Public Transport Week

Back in 2023, I used the same headline for a post about a week when I used public transport every working day . If you are interested, you can (re-)read that post here.

This past week saw me on quite a few journeys, too. I also had time for some good walks, plus O.K. and I had a fun night out at the Preismaskenball (literally "prize masks ball", meaning a Carnival themed dance where attendants can enter a contest for the best costume) in the village hall. 

Another highlight for me was a trip to Ulm for a work-related course.

Monday (24 February) was off to a cold start at 3C/37F in line with the season. A mix of clouds and sun followed, with the temperature rising to a max of 11C/52F.

After an uneventful morning working from home, I was able to participate only for the first 1 1/2 hours of an online conference in the afternoon before heading to the train station - I was travelling to Ulm for a course that was to start the next morning at 9:00. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will be familiar with the many delays and cancellations that make using trains in Germany a very unreliable business. I did not risk a late arrival on Tuesday, and rather spent the night before the course at a hotel close to the course location.

It is a place I am very familiar with, having attended the Academy for Data Protection there in 2014, and returning every other year or so for some additional training, like now. I always enjoy those trips, especially if I get the chance at a walk along the paths I discovered for myself during my time there in 2014.

With only a 10-minute delay, I arrived at the hotel long before bedtime, and went out for a quick turn in the dark; just under an hour to stretch my legs and do a bit of revisiting.

Sunrise from my kitchen on Monday morning

There were 7 minutes between the first picture and this one.

Nightly view of Ulm from the top of the hill where I was staying.

Standard hotel room, simply but clean (and very familiar by now).

The course lasted all day on Tuesday (25 February). There was no booked lunch, and so I merely grabbed a snack and then managed a 45 minute walk; luckily, the morning's rain had stopped by then.

Not far from the academy, a path leads into the woods.

It is part of El Camino, as I found out back in 2014 during my first stay here.

This is where I turned back. The "disappointing" village can be seen through the trees.

The course was really good. We had three speakers, one of which was my old professor from 2014 (he is in his early 80s now but still going strong). Another one was my favourite speaker, a lady who can convey complex legal and technical matters in a manner that is understandable (and entertaining!) even to folks like me who have not been to uni. 

Afterwards, I took my overnight bag and walked the 6 km or so down into town to the train stations. Just like last time I was here (in October 2023), a drizzle was falling, but instead of turning into proper rain, at some point maybe half way down the hill it stopped, and I was rewarded by a beautiful rainbow - much more luminous and beautiful than what my mobile phone's camera caught.

A band of golden light (much more golden than what it looks like here) underneath grey drizzling clouds kept me company for the first part of the way down into town.

Ulm Minster - the tallest church spire in the world.

View from the bridge crossing into town centre

I was home precisely as the nearby church bells announced 8:00 pm.

Wednesday (26 February) was a grey, cold day that reached hardly more than 4C/39F. Local trains were chaotic, and instead of the scheduled 17 minutes, it took me an hour to get to the office. I was cold and not in the very best of moods by then, but work itself was perfectly alright. The way home was a little smoother, but the trains were extremely packed because every other train had been cancelled.

The weather was rather April-like on Thursday (27 February), ranging from icy rain to brightest sunshine and plenty of wind.

It promised to remain dry for most of the afternoon, and so I walked to Benningen after work, enjoying the birdsong and signs of early spring I noticed along the way. Several birds of prey were seen and heard; at one point four buzzards were circling overhead, but they were interested in each other rather than in finding food.

Friday (28 February) was more or less the same in terms of weather. I took earlier trains to Offenburg than usual, because O.K. and I were going to the aforementioned dance. This year, the music was even worse than usual, but we still had enough fun to last until 3:00 am. There are always friends, neighbours, fellow musicians and other people to meet, and it is fun checking out each other's costumes. 

Wall-to-wall sunshine on Saturday (1st of March) meant I was able to go for an afternoon walk on the fields. It was rather cold and windy, and so I was out for about an hour only, but I spotted storks and a large white heron (none of which I was able to photograph). Also, there are now snowdrops, aconites and crocus in many people's gardens to look at.

View towards Offenburg...

...and looking back towards the village.

Sunday (2nd of March) was spent our traditional way for Carnival Sunday: At noon, O.K.'s Mum hosted the family lunch with her home-made goulash soup (very nice and spicy). O.K. then had to go and meet up with the village band; as usual, they were part of the carnival parade through the village. 

Of course we went out to watch, and once the various groups (all in costume, and some making music as well) were past, we leisurely walked down the village road to the square where all the groups had gathered. Some of them performed, some just showed off their costumes once more. It was rather nice and warm in the sun on the square, but eventually, we made our way back up the street.

The village band gathering; this year, they lead the parade.

Followed by witches...

...more musicians...

...and some glitzy disco balls as well as other groups in full costumes.

By then, O.K.'s Mum needed a rest, and since O.K. was to remain with the band and play music several times more and at various locations throughout the village, as every year on carnival Sunday, I got my little red suitcase, and O.K.'s sister and her husband kindly drove me to the station.

About three hours later, at 7:00 pm, I was home. Phew! The trip had been ok but the trains had been quite full, and there was a bit of confusion about the second of the three trains I had to take, but it was all solved and the delay of 10 minutes wasn't problematic this time.

Here in my area, carnival isn't a huge thing, but in O.K.'s area it is. For me, life has turned entirely back to normal after the parade on Sunday afternoon, while at the village, Rose Monday and the Tuesday are busy with carnival celebrations and traditions - for them, it's all over on Ash Wednesday.