...weather-wise! We've seen the first snow flakes and for the first time this season had temperatures just below freezing point, but by the end of the week, an incredible 18C/64F made for a spring-like Sunday (apart from the autumn leaves and lack of birdsong, of course).
Monday (18 November) saw me on the usual trains from Offenburg to Ludwigsburg. It rained in the afternoon, and so I did not go for a walk after (or in between) work that day.
It was a little milder on Tuesday (19 November) than the days before, but windy to the point of stormy. I was working from home and managed to put in a brief (really brief - only about 30 minutes) walk before sunset.
As usual, Wednesday (20 November) was spent working at the office. The morning and evening were rather cold at 2C/35F, matching the season. It was sunny, though, and I got on with my tasks very well. When after lunch nearly everyone in my department said they were going to work from home for the rest of the afternoon, I followed suit.
However, once I'd arrived in Ludwigsburg, I didn't go straight home. Instead, I walked to Benningen, which was really enjoyable in the golden late autumn afternoon light. I spotted a heron and other birds, and was just generally happy to have had (and taken!) this opportunity.
After a brief stop at home, I walked to my Mum, where the three of us (Mum, sister and myself) had our dinner together.
The first dusting of white of this season appeared on the roofs visible from my kitchen window on the morning of Thursday (21 November). It didn't last (and I have no photo to prove it), but the same temperature as the day before meant that my friend and I wrapped up well for our morning walk.
After work, I went into town for a few errands, some having to do with Christmas, plus getting my Mum's prescriptions for her. I posted my first two Christmas cards of this year, both to blogging friends in the US, hoping they'll get there in time and not mid-January!
Friday morning from my kitchen window; what little white there had been on the roofs the day before was gone. |
Unlike other Fridays, on Friday (22 November) I did not do my full weekly cleaning after work. Instead, I packed my little red suitcase and was off to the train station several hours before my usual time.
The reason was a 50th birthday O.K. and I were to attend, the celebration starting at 6:00 pm (normally, I don't arrive in Offenburg until 8:30 pm), which meant I had to plan for arrival at the station by about 5:00 pm. We could not be late to the party, as O.K. and most of the village band were playing in honour of their fellow musician's birthday.
By mid-morning, I found out that the middle one of the three trains I needed was cancelled. Re-planning was in order, and I ended up leaving even an hour earlier than I had intended - hence no cleaning apart from hoovering (and I had done the bathroom already in the morning).
At Stuttgart main station, a blind man got off the same train as I. The announcement for which side to get off the train was wrong, and of course he was unaware of that, as he could not see that we were pulling up at a different platform. I alerted him to the change, and he thanked me.
Once we were on the platform, he asked me whether I could see anyone from Bahnhofsmission (a volunteer organisation helping anyone who is in need of assistance at the station), since he had telephoned them in the morning to request help with his change of trains. There was nobody there, though, and I walked up and down the length of the platform, making sure we had not missed them.
The blind man very politely asked me whether I had a mobile phone and could ring the organisation; he knew their number by heart. After two phone calls, finally someone turned up, thanking me for having waited with the blind man. The blind man himself shook hands with me, said "thank you" and "you are an angel!" before we parted ways.
Fortunately, I'd had half an hour to wait anyway, what with the change of plans and the cancelled train. Otherwise, I guess I would have only made the phone call and told the volunteer where to find the man. Still, I was glad I could wait with him; during that time, he told me where he was headed and that he was doing a computer course to brush up on skills he'd learned 10 years ago, for an internship with the council of another city.
Finally, the alternative train I had chosen arrived. We were packed like a tin of sardines, and the hour I spent on it was not very pleasant. In Karlsruhe, I had another 20 minutes to wait, but finally the last leg of the journey was done, and O.K. picked me up at the station in Offenburg.
Christmas tree at Karlsruhe main station |
We both put on additional layers of clothing and then walked to the birthday do. The brass band played a few pieces while the other guests were listening and clinking glasses with the birthday boy. Food and mulled wine was offered outside, a bit like a mini Christmas market, then to be taken inside the large garage, very clean and nicely decorated for the occasion, with tables and benches; a woodburning stove was in one corner, making for a good, warm party room.
The village band performing for the 50th birthday of one of their members. |
We enjoyed the food, drinks and conversations with other guests as well as with our host and his family and were back at the cottage a little before 1:00 am.
On Saturday (23 November), we did a few small jobs in and around the cottage and ran an errand for O.K.'s Mum. At about 2:30 pm, O.K. drove us to Ludwigsburg, where we arrived 1 1/2 hours later.
At 6:00 pm, my Mum and my sister arrived for dinner as per my invitation. I cooked spaghetti with fennel, onions and bell peppers in a creamy white wine sauce, adding diced bacon for those who wanted it, and freshly cut chive from the pot on my windowsill sprinkled on top. With the meal, we drank the same white wine I had used for the sauce.
It was a nice evening and probably the last time O.K. was here until after Christmas, which was one reason for us to invite my Mum and my sister; he'll be busy for all of the coming weekends, mostly to do with the village band, such as preparing for the annual concert just before Christmas.
We had a leisurely breakfast on Sunday (24 November), the day being sunny and with a spring-like high of 18C/64F - and that only two days after I had been on a train through snow-covered fields between Karlsruhe and Offenburg, and the night of the birthday party had been just below freezing!
Of course we did not stay indoors on a day like that, but walked to Asperg and on the top of the hill overlooking the small town, visiting Castle Hohenasperg ("high Asperg"). Many people were out and about, enjoying the unseasonally warm and sunny day.
On our way back, we stopped for coffee and cake (not a very good cake, I'm afraid) at a café. Back home, we rested for a bit before I prepared our evening meal. O.K. left just after 7:30 pm, and although the motorways were very busy, he was never stuck and arrived at his cottage before 9:00 pm.
My favourite photos from this lot are the first and last from castle Hohenasperg - the dramatic black tree silhouettes vs the sunlit part of the wall with the two towers. The train journey sounds tiresome; but good that you got to be of help to that blind man!
ReplyDeleteI like the tree silhouettes, too, which is why I took that picture - it doesn't really show much of the castle itself, but it was what it looked like against the sun at that moment.
DeleteThe train journey WAS tiresome! From door to door, it took me 3 hours, much more than the 150 km trip should take. But the cancellation of the one train put me in the right place at the right time to help the blind man, so something good did come from it.
I enjoyed the read of your week. I was interested in your helping the blindman. I sometimes help people with train changes and information on platforms and times and different train companies (this can be relevant to people with tickets already purchased and they don't know which train they can use). This is because there are not enough train staff around or of those around many of them do not know any technical things. I often think that I would like to get a proper paid job at the station. I have a blue jacket that I wear with black trousers and have been mistaken for a member of staff on more than one occasion particularly as I am able to answer questions in a knowledgeable way!
ReplyDeleteLike you, I sometimes help folks on platforms when they don't know where to go or what train they can take etc., as these things can be quite overwhelming for someone who doesn't regularly use public transport. And as you say, more often than not, there is no staff, or if there is anyone, they don't know more than I do - here in Germany, railway staff uses the same Navigator app as us passengers.
DeleteWhy not ask the railway company who is responsible for your station whether they have such jobs available? They should be glad to have people do their job for them, even if only on an hourly base and not in full employment.
Do you ever rent a car and just drive to O.K.'s village? Seems like it would save you time. Of course it could be much more costly.
ReplyDeleteHow nice of you to help the blind man. You are a kind person, Meike!
Thank you, Ellen! There are some people who would contest that, though. I just try to do the decent thing when I can.
DeleteI don't drive - never owned a car, never attempted to learn how to drive. My favourite means of transport are my own two feet, but of course if I relied entirely on them, my physical world would be very small.
Back in 2010 you and I had not "met" yet; otherwise you probably would have read this post of mine:
https://librarianwithsecrets.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-i-do-not-drive.html
Wow! I learned a lot about you from that 2010 post, Meike. I didn't live close enough to any of my jobs so always had to rely on a car. My Dad loved to drive out into the countryside and I think I have inherited his love of driving.
DeleteLiving in a village like O.K. does, most young people there make sure they get a driving license as soon as possible. Buses do run, but they are few and far between. The village has a handful of shops for the most essential things, and there is a school, but the majority of people need to go elsewhere for work, school and shopping. O.K.'s work place is half an hour's drive from the village; getting there by public transport would take well over an hour, and riding a bike in all weathers is not always an option.
DeleteBy the way, tomorrow is our Thanksgiving Day and so I want to let you know that I am thankful for your blog, Meike. I always enjoy reading about your busy weeks and seeing your lovely photos. Thanks so much! xo
DeleteEllen, this is about the nicest thing anyone has ever said about my blog. I am really touched by your kind words!
DeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones, and may you never run out of things to be thankful for.
Love & hugs, Meike xx
You seem to have a busy life yet I like how you’re able to enjoy the good weather with a walk every now and again. Good to get a balance. By the way, it’s so lovely to read your comments on my blog. I feel I’ve made another blog friend.
ReplyDeleteHello Anonymous, if I knew your name I'd know which of my comments you mean :-)
DeleteAnyway, thank you for your kind comment! Yes, my life is pretty busy, but it is vital to my physical and mental wellbeing that I create space and time all to myself, preferably out walking. If that's not possible, a good book, my favourite computer game or a film will do the trick.
The castle pictures gave me a good general impression of a winter evening stroll on the battlements. It reminded me of the way I felt when I walked around the Veste Coburg one year., (even though I am sure the Veste Coburg is nothing like Hohenasperg if you simply compare their appearance). The party sounds really great, and I love the idea of filling the nuts and bolts boxes with sweets!
ReplyDeleteJenny, now that you mention it, there really are similarities between Hohenasperg and Veste Coburg. I visited Coburg in 2019, and if you look at the first of the pictures in my post from that visit (and a few others in between), it becomes obvious why you were reminded of it:
Deletehttps://librarianwithsecrets.blogspot.com/2019/07/coburg.html
(Of course, Veste Coburg is much bigger than Hohenasperg, and has a completely different use today.)
At the party, I loved the attention to detail, such as the boxes filled with sweets, and hand-made decorations on the tables.
You must be one of a few dinosaurs left in the world who actually looks up from your phone long enough to notice a disabled person in need of help, well done! so many people are glued to the cursed devices, they don't notice anything going on around them. My son and his friend were at the mall recently, and a little girl fell and got dangerously tangled up in the moving escalator steps, his friend grabbed her just in time and handed her to the clueless mom, who was still hypnotized by her phone. He said no one around looked up long enough to see the poor kid in distress.
ReplyDeleteWell done, your friend who helped the little girl!
DeleteUsually, when I am waiting at a train station, I either consult my phone about my connection (and often enough have to change my plans because of a delay or cancellation), or I am reading. On the train, I prefer to look out of the window during daytime, and read when it's too dark to see anything outside, or while we're in one of the 12 or 13 tunnels along the route between Stuttgart and Karlsruhe.