June Holiday: 18 June

The last day at Oberstdorf always has the best skaters.  However, to begin at the beginning, we got up when the "Cow Alarm" went off, and after breakfast we visited the services, gave up our Kurkarten, and left the van all ready to move when we got back (oh, it was hot with the windows having been shut), and went to the rink for the last time.

The morning started with the younger Bronze men's artistic, then all the free dances (why do so many couples insist on keeping the same music all the way through when they take such a penalty for it?), which ranged from dire to fabulous. At least two of the Bronze couples blame me for their participation. Moi?  I'm innocent, innocent I tell you!

After the dances came the Masters Elites men and women, including Olympians. We had friends in the Masters Elite Ladies III, so stayed to watch it, but then came away so missed seeing Fumie Suguri, but we can catch up when we get home.

Back to the van, and first stop was the ReWe supermarket we hadn't been to yet this trip, and then a long drive past Munich to a little town called Landshut, where we are parked up for the night, not sure how legally!  It is a pretty town, and the car park is by the Isar river.

June Holiday, 17 June

The penultimate day of competition started with Silver Ladies IV artistic and Gold Ladies III & IV Free. We watched some of the latter and all of the former, and then it was Bronze I, so I went into town to do a bit of shopping, but just missed a bus so explored the back (quicker) way back to the van for lunch.  After which I had a kip, and then the SW and I went back into town so he could buy me two cheap watches for my birthday present. And back to the rink to watch some masters skating and the Short Dance, which was brilliant. Then it was going to be pairs, so I came away.

June Holiday, 16 June

Today I vaguely woke up with the "alarm clock" of the cows going out to pasture at 07:10, but the next thing I knew it past 08:00 and I was being told that my tea would be about drinkable - which it was!  So got up and had breakfast and decided not to go to the rink just yet, but went shopping in the town to get some knitting cotton so I could make skate cloths if my current cardigan gets to a state where I can't really go on until I have the rest of the wool, which is at home.

Walked back to the rink, stopping en route to buy an ice from the kiosk, which was seriously delicious, and then spent the rest of the day there, watching various friends and then in the evening it was the pattern dances, bronze through to masters, so we sat and critiqued and cheered and ate pizza. Fun, but very tiring, and how the others can go off to the pub now, I do not know!  All I want is my bed....

June Holiday, 15 June

After all the excitements of yesterday, I both wanted and needed a very quiet day. There wasn't much I wanted see at the rink until the evening, so I spent the morning doing a load of washing, which took forever and didn't dry quite properly, shopping, and making a huge ragu for supper.

The Swan Whisperer, meanwhile, had gone out for a long walk with like-minded friends, and reappeared at about 4:00 pm, just as the rain started and the kettle boiled!

After supper, we went to the rink for the evening session, which ranged from Bronze Ladies V (aged 68+, one of whom is in her first - and she swears last - season of skating solo, although she and her husband have danced against us on a couple of occasions) to a couple of ex-Olympians!  And the older ladies got every bit as many cheers and "tossies" (small gifts, mostly sweets or tiny soft toys) as the elites, if not more so!  Adult skating truly rocks!

June Holiday: 14 June

My 63rd birthday, and what better place to spend it than watching friends from all round the world skating, mostly very well indeed.

We were woken by the cows at 07:10, and got up and had breakfast, and then went more-or-less straight to the rink as our friends were skating in the first class of the day. Stayed there until lunch, at which point I took a break to eat and to go round the town, and scored some 4711 shower gel, which I love and is half the price it is in the UK. Will try to get some more before we leave.

Then back the rink where we stayed until dinner time, had a lovely meal in the upstairs restaurant, and back to the van in the rain.

Team GB increased its medal haul again, wonderful! 

June Holiday: 13 June

Why is watching skating so tiring?  I was exhausted by lunch time.....

We got up at a reasonable hour and after breakfast we used the services and I did a bit of shopping.  Then we went up to the rink to watch skating on and off all day. Team GB is doing really well, including wiping the board in one class, and several other gold medals during the day. I won't name names, as I'd be bound to forget someone, but everyone who skated was a winner!

I did have to miss some skaters, though, as I got very tired so went back to the van to sleep for an hour. As the bus had been coming when I left the rink I took it for the one stop back to the camp site, and then thought that, just for fun, I'd catch it back again - it is a one-way circular route, so of course I had to sit on it right out to the first Park'n'ride car park, and then back again! Great fun.

We also missed the last two classes of the day to go back to the van and eat, and I an going to bed now!

June Holiday, 12 June

Woke up far too early to a lovely view of the Alps. The bread man comes at 8:00, so we bought rolls to have with breakfast.  Then it was to the rink, as I had volunteered to take a short service of worship - they very kindly found us a room where we could do that, and 7 of us gathered.

After the service, we hung around for a bit greeting friends, then went back to the van for an early lunch and a rest.  Then we wandered into town and met up with some Queen's/Streatham skaters and had Kaffee und Kuchen with them.  Then back again to the van - I waited and caught the bus - and I sorted out a bag for tomorrow while the Swan Whisperer went for a walk.

The Team GB dinner was at 18:30, followed by the welcome party downstairs. I couldn't hear a word of the actual welcome, but there was a very good band which played and encouraged the skaters to do a conga line.... all good fun.  We came away after a bit, and over to the main block to use the WiFi, which is free, but the signal doesn't stretch to where we are parked, and I am almost out of data.