Not really "Miles & More" as in the airline scheme, but in that I was zooming back and forth all over the place during the week from June 19 to 25, ending up with I don't know how many miles of train trips under my belt.
Also, it was hot all week, with temperatures in the low 30s Celsius (80s F) and only a brief respite on Wednesday, when it was a tad cooler at maybe 25 Celsius. But we had some very welcome and badly needed rain, too.
Starting on Monday (June 19) with a train trip to Kassel, roughly 350 km from my hometown; the trip was pleasant enough, taking me through towns and countryside I don't see often. Unsurprisingly, I arrived with a 40 minute delay, but had plenty of time before the start of my meeting.
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| My non-descript hotel room. Small, clean; good for one night. |
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| Views from my room |
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| Schloss Wilhelmshöhe. I would have loved to explore, but there was not enough time for that. |
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| View from Wilhelmshöhe towards Kassel |
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| A cobbled courtyard near the hotel |
Another rainfall made for a slightly cooler Wednesday, the 21st of June. I was taking part in a seminar in Weilimdorf all day, which was good but as exhausting as such things can be.
Knowing it was technically the longest day of the year with sunset being a little after 9:30 pm, I marked it as my personal midsummer celebration and walked to Benningen, enjoying every step in the evening light.
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| Sunset view from my Third Room |
We had a good meeting with the regional group of my professional association; I gave two presentations myself and found the discussions and presentations of the others quite interesting.
After we'd wrapped up the meeting, I started to O.K.'s directly from Obertürkheim, making my usual Friday evening trip longer by about half an hour. A delay of 20 minutes meant I arrived in Offenburg at about 8:45 pm.
The evening was pleasant enough for us to sit out on O.K.'s balcony for our meal of bread, cheese and rosé wine - a lovely start into the weekend, and it could not come too soon for me!
We were at a wedding on Saturday, the 24th of June. Bride and groom are in the village band, so O.K. had to be in church in time to provide the music for the service. I went up a little later and sat with O.K.'s parents - the church was full, and much warmer than anticipated.
After the service, most of the congregation (myself included) went over to the vicarage garden, where the band played some more, and sparkling wine (and other drinks) were served.
At 30 Celsius, everyone was looking for shade, and I felt sorry for the band members in their full uniform - some of them were right in the sun, and visibly glad when they finished playing!
Those of us who were invited to the actual wedding party then took off to the venue about 17 km away. We had secured a ride with another family so that O.K. did not need to drive.
It was a good party, with delicious food, plenty to drink, only two "silly" games (I am not too fond of this part of most weddings), and a live band to provide music for the small dance floor.
The venue is right on the border of the river Rhine, next to a bridge crossing over to France. Views from there were beautiful, and around sunset, everyone tried to get to the top floor and take pictures.
As usual after such a celebration, Sunday (June 25) was quiet. The day was too hot at 32 C to go for a walk or do much; we hung out at the cottage, went to see O.K.'s parents (they live just across the road from the cottage) and had a short nap in the afternoon.
The evening light drew us out for a sunset walk around the village, which was really beautiful.
OK's Ratatouille sounds to my liking. Send some of that hot weather over here please - we are having varied weather - humidity, heat, cold 2odegrees) - today very cloudy with a bit of drizzle.
ReplyDeleteIt was very nice, and after having plenty of meat at the wedding dinner on Saturday, an all-veg meal was just what we wanted on Sunday.
DeleteIf were able to send our summer heat your way, you'd soon be suffering sleepless nights again!
Those skies are so lovely, Meike! You certainly had a busy week! I would be worn out! But it sounds as if it was a productive yet fun week so good for you!
ReplyDeleteIt was productive and fun, but also exhausting. I could not cope if every week were like that!
DeleteThank you for liking "my" skies - I never tire of them, but I sometimes fear I might bore my blog readers to tears with so many pictures of sunsets.
It's really gotten hot over there, hasn't it? Those temperatures don't sound comfortable at all! I can sympathize with the musicians at the wedding. Gregg was a drummer professionally for a long time before we got together, and he speaks often of playing outdoor venues in the summer when no provision had been made for the bands to even be in the shade. He doesn't miss those days at all!
ReplyDeleteYour meals with O.K. always sound so delicious.
Hardly anyone here has A/C in their homes, and even many offices don't (like mine), and that makes it hard to keep bedrooms cool enough to get good sleep. But we've had longer, hotter spells - weeks of it, really - in the past years, and so far this year it's been ok.
DeleteI didn't know Gregg was a professional drummer! So both "our men" are/were musicians :-)
We like to make our weekend meals together something special.
I feel exhausted just reading about it ;) ... (But then my working days are far back in a distant past by now...)
ReplyDeleteIt was exhausting, Monica. And I am sure you felt that way at the end of a working week more than once, too :-)
DeletePhew, what a week; travel, work, heat! I haven't been to a wedding for quite a while, it sounds lovely. And your photos of a sunset walk are always enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteIn spite of it all being a bit much, I enjoyed all of that week - well, maybe not the delays, but I am so used to them that it is really worth mentioning when all goes according to schedule.
DeleteI like weddings, and am looking forward to another one we‘ll attend this month.
Lovely summer days of work and play. Everything went well and there were no particular worries or stresses to contend with. I bet OK's parents are glad that their son found you.
ReplyDeleteO.K.'s family have been nothing but kind and friendly from the start, and I feel very much at home with them.
DeleteSunset From the Third Room.
ReplyDeleteIt could be the cover of a novel or book of short stories.
I would buy it in Waterstones just for the title & image.
So much to look at and think about here, the Rhine and the bridge to France.
The Schloss Wilhelmshohe is like a photo in a book by Max Sebald.
The vista from Wilhelmshohe is inviting; I would like to follow that beautiful goose.
I am pleased that the caption and the picture triggered your imagination, Jack. Sometimes I find that a photo's caption is nearly as telling as the image itself.
DeleteAs for the geese - my two colleagues and I stayed well clear of them! Geese make fine watchdogs, and I would never deliberately mess with them. Different when it comes to cats I meet along the way when I am out walking, I can never resist a conversation, however brief.
And imagine my delight when I spotted a fox near one of my favourite places on the fields outside Ludwigsburg. It was gone quicker than I could say hello, but it felt a real treat to have seen it with its bright orange fur in the evening sun.