Wednesday, October 05, 2005
24-26 September FAREWELL WEEKEND IN GERMANY
Hi from downunder
Yes, it is true, I am back in Australia now and found a lovely present waiting on my desk at work, a brand new flat screen computer. So I am taking it for a little test run. Before we get into life back here though, I need to go back a week or two to my final weekend in Landshut.
Saturday 24 September I offered to cook a thankyou lunch for Else, Franz, Enrico and Angelique. Roast beef, baked potatoes with sour cream and chives and parsley, garlic bread and a huge bowl of greek salad. They loved it and it was nice to see Else have a morning off for a change. I enjoyed doing it and it was fun, even the shopping for it the previous day since I hadn't done any grocery shopping for 3 months. Plus to find the ingredients for my roast like Bouquet Garni and other herbs etc was quite an experience in German. So the weekend was filled with farewell phone calls from Nicole and Sepp and Enrico and by last minute visits by Toni and Christa and Erhard. I was really spoiled by all the attention and also with many farewell gifts. Christa brought with her another beautiful home-made cake roll filled with fresh cream and raspberries that she had picked herself. Uncle Toni gave me a silver coin which he had specially ordered, with the new Pope on one side and the Vatican on the other, to remember my holiday in Rome and to bring me luck in life.
Sunday 25 September Franz and Else took me to the Niederbayern (Lower Bavaria) Show. Very much like our Easter Show with many pavillions with business and farmers showing off their products/animals etc. We had lots of fun wandering around and tasting/sampling many cheese/tea/yoghurt varieties. I watched chickens hatch from eggs in the animal nursery and also watched 8 piglets suckling on their mother's nipples. 2 missed out and sat snuggled up in the hay. I love that smell of the animals at the show. Then of course there was a beer tent, we were in Germany after all. So my uncle bought me a HAXEN (leg of pork) complete with crackling and all, which I managed to eat and swallow down with a stein of beer. Somehow we also found room later for afternoon tea, to try out yet another deep-fried sweet (kind of like a doughnut) made from yeast. We were exhausted that afternoon after over 4 hours of walking around but it was very interesting and a fun day. Franz spent most of his time keeping track of where we got to and when he found us he would say to his wife, and the little one is here too with his arm around me. I must admit, I enjoyed being pampered by my aunt and uncle and at times, felt like a little girl again.
The day was not over, that evening Enrico and Angelique took me along to watch their favourite sport of Ice Hockey. They are serious fans of the LA Cannibals who were playing the Dresden Lions. They even gave me a jersey to wear to support the Landshut team. We had to have the right colours on when standing in amongst the crowd. So again, I felt like a teenager barracking for a team, something I haven't done for years and my very first ice hockey game. It was such an exciting and fast game with men on the sidelines playing drums all the way through. Lively music the whole time adding to the atmosphere (including "You'll Never Walk Alone) and a very close game. We lost, 1 nil. So Enrico was not a happy little vegemite on the way home. Nevertheless it was a very very good game and an evening enjoyed by all. I'll never forget the roar of the crowds, the drumrolls and the quick changeover every 2 minutes by the players. The fans even chanted "put the wall back up" since Dresden was from the old East side. It was all in fun of course.
Monday 26 September I packed my bags and Franz drove me to the Post Office with yet another 9.8 kg parcel to send back home. Angelique and the twins came over and we all had our final lunch together. Else and I took the twins for our last long walk together. It was very appropriate and beautiful, we walked to the Nicola Kirche where Marianne's funeral was held, to the hospital where she passed away and to the swimming pool where she spent many happy times with Else. I felt very close to Marianne that day and was happy to share that final day in Landshut thinking of her and reminiscing with mum's other sister Else, especially because I missed out on seeing her again this visit. The weather was beautiful and the walk was lovely amongst lots of greenery and some nice homes.
4.30 pm the reliable Mischa was there to take me to the airport once again. So teary quick goodbyes were said, many last minute kisses on the cheeks of the twins Kevin and Mark and I was whisked off. Mischa is hoping to visit us in August next year and even wants to do a farmstay. She is a trained Veterinary assistant and enjoys animals and the country lifestyle. So let's keep our fingers crossed that she will come over and experience how our farmers work.
The overnight flight Munich, Frankfurt to Singapore went well and I even got to sleep a few hours. By the way, Frankfurt airport has the longest moving indoor footway I have ever seen. Duck was served for dinner and I had the best seat at the emergency exit with no seat in front of us (I had a very friendly and chatty gay guy beside me to share the flight and leg room with). Perfect for this 12 hour flight.
Time for a tea break, will return to tell you all about my adventures in Singapore.
Chow!
Yes, it is true, I am back in Australia now and found a lovely present waiting on my desk at work, a brand new flat screen computer. So I am taking it for a little test run. Before we get into life back here though, I need to go back a week or two to my final weekend in Landshut.
Saturday 24 September I offered to cook a thankyou lunch for Else, Franz, Enrico and Angelique. Roast beef, baked potatoes with sour cream and chives and parsley, garlic bread and a huge bowl of greek salad. They loved it and it was nice to see Else have a morning off for a change. I enjoyed doing it and it was fun, even the shopping for it the previous day since I hadn't done any grocery shopping for 3 months. Plus to find the ingredients for my roast like Bouquet Garni and other herbs etc was quite an experience in German. So the weekend was filled with farewell phone calls from Nicole and Sepp and Enrico and by last minute visits by Toni and Christa and Erhard. I was really spoiled by all the attention and also with many farewell gifts. Christa brought with her another beautiful home-made cake roll filled with fresh cream and raspberries that she had picked herself. Uncle Toni gave me a silver coin which he had specially ordered, with the new Pope on one side and the Vatican on the other, to remember my holiday in Rome and to bring me luck in life.
Sunday 25 September Franz and Else took me to the Niederbayern (Lower Bavaria) Show. Very much like our Easter Show with many pavillions with business and farmers showing off their products/animals etc. We had lots of fun wandering around and tasting/sampling many cheese/tea/yoghurt varieties. I watched chickens hatch from eggs in the animal nursery and also watched 8 piglets suckling on their mother's nipples. 2 missed out and sat snuggled up in the hay. I love that smell of the animals at the show. Then of course there was a beer tent, we were in Germany after all. So my uncle bought me a HAXEN (leg of pork) complete with crackling and all, which I managed to eat and swallow down with a stein of beer. Somehow we also found room later for afternoon tea, to try out yet another deep-fried sweet (kind of like a doughnut) made from yeast. We were exhausted that afternoon after over 4 hours of walking around but it was very interesting and a fun day. Franz spent most of his time keeping track of where we got to and when he found us he would say to his wife, and the little one is here too with his arm around me. I must admit, I enjoyed being pampered by my aunt and uncle and at times, felt like a little girl again.
The day was not over, that evening Enrico and Angelique took me along to watch their favourite sport of Ice Hockey. They are serious fans of the LA Cannibals who were playing the Dresden Lions. They even gave me a jersey to wear to support the Landshut team. We had to have the right colours on when standing in amongst the crowd. So again, I felt like a teenager barracking for a team, something I haven't done for years and my very first ice hockey game. It was such an exciting and fast game with men on the sidelines playing drums all the way through. Lively music the whole time adding to the atmosphere (including "You'll Never Walk Alone) and a very close game. We lost, 1 nil. So Enrico was not a happy little vegemite on the way home. Nevertheless it was a very very good game and an evening enjoyed by all. I'll never forget the roar of the crowds, the drumrolls and the quick changeover every 2 minutes by the players. The fans even chanted "put the wall back up" since Dresden was from the old East side. It was all in fun of course.
Monday 26 September I packed my bags and Franz drove me to the Post Office with yet another 9.8 kg parcel to send back home. Angelique and the twins came over and we all had our final lunch together. Else and I took the twins for our last long walk together. It was very appropriate and beautiful, we walked to the Nicola Kirche where Marianne's funeral was held, to the hospital where she passed away and to the swimming pool where she spent many happy times with Else. I felt very close to Marianne that day and was happy to share that final day in Landshut thinking of her and reminiscing with mum's other sister Else, especially because I missed out on seeing her again this visit. The weather was beautiful and the walk was lovely amongst lots of greenery and some nice homes.
4.30 pm the reliable Mischa was there to take me to the airport once again. So teary quick goodbyes were said, many last minute kisses on the cheeks of the twins Kevin and Mark and I was whisked off. Mischa is hoping to visit us in August next year and even wants to do a farmstay. She is a trained Veterinary assistant and enjoys animals and the country lifestyle. So let's keep our fingers crossed that she will come over and experience how our farmers work.
The overnight flight Munich, Frankfurt to Singapore went well and I even got to sleep a few hours. By the way, Frankfurt airport has the longest moving indoor footway I have ever seen. Duck was served for dinner and I had the best seat at the emergency exit with no seat in front of us (I had a very friendly and chatty gay guy beside me to share the flight and leg room with). Perfect for this 12 hour flight.
Time for a tea break, will return to tell you all about my adventures in Singapore.
Chow!
# posted by Gisela @ 7:51 PM 
