Repairs

What could you see outside your bedroom window last Monday morning? I watched repairs to one of the two cranes on the building site opposite my home.

On Saturday I noticed the crane on the left of my window was clearly not happy! It was not swinging with changes in the wind, the long cable was hanging low, plus the chain was moving around in the middle of the crane, where it should not have been!

I was not the only one to notice an unhappy crane. On Monday morning a repair truck arrived and two men slowly began to climb the crane. I had time to get my camera out and prepare different lenses. I went to the repair truck and got into conversation with the driver.

He was interested in my camera and told me he had a Canon and enjoyed taking photos. I snapped away as we talked and exchanged experiences of learning how to use such a camera. Nice chat.

Here are the results: The first is of the two repairers with the crane driver making some repairs to a movable section. One of the repair men then put on a jacket with lots of hooks attached to the movable bit and off he went to the end of the crane.

The next is of him working at the end of the crane and the final shot is of him returning to the relative safety of the main section of the crane. Shortly after the crane driver did a lot of checks, all were happy with the results and then the repairmen climbed down to their truck and drove away.

An interesting start to the week and I still wonder how a man can repair a crane with only a chain/belt to save his life if anything went wrong. I could not do that job. Could you?

Rent-a-Hut

As I write, Lord Ian von McClan-M. has made it to Heathrow, settled into his Business Class seat, sipped a coffee offered by a steward/ess, read a paper, dozed, and had a meal. He is probably dozing again and dreaming of arriving in Sydney tomorrow to be greeted by the charming Birgit!

Perhaps he is also dreaming of renting a property near to Dumfries in the county of Ayrshire in the country of Scotland. Could he be dreaming of renting a hut for his next visit?

If so, it will be very different from the property he rented on his recent visit to Scotland in 'Yew-Ro-Pa'. Look at this photo. Ian sent it with the short message that he rented a large house in Scotland and spent 10 days in it with 29 adults and 10 kids.

I wonder if that is the understatement of the year? I know many of the people who were with him from our uni days, and even spoke to a couple on their return home. Well, what do you rent for a week or two when you go on holiday? Ever rented a small palace?

Contrast

Just contrast the colours and light in these images with those in my last post. Big difference isn't there?

I got the photos in a holiday report from Wolfgang. I've mentioned him before for he organises the SSO  concerts to raise money for charities. He went on holiday to Thailand and to visit a friend who lives on the north-east coast.

At the moment he is in Singapore visiting more friends and I 'm looking forward to hearing about that. He shares his visits with me because, as you know, I was there at the beginning of the year and he enjoyed reading about my adventures and seeing my photos.

The first photo is of the Rayong Coast. The next is Rayong Fishing Boats which is my favourite. I think he should get a prize for taking this shot. It is perfect. When I look at it I relax and imagine being there seeing the gentle movement of the waves and light/shadows on the water.

The third is of the Wat Ban Rai showing its ceramics and mosaics. The last shot is of a National Park. Very nice indeed and thanks for sending them Wolfgang so I can share the views with my readers. Have a safe flight home next week.

der Ausflug

This means day-trip or excursion in English. I went on one last Thursday. I had been to the area before and so knew the route. The idea came from Oldie H., who I have mentioned more then a few times before. He was tired of staring at his four walls so asked myself and an Oldie Couple if we were interested in einem Ausflug.

The weather was warm, with a light wind and clouds gently swimming across the sky. We all met at the end of a tram line near Oldie H's flat. After greeting each other we set out slowly on our journey. It was all of across the road to a bus stop!

The Oldie Couple came with their walking sticks for they both have leg/hip problems. Even so, full marks to them for taking on a gentle walking tour. We got out of the bus at the final stop. This was south of a lake called Muggelsee. We slowly walked for 15 minutes until we got to our first destination.

This was a nice large restaurant situated on a river/channel connecting the lake to a smaller one. We joined the mostly over 60s sitting outside at tables overlooking the water. Yes, you could not help but notice that young people were conspicuous by their absence! Well, someone has to do some work!!

We ordered traditional German dishes, which were as tasty as ever. I took a photo of a ferry passing by just to test the wide lens. It didn't work on this shot. We slowly got to the ferry and travelled for all of 7 minutes to the other side and disembarked at Rahnsdorf.

There is a record of this village in the 13th century made up of about 20 fishing families. It has grown since. Angelika's mother and sister/family live in the village. I took some shots of the local church and restful village square. I always like going there.

We walked into the village centre and the Oldies decided to stop for ice cream. I don't eat that so I settled for coffee and a slice of strawberry cake. Mmmm...very nice!  Another short walk and we arrived at the tram stop and then back to our respective homes.

A very nice way to spend a quiet, warm Berlin day. Try it the next time you are in Berlin.

New record

I think I am the recipient of a new postal record. It may not be a world record but I think it must be a European one.

The story began in May 2015. Johanna packed a bag and went to the town of Siena near the Val d'Orcia in Toscana. She went to a cafe, sipped a cappuccino and wrote a postcard to me. She then posted it.

The date was 26.05.15. I received it today which is 25.07.15. This is 9 weeks!  I wonder where the postcard was for 9 weeks and why it took so long.

 I think this must be a new EU postal service record. I shall send details to the President of the EU asking for confirmation. Big party if it is!

3 Years Old

Today I celebrated my 3rd Birthday. I jest not! On this day three years ago I went to an office with Heike D. and got my German citizenship. What a day that was. I got this message in an e-mail from -

Dear John,

Congratulations! Now you are three years a German, and we hope you still enjoy it.

All the very best for you. We hope to see you soon.

Grüßenings from - Johanna, Jutta and Gerald.

Wonderful that they remembered and Gerald sent 4 attachments with photos, text and jokes. Thanks a lot and see you all soon.  I spent the day helping to paint my local SPD office. How very appropriate!

Der Tagesspiegel

This morning I visited the offices of Der Tagesspiegel. This translates into English as The Daily Mirror. It is very different from the tabloid bearing that name in the UK. In terms of content, language level and presentation it is comparable to The Guardian in the UK.

Here is a photo of Alan reading it in the computer booth of the hotel in Oviedo. I sent this image to son Daniel in Australia who liked the switch. He is always criticising Dad for reading the Daily Mail. I won't try to describe that paper, but if anyone gives you a copy, pick it up with thumb and forefinger and drop it in a waste bin. Then wash your hands with strong detergent!!

This morning I went with my SPD Seniors to see how it is produced. The office is in the centre of Berlin and we all went there by car. Security was tight so that is why I did not take my camera. Pity for I could have got some interesting shots.

We entered the building courtesy of an employee who organises tours and started with cold drinks, biscuits and discussion about the newspaper. I found this very interesting and learnt/ed(This verb is irregular in the UK and regular in the USA, hence the different endings. It is not the only one!) a lot about how the paper is put together.

We then went on a tour of the building and saw many rooms full of people staring into computer screens. The old fashioned reporter was not there, but somewhere on the streets of Berlin where he/she should be getting news on the spot. Here is a copy of today's paper with a pen and notepad each of us got to remind us of our visit. What did you do this morning?

Book-Film

I recently finished reading a book. It is called,"CHAVS:The demonization of the working class". The writer is Owen Jones. I found it a very interesting read and it certainly brought me up to date on politics, economics and class divisions in the UK. I agree with Eric Hobsbawn who said it was, "Passionate and well documented".  Buy it, read it and think about his argument.

I've started reading another book but I can't recommend it. It is Devil's Peak by Deon Meyer and set in South Africa. In fact I am not sure I shall finish it. The paper re-cycling bin looks to be about the right place. Interesting characters and story -- BUT --  why ooooooh whyyyyy do modern authors think they have to put a lot of swear words/bad language into the mouths of some characters?  Yes, re-cycling is the right place and now!

I went to the cinema this afternoon. Cine Star in Potsdamer Platz. They always show films in the original language. I saw, 'Terminator: Genisys 3D'.  I wondered why 'Arnie' felt the need to be in/make such a film at his age. He certainly doesn't need the money. I mentioned it to Kyrill last Saturday and he suggested I see it. He had.

The cinema hall was almost empty but it was 2:30pm with hot sunny weather outside. It was also in 3D. I was surprised at how good the film was! It developed themes in many of the earlier films and even made fun of Arnie's character sometimes. It all worked and I shall not tell you any more about the story line. Drag yourself off to a cinema, put on your 3D glasses and judge for yourself!

New Flat

'Muscles' Marcel moved to a new flat a couple of months ago. I decided it was high time to visit him so we agreed on yesterday. He lives at the opposite end of the city. I took a regional train then S-Bahn to get there. It took 90 minutes. He was waiting for me on the platform. I took the Airport Express back home and it only took 60 minutes in total.

When you travel in Berlin you think time and not distance. It was nice to see him again and he told me he is very happy there and can get to university in less than 30 minutes. He had planned a meal to which I added strawberry cake and some wine. It was also the first time I met his flatmate.

His name is Kyrill and he is studying computer sciences. He comes from St. Petersburg so we immediately got talking about the city and my visit there last August. Did you know that St. Petersburg has 5 million inhabitants and is the second largest city in Russia - after Moscow? And that it snowed there a couple of days ago? Now you do!

Kyrill has a warm and friendly personality and smiles/laughs easily. He speaks very good German and English. We started in the former then switched to the latter. Marcel continued to cook and join in the conversation from the kitchen. This included summer plans. As I write these words Kyrill is entering a plane to fly to St. Petersburg for a few weeks with his parents and friends. 'Muscles' will fly to Hungary in two weeks to spend a month with family and friends.

Before then, he has to pass the end of year exams in Maths and Physics. Not easy, but he is very disciplined and attends all classes and does the homework. He has four exams in the next two weeks and then it is time to pack a bag and enjoy life in Hungary.

I told him he needed a haircut and shave. He just smiled and said,"Not, yet." He plans to have a very short haircut and shave when he arrives in Hungary. As he stroked his chin and grimaced, Kyrill just smiled and stroked his very full beard! Thanks both for a great time and enjoy your respective holidays.

Wedding Postscript

I nearly forgot to tell you how the wedding weekend ended! On Sunday as the last dancers were staggering home, Alan gave me a quick call to wake me up. I galloped to the restaurant to join them for breakfast and we agreed a flexible plan for the day.

After showering etc I emerged once again but not into sunshine. Sunday was a cool, rainy and overcast day. We had 18°C while Berlin was fending off 30°c and blue skies. Never thought that would happen!

We spent the day walking around the old centre of the city and having breaks for coffee then later for a light lunch. I was expecting a call from the 'Berlin Lads' to tell me where to meet. The call never came. They were asleep most of the day and then emerged to go on a walk before an evening meal and back into bed.

Meanwhile, Alan, Lynne and I discovered more about the city and the centre. We returned to our hotel mid-afternoon for another siesta. We met in the evening and found a nice restaurant to relax in. Would you believe it but I ate a large fish cooked in the local way. It was very tasty and by then I was hungry.

We eventually returned to the hotel and a relatively early evening. Next morning I rushed down to have breakfast with them at 8.00am. After that they got into a taxi and headed for the airport for a direct flight to England. I returned to my room, showered, changed and packed my bag.

I took a taxi to the bus station at 10.30am and from there to the airport, a three hour wait in Madrid airport, a three hour flight to Berlin Tegel airport and then nearly two hours on the public transport system to arrive home a 10.30pm. Yes, all of 12 hours from door to door.

I was overtired but sat on my balcony to relax and think about the last few days. What a wonderful time in Oviedo and now back to the comparative boring routine of life in Berlin.

As I looked through my photos I noticed a number of nice shots of some of Jan's old 'Abi-Gang', so I decided to add them here. I only have one of Christian with Carsten, Christian with his Lady and Peter and Stefan.

das Schloss-2

As I sipped my G&T and wandered around the garden, more guests arrived. Many looked rather tired from the late night/morning a few hours ago. Well, when you are 31 or younger you can handle all that. More was to come - unknown to me!



I sat with a group of Jan's old school friends under the garden pavilion and read a book they had prepared with photos covering all their lives since they were small children. Most came from the same area and went to the same school. I enjoyed reading their comments and noted a few photos with me in the background. It was a present from all of them and they later gave it to Jan.

As the garden filled up I noted Arancha had arrived wearing football clothes. She plays in a women's team where she lives. Now she was to captain one of the women's teams. Off they went to the football area and so started the evening of sport, eating, drinking and much later of dancing the night/morning away.

I continued to wander around meeting people and generally enjoying the views. On my return I noted a number of sausages waiting to be

consumed so I selected a well grilled one and added German mustard. It tasted delicious. I drank a glass of beer with it and then moved to the football pitch.

By then the 'boys' had taken over. Jan was organising a 5-aside match. He had to play in the Spanish team for one player was missing. After a couple of active and amusing games his side won! I noted how he played strategically just as he had done when he was 11 and I used to cheer him on at MSV matches. His style and approach to playing had not changed. Here is a photo of the two teams.

As evening turned into night Alan and Lynne told me they had ordered a taxi and if I wanted to come with them. I agreed and so we returned to the hotel as the younger guests started seriously eating, drinking and dancing. They finished at 8.00am when the rest of the area was waking up for breakfast! I discovered this next day.

How could they do it? I think I am just getting too old. It was yet another day I shall never forget :-))

das Schloss-1

After a lazy and late breakfast in the hotel with Alan and Lynne we got ready to face Saturday in Oviedo. This was the day of another party but at Arancha's parents' house in a village to the east of the city.

That didn't start until 6.00pm so we had time to explore the city centre. Everything there seems to start in the evening. I knew from Jan that Spanish people start eating in the evening when the rest of Europe is thinking of going to bed. I had certainly experienced this the night before!

Alan, Lynne and I found a square in the centre and paid for a guide to take us around the centre and the Pilgrim's Route. The Route goes back to the 11th Century when someone claimed they had found the bones of an apostle at a place in the extreme north-east of the Spanish coast. Not a bad way to start a new business!

And so the gullible, and those who just like walking, created the 'Pilgrim's Route'. Part of it starts in Oviedo and is marked by bronze shells on the pavements which direct walkers. Our tour started with a young actor with good English who dressed like a medieval monk/pilgrim and took us around the start of the walk.

Later we met a lady tour guide who took us around the old centre, pointing out different museums and places of interest. We went into two museums and enjoyed the presentations. Early afternoon we had a light lunch and slowly walked back to our hotel for an afternoon siesta.

We met up at 5.30pm in casual dress for the party. Alan interpreted this as shorts and I decided it meant casual/formal based on black trousers, shirt and light coloured jacket. My concession was not to wear a tie. I later noticed I was 'overdressed' for the event!

We jumped into a taxi and found the house at the agreed time of 6.00pm. We were one of the first to arrive. I have just used the word house. I think the appropriate word would be villa. I decided to post this story using the German word das Schloss. That meant a castle many years ago and then translated into palace as we entered the
17th century. I prefer that description.

The door to the Schloss was open so we walked in to greet Belen, who is Arancha's mother. The rooms were suitably furnished in good taste and I liked the welcoming atmosphere in their Palace! Belen asked us to help carry some food into the garden for the party. We all picked up things and followed her.

As we got to the 'garden' I said to Belen that it was nice to live opposite a public park. She just smiled at me and said it isn't - it is our garden! Well, what do you think? Just look at the size of it. You can get half of Slisden into the garden!!

At the bottom of the garden you will see a small house, large bar and large sitting out area with a roof plus a special area for grilling.  On delivering the goods to the small house, I was offered a G&T which I insisted on making. Here is photo. As I sipped it, my eyes moved to another part of the garden and there I say a football pitch!

I could not believe my eyes. How many of you have a private football pitch in your garden? I have a nice garden but I don't have a football pitch!  Here are some photos for you to enjoy.

The next story about football in the garden will be in my next post. Happy reading!

JA-Reception

We stopped at a large restaurant on a hillside outside Oviedo. The first part of the reception was outside. Lots of waiters, snacks and trays of drinks moving around.

One of the waiters entertained us by pouring 'cidre' from a bottle raised above his head into a glass held as far away as possible. It is a popular drink produced in the area. The climate is not appropriate for wine making. That comes from areas to the south behind the mountains.

I couldn't resist taking a shot of Arancha with her glass of champagne and Jan's beer glass. The next one was of a happy looking Jan sipping his beer. Nothing new there and he certainly deserved it.

We also had time to wander around and chat to other guests and get to know new ones. I asked a young man with an interesting head of hair and chin beard, what his name was. He said,"Lenny" with a wonderful French accent which sounded like, "Lenneeeiiiiieeeee". Great! We got into conversation and then met his very nice ladyfriend. We met next day when I again enjoyed his French-English sounds.

At 9.00pm we got the call to enter the building for the 'eating' part of the reception. We shuffled in. Each had been given a table number. I was allocated to Table 1 with Alan and Lynne. Next to me was Table Zero which hosted the bride and groom, and family members.

On offer was a meal of five dishes/levels. I decline dishes 1 and 2 because they were based on seafood which I have never eaten, and never will! This caused consternation to 'Herr Ober' who immediately asked if I could eat a piece of fish cooked with vegetables. I said,"Yes" and he dashed off to tell the chef.

The fish was tasty and went well with a glass of Spanish dry wine! I declined the next dish for it was a large piece of steak. It was certainly too late for me - and my stomach - to cope with such a dish after 10.00 pm. I enjoyed the dessert and coffee that followed.

During the long eating session, there were speeches and entertainment by local musicians. The musicians were good and very professional.

Alan and Lynne and I began to 'wilt' as the clock moved towards midnight. He ordered a taxi and I jumped in. We were able to crawl into bed before 1.00 am. I went to sleep immediately. Meanwhile the party was hotting up! Tables cleared, musicians again and time to dance the night away. They did and it all finished about 4:00am. I was firmly in the land of nod by then!

Next day was another party at Arancha's parents' house. More about that in my next post.

JA-Wedding-2

And so we filed into the church leaving the ever growing number of observers. I sat with Alan and Lynne near the front on the left of the aisle and took a number of photos as the ceremony unfolded.

Jan and Arancha had organised the event starting with a quartet of musicians, who played classical music to my left, and a group of singers/musicians on my right who played more traditional songs.

We all got a printed order of the service in Spanish and German and three priests officiated at the event. The main priest seemed to really enjoy it all and I was later told he came to the reception, but wearing 'civvies' and not his business clothes! 

It soon became clear to me that although we were in a catholic building we were not seeing a pure catholic ceremony. I noted the more 'secular' elements in the ceremony reflecting the protestant and atheist presence. I was not the only atheist there:-) I enjoyed the atmosphere in the building.

Cameras came out when Jan and Arancha moved forward for the exchange of rings, I include a photo of that here. Between different stages in the ceremony we heard the musicians play music by Handel and Bach and at the end the singers on my right played and sang more traditional local music.

Then it was time to sign the wedding documents. Jan called me over to act as his witness and I slowly sat  down at the table and signed my name. A photograph was taken of the immediate family and witnesses and then the ceremony ended.

Jan left the church with Arancha on his arm to be greeted by drum and bagpipe as they entered the small area in front of the church.

Again, lots of passers-by stopped, smiled and joined in the cheering. Here is a photo taken from behind the couple so you can see all the well-wishers. Lots of snap, snap of cameras, hugs, kisses, smiles and laughter.

After some time most of us slowly walked around the corner to a coach to take us to the outskirts of the city to the wedding reception. My next post will be about that.

JA-Wedding-1

And lo it came to pass that Jan and Arancha married. Yes, that was why we were all gathered in Oviedo. It took me 11 hours from leaving my flat in Berlin to arriving at my hotel in Oviedo. Three hours were spent just waiting for my flight in Madrid airport. I passed the time by having a meal, buying duty free scotch and having lunch.

I took a bus from the airport to the bus station in Oviedo then a taxi to my hotel. It appears as the first photo in my last post. I entered the hotel reception and stared in amazement. Alan and Lynne were staring at me and smiling. What a wonderful surprise!!

We greeted each other warmly and with lots of conversation. I booked in, found my room and later met them for an evening of chat and a meal. I really felt at home and happy being with them. I never expected to enter the hotel and see them waiting for me with such big smiles. What a great way to arrive!

Next day was Friday and we had time before the wedding to explore the town. We wandered around the centre and found the church where the wedding was to take place. I posed with a statue on a bench at the entrance to the church. It was of a poet/writer from the area in the early 1900s. Having familiarised ourselves with the area we returned to our hotel to get ready for the 'Big Event'.

So another shower was called for before putting on clothes acceptable for a wedding. I wore a three piece suit but insisted on a non-white shirt. To this I added a suitable mixed colour tie. So attired and carrying my camera I met Alan and Lynne again and set off for the church.

It was only 10 minutes away and we arrived a little early. This had the advantage that we could see all the other guests arrive and greet them. As more arrived more people passing by stopped to stare at the free show.

Jan arrived with a chauffeur in a BMW sports car, and with a big smile! Those present cheered and made other welcoming noises as he stepped out of the car and began to greet the guests gathered in front of the church.

And then Arancha arrived on the arm of her father. Lots of cheering and snapping of cameras. Jan moved forward to greet her to even louder cheers and smiles. What a wonderful time! Again lots of greetings to other family members and friends before Jan and the guests entered the church leaving Arancha to enter later with her father.

At this point I shall end my story and continue in my next post with the wedding ceremony.

Oviedo

I flew to Oviedo last Thursday. I can hear the Silsdeners asking where it is. The answer is that it is near the north coast of Spain - about in the middle. It is the capital of the state of Asturias. It is the southern coast of the Bay of Biscay with the French coast on the right as you look at a map,

There is a long history of contact between people living on this coast, on the French coast, and the southern part of England such as Cornwall and Dorset. There was also sea borne contact to other Celtic tribes in the south of Wales and to Ireland. If you get in a boat at Cork on the south coast of Ireland and head south you will arrive on the north Spanish coast somewhere in Asturias.

Early Catholics knew about these routes and there is a long record of travel/contact between the north of Spain and Ireland. In the book about my family there is speculation that my ancestors came to Ireland from the north of Spain about 1300 years ago. Traditional dress in Asturias is similar to that in Ireland, and Scotland, and they play bagpipes and dance in a very similar way.

The weather is also temperate and it rains every second day. Asturias and all of the north of Spain is protected by a large range of mountains to the south. This ensures cooler temperatures and regular rain. There is little wine production along the coast instead there are a lot of apples and lots of cider is produced.

This area resisted the advance of the Moors/Muslim conquest of Spain and later became a centre of Catholic Christianity. Asturias had its own royal family and aristocracy. One led an army which defeated a Muslim army. This later led to invasions into the Moor/Muslim areas of Spain and eventually taking over all of the country. You may have heard of 'El Cid' or seen the bad Hollywood film of the same name!

Most of the old centre of Oviedo developed in the late Middle-Ages and was dominated by churches in the centre of the town protected by high and thick walls. The cathedral dominates the centre and a large open area. Perhaps there was a market there many years ago, in addition to a place where anyone who challenged the Catholic Church was executed in public! Yes, such things happened all over Europe!!

There are a couple of nice parks in the centre, a concert hall and theatre, a museum about the area where I got a lot of the information which I have condensed here. The local people I met were friendly and spoke with each other very quickly.  I wondered how anyone who wanted to learn the language could ever understand the locals when they spoke to each other. They sounded like express trains rushing through a tunnel :-))

Here you have some pics of the town. I think that future posts about my Oviedo stay will have more photos than text. That will make some of you happy !  The photos start with one of my hotel and a selection of the towns old buildings. It also has a lot of statues which make you smile.