Third Advent Week

The week saw some musical highlights, as well as more sun than we'd been having before. Only one substantial walk was possible, but it was still a very good week altogether.

Because we had been at my place for the weekend, I did not have a train journey to make on Monday (11 December) morning but could start work very early. That meant I was able to finish early, too, and had a good walk to Benningen across still sunlit fields mid-afternoon. It was windy, but mild at 12C/53F.

Nearly sunset

Benningen townhall, right next to the train station

In the evening, I met a former colleague (now retired) and his wife at the Christmas market; good food, good drink and good fun.

This eight-legged housemate waited for me in the stairwell when I arrived home that evening. He or she is about the size of my palm.

Tuesday (12 December) was still mild at 9C, but it rained all day, and I did not set foot out of my front door; just worked, had my meals and a quiet evening.

An uneventful Wednesday (13 December) was spent, as most Wednesdays, at the office in Weilimdorf. There was sun until about mid-afternoon, but the day ended in rain, and I had no opportunity for a walk.

My Mum, my sister and I met up for the Christmas market on Thursday (14 December). After a cloudy morning, the sun came out around lunch time and made us hopeful for a dry evening. But almost as soon as my Mum got off the bus where we met her, it started to rain, and became too unpleasant for us to stay outside. Instead, we retreated to the pub where we had our usual food and drink (fish & chips and cider for me).

By the time we left the pub, it had stopped raining, so that we still got to walk around the market together before we accompanied our Mum to the bus stop.

On Friday (15 December), my sister and I took the Christmas parcel for our family in England to the post office. As it was lunch time (and not raining!), we had our favourite food at the Christmas market before going back to work.

I finished work, did my usual cleaning, packed my little red suitcase for the weekend and headed to the train station shortly after 6:00 pm, by which time rain had set in again.

With only 10 minutes delay, I arrived in Offenburg. O.K. drove us home to the village, and we had our favourite Friday evening meal of salad, cheese, bread and wine.

We were up comparatively early on Saturday (16 December), because at 9:00, setting up the village hall for the village band's annual concert started. Many hands worked together for a few hours, and by around 12:30, we were back at the cottage for bowls of hot soup and bread.

There was not all that much time for a rest afterwards, as the band's last practice for the concert started at 4:00 pm. We went across the road for a bit to see O.K.'s parents, then he left for the village hall while I was only expected there at 7:15 to begin my shift at the drinks and snacks counter.

The day was cold but beautiful, and I went for a quick, short walk of about 35 minutes to take in the golden afternoon light and sunset.

After showering and putting on my concert finery, I walked to the village hall and arrived well before 7:00. That way, I had enough time to get the counter ready and organise myself with the other three who were to man it. 

We were a good team and sold a great many snacks and drinks before the concert began, during the half-hour break and afterwards, until shortly before midnight when we had run out of the most popular drinks and food, and closed our counter.

The stage is set!

The concert was great fun: Instead of a regular succession of pieces of music played by the band, there were two actors who enacted a crime mystery on stage, interspersed with the band's music. The audience were invited to guess whodunnit (it wasn't all that hard, really), and at the end of the concert, the winner was announced and received a prize.

It was the first time they had done their annual concert that way, and a great success, judging from the audience's reactions.

Once we had closed our counter, I joined O.K. and the other musicians for drinks and chats. We were back at the cottage by 1:30 am.

As the saying goes, there is no rest for the wicked: We had to be up early-ish on Sunday (17 December), since putting the village hall back in order started at 9:00. For a change, I opted out of helping, but remained at the cottage instead. I needed a bit of time to get showered, dressed and ready for departure at 11:00, when O.K. took me to the train station in Offenburg.

I was home as planned at 2:00 pm with just enough time to grab a quick coffee and get changed into something more suitable for my 2nd concert this weekend: The Christmas Sing-Along my Mum and I love so much.

We arrived at the venue with half an hour to spare, so I got us a glass of sparkling wine each, and we met friends and relatives to chat to, which was lovely.

The concert was as wonderful as usual, the songs sung in turn by the nine (!) different choirs on the stage and the audience. When almost 1,500 voices join to sing those familiar Christmas songs... that is quite something. There were tears for both of us, but funny moments as well. All in all, we had a fantastic time.

Our seats were perfect!

I walked my Mum to the bus stop before going home, and was quite ready for a quiet evening on my own, lighting three candles on my Advent wreath. A beautiful conclusion to a busy and festive week.