt was very nice, and yesterday's snow was the icing on the cake. I am also looking forward to my walks and hikes, both on familiar paths and exploring new ones.
DeleteGlad your journey back home went well. There's no official curfew here but I think restaurants close at 8 pm now and nothing else is open that late either so I guess the city streets here are probably rather empty in the evenings too. I wouldn't know since my own curfew lately has been before sunset! (mid afternoon...) I don't like being out in the dark!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind being out in the dark, although I prefer walks that allow me to catch some daylight - it is so important for our physical and mental wellbeing.
DeleteBut it is dark by the time I finish work, and it is actually quite nice to walk the streets of my neighbourhood and look at how people have decorated and lit up their front gardens and windows facing the street.
Dear Meike -
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy your holidays were so enjoyable. Love you in that sweater - note to myself, I need a bit of color in my own wardrobe now and then!
We are under curfew again at night - fortunately I don't have to go anywhere in moonlight!
Like O.K.'s balcony - are those timbered houses very old? No snow here yet - perhaps a dusting tomorrow they say!
A very happy, healthy New Year to you, O.K., and your dear family.
Hugs - Mary
Dear Mary, yes, a bit of colour can make a real difference! I think I look tired (I was) and exhausted in that picture, it was the first hours of my Christmas break.
DeleteOur curfew begins at 8:00 pm, but the moon is out much earlier than that. On that moonlit walk, we were home way before we had to; I believe it was only about 7:00 by the time we reached the cottage again.
Yes, many houses in the village are old, including the timbered one further along the street; the one to the left is, as far as I know, not quite that old and the timber is only on the facade, not real beams like with the older buildings.