Early winter, Advent Sunday 28 November 2021

When I woke in the night, I was aware that the temperature gradient between the inside and the outside of my duvet was extremely sharp, and, indeed, when the Swan Whisperer got up to make tea, he said it was 8° inside and only 3° outside! Fortunately, the heating is very efficient, so that state of affairs didn't last long!

We were away by 10, and drive over to Kehl. The idea had been to visit the Christmas Market in Strasbourg, but when push came to shove it was raining and rather miserable and I decided I really didn't want to walk round in a mask with my glasses so fogged up I can't see - unlike the SW, I am even worse off without them! So I stayed in the van while he went to explore, and had a peaceful afternoon knitting and reading, and there might have been a nap...

But I still got my bratwurst, as that is what we had for supper! 

Early Winter, Saturday 27 November 2021.

The parkrun duly happened, but wet and slippery paths led to the SW posting a time of >26 minutes, which he is not pleased with. And he left his phone in the van so the run won't have registered on Strava.

While he was running, I was delighted to see a red squirrel out of the window! 

The camp site had put its running water out of use for the winter, so we had to top up with a bucket, and it seemed to have nowhere to empty the grey at any time of year, so that had to be done a crateful at a time. Not impressed. 

Once we were finally ready we drove south towards Eberbach, stopping once for diesel and milk. We were visiting our niece, her husband avd very new (8 week) baby daughter. Her husband cooked us up a Persian feast, which was delicious, and we have a doggy bag!

Now we are parked up by the Necker and wondering what on earth to do now that we are supposed to get a PCR test and isolate until the results come. None of the providers have updated their websites yet, so I can't order tests, even if we do come home early, and last time my test went astray but nobody checked up! You have to have bought the tests to enter the country, but taking them seems to be another matter! 

Early winter, Friday 26 November 2021

So today was the long-awaited visit to the Christmas markets.  The camp site is about 850 metres from the railway station, which is very basic - single-track, one platform and just a ticket machine.  It is also not a very nice walk as for most of the way there is no pavement and the verge, at this time of year, is leafy and muddy.  However, the camp site does h Ave the merit of being only about 250 metres from the parkrun, just right for tomorrow morning! 

We caught the 10:35, as we had hoped to do, and it was not long before we were in the city and looking for the metro lines that would take us to the start of the markets.  We eventually found them (Frankfurt is not very good at telling you where the various stations are, nor where the relevant lines are once you are there!) and took the metro 2 stops to Dom/Roemer, where the market was supposed to start.  Of ourse, there was no sign of it, and the various maps provided bore absolutely no relation to real life, but we found it in the end.  And it was as enjoyable, and as tiring, as these things always are.  

The worst thing was that you had to wear a mask while you were there, which is, of course, fair enough, but out of doors, even with a mask that pinches your nose, your glasses steam up and stay that way - indoors, they eventually clear, and it is not a problem, but I was walking pretty much blind by the end and the Swan Whisperer, who can see a bit without his, had to guide me. 

Just as I had had enough, we found where the tourist buses went from, and enquired about taking the tour, but it was not until 13:00 and it was only about 12:15, so the SW suggested we had an early lunch and then took the bus.  I was desperate to sit down by then, so we dived into the nearest café, which turned out to be a Vietnamese place, specialising in noodles with your choice of vegan, beef or shrimp.  I had the vegan, with rice noodles, and the SW had the beef with ramen noodles and very good they were too!  I could only manage about half of mine!  To drink we had something called apfelwein which it turns out is a local speciality, but neither of us liked it much, and we didn't finish our glasses.  Not the bratwurst and glühwein one expects of a Christmas Market, but still a lovely lunch! 

Then it was time for the City tour, which was not quite as good as it could have been as the commentary didn't sync with the scenery!   All the same, a good overview of the city. 

Then we found (eventually) a ReWe to do our shopping, and I left the SW sitting on the husband bench while I did it, although I think we probably will need to find more milk tomorrow.  But after that, I don't know what we did wrong but we had to walk miles and miles to the S-Bahn, which was not at all where I thought it was (turned out that was a different station).  Once we found it, we then had to find the right line and direction, which also took forever - some decent signposts would be a plan, Frankfurt!  But we found it in the end. 

We would have missed our train had we changed at the Hauptbahnhof, but we could stay on a further 2 or 3 stops and change there, and then had 3-4 minutes to wait for our train.  And then the long, dreary and by now very wet walk to the campsite, and a much-needed cp of tea!  I changed into pyjamas as I was all wet round the feet and ankles - my trainers are fine on wet pavements, but on puddly verges?  Not so much!  

Early winter, Thursday 25 November

Despite the very long nap yesterday I slept pretty well last night.  Woke up at 05:45 and misread my watch - could have sworn it said 06:45, so took my pill and then realised when I opened my tablet!  So went back to sleep until about 07:15.

When we had finished breakfast, we went out for a walk - down to the river and along it,

and then up and back along the main shopping drag.  We stopped to buy bread and rolls - the only things we needed for today - and then after coffee we headed on. 

We stopped at a wonderful parking space with a glorious view over the Rhine to have lunch,

and then drove on, arriving at this campsite in Offenthal at about 15:30.  Unfortunately the owner was out and we hung around in the cold for what felt like ages before he arrived, but he was very nice when he did arrive.  The only thing is that the water has been turned off for the winter except in the sanitary block, so we have to fill our tank with a bucket, but that is not really a problem. Other than that, we are within walking distance of the station for tomorrow and of the parkrun for Saturday. 

Early winter, Wednesday 24 November 2021

I really haven't done much today.  The insomnia and stress of the past few days finally caught up with me. 

The Swan Whisperer went for a run this morning, as he usually does in Düren, and after breakfast we used the services and set off.  Our first port of call was a ReWe where I did some shopping and then we set sail for Königswinter, stopping en route to buy beer and return the crate of empties that has been sitting in the back of the motor home for the past two years or so!  

We arrived in Königswinter in time for a very late lunch and after it the Swan Whisperer went on his favourite walk over the top of the Drachenfels, down the other side and back along the river.  I went to have a nap, intending to wake after half an hour or so and go for a walk, but in fact I slept all afternoon and kept dowsing off again when I was trying to wake up.  

So supper was quite the wrong nationality, as it was Italian - tortellini and tomato sauce, bought with last week's Lidl Plus coupons!  

Early winter, 22-23 November 2021

Our niece who lives in Germany has a new baby, and (some of) the Christmas markets are on. We are double vaccinated, boostered and flu jabbed.  So we decided to have a last trip before winter really sets in.  

We did all the paperwork for France, Belgium and Germany but so far all we have been asked to show was our vaccination certificates.   I did take a lateral flow test yesterday, and the Swan Whisperer did on Saturday - both negative, of course.  

So, anyway, I was on grandmother duty yesterday (not that this is onerous, these days - I pick up Boy 2 from school, and really that's about it!  Both boys go off on their own concerns and I only see them again when it is time for Boy 2 to get changed for football training!), and meanwhile the Swan Whisperer loaded up the car and went to Sussex to pick up the motor home.  I got a Thameslink from St Pancras to Redhill and we arrived in the station at about the same time.  We had thought to eat in the car park there, but it was pick up/drop off only so we ended up eating our supper at Clackett Lane services. 

The journey went smoothly, although I had trouble checking in as I hadn't noted the booking number (since rectified) and I no longer use the debit card I originally booked the Frequent Traveller tickets on.  Last time, they recognised the number plate and didn't ask for confirmation. However, it got sorted out and we got on our booked crossing, at 20:16.  We parked up at Sangatte for the night, although I didn't sleep very well. 

First port of all this morning was, of course, Carrefour, where I did a shopping and enjoyed looking at the Christmas stuff that the French are so good at.  I loved the traysful of dried fruit and similar dessert options, and will definitely buy one on the way home.   

We had done all the paperwork to cross Belgium and enter Germany, but didn't need it.  We did have to upload our sworn statements to Eurotunnel, but French passport control only wanted to see our vaccination certificates as well as our passports.   Still, I'd rather have the paperwork down and not need it than not have it when wanted. 

It was a long and dreary drive across Belgium in the rain.   We stopped at some random services for lunch and again to fix the wing mirror which had gone off station and not really safe to adjust it when moving.  

Eventually we arrived in Düren, where we have stayed several times before.  The SW needed milk, so when we had had a cup of tea we went to the Lidl which I discovered last time is just round the corner.  I switched my Lidl Plus to Germany and got some coupons (pause to show vaccination certificates to site owner, who was impressed that we'd been boostered).  We were bemused by the variety of Advent calendars on offer - one, I nearly bought, was jams and one very intriguing one was a breakfast one!  

Now back at the motor home for a quiet evening.  We have the heating on and the place is sealed tight, so I think I will open a skylight in the bathroom soon, as it is getting a bit stuffy! 

The Roald Dahl Museum, Great Missenden

This trip had originally been scheduled for the end of the summer holidays, when The Boy was to have his first full day at secondary school, and was to have been Boy Two's birthday present from his grandfather.  However, the boys both came down with Covid-19 (fortunately not badly - Boy Two was almost asymptomatic) so the trip had to be cancelled - and both the museum and Chiltern Railways were very good about refunding tickets.

So the trip was postponed until half-term, and The Boy honoured us with his company, too.  The Daughter is now working in Marylebone Road, so the Swan Whisperer and I went up to Baker Street Station to meet them at her offices.  We then found a bus would take us back along the road to Marylebone Station, which was nice of it, and were in good time for our train to Great Missenden with Chiltern Railways. 

Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant journey.  The lights had not been switched on in our carriage, and a lot of the first part of the run is in a tunnel!  And when I went to the loo, I can't begin to tell you how indescribably filthy it was.  Not a pleasant experience, and I warned the others off it!

We arrived at Great Missenden at last, and it was only a short walk to the museum.  Which was lovely if you like Roald Dahl, which the boys do.  A lot of information about his life and, towards the end, a creative sort of room where you could make up sentences with fridge magnets, and various other crafts.

Then it was nearly lunchtime and, at The Boy's request we went back to a café called "Matilda's" nearer the station - he said he had been attracted by a picture of the "freakshake"-type milkshake outside, but when push came to shove, they were "off" as the ice-cream machine had broken.  The café was extremely busy and it took a good half hour for our food to arrive.  At first we sat outside, but the boys got very cold so when a table came free inside, we took it.  I had chosen poached egg on avocado toast, which was lovely but very filling (two of them!), and with feta cheese underneath.  The Swan Whisperer had an All Day Breakfast; Boy Two had a burger he couldn't quite finish, and the Boy had a "mixed shish", with chicken and lamb, which came on a bed of rice, with salad.  He managed most of it - pre-teen boys appear to have hollow legs!  

After this, there was a bit over an hour before our train back, so the menfolk went on the nearby "countryside trail", which was about an hour's walk.  I wasn't up for that, so I decided to finish the "village trail" which was mostly along the village street, but then a diversion up to the church, which was a lot father than I thought it was going to be!

  But worth the walk.  I didn't go and find Dahl's grave, but spent a while looking round the church and sitting quietly, and then I walked back into the village and got a cup of tea I didn't really want at the museum café where I'd arranged to meet the others.  They finished my tea between them on the walk back to the station.

The train for London was much better than the one out, as the lights were working!  I didn't try the loo, though. I felt rather sorry for Boy Two, though, as he is not considered old enough to have a phone, and at one stage on the journey, the Swan Whisperer, The Boy and I were all engrossed on ours!  I said as much, but he just laughed.

And then a bus two stops along Marylebone Road, and we returned the boys to their mother before heading home ourselves.  I have been asleep more or less ever since, having done >10k steps today!