March 2-10 Winterferien

Saturday, March 2nd

I was the first up, so I could have my quiet time sitting in the bench seat of the big picture window in our friends' attic apartment. GE and CN were up next. He was going out to get fresh bread and food for our brunch. GE wanted to go the Bäckerei alone, like she does in Munich. In fact, she asked CN to just give her some money, a list of what to get, and a map so she could go by herself (someone is going to have a hard time adjusting to being dependent on a driving adult again when we are home in Virginia), but he was headed that way anyway and convinced her to go with him if she was allowed to come back by herself! Appeased, she agreed and returned shortly with Brötchen, Schokocroissants, and Weckchen mit Rosinen while CN went on to finish grocery shopping at the local market and the Metzgerei (butcher shop). HR woke up still running a fever, so was given ibuprofen and went back to sleep. Poor thing! VM and I talked over Kaffee. J slept in and then joined the living, seeking a hot mug of Kaffee and showing up just in time to join in a big brunch after CN returned with fresh Wurst specialties and cheeses. Little FN is sick too--fever and cough much like HR--so, we stayed in, kids playing or on small screens or resting. GE took a nap without being asked--I think this last week was pretty exhausting and she had stayed up late on our drive from Munich yesterday.

This weekend is Karneval party time. Originally the plan was for HR to be at her friend's in Bonn and GE would go with little FN to his grandparents' in Düsseldorf to spend the night while we--the parents--went out. But since both HR and FN were sick, we adjusted: VM's parents came to the apartment in Köln to babysit the kids while the four parents went out to a local, restaurant bar, Wirtshaus Hotzenplotz--just around the corner and down the street, in case any sick child desperately needed mom/dad. We have been looking forward to going with VM and CN to join in this crazy annual event, just like we had the year we lived in Bonn: costumes, loud Karneval music (with everyone joining in at the top of their voices), and plenty of Kölsch. CN made us an early supper of homemade Reibekuchen (shredded potato "pancake") and bean soup, his mother's recipe. We were in full costume and standing in line outside the Wirtshaus Hotzenplotz by a little after 5 p.m., ready for the doors to open at 6 p.m. The rest of the night there was a line down the street as people waited for groups to leave and be allowed in. The music blasted, the drinks flowed (rule: drink 3 of the little glasses, then have a glass of water...), until our feet and ears were protesting that it was time to go home (we only lasted until about 10:30 p.m.--our 40-something age is starting to tell on us!).

Getting ready!

VM was "Elliot with ET" and CN was "Pipi Longstocking's father"

J and I were "Steampunk" couple.

Kölsch "Kranz" (traditional beer made in Köln brought out in a "wreath"--how the local bier is typically carried from the bar through the crowds to your group of friends; everyone takes turn buying a round; J and CN took turns, but since there were only four of us, they just carried them... carefully!)

Photo bombed by a "sailor"!!

Empty glasses lined up on the slender shelf that goes all the way around the room...

The bartender making a round with a huge crate for empty glasses...

Another "steampunk" buddy! (Random! Don't know her from atom!)

The joint is JUMPIN'!

Sunday, March 3rd

Our original plan was to hit the road after lunch, driving to a small village called Neumünster near Kiel to spend the night at an AirBnB, before driving GE to the Ponyhof Sye where she would join our family friends' daughter, LW, at a week-long Reitferien (riding camp). But HR still had a low grade temp when she woke up and although they offered to keep her, I didn't feel comfortable leaving her at our friends' in Köln while her illness was still running its course. So, J and I decided he'd leave with GE as planned, and I would stay behind with HR until she was fever-free and I could see her settled at her friends' place in Bonn. Then I'd take a train from Köln to Lübeck and join him at our vacation rental. So, J and GE hit the road after noon.

Meanwhile HR went back to bed after a little breakfast (good sign: her appetite is coming back!) and some fluids. At around 1 p.m. she came out complaining she was hungry and saying she felt a lot better. She hadn't had any fever-reducing meds since yesterday and, low and behold, she was fever free. CN was heading out with FN--whose fever was also gone--for a short fresh-air outing to the Kölner Zoo und Aquarium. We decided to all go along and if HR's fever didn't spike after the excursion, then we'd drive her to Bonn after supper. She ran out of steam pretty quickly, but didn't feel sick again, ate a solid supper, and then packed up her stuff, anxious to get to EO's home in Bonn. After dropping her off, VM and I stayed up until nearly midnight talking. Love those peeps...

My spot for my morning quiet time and to watch the ever-changing sky. Lots of wind and storms passing through, so it was never boring!

Little FN's favorites are the hippos, the turtles, and the crocodiles.

Personally, I thought the dwarf bearded dragon who was chillin' out with his arm over the windowsill was super cute...

... but the hugging frogs stole the show!

"No way am I touching that tarantula!"

Coke for a little pep and rehydration... that mama hippo was WAY bigger in real-life!

FN hanging out by the hippo's enclosure.

Can you spot the crocodile?

Monday, March 4th

J and GE got up early and drove the last hour to the little village of Prasdorf near the Ostsee. He stayed to see that she was settled in at the Ponyhof before driving on to Lübeck. The riding camp had already started on Saturday, so the other girls were already decked out for a morning ride when she arrived. But that didn't phase GE! She got right into the middle of things, I'm sure.

On Sunday evening when it was clear HR would be able to go to her friend's house, I used my Deutsche Bahn app to purchase a ticket for an IC (Intercity) train leaving Köln Hauptbahnhof in the morning and arriving in Hamburg where I could catch an RE (Regional) train to Lübeck. So around 8:15 a.m. I walked to the S-Bahn from our friend's home and took that to the Kölner Hauptbahnhof. Wish I'd been brave and had taken some pictures of the costumed folks on the subway car! Monday was the big parade day in Köln. A live band greeted passengers as I entered the train station (see video below!). My trains were on time and J and our friend, MG, would meet me at the train station. I only arrived in Lübeck a few hours after J did. Back on plan! The guest suite in MG's apartment complex was lovely: bedroom, bath, living room with dining corner, and little kitchen. Everything was spotless and there was a gorgeous ground level Wintergarten (enclosed patio). The only drawback: no internet! Oh my... this will be more of a tech vacation than I'd planned since I'm nearly out of data for the month and need to conserve it for when I need it to navigate or Google search as we explore.

Clown on the platform...

Last glimpses of Köln as the train crossed the Rhine river.

The Wintergarten at the guest apartment.

After depositing my stuff, we (including MG) headed in our rental car into Bad Schwartau to do a drive-by tour of the factory complexes where MG works. The Schwartau company produces a variety of grocery products, but is best known for its jams and jellies. MG has worked there for years in different capacities, but currently operates the large machinery that move the palates around (either with produce that will be turned into jam products or with the finished jars ready for shipments and that sort of thing). It's quite complex with different factory and production sites scattered all around the medium-sized town. After that we parked in the center and walked around the pedestrian shopping zone, poked our heads into the Schwartau company outlet shop, then settled in for a cup of coffee at a café before heading to Samos Griechesches restaurant for supper and an early evening in back at the apartment. We had our own plans for Tuesday while MG had to start an early shift at work.

Tuesday, March 5th

We slept in a little, ate a "home" breakfast at the apartment, then went into the center of the little village, Kücknitz, to find a café with free hotspot to do some work and relax. J wrote while I studied the songs I'm learning for the June Bach Festival. We picked up some groceries from the REWE across the street and then went back to the apartment to meet up with MG for a late lunch at the Kartoffelkeller in Lübeck. Afterwards we walked through town, revisiting some of the pretty little streets, quaint shops, and Niederegger Marzipan shop that we had seen last fall when we were here. Then we headed back out to Bad Schwartau to visit our friends, M and P, who had come with MG last summer to visit us in Virginia. We drank more coffee and talked until it was dark, then had a late dinner back at the apartment.

J noticed that the bus stop sign was very apropos to his current endeavor: "Write! Your! Book!" (an advertisement for one of the only university programs for authors in Germany)

The church plaza of Kücknitz, a suburb of Lübeck and where our friend, MG, grew up.

Headed to lunch at the Kartoffelkeller and the clouds were clearing!

"Old bread is not hard, NO bread, that is hard!

Wednesday, March 6th

MG has to work until later afternoon today, so J and I planned a day-trip to Schweriner Schloss, about 1.5 hours drive southeast from Lübeck in a part of Germany that was formerly in the DDR. The weather was cold and blustery, threatening rain pretty much constantly, but still somehow beautiful. The Schloss museum opened at 11, so we wandered through the Altstadt, buying some Fischsalat snacks at the weekly open Markt in the central square, and having some really good coffee at Fuchs, a local café and Rösterei. At the Schloss Museum, we opted for the individual audio guides, since we didn't have time for a full 1-hour guided tour. Beautifully restored palace that now also houses the regional parliament. Then we ate lunch at a lovely local eatery, Lukas--known for its regional Fisch delicacies--before the drive back to the apartment.

Schwerin Marktplatz

Slate skies and wind today which matched the gray cobblestone streets of the Altstadt in Schwerin.

Glimpses of the Schweriner Schloss at the end of the street.

Notice the street sign, Enge Straße, meaning "Narrow Street"!

Our standard order: a Cappucino and an Americano

"Naturally Northern"

Yellow beets, celeriac, parsnips, parsley roots! Winter root vegetables from the surrounding area.

Slanted sunlight over the Schweriner Schloss.

The most fascinating detail we gleaned from the audio guide was how papier-mâché was used to create all--let me emphasize that again: ALL--of the detailed sculpted textures in the ceilings, moldings, and in the throne room. It is amazing to try to comprehend the amount of work that was put into creating these and they look, very authentically, like real wood, marble, or stone. The sheer volume is over whelming! The inlaid wood floors, panels, and bookcases are indeed wood and are also intricately put together. I could have spent hours in this palace just taking it all in, but we only had about 50 minutes to absorb what we could and then get to our lunch destination...

A conversation chair...

The "stone" surround is not stone... it's papier-mâché!!!

Papier-mâché!!

Look at that ceiling! The wood paneling and doors here are actually wood though...

But the ceiling is painted papier-mâché!

The castle sits out in the lake on a small island and is surrounded by lovely gardens. Too bad we didn't have time to walk through them.

The cast-iron door leading into the throne room...

Fancy tea and water while we waited for our food.

I had the roasted veg and lentils with a grilled filet of locally sourced Winterkabeljau (cod). It was delicious!

J got the Matjes platter with a variety of different herring creations.

Guten Appetit!

We stopped in the Italian shop across the street for some coffee zum mitnehmen (to go) for the ride back to Kücknitz.

At 4 p.m. MG met us at the apartment and we drove to the Lübeck Hauptbahnhof to catch a train to Hamburg. We met up with MG's friend at the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof and he guided us down into the subway station tunnels and then through locked doors to give us a private guided tour of the Cold War bomb bunker (shelter), Tiefbunker Steintorwall, that was built in the 1940's and retrofitted in the 60's to shelter 1300 people in the event of an atomic bomb attack. Fascinating history! We had dinner afterwards at a German restaurant across the street from the Hauptbahnhof, then hustled back to catch the RE train back to Lübeck.

Engineering plans for the remodeling of the Hamburg subway system tunnels.

Stairs that lead to nowhere...

Stay back from the doors! These are heavy suckers and they were built before there were safety mechanisms for preventing smashed fingers and broken arms...

Rows and rows of seats with foam head rests and seat belts... Sit for 16 hours, lie down in a cot for 8... sheltered people were expected to take shifts since there were only exactly enough seats and beds for the allotted population in this district. There were only 2 shelters capable of housing this many people (1300) in the center of Hamburg and then a whole network of other shelters scattered around. There was even a special counting system that monitored how many people had entered the shelter and would automatically shut and seal the giant metal doors when the last person had entered and the shelter was at capacity.

One of the sleeping rooms.

Explicit directions for how to turn on the water filtration system--written on the wall in step by step, layman's terms so that anyone could do if they had even menial technical training.

Green marking the border between West and East Germany.

Communications relay room. Radio and phone lines. The old phones still work for communicating within the shelter (phones at the entrances, this room, the kitchen, and medical triage.)

"Fingers Away Crush Danger"

One of the air filters cut open to reveal how it worked.

All the signs and directions on the walls are painted over glow-in-the-dark paint! In the event that lights go out to conserve electricity and fuel for the generators, people would still have been able to get around by following the glow on the walls--although how long they stay visible, I'm not sure.

J's dinner after the tour: a Norddeutsche specialty: Labskaus

I'll have my Salat-Nizza, thanks! (Although this one was particularly swimming in the proteins and short on the veg...)

Thursday, March 7th

MG works a later shift again today, so we had another day to do whatever we liked. This time we headed north and east to the Ostsee coast (Baltic). The route took us on all secondary roads through rolling farmland, dotted with little farming villages and vacation rental homes. We passed through Klütz and then drove north to the little resort town, Boltenhagen, where we parked and then walked out to the beach. The plan was to walk on the packed sand, eat a packed picnic lunch, and then, if we had time, poke around the village antique shops in Klütz. But the wechselhaftes Wetter (changeable weather) forced us to shorten our walk, retreat to a covered Imbiss dining area in Boltenhagen for our lunch, and then an early retreat to Klütz. It all turned out fine! We got a little damp, but the temps weren't too terribly cold and the winds meant that the sky kept changing, the rain didn't stick around, and the sun even came out again for a bit. We headed home in time for me to catch a power nap before we went out with MG again to visit his brother and sister-in-law for Kaffee und Kuchen. After a late dinner back at the apartment, I repacked, organized some food for travel, and went to bed!

Swans and ducks busy diving into the seaweed for their lunches... wish I knew what kind of ducks these were! They had beautiful rust colored heads--definitely not mallards! Pretty sure they were Reiherente.

The little chapel in the middle of Boltenhagen.

Shifting skies and wind...

The view from the covered area where we ate lunch.

J went over to the Imbiss and ordered some Fischbrötchen so we wouldn't get kicked out for bringing our own food... sorry, not sorry...

Company for lunch!

Fischbrötchen of one art or another...

A different variety...

Center of Klütz village.

Home to Schloss Bothmer, a Baroque era villa.

Unfortunately the church was locked and we weren't able to get in.

Spring is trying to make an appearance... even in the north!

St. Marienkirche, Klütz

We enjoyed walking through the antique shop housed in the former school building. The building itself was amazing--brick floor for the entry hallway, old wooden floors upstairs, winding staircase, large lead-glass windows. It's well taken care of and was full to the brim with treasures. Hardest part: not buying any of the tea cups!

Anyone need a boar's head?

Peter Schreier--famous German tenor of the mid-20th century.

My favorite blue and white pattern--classic from the china factories of the former East Germany! This was the hardest thing to pass up, but I couldn't imagine how I'd get it home in one piece...

Cranes in a field on our way home...

Friday, March 8th

Tomorrow is an all day Probetag (rehearsal day) for the Himmelfahrtskirchen Chor, including a special rehearsal for the Capellchor. On Sunday, the Capellchor is performing a Bach cantata during the morning worship service, and the director had asked me back in January if I could sing in the small select chorus. I talked it over with J and decided to do it, but it meant adjusting my plans for this weekend. I bought a train ticket from Lübeck to München via Lüneburg, leaving a little after noon and getting into Munich around 8:30 p.m.

J and I got up early, cleaned up the apartment, packed, and turned in the key and parking pass to the Hausmeister, then drove into Lübeck for a quick stop at the Niederegger Marzipan Fabrikshop for some bulk bags of Marzipan, found a parking spot near the Hauptbahnhof, and went for one more café date (i.e. internet connection!). Then J saw me off and went to wait for MG who was meeting him at the train station after his shift finished. I had a smooth ride back, although plenty long!

Factory employees putting the finishing touches on Easter packages of Marzipan chocolates.

Dramatic skies over the Holstentor as we walked from the train station to the Altstadt to get coffee (and internet).

Cozy in my new wool sweater-coat from a shop in Boltenhagen. Perfect for the train ride home. (photo from J)

My train ride:

Waiting for my train in the Lübeck Hauptbahnhof.

Transfer station: Lüneburg

Castle afar: Würzburg

Sunset somewhere-mitten-in-Deutschland...

Meanwhile J went with MG by RE train to Hamburg to go to the Miniatur Wunderland. They spent the afternoon touring the museum (see the promotional video), ate dinner together and said their good-byes. J spent the night with our family friends, TW and SW in Hamburg.

Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg (J's photos):

Saturday & Sunday, March 9-10th

On Saturday morning J went with TW and SW to pick up the little girls (their daughter, LW, and our GE) from the Ponyhof Sye. I had tasked J with getting pics of GE with ponies or friends she'd made this past week. The camp also gave her some as mementos, which I've scanned in. She was dirty, smelled of ponies and hay, and was thoroughly happy!

Giddy! (Excitement or lack of sleep... probably BOTH!)

Pony "Diego" that GE rode whenever they took the ponies out for a ride in the country. She rode other ponies when they practiced in the ring.

Tiny little things, these ponies! They rode bareback!

Each camper collected points (Punkte) during the week for things they did or accomplished. She got 4th place even though she arrived late. Best part (she says) was that she got her pony to gallop! What fun!

Shortly after lunch J and GE were on their way to Bonn. I'd arranged for them to spend the night with our friends LC and RR in Friesdorf, where we had stayed for a few nights during the Herbstferien (fall break) in October. Sunday morning they gathered up HR and ME who had been with their friends in Bonn all week and headed home to Munich. J was a trooper--lots of driving and dealing with tired, worn-out girls while being fairly tired and worn-out himself! But everyone had a wonderful week of connecting with friends and a mix of excursions and R&R.

ME with YK in Bonn (highlights: Karneval parade in Bad Godesberg, going to a production of "Miss Saigon" in the Kölner Dom, Butterfly exhibit) [ME's photos]:

Lovely ladies! And how grown up now... Back then.

Miss Saigon in the Kölner Dom

HR with EO in Bonn (highlights: hanging out and talking about what they remembered from first grade when they were bestie's in the Bodelschwinghe Schule, watching Harry Potter and funny animal videos on YouTube, going to see "Ralph Wrecks the Internet" in the movie theater, shopping together, cooking supper) [HR's photos]:

Now... and then (scroll down to April 12, 2013).

EO (in the mustard-yellow top) and her sister, A (on the right)

Meanwhile back in München, I had a long day of rehearsal from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. split by a lovely lunch break with Gemüse Eintopf (vegetable stew), Wurst, und Brot at 1 p.m. and an incredible spread of Kuchen for the p.m. Kaffee und Kuchen break! I also got up early to make a run to the grocery store before I needed to leave for rehearsal and hit up a couple of other markets on my way home from rehearsal in the afternoon--my cupboards and fridge were pretty much empty and since stores (except bakeries!) are closed on Sunday, if I didn't restock on Saturday, we wouldn't have had much to eat besides bread until Monday. I suppose there are worse things than only having German bread to eat...

Sunday, March 10th

J and the girls left Bonn around 9:30 a.m. while I was busy singing Bach's BWV 93 "Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten" with the Himmelfahrtskirche Capellchor. I got home around noon and they arrived around 3 p.m. We got the rental car unloaded between gusts of wind and sprinkles of rain, found a parking spot and then began the unpacking, laundry sorting (8 loads, OH MY!), and getting ready for school tomorrow...