Second Advent Week

As mentioned in my post about the First Advent Week, the heavy snowfall in some parts of Germany meant much disruption to public transport. It was therefore not much of a surprise when we got up at 5:20 on Monday morning (4 December) and found that my train to Stuttgart was cancelled.

There was, however, a reasonably good alternative connection, and I arrived home only a little later than planned.

It was very cold in the morning with icy rain later, but milder temperatures in the late afternoon. I was on trains once more, this time to meet up with a group of colleagues for a meal out in Leonberg.

The food was good and the company even better, and although it would not have been difficult to get back by train, when a colleague who has to drive through my town to get home offered me a lift, I gladly accepted.

Until then, I did not know all that much about this colleague, and it was very interesting to learn that he reads a lot, and most of it non-fiction. He is Turkish and told me a bit of how he and his wife do volunteer work to encourage and help children and teenagers with a similar background.

Tuesday (5 December) was sunny again, and milder. Along with another set of colleagues, I was scheduled for a business visit bang in the middle of Stuttgart. The visit went very well, and it made a nice change to be out and about in daylight on a working day. 

I told my boss I was going back home to work from there but that he was not to expect me online immediately; instead, I got off the train in Zuffenhausen and walked across the fields, arriving home in just under 2 hours. I'd not been that particular way in a while, and it will probably be months before I have the opportunity again.

At 5:00 pm, my sister and I met to go to the Christmas market together. In one of the shops near the market square, I made a new friend:

An unventful grey and cold Wednesday (6 December) saw me at the office in Weilimdorf all day.

The sun was back on Thursday (7 December), and working from home meant no stress before meeting some of my volunteer group at the Christmas market. As always, we had a good time and enjoyed our hot food and mulled wine, but it was rather crowded, and sooner or later I always reach the point where I am either cold or want to get away from the crowds or both, and that evening was no exception. Still, it was good to be there, and with them.

Rain was forecast for Friday (8 December), but it arrived only late in the afternoon. This gave me and my old school friend the chance to meet for a walk during our lunch break. She lives only about 15 minutes away, but in some years we manage to meet only once or twice. This was, I think, the third time we'd met this year. It is always good to catch up with her.

O.K. arrived at my place at 9:30 pm, and my hot and spicy thick, creamy vegetable soup of spuds and parsnips with fresh crusty bread and a bottle of Primitivo made for a nice meal to start off our weekend.

Saturday (9 December) was milder again, with an overcast sky shedding rain every now and then. After a leisurely breakfast, we walked into town for some errands and a stroll across the Christmas market - our only chance together, since O.K. won't be back in Ludwigsburg until after Christmas. 

O.K. took a selfie of us - but I am only allowed to show my half of the picture.

It is rare for me to see the Christmas market in daylight, but pleasant because it is less crowded.

Back home, we had enough time for a bit of a rest before setting off again, this time to my Mum's.

We had ordered takeaway food from the Indian restaurant half way between my place and my Mum's and picked it up on the way there. The four of us (my sister was also there, of course) spent a pleasant evening together.

The thermometer showed 9C/48F on Sunday (10 December) - not completely unusual for December, but not exactly "normal", either. 

The sun lured us out with only our first mug of coffee and a few Christmas cookies in our stomachs; we walked to the small palace by the lake and back on a different route, ending up with roughly 9.5 km under our belts. Because we had not eaten properly, I really needed to sit down for a minute when we came home before we had our brunch at 12:30.

Although O.K. left about 2 hours earlier than usual (the village band's annual concert is coming up, which means he puts in more practice than usual), we had enough time for coffee (and more Christmas cookies!) in the afternoon and a filling meal of Kässpätzle and salad in the evening.

Two candles were lit on the Advent wreath, and more cards have arrived. I love this time of year!