Busy Week

Last week, I was on trains every day from Monday to Friday. That doesn't sound unusual for many go to work or school using public transport five days a week, but I have been working from home a lot for many years now (long before the pandemic) and treasure those days when I do no depend on any other means of transport but my own two feet. So, what have I been up to?

On Monday (7 July), I took a regional train to Stuttgart first and then a long-distance one to Fulda. I have been there last summer, and it was for the same meeting with other data protection officers. This time, we were at a different hotel and the weather was rather unsettled, but apart from that, it was very similar to last year. The pictures and description from my 2024 visit to this beautiful city are here.

Our group was booked for dinner at the hotel's restaurant. The food was good, but the noise level nearly unbearable. The waiters yelled across the full length of our table to find out who had ordered this or that drink or dish, and people at the other tables were talking just as loudly as we had to. I could barely hold a conversation with the person right next to me, and found the meal not at all relaxing. By 9:00 pm, I was back in my HUGE room and enjoyed the peace and quiet - no walk, since it was raining.

Our meeting finished around 3:00 pm on Tuesday (8 July). Afterwards, with two of my colleagues I walked to the train station where we put our luggage in a locker. One of the two ladies has a dog and always brings him with her to our meetings; of course he needed a walk, and since I and the other lady had plenty of time before our train home, we came along.

The industrial heritage of the hotel is obvious in the shape and size of the windows.

An Irish Pub was next door - maybe next year I'll get to visit there :-)

Views from my room early on Tuesday morning

If you zoom in, you may see a ghostly reflection of myself in one of the windows across the street :-)

One of many churches in Fulda

It wasn't quite as beautiful and long a walk as what we'd done last year (same ladies, same dog), but it was still good to stretch our legs after sitting in a meeting most of the day and before sitting on a train for another few hours.

The train was half an hour late, and by the time I reached Stuttgart, the delay had increased to 40 minutes. Not really a problem for me, since there are usually several options for getting from Stuttgart to Ludwigsburg, but of course many other passengers lost a connection that was important for them. Well, that's the German railway for you.

Anyway, I was home just after 8:00 pm, which I consider a very civil time - enough to still have something of an evening and talk to O.K. on the phone before bed.

On Wednesday (9 July) I had my day at the office as usual. It was sunny, windy and comparatively cool; perfect for getting off the train in Kornwestheim on my way home and walking the rest. It was also the birthday of a friend of mine. She lives only a couple of streets away, and so it didn't take long to deliver my card and gift personally. She wasn't celebrating, but we had a chat, in parts joined by her husband and her daughters as well as one of her beautiful Maine Coon cats.

I was back at the office on Thursday (10 July) because the company I work for was holding its annual summer party for the employees. Last year's was fun, this year even more so. It was nice to see most of my female colleagues wearing pretty dresses; for some of them, it's an everyday thing, but many usually turn up in rather casual clothes (if they turn up at all), but it was as if everyone wished to mark the special occasion. 

The party began at 5:00 pm with official welcome speeches by our managers and some other formalities, and the official end was set for 11:00 pm. I left at about 10 to 11, and there was still a big crowd on the dance floor and by the drinks stations - I am pretty sure that most of them didn't leave at 11. I'd had my fill of food, drinks, conversation and dancing, and was tired enough to be looking forward to home.

On Friday (11 July), it was warm but not too hot; working first and doing the weekly cleaning etc. afterwards wasn't a problem (on very hot days, I switch my activities round and clean first, work later).

My usual train connection to Offenburg wasn't working, and it was all a bit chaotic and hectic, but in the end I reached Offenburg with only about a 1/4 of an hour's delay. O.K. and I had not seen each other for the past two weekends, and our customary Friday evening meal of salad, bread, cheese and rosé felt even more like a celebration than usual.

Saturday (12 July) was warmer but not unpleasantly hot, just a beautiful summer's day, sunny and with a bit of a breeze every now and then. It was nice to start the day with coffee on the balcony, and after a few tasks around house and garden we set off for a walk of a little under 11 km, taking in two of the closest villages before reaching O.K.'s village again.

Between Oberschopfheim and Diersburg

This is flax, the plant linen is made of, and linseed oil from the seeds.

Looking towards the village of Oberschopfheim

We rested for a bit before it was time to freshen up and dress for a visit to an Italian restaurant in another of the neighbouring villages, upon invitation of O.K.'s sister and her husband. We've been there many times before and know that they make good pizza, which was everybody's choice. Sitting in the shade in the garden behind the building was nice, too. Back home, we sat on O.K.'s Mum's patio for drinks and ice lollies.

Later, O.K. and I did some stargazing on his balcony; it was a clear night and of course the village is darker than the town where I live, meaning one can see a lot more stars than I can at home.

The warmest day of the week was Sunday (13 July). Breakfast was once more on the balcony. Early afternoon, O.K. drove us into town where we left the car in a shady spot and went for a walk, taking in some of the parks as well as a viewing spot (Lindenhöhe) which is rather grown over, limiting the views one is supposed to have from there.

By the old town wall in Offenburg

View from Lindenhöhe

Rose garden, a small public park I have not visited before

We had ice creams in town before driving back to the village.

In the evening, O.K. set up the grill, and we had a BBQ with his Mum, interrupted briefly when it began to rain - we quickly carried the table and chairs into the empty garage, and back into the courtyard again when it stopped.

Having our BBQ interrupted by rain wasn't a problem, and we were rewarded with a beautiful rainbow.

It was a lot more luminous in real life!

This is Charlie, O.K.'s Mum's cat. He found the discarded BBQ trays very interesting, but there wasn't really much for him left.

It rained again later, but by that time we had as good as finished and packed up.

The two of us ended the evening looking at possible hotels for our September holiday without yet making a decision.