Tuesday 25 May 2021

Back Home

On Friday, the 14th of May, O.K. went back to work and I took the morning train home. It was the same train I usually take on a Monday morning after a weekend at O.K.'s, and so I had this "Monday morning" feeling for much of the day, even though I was not working. I am sure you all know what that is like - something you normally do on a certain day of the week happens on a different day, but you keep thinking (or it keeps feeling) like that usual certain day, and you have to remind yourself of what day it actually is.

Anyway, both trains were almost empty and punctual on the dot, so that I was home at 9:30 am. Before I started to unpack, I first checked on the mini garden my sister had planted for me as a birthday present. My downstairs neighbour had been taking care of my plants and my mail, and I was happy to see that the flowers were in great condition.

My sister knew I was coming home that day, and we had been talking about getting together for a longer walk than what we regularly do after work. So, 1 1/2 hours after I had arrived home, I was back at the train station, meeting up with her. We took a local train into Stuttgart and a tram to a part of the city where I had never been before. That is, by the way, not unusual for me - even though I have lived almost all my life close to Stuttgart, there are many areas where I would not find my way around without looking at a map, and where I have never been before.

Stuttgart is the capital of the federal state where I live (Baden-Württemberg). It is much bigger than my hometown; Ludwigsburg has about 90,000 inhabitants, while Stuttgart has around 635,000. As a teenager, I often went to the big city with my friends, doing what teenagers like to do - shopping (for clothes and music), hanging out with our friends, or at night for clubbing. Later, my trips there became few and far between, and now are mostly limited to seeing my eye doctor or (in pre-Covid times) for special occasions such as a concert, theatre, the opera or ballet. O.K. and I have a favourite shop where we like to browse and also stop for a meal, but of course it has been shut for months like everything else.

Anyway, on that day we were not looking for shops but wanted to walk a circuit I had come across on a blog I regularly read.

It is around a small nature reserve at the edge of the city, one of many green areas dotted around Stuttgart. Again, the weather was so unsettled we wore our rain jackets (and needed them!).

The first part of the circuit was through woodland, very beautiful and filled with birdsong against city traffic humming in the background.

We could never forget how close to the city (actually within the city's boundaries) we still were, but somehow that had its very own aesthetic quality.







It was not a very long walk, but we enjoyed it and it certainly was different! Also, the plan had never been to be out all day, as I had only just arrived back home and needed to get a few things done such as food shopping, washing etc. It was definitely a nice way to start the last weekend before going back to work.

17 comments:

  1. It's very pleasant to have a change of routine sometimes, and discover new places. I too think that city reserves have a special atmosphere. I am always so grateful for them!

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    1. They are essential! Thankfully, my own town has some beautiful green areas, too; plus it is not really big, so that I can reach the fields in 15 minutes on foot from my house.

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  2. It's already almost time for you to go back to work?! Wow, that was fast.

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    1. I've been back to work a whole week already, Jennifer - see the date at the beginning of my post, I was on the train home on the 14th.

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    2. ...and I could have easily spent another couple of weeks off work without getting bored :-D

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  3. Time off always seems to go by in a flash...whereas some work weeks drag intolerably. At least that is the way it always felt to me before I retired. :) Sounds like time walking with your sister was a good way to re-enter your home territory after your holiday. Time to catch up with her before you get back into the rhythm of your work life again. Dark skies notwithstanding.

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    1. It was good that I did it that way - not staying at O.K.'s until the last minute, so to speak, and then having to do everything in a rush to get ready for work again.
      Those dark skies kept their promise; we were rather soaked before we reached the tram station!

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  4. I appreciate all of the parks and preserves that have been set aside near the big cities and suburbs in the Chicagoland area where I live. It can feel like hiking in a secluded forest or along a quiet stream when you are actually not far from the hustle and bustle of the city!

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    1. Those green areas are so important! Even just a small park can make a big difference to a neighbourhood, and to how we feel.

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  5. Looks a lovely walk - especially the last photograph.

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    1. That was moments before the rain started - the next-to-last picture shows the same spot, but taken with my mobile phone and not modified, while the last picture was taken by my sister and brightened up a bit.

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  6. It looks like such a lovely walk and time to enjoy. Oh, yes, holidays are always far too short! The flowers are gorgeous, too.

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    1. It was nice to explore an area totally unfamiliar to me, and really not that far from home. My mini garden is doing so well!

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  7. How nice to arrive home and enjoy time with your sister! I admire the way you are able to find so many different and wonderful areas to walk and enjoy. It must have also been wonderful to come home to your flower garden so full and beautiful!

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    1. Throughout the 2 1/2 weeks with O.K., I kept saying to him I wonder how my mini garden is doing, and was happy to find my neighbour had been taking care of it so well.
      The blog where I found the walk for that day has many more to offer and the descriptions are very good, it is just a matter of chosing them.

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  8. How nice to have a sister, and one with the same interests as you!

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    1. And even nicer when she lives close enough to meet at each other's places or at the train station anytime!

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