The Reception in Schloss Richmond and the Autostadt in Wolfsburg.

We had a wonderful day which started at 11am with the reception in Schloss Richmond with the mayors of Bath and Braunschweig and the members of both Twinning committees.  The two Mayors can be seen signing the "Book of Friendship" between the two cities, a twinning that is 40 years old this year.  Both photos below show the reception and us sitting and enjoying a lovely lunch.  At 3pm we left for Wolfsburg and a visit to the VW Autostadt.  The exhibition of old cars was really interesting, and I saw so much that words fail me at the moment.  It was a long tiring day and I will write more later.  At 12noon tomorrow with have a Twinning Service in the Cathedral with a commemoration at the memorial to the bombing of BS in Oct 1944 and the laying of the Bath Rose for peace.  A Bath rose grows up the wall outside the Bath Portal, a sign of friendship between the two beautiful cities.  I am so very, very  lucky to be a part of this friendship association.   Good night, sleep tight, I will write more tomorrow when I am awake! 

The bottom two photos show some of the cars at the VW Autostadt, it was a really amazing place.   www.wikipedia.org Autostadt.

Flowers for Ursula and "Aufwiedersehen" Tea and Cake in the Garden.

I said another "Aufwiedersehen" until  April 2012  this afternoon to Ursula and Gerd. We sat in their lovely garden, drank tea and ate homemake plum cake with cream.  The Indian Summer sun shone and everything in the garden was rosy.  Today was an easy day with no visit to Room 101 with my passport and I also remembered to take the correct debit card with me into BS, so I was able to withdraw some cash.   This is  a short write up tonight as I need to sort my clothes for tomorrow's reception with the mayors of Bath and Braunschweig, the Petanque Group and the Twinning Group at Schloss Richmond.

My friends from Bath have arrived and we will all meet for a splendid day together.  Tomorrow afternoon we will visit the VW Autostadt in Wolfsburg and have a meal together in the evening.   I can feel my visit drawing to a close, as I keep saying so many goodbyes!   The photo below shows from left:  Monika, Gerd and Ursula enjoying  tea and cake in the garden in Harxbuettel.   It was a lovely afternoon with friends.

A Foggy Morning in the Beet Field and a Comedy of Errors.

The day started with thick fog, the first I have seen since living here.  It had cleared by 09.30 and we had yet another beautiful "Indian Summer" day.   I did the washing in too much of a hurry this morning, and failed to add any washing powder and set the wrong number for the spin cycle, so of course the door wouldn't  open. I had to reset the cycle  and go through the whole process again which made me late.  I then  rushed for the bus, and caught the M3 tram to the  Residents Office in BS, where they wanted to see my passport and some evidence of me leaving the country.  I was sent to room 101 for people whose surnames begin with MPQ FLNOR, where I got a ticket out of the "Who is next in the queue machine" and waited 40 minutes to be interviewed.  Eventually my form was stamped and signed, and I now need to leave the country on Friday 7th October.  The lowest photo shows no. 931 inside being interviewed,  I was no. 934 in the queue.

Then I needed cash, so went to withdraw some Euros, only to find that I'd bought my credit card with me instead of my debit card.  I stood outside the bank and said, "Sh*t" in English and in German, as I had only four Euros in my purse.  Janet and I had arranged to meet for lunch in "Graff" so she lent me some cash to do the shopping and I will repay her when she is in the UK the week after next.  I came home, made a cuppa and began to feel a whole lot better.  It was one of those days!

The fire brigade were in the Rathaus Square again today, so I was able to take a photo of the crane lifting brave citizens high up into the air for a view of the city.  I did not venture up, I much prefer Mother Earth.

Harvesting the Beet Field and a Missed Photo Opportunity.

Sitting quietly this morning, doing nothing, I was suddenly disturbed by the beet gathering machine that finally arrived to harvest the beetfield opposite my front window.  When I first arrived here in late April the crop was so tiny, that I didn't know what it was, I thought it was turnips.   Janet reliably informed me that it was beet, and I have watched it grow over the last five months.  I did wonder when it would be gathered, for it seems a long time in growing.  What's it used for?  A sweetner, I don't really know.  (Janet tells me that the beet produces sugar for most of the European Union countries, with Germany, France and Poland being the biggest produces.)

It was an amazing machine.  A scoop in the front dug into the earth and loosened the beet, which then rolled along an upward and onward moving band that carried it until it plopped into a large holding container.   Every so often the machine stopped in front of my window and dumped the beet in a huge pile, which you can see in the top photo.  It was a fully mechanised process and very interesting to watch.  Somebody, somewhere, sat down in a office and designed that machine, how very clever! 

I went into town this afternoon without my camera, only to find that the fire brigade had a display of their machines and equipment in the "Square of German Unity" opposite the Rathaus.  What a pity!  I missed a good photo opportunity with all the big red machines and the men in their red, high visibility garb and big black helmets.

A Walk in the Elm Forest and Other News.

My small Wolters beer.

I got up this morning and limped around the room, my ankles telling me that, for the time being, they had about enough of walking.  I made a cuppa, had some breakfast and suddenly they eased up a little, just in time for me to set off on the bus for my last sessions with the English groups.  I took two bottles of wine and some snacks with me for the "Aufwiedersehen, see you next year" party.  I felt a little weepy, but after a glass of wine and some nibbles I decided to cheer up.   We are in the middle of an Indian Summer here, it has been glorious again today. I basked in a mellow warmth and at moments on the tram, it felt like a hot summer's day.  Long may it last.

Above is yesterday's small Wolters beer, my welcome drink after the 5.5 miles I had just walked.  It was a wonderful hike, but I was glad I didn't know the distance before I went, otherwise I might not have gone.   Below sits Karl with that lovely little dog Donau, who merrily ran the whole 11.7 miles in total, darting in and out of bushes, carrying sticks twice her length and chasing the fresh air.  In the lower photo we can be seen waiting at the Gasthof to be served and the lowest picture shows a good example of a Currywurst in all its glory, complete with salad and chips.  It is a tasty dish, but I still prefer a good plate of fish and chips.

Karl and Donau.

Waiting to be served at the Gasthof.

A fine example of Currywurst, chips and salad.

Til Eulenspiegel's Birthplace in Kneitlingen and a Long Walk in the Elm Forest in Search of Beer.

After walking 11.6 miles (18.7Kms) I have returned home feeling somewhat weary.  This is a short write up tonight, which I will continue tomorrow.  The walk started in Kneitlingen with 12 walkers and one very nice little doggy! Just after the start we visited the birthplace and home of Til Eulenspiegel, the jester and joker who played tricks on poor unsuspecting souls way back in the 14th century.  I photographed and wrote about his fountain in Braunschweig  several months ago. www.wikipedia.org will give you more information.  The little church where he was christened was charming,  but no inside viewing was possible because a service was in progress.  The photo below shows Til's simple room with his bed in the corner.  The lower photos show us walking to the Gasthof and having arrived, waiting to be served.  It was a very hot day, about 24c and we were all glad to arrive back at the end of the walk, for the short drive home to Braunschweig.  More tomorrow.   "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!"

Til's bedroom.

Walking towards a distant Gasthof in search of beer.

Waiting for drinks and lunch. (more pictures tomorrow)

Autumn Arrives with Beach Volleyball at the Railway Station.

Autumn has well and truly arrived, yesterday was the autumnal equinox.  Today I took a lovely stroll through one of Braunschweig's beautiful parks to look at the falling leaves and plunging conkers!   I was on my way back from the railway station, where today I cracked the secret of the automatic ticket machines.  I hadn't realised I could buy a ticket a few days in advance and that I could get a print out of the journey, complete with platform numbers.  I travel from BS to Hannover where I change trains, and it is very useful to know the platform number for the  short journey to the airport.   The total confusion at this station comes a close second to the total confusion at Berlin's multi levelled station.  Hannover Station is based on a shopping mall, so as you step down from the platforms, you are met by rows of shops, fast food outlets and hundreds of travellers milling around.   Knowing your platform is a great advantage in the hunt for the airport, "Forewarned is forearmed,"  as the the expression goes.  Is getting lost at a station a sign of creeping old age?

  

Two photos show the park in dappled sunlight, and the lower photo shows Beach Volleyball being played outside BS station.  Over the loud speaker I could hear, "Come on Hauptbahnhof"  so one of the teams was made up of main railway station personnel. (I assume.)   I managed to get the ball in shot in this photo.  I'm glad I haven't got to sweep up the sand!   How do they clear it up, with buckets and spades or a mega sized vacuum cleaner?