Rainy Week

Last week, it rained on four out of seven days, and strong winds made umbrellas useless. Most days saw a high of 10C/50F; according to the meteorologists, too warm for this time of year.

On Monday (5 February), the two trains taking me from Offenburg to Ludwigsburg were on time, and I started work as usual. The afternoon was sunny, and my sister suggested we go for a walk. We met a little after 4:00 pm and walked across the city centre to the palace grounds, happy to spot many a sign of early spring. (But we are realistic enough to know we will probably get a few more frosty days and nights as well as possibly snow and ice before spring truly arrives.)

Ludwigsburg Residential Palace under a glorious blue sky.

Snowdrops in the palace grounds.

The blossoms of the shrub on the left give off a very sweet scent.

This is not a snowdrop, but what in German is called Märzenbecher ("March's cup") and usually appears about a month after the first snowdrops - I didn't expect to see them out already.

And I certainly did not expect to see the first daffodils in bloom in this sunny, sheltered spot!

Working from home on Tuesday (6 February) and starting very early made an afternoon walk to Benningen possible while still allowing for a brief rest at home before I set off again, this time to the pub: My team and I were playing the quiz for the first time this year, and for the first time since October.

You can see why I simply HAD to go for a walk before it was too late, can't you!

Four of our original team (including myself) made it to the pub this time, and I also recruited a friend of mine who had come along two or three times before.

We had a lot of fun and were doing well - but so were many other teams, and we ended up fourth, so did not carry home any of the three prizes.

Never mind; it was good to see everybody, and we have booked our usual corner table again for March 12.

Wednesday (7 February) saw me working at the office. It was a blustery day of very fast-moving clouds and changing light, and started to rain by the time I left work.

Sunrise from my kitchen window on the 7th.

The warmest day of the week was Thursday (8 February), but again wet and very windy. 

My sister and I were at our Mum's after work, first helping to stow away the remainder of her Christmas lights in the attic (we prefer her not to climb the ladder up there, especially not while carrying boxes) and then sitting down to a delicious meal of savoury pancakes, rolled up and stuffed with all sorts of good things, such as ham, chopped avocado, spring onions and so on, then topped with grated cheese and baked in the oven. A fresh leafy salad garnished with radishes and mushrooms matched it perfectly.

I worked from home again on Friday (9 February) and then did my weekly cleaning before packing my little red suitcase and heading for the station. I took an earlier connection, arriving in Offenburg an hour earlier than usual. 

We went to see O.K.'s parents briefly before having a quick snack and getting changed for the annual Preismaskenball ("costume contest dance"), a tradition in the village I quite enjoy: 

It's easy for us to reach, no car needed, no cost other than what we drink or eat, and we always meet fellow musicians from the village band, neighbours and others for a chat. The music is far from brilliant, but I do get to spend a bit of time on the dance floor, and generally have fun.

Every year there is a different motto for the event. This year it was "Urlaub" (German for holiday or vacation). I had two ideas for a costume: Wear PJs or a nightdress (since holidays mean for me to sleep in), or dress up in a classic hiking outfit (since holidays for us usually mean hiking, preferably somewhere in the mountains).

Of course it may seem a little boring to choose a hiking outfit, since apart from the trousers it is not so very different from what I really wear, but it was what it was, and since O.K. and I never enroll for the competition with our costumes, we were fine anyway - it was uncomplicated, comfortable and didn't involve buying anything extra for those few hours once a year.

Officially, the party ended at 2:00 am, and we were home about 20 minutes after that.

Saturday (10 February) it did not rain, and we took advantage of that and went for an afternoon walk around the village. After coffee and a little rest, we spent the evening in Offenburg with friends, catching up and enjoying an informal meal of home-baked bread, cheese, salad and other good things.

It was time for the annual Carnival parade in the village on Sunday (11 February), which means O.K. as a member of the village band was to participate in the parade. 

His Mum had made two big pots of delicious goulash soup, which we ate with crusty rolls. O.K.'s sister and her husband were of course also there, and after O.K. had left for the band's gathering for the parade and we had washed the dishes, we went to stand by the village road to watch the parade.

The village band were first, opening the parade.

The witches were next.

Just like last year, the very young and the not quite so young were together.

One of the witches suggested a selfie with me - I guess it was someone I know, but I have no idea who was under the mask and did not recognise his voice. In any case, his teeth look much better than mine :-D

Then followed the Beiabsäger (literally "sawers-off of legs" - don't ask!)...

...and the Dominoes, the oldest of the village's traditional Carnival characters. I find them spooky.

Another band, the Gletscherfleh (literally "glacier fleas" - again, don't ask!).

The parade was over after about 10 minutes, and we followed them to the square behind the village hall where the music groups performed some more and a few speeches were made (some in verses), as is customary on Carnival Sunday. 

It kept raining on and off, but there was also sunshine, and we even spotted a rainbow just before the parade started.

Me in my 80s outfit for the day. I don't even know the name of the young man, but his pink-yellow-green-white 80s-style track suit was just too good NOT to be photographed!

A drink at one of the venues open only for that occasion followed, and around 4:00 pm, O.K.'s sister and her husband drove me to the station in Offenburg where I took three trains back to Ludwigsburg - all of them on time. At almost exactly 6:30 pm, I was home.

(On Carnival Sunday and what in Germany is called Rosenmontag - "Rose Monday" - O.K. is busy non-stop with the village band, which means it does not make sense for me to stay longer than the parade and a little afterwards.)

I had fun dressing up and taking part in the Carnival activities, but I am not sad that it's over for another year, and things can return to normal :-)