Oberstdorf and more, 24 May 2022

Today was the first day of competition. It is really nice this year because it is so much smaller, and it feels like 20 years ago when we were there - in those days at the Mountain Cup - for the friendship and fun as much as for the skating, if not more so. In recent years, Oberstdorf has become so big you don't really get to see people outside of your own little clique, and watching is a marathon!

The competition didn't start until 10:45, so I made a big vegetable stew which will do us at least twice with various accompaniments - pasta, potatoes, chicken, eggs... When we were ready, we headed on up to the rink. I was delighted to find the way there seems a lot less steep than three years ago, and I didn't need to stop for breath - I must be fitter than I thought!

The rink is the same

except that there are no seats in the little café, and the kiss'n'cry has two hard seats instead of the usual sofa. Some people, but not all, wear masks, but it is not compulsory except on public transport and healthcare. 

I took advantage of a lull to head down to Lidl, which is the same only different to at home. They do fresh milk, unlike in France, and also blood orange juice, which the Norma next door doesn't do. I had just missed a bus coming back so pottered around Woolworths until one was due, but stupidly got off a stop too early.

We were late getting back to the rink after lunch as the SW got a phone call and couldn't get off the line. He is far too polite to hang up on her, which I should have done, with the result that we missed some skaters we should have liked to have seen. Ah well. Stayed at the rink until about 4, but then had suddenly had enough, so came back to the motor home and flaked out with the live stream and some YouTube videos (so jealous of the Daughter, who has already been on the Elizabeth Line, as had another of our friends!). 

Oberstdorf and more, 23 May 2022

Lovely to wake up in Oberstdorf this morning! It was a lovely morning, to, and rapidly became very hot.  After breakfast, M came over with her toothbrush, which had discharged itself, and it has been sitting on my portable charger all day.

Then I went round to Norma, the supermarket next door, to get one or two things, including strawberry cakes for lunch; I forgot to take a picture of them, and at €3.10 each, we aren't going to have them very often this week!  I also forgot to buy rolls, but did get some nice bread.  Bumped into a couple of friends, which was nice. 

After lunch, E came round, and it was lovely to see her.  But the SW and I wanted a walk, so when she had gone, we set off in different directions.  I walked into town, as far as the Bahnhof, and then it began to rain, so I got the Ortsbus back as far as the ice rink and said hello to a few people there, and watched some of the ice dancers practising.  Then the rain was (temporarily) away, so I came back to the motor home,

to be joined by the Swan Whisperer.  It has been raining more or less (but mostly more) heavily ever since, so we spent the rest of the afternoon reading and dozing.  Then I got supper - midweek mushroom pasta - although I found I wasn't very hungry, and now M has just come to collect her toothbrush.  It is still raining!

Oberstdorf and more 2022, 22 May

So when I woke up this morning, I suddenly thought, why don't we get our act together and head on, and then stop at Leonberg where we had planned to spend the night, for Church (on livestream) and lunch, and then head on all the way to Oberstdorf, having another night here. 

So that is what we did. Church was a bust, as we couldn't get the livestream to work properly, but we had a good lunch and then headed on. 

There are road closures on the A8, so the satnav took us on the B28 and B10 to rejoin the A7 at Ulm. We stopped somewhere - a random layby full of lorries that aren't allowed to move on Sundays, but there was room for us, for the SW to have coffee, and then we did not stop again until we got here. 

For obvious reasons, it is three years since we were last here; they have poshed up the "sanitaires" and it looks much grander inside. 

The SW went up to the rink to see who he could see, and I got supper. It is very warm here, and  it is supposed to rain soon, as it so often does in the evenings round here! 

Oberstdorf and more 2022, 21 May

I overslept this morning! I woke, as I usually do, around 07:00, took my tablet (which has to be taken at least 30 minutes before a caffeinated drink) turned off the alarm which had been set for 07:30, did the various Wordle puzzles and started to look through Facebook - and the next thing I knew,  it was 09:00! I consoled myself with the knowledge that it was only 08:00 in the UK and it wouldn't matter if today's meals were on UK time rather than European time! 

As, indeed, they turned out to be. The Swan Whisperer booked himself on a tour of the mine for 11:00 - sooner him than me; I don't think you could pay me enough to go down one of those! This didn't finish until nearly 13:00, and then we needed to use the services before we set off. 

Our first port of call was a supermarket, naturally enough, and I was delighted to score some coloured eggs,

which I didn't think they sold in Belgium. I couldn't, however, find any fresh milk, although I did get some cream. Very strange. Thank goodness the Norma in Oberstdorf usually sells it. 

After lunch we set off to drive to this place, Kirchberg, where the aire is behind a motorhome rental place.  The electricity isn't working, so when the proprietor came home, he kindly brought out a cable for our use. We are right behind a large shopping centre, but it has a glorious view.

It was a pleasant drive, although I dozed most of the way. The roads were extraordinarily quiet by German standards. 

Oberstdorf and more 2022; 20 May

Today was always going to be a long and dreary drive across Belgium, and we were not disappointed! As is so often the case, endless traffic jams, road works, accidents (not, thankfully, involving us) and massive thunderstorms! 

While driving through Flanders, and we noticed endless poppies growing on the central reservation, which was not exactly a field, but... 

And eventually we arrived at Blegny Mines,

which is an excellent aire in the car park of a former mine, now a museum. The SW went for a walk and got wet but I had a nap. I am tired today after the excitements of the past week! Germany tomorrow. 

Oberstdorf and more 2022, 19 May

It is three years since the international Adult competition was last held in Oberstdorf, and it has been much missed. But at last it is happening again, and we are on the way. 

We were up early this morning as, we wanted to be away around 09:00. First thing that happened was a text from my brother to ask whether we were going to want the motor home, as there was scaffolding round its garage and he would need to move a pole. Which he did and the Swan Whisperer was able to get the van out with no difficulty. 

He started to load the car and I rushed out to Lidl as soon as it opened as this week's coupons were great and I wanted to redeem them, and it was about 09:15 when we set off. And promptly had to turn round and go back as I had forgotten to put my teeth in! But we were away properly by 09:30, and arrived in Sussex at about 11:15 in good time to load everything into the van and have most of it put away before lunch, which was a delicious venison cottage pie (ghillie's pie?) made by my mother, with vegetables, a followed by strawberries. 

They were to meet the Archdeacon at church at 14:30 (we went past him in the street) so we set off about 14:10. We stopped at Clackett Lane services, and as the SW felt sleepy, he had a nap and a cup of coffee. Even so, we arrived at the terminal in time to get the shuttle before ours (and incidentally saw that there is a disabled lane in the car section, and which I wish we had seen last time).

There was a Spitfire and a biplane flying around for some reason; I did try to get a photograph, but didn't succeed. All the same, but I do rather like the gull on the lamp post! 

The crossing was uneventful, as was the short drive up here to Beaubourg, where we are spending the night. 

The new Northern Line platforms

 I had a dentist appointment in Clapham at 4:00 pm, so, we thought, when we learnt that the Bank branch of the Northern Line was reopening today, we would be able to go up and have a look at it and then come down to Clapham in time for my appointment.  Of course, they thwarted us by opening the branch the previous evenings, so the likes of IanVisits and Geoff Marshall got there first!  We did quite seriously consider going up as soon as we learnt it was open, but it was getting late and I was still very tired, so we decided to stick to plan A.  

So we walked up to Clapham North and got the Bank branch from there.  We only visited the new platforms, as the new links to the Central Line and the DLR have yet to open, and the final part of the upgrade, the shiny new entrance on Cannon Street, won't open until the winter.  But the major part of the work, the creation of a whole new running tunnel for the Southbound branch, and turning what used to be the Southbound platforms into a large corridor, have now finished.

The new corridor/crush hall, where the old Southbound tunnel was.  The tracks were, I think, on the left, and the platform on the right.

The old and the new - the existing Northbound platforms, and the new connection.

Not everything is open yet, nor will be for some time.

The very large new Southbound platforms, such a pleasure after the ghastly overcrowding that was Bank!

And I got back down to Clapham Common in good time for the dentist!