Pat dropped me off Wednesday night at Newark Airport to suffer through the long, long, long security lines. Every time they made me show my passport and ticket, I would then put them back into my purse. Two minutes later someone wanted to see it again. It was a pain. Bought a bottle of water for a shocking $4.00 - they really have you over a barrel with the "no liquids" rule - you are at their mercy once you pass through security, and they take full advantage of it.
Jane picked me up Thursday morning, after a not-so-bad flight (7 rather quick hours.) The meal was horrible but there was no one in the seat between me and my row-mate, so I had a little extra room, and slept fairly well.
On the way to Gundelfingen, I had to pee really bad. Jane pulled over into a rest area, but of course there were no toilets. So I had to go into the woods (and it was very apparent I wasn't the first.) Due to the steepness of the terrain and the angle of my sweatpants, I wet myself. Jane got a picture of me emerging from the woods, and thankfully it doesn't show my pee-pee pants. But I did have to sit on a towel all the way to her crib. Great way to start a vacation, don't you think?
Yes, at last I was to meet Gerald...of course, it wasn't until early Friday morning because he was out all night patrolling the perimeter, but he came in and curled up between my legs. He is so beautiful and so sweet, with a great purr. When we arrived he was out on his appointed rounds. He is the Vicar of Gundelfingen.
Jane and I walked through the village. It's really pretty with lots of flowers. I think everyone in the village has a few windowboxes dripping with flowers. I got some very nice pictures. Unfortunately, I missed the storks which roost on top of the church, they left for Africa 8/17. There is a big board by the church which lists the stork activities past and present. I got a picture of that and the nest, anyHOW. We walked up to the town center where I used my bankcard to get some Geoffrey Dollars and we had coffee and ice cream at an outdoor cafe. Gundelfingen is celebrating its 1000th anniversary in 2008! They are working on some of the older buildings in anticipation of the celebration next year.
The weather was sunny and warm - so lovely. We went over to the grocery store and picked up olives and chocolate, of course. I picked up one bottle cap for Cousin Dr. Donn.
Came back and sat on the balcony. Jane, Thomas and Gerald's crib is nice - roomy and with lots of light, a balcony that goes around 2 sides and has a nice view of the neighbor's garden, and a shrine to Aunt Evil's Mini-Me. It's like a Mike Hye Monkey Shrine. Unfortunately, upstairs is a family of mountain gorillas. They stomp, cry, whine, scream, hammer, yammer and yell in the stairway. Actually, I think mountain gorillas have much better manners.
Jane's next-door neighbors (the ones she calls "the kindergarten") called us over and gave us some of their home-grown grapes. We then went to the mineral bad (bath) and spent about 2 hours there. The water was fantastic. There is a circular area where there is an actual current. You don't have to do a thing and it just pushes you round and round. We made a lot of Germans laugh, I don't know why. There were a lot of young couples there who should have gotten a room, if you know what I mean. We left there around 9 pm. I released 2 bookcrossing books while I was there.
Came home and Jane made this really good stuff with sauerkraut, noodles (more like dumplings or gnocchi) and ham. She said it is a traditional festival food and that Thomas says she uses too much sauerkraut. What does he know? She had already made a terrific fruit salad. We got into our jammies and ate dinner in bed while we watched Ocean's 11, 12 or 13 (whatever it takes) until we couldn't hold our eyes open anymore.
Friday morning we had coffee and breakfast on the balcony. It was a little chilly. We planned on walking into the village to the Markt. Later, being the chips off the old Mutti that we are, we have a cemetery in Freiberg to explore. And we'll probably climb the Munst. And go to another grocery store. Or two.
We will meet up with Doo on Sunday. Tuesday and the rest of the week while Jane is working, Doo & I will explore Heidelberg. We'll come back here on the weekend and celebrate Jane's birthday with Thomas and Big G.
Sure miss my kitty and hope the bachelors are being good to him. The vet is supposed to call Pat and tell him what we should do next about his ear. His EAR, not his REAR.
No comments:
Post a Comment