Saturday 30 June 2012

Mozart in the Open Air and Buxtehude et al in the Cathedral

The choir, with the orchestra under a canopy, and two soloists lower standing right.
Saturday was a lovely day, not a day with  a temperature of 33c as predicted, but one of 25c, just comfortable enough for wandering and discovering corners of Braunschweig I didn't know exisited.  Not that I got very far, as I discovered two places that I already know extremely well!   In the Cathedral Square I came across a rehearsal of Mozart's "Mass in C Minor," a great work which I have sung on several occasions.   The soloists, choir and orchestra were performing in the hot midday sun, many without wearing hats,  and I hoped that they all had plenty of water to drink.  The sound in the open air was wonderful, and once again "Henry the Lion's" monument found itself at the centre of the action.  

The opera "The Bartered Bride" has its first performance tonight in this open-air theatre, and on Sunday evening the Cathedral choir, and the orchestra and choir from the City Theatre will perform here and play, "Haendel meets Mozart."    Haendel's "Ode for St Cecilia's Day,"  is the second work in the concert, and I have a dim and distant recollection of having sung part of this work at sometime in my choral life.


Henry the Lion left, and Matilda of England his wife, lie in supine stateliness in the Cathedral, with the organ in the background and a rose window above.  Every Saturday at 12 noon, a short service takes place, accompanied by an organ recital.  The congregation above are waiting for the service to begin, and to listen to the following programme of organ works:

  Prelude in D minor  -  Dietrich Buxtehude  (1637 - 1707)
Andante with Variations in D minor  -   Felix Mendelssohn  (1809 - 1847) 
 Three Choral Preludes  -   Sigried Karg-Elert  (1877 - 1933)

Of course as soon as the first loud note is played on the organ, the Cathedral walls resonate with the sound, and oh how powerful it is!   I hang on every note, hoping that it will never fade away.   In my next life I shall come back as an organist, concert soprano, pianist, bi-lingual novelist, painter, violinist and brain surgeon!   Some hopes!  It was an interesing morning, and I also photographed some art installations which are dotted about the city, and about which I will tell you more in another blog.


Friday 29 June 2012

A Tale of the Unexpected.

The last chocolate biscuit in a glass bowl
Yesterday afternoon's meeting of the "Six ladies and one gentleman reading in English group" got off to a good start.  We sat on garden chairs with freshly washed cushions, on the balcony at B's house, where we drank English tea and ate lovely strawberry flan and tasty chocolate biscuits.  In a temperature of 28c,  the biscuits were in danger of melting and needed to be consumed  quickly. That was not a problem for us, and we were all happy to oblige!   We read aloud, "The Way up to Heaven" by Roald Dahl, a short, macabre story with a final twist.  I had never read the story before, so hung on tenterhooks waiting for the end, and was even tempted to advance a couple of pages, just to see how the story resolved itself.  Although I guessed that something dreadful had happened to the poor man,  I had not "twigged"  the method of his demise, although I had been given all the clues.   Very clever!

What an excellent short story of the totally unexpected, although the tale comes from Dahl's collection of short stories entitled  "Kiss Kiss."   Clicking the link below will give an analysis of the plot.   ITV television produced a series of Dahl's  "Tales of the Unexpected," from 1979 to 1988, some of which I remember watching.

The photo above shows the print out of the story and a book of parallel text German short stories.  This book has stories printed in German on the left side and in English on the right.  This is a useful way of learning a language without constantly having to refer to a dictionary for the definition of unknown words. A last chocolate biscuit can be seen lying in the glass dish, which I finished off later, well can't leave it to melt can you!


Then the unexpected!   When we ladies stood up we discovered that the cushion covers had dried, but not their foam interiors.   We all had wet trousers, and Marlis below found a novel way of drying out our trousers with a hairdryer.  I had sat in a small chair with a smaller cushion, so was not soaked to the skin.  Maybe there's a plot for a story here, I'll add it to my memory bank for future reference.  By the way, all the strawberry flan and chocolate biscuits had been eaten before the great, "Wet Trouser Saga."

Chris standing left,  is dried out by her sister Marlis.

Thursday 28 June 2012

Open-Air Opera in the Cathedral Square.

Preparations are in full swing for this year's opera in the Burgplatz, where  the city's "Theatre Opera Group" will perform,  "The Bartered Bride"  by Smetena.  This little stall is the ticket office, and a lonely man can be seen waiting for some customers.  So few people were out and about on Wednesday, as this week the weather has been abysmal, with fine drizzle and a grey, heavy  blanket of cloud hiding the sun every day.  Each year it is possible to sit on one of the lion benches and listen to the rehearsals.  When the sun shines, and while eating ice cream, this is a very pleasant way to spend an hour or so with other interested Braunschweigers, all out in the fresh air and enjoying the free entertainment.  But yesterday the benches were soaked, (see bottom photo) and only those who'd come prepared with a plastic bag  to cover the wet seats could sit down and listen.  I walked past, and will wait until the weekend, when temperatures of 30c are forecast. and the seats will have dried out. 

Bedrich Smetana wrote his three act, comic opera between 1863 and 1866, and it was first performed in Prague on May 30th 1866.   You can read more about this work on:

The Bartered Bride - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bartered_Bride



Henry the Lion's lion monument stands in the middle of the stage, and each year is incorporated into the action.  How damp the scene looks, and I remember last year, when I had a ticket for "Turandot," that on the evening of the performance  it rained  so heavily that the event was cancelled.   We watched an extra performance a week later, but that too was accompanied by drizzle.  It is fortunate that  I have been given a new Braunschweig umbrella by the DEG this year,  and it has had several outings in the rain already. 
 

Eight wet, lonely lions look out from their benches beside the Cathedral.  They remind of the caged lions,  waiting impatiently for their next meal of fresh gladiator in the Amphitheatre in Rome.  This row of benches is on the sunny side in the afternoon, and is a good place to sit and  read on a warm day.  When it gets too hot, I move to the shady side benches, where I sit, eat ice cream and chat to elderly German ladies in grammatically incorrect German.   They always seem to understand my every word. 

Tonight (Thursday evening) Germany play Italy in the semi-final of the Euro 2012 Football Championships.  The tension here is palpable, and tonight our choir practise finishes early, so that we can all get home in time to watch the match.   I shall wave my German flag with my fingers crossed.   It will be miserable in the city  tomorrow if they lose.

Wednesday 27 June 2012

A Damp Walk in the Buergerpark.

In spite of the awful weather, three of us met today at the VW-Hall for our weekly English walk in the park.   This summer is the worst weatherwise that I have experienced in my many stays here, as I usually enjoy plenty of sunshine and it is always warmer than in the UK.  The Gulf Stream is obviously in the wrong place this year.  The River Oker runs through the park, and the photos show the brave souls who ventured out in various kinds of boats.  The boat to the left seems to be returning from a party, judging by the plates of half eaten food and beer cans strewn across the tables.  The helmsman, with his hand on his hip, seems very unconcerned about the bad weather.    The water is very clear, and to the right you can see the ferns waving like maidens' hair just below the surface.   There are several hire boat companies in Braunschweig, and last year I took a guided tour at water level with Hamburg Meggie,  when she stayed here for a few days.   The weather then was very warm, and it was lovely to see the many beautiful houses that line the bank of the river at cool, verdant duck level. 

Below an umbrella party passes by, and I do hope this was not somebody's special birthday outing on the river.   It drizzled on and off, and as we left the park the sky grew very black and stormy.  As I walked back towards the Cathedral the heavens opened, and I dashed for cover under a shop front, which fortunately turned out to be a shoe and handbag shop.   I had a good wander around and wondered whether I really need yet another smart bag!   I reached the Cathedral as the bells rang out, and in time for the short service with the lovely organ accompaniment.

My spider has not returned, and I must assume that he/she has gone to the big cobweb in the sky where all good spiders go.  

Enjoying the damp conditions at water level.

Riding the rapids in a rubber dingy.

"The Bartered Bride," Opera in the Domplatz

Tuesday 26 June 2012

Spider/Doorhandles/Rathaus/Rainbow

The spider's empty corner.
No, the photo left is not a picture of tile grouting drying in my bathroom, it is a photo of a corner where a little spider had been living in his/her web for the past three weeks.  I'm no lover of spiders, but this little soul with his blob of a body and thin, long legs was no threat, so I left her alone and watched him grow larger each day.  I sometimes blew on her web, just to wake him up in the morning, but she never stirred. However, this morning he has gone, and is nowhere to be found.  What has happened?  I hope he hasn't been eaten by a bigger spider!    Enough of this frivolity, now down to the serious business.   Today I visited the "Rathaus," the Town Hall, in order to let the authorities know that I am living in the city.  I took my passport, and expected to complete some forms as I did last year.  I'm only staying for four months this time, and was told by the pleasant receptionist that I needn't sign in, as I'm here for such a short time.  Well, that is one thing less to think about.   As I came out I noticed the rather attractive handles on the large glass entrance doors of the Rathaus, complete with shields of lions rampant, the symbol of Braunschweig. 

On one side is a monkey and on the other an owl, and these allude to the story of  "Till Eulenspiegel,"  the tale of the Braunschweig prankster who baked bread in the shape of animals, and  in the process, made himself some money.   They are rather nice I think, and I've never noticed them until today. 

I then left to catch the tram, missed one and caught then next, which led me meet a friend and a whole series of coincidences, much too long to relate here!   I can only  say, "It's a very small world."

The elaborate doors handles at the Rathaus entrance.


The Rathaus was built between the years 1894 and 1900.  Weddings are held here, and on a Friday the "Square of German Unity" in front of the building is thronged with newly wed couples and their guests, complete with tables and chairs, champagne, balloons and much merrymaking.  There is also tradition here that anyone who reaches the age of 30 and is not married must to clean the Rathaus steps, which of course, are  deliberately made dirty by so called friends before the poor cleaner arrives.   Last year a singer from the choir had the task of clearing up hundreds of bottle tops strewn across the steps.  He is still unmarried!

The view from my window of Monday's rainbow over Weststadt.

Monday 25 June 2012

Singing in the Wind and Rain in Wolfsburg.

Bronze wolves singing  in Wolfsburg, how very appropriate! Sunday was a day of music and singing for local groups, but just as last year, the weather was unpleasant. We sang on a stage which was undercover, but it was not really possible to wander around and see the other activities in the wretched drizzle and wind. We listened to other choirs and small music groups and heard the wandering samba band, which like all samba bands, produced the same monotonous rythmn. I'm sure it is great fun playing the instruments, but after 10 minutes, you just want the noise to stop!  The best samba band I've ever heard was at a Devizes carnival, where the band introduced pauses, which contrasted so well with the endless rythmns.

We sang our six pieces well, and mostly enjoyed the afternoon. There were plenty of food and drink stalls, and we all received vouchers to help with the cost. I had Flammkuchen with onions, sheep's cheese and tomatoes, which I washed down with a beer. Wolfsburg is a modern city, and is the headquarters of VW car production. The factory beside the River Aller dominates the city, although the part of the original old town exists with its Schloss. It reminds me of Crawley New Town in England, and is rather grey and characterless place.  The city is twinned with Luton, the car manufacturing town in the UK.

Wolfsburg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfsburg



Waiting in our red jackets to go on stage and sing.  We sang really well, and later had to make our way home in the wind and rain.

The Flammkuchen stall, with bowls of cheese, spring onions and assorted toppings.


The gentlemen above  were part of the "Till Eulenspiegel" stand. Till was a prankster who liked to play tricks on his friends. While working at a bakery in Braunschweig he baked bread in the shape of monkeys and owls, and his employer was not amused. Till lost his job, but made himself a lot of money selling the unusual shaped loaves. He was born in nearby Kneitlingen, so the story goes. Whether he existed or not is uncertain, and many areas in Germany have similar tales of tricky characters. A fountain in Braunschweig depicts Till sitting cheekily on the edge, surrounded with water spouting monkeys and owls.   True or not, he seems to have been a colourful character.

Till Eulenspiegel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Till_Eulenspiegel

Sunday 24 June 2012

A Serious Case of Misclassification.

I'm not one to be easily defeated, so I went out searching for Faure again yesterday, and visited several places where I thought he might be lurking!    All without success unfortunately, until I returned to "Graff" my favourite bookshop, thinking that I'd buy an expensive copy of the Requiem as an early Christmas gift to myself.  While searching through the "Composers G&H" section, there, placed in the wrong  box,  was a cheaper CD of the Faure!   Yippeeee!  6.99E is more my style for learning a new piece of music. 

I've listened to the CD several times already, and recognise some of the music,  but in 40 years of choral singing, I've never sung this work before.  I'm a bit "hooked on" Bach, Mozart, Handel and music written before 1800.  How narrow is my musical mind?  Very!

This afternoon in Wolfsburg (home of the VW car plant) our choir "Chorverein Concordia-Brunsviga" are singing in a "Day of Music and Singing."   We'll perform a mixed programme of works, with three popular songs, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in English, and  "Happy Days are here again" and  "To Wander is the Miller's Joy" both in German.  The other three works are choruses from Verdi and Mascagni operas, all sung in German. 

It will be a lovely occasion, with our choir dressed in their bright red jackets, white blouses and black trousers.  This time last year, a similar "Day of Song" was spoilt by torrential rain, but today it is bright and cheerful with pleasant periods of sunshine.  I will post news and photographs of our excursion on Monday's blog.  Tonight on my return, and after drinking copious amounts of tea, I shall watch England v Italy in the Euro 2012 Football Championships.  My fingernails are in for a good nibbling tonight!

"Come on England, win, Win, WIN."

Saturday 23 June 2012

"Pride & Prejudice" in German.

Herr Bennet with daughters Elizabeth and Jane.
Friday flashed by!  By the time I'd got up, made tea, had an egg for breakfast, done a little washing and a bit of housework, (the vacuum cleaner and I have only managed to meet up three times in the last 10 weeks) it was midday.   It was good to have a quiet day, although early afternoon I popped into the city to withdraw cash and buy a new monthly bus/tram pass.  It was just as well I renewed it, because the ticket inspectors were out in force on the public transport.   I also visited  "Graff" to buy a CD of Faure's "Requiem" which I hope to sing for the first time  with Dauntsey's Choir this autumn.  I was disappointed, as I couldn't find a  reasonably priced Naxos CD for around 6.99E.  For 19.99E, I could have bought several copies, but £16.10 seems so expensive compared with Amazon UK prices.  I came away disappointed, but today I will try another bookshop, as I need to be familiar with the piece before I start rehearsals in September.

Herr and Frau Jane Bingley, Herr Darcy (very nice) with Frau Elizabeth Darcy.
The photos above show scenes from "Pride and Prejudice," part of which I watched in German on "Arte," an arts channel on the tv. The dubbing into German was very good and well synchronised, and it was refreshing to watch "Herr (Wet Shirt) Darcy" emerge again from his dip in the pond.   The tennis from Eastbourne has been broadcast every afternoon this week on Eurosport, so I swopped channels between romantic costume drama and wet grass court drama at the flick of a button.

Last night I witnessed Germany dominate Greece in the Euro 2012 Football drama from Gdansk.  Germany won 4:2 and I'm glad I watched until the bitter end.  I usually switch off at half time when the tension gets the better of my fingernails! 

The sun is half shining here today, so I'm out walking, buying milk and fruit, watching the ladies tennis final, going into the city and looking for a CD of Faure's Requiem, sorting my music for the singing festival in Wolfsburg on Sunday, pottering about and drinking tea, reading and writing German and generally enjoying life in a foreign language!

Friday 22 June 2012

The Talk went Well


Last night's talk to the DEG was a great success, in spite of me thinking that the subject matter was somewhat hard going.  "Avebury and Neolithic Man" is not necessarily an exciting title to make you turn out for a fun evening!   However, it was a happy occasion with an audience of 25 interested people.  The photo above shows Treve, who comes from New Zealand, and is the chairperson of the German/English Association, answering questions after the talk, and giving new visitors information about the group.   The group meets once a month, for talks like mine and for social occasions based on English traditions, and where English only is spoken.

As anyone who has ever tried to learn another language will know, it is important to keep practising, otherwise you quickly forget the vocabulary.  Last night I spoke to a lady who had lived in England a few years ago, and was finding that because she seldoms speaks the language, she is losing her fluency.   After the talk Treve presented me with the lovely umbrella, seen below, with scenes of Braunschweig around the edge. 


The summer weather has returned today, with sunshine in a mostly blue sky and a temperature of 21c.  It will not be bright for long though, as showers and patchy sun are forecast for Saturday.  That's the right kind of weather for me to use my brand new brolly.  
  
Germany play Greece tonight in the Euro 2012 footer championships.  I will wave my German flag and hope they win.

Thursday 21 June 2012

"Avebury and Neolithic Man" preparing my PowerPoint talk for the DEG

Tonight I'm giving another talk with photographs to the DEG, the Deutsch/Englisch Gesellschaft, the other half of the Bath/Braunschweig Twinning Group in Bath, England.  I will speak about Avebury Stone Circle and Neolithic man, who populated the area 2,500 years ago.   I've spent the morning finalising the photo display and checking my facts, as I'm no historian, but have a general interest in the World Heritage Site, which is only 6 miles from my home in Devizes.  The map left, shows the circular ditch, with stones erected around the edge.  The A361 main road runs through the site, and the ancient monument is the only place in the UK that contains a pub and chapel.  The site was excavated in the 1830's by Sir Alexander Keiller, who moved the inhabitants out of the circle and built a separate new village for them called Avebury Trusloe, (bottom left but off the map.)   He then excavated the site and re erected many of the fallen stones.  The site had been robbed for building materials over the centuries, and where no stone could be found, Keiller replaced it with a stone post.  Sir Allexander  was a member of the "Keiller Marmalade" family, and used his fortune to buy Avebury Manor and the site.

Much discussion continues about the purpose of the stone circle.  It took centuries to construct, and was started 400 years after neighbouring Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow were built.  Below you can see my PowerPoint presentation in the process of having more photos added.  On the keyboard rests a National Trust leaflet, a guide for visitors  and giving a brief history of the site.  I am very lucky to live in Wiltshire, a county that contains so many world famous prehistoric sites, Stonehenge being the most well known.


The weather is better today, the sun appeared for a few minutes, but it is not raining "cats and dogs" as it did yesterday all day!   Where is summer 2012, I need some sun.

Wednesday 20 June 2012

An Exhibition of Art and Calligraphy in the Torhaus Gallery.

Main entrance to the "Torhaus" (Gate House) exhibition
It has rained today, real vertical rain that starts heavily in the morning and has no intention of stopping until it's time for bed!  I ventured out early with my umbrella, to an English group I'd never met before, although I've been meaning to visit for the last 10 weeks!  I chose the right morning, as it was somebody's birthday, and the table was laden with nice tit-bits to eat and fruit juice or sparkling wine to drink.  We spent an interesting morning learning football vocabulary in both languages.  It was still raining at lunch time when I came home, where I had a quick cuppa, and went out again to meet Hildegard at the "Torhaus" near the Botanical Garden, where an  exhibition of work by a local calligraphy group was being displayed.  The group meets monthly at a book binders shop nearby, and I think I must join this group, as the artwork was so interesting and inspiring, particularly as words were used in such a creative way. 

It is easier to see letters and words as an artform when they are in a foreign language.  Although I can read German, the words remain interesting shapes, especially those with umlauts, the pair of little dots that are sometimes placed over the o, u, and a.  Various techniques were used to produce the forms of the letters, conventional pens and pencils, paint brushes, pieces of balsa wood, drinking straws and even fingernails dipped in watercolour or coloured inks.   Poems were written and interpeted into shapes, giving the story another dimension.  It was a very interesting exhibition which I hope to visit for a second time.

The "Torhaus" (Gate House) has an identical partner facing it across the road, and they were built in the classical style in 1820, together with a promenade and bridge over the River Oker.  Braunschweig was a walled city, and many of the old entrances are marked by similar gate houses and bridges.  I like the soft yellow colour of the buildings with their stocky and purposeful white columns.  The Botanical Garden is to the right of this photo and the building behind is part of Braunschweig University's Department of Plant Science.

The Torhaus at Fallersleber Strasse.

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Crop Spraying/PowerPoint/Footer/Smelly Cheese.


Well, the crop that I thought was winter feed for the animals has turned out to be barley,  (I think,) and in the photo above you can see the ears swaying in the wind and starting to turn yellow.   I must treat myself to an "I-Spy Cereal Crops" to go with my "I-Spy Flowers and Plants."  Last year I thought a crop of beet was parsnips.  Oh well, it's not possible to know everything!  

Today I visited Guenter's English group and gave my Power Point talk entitled, "My Life in Devizes."  The group is for beginners, and as I showed the photos, I spoke slowly and hoped they would understand, (with the help of some translation into German by G.)  The group were very friendly, and afterwards we had coffee and biscuits and a good chat about the problems and advantages of learning a foreign language.  Apparently it is one of the best ways of keeping the aging brain active and young.   It's referred to as "Brain Training" or "Brain Jogging," although I'm  more into "Brain very slow Dawdling" most of the time.   

I came home at lunch time to watch some tennis from Eastbourne and tonight will watch England play footer against the Ukraine.  If it gets too nail biting, I will have to watch the repeat tomorrow.   I went shopping later in the afternoon and bought some of my favourite "Really Smelly German Cheese," and after making a sandwich, the whole flat is now permeated with a strong, rotting smell.  Wonderful!   The weather remains changeable, but very warm and humid.

The photo above shows the crop of wheat (I think) being sprayed in another field.  There is a field of Rapeseed  here too, whose seedpods look ready to burst. I snapped my photo and walked past quickly, as I didn't want to get a lungful of whatever it was being sprayed onto the field and into the air.   I'm sure it was harmless, but nonetheless not pleasant.

Monday 18 June 2012

Terrible Weather for Frogs and the Meercat!


The day started warm and humid, the sort of day that cannot remain that way,  and turns nasty with a grey threatening sky, whirlwinds, a thunderstorm, hailstones, vertical rain, lightning flashes and big claps of thunder in the garden.  Fortunately I'd arrived at Janet's in Querum from the English groups in Gliesmarode, so was not out in the open when the heavens opened.   We watched the storm from under the patio roof,  where it was so  noisy as the rain and hailstones beat down, that we couldn't hear ourselves speak.  The little frogs around the pond (not real ones) and the meercat managed to put on a brave face, but got a torrential soaking from the rain and marble sized hailstones.

Janet had left the greenhouse door open, and needed to brave the weather in her green raincoat to go to the bottom of the garden and close it.  The hail pelted down, and she was somewhat worried that it would punch holes in the plastic sheeting.  We survived, greenhouse, frogs and all, and later Janet served up a nice plate of apple pie topped with ice cream, and all washed down with a good mug of English tea.

I came home on the tram and bus, and in Weststadt tree branches were on the pavements, and the streets and gutters were strewn with leaves.   The porch over our door had leaked, so the doorstep and mat were soaking wet, and at the neighbour's house opposite, the thorn bush had been torn away from the garage wall, and was lying on the path.  It was a wild storm that lasted maybe 20 minutes, but long enough to cause some damage.

"Janet the intrepid gardener" closes the greenhouse door.
Janet makes her way  back to safety against the power of the natural world.
Hailstones cause turbulance on the surface of the little pond.



Sunday 17 June 2012

In the Botanical Garden.

The weather was better today, and started bright and sunny, only to cloud up around lunch time.  However by early afternoon, it was warm and sunny, so walked to Weserstrasse and caught the M3 tram to the Botanical Garden, a faculity of Braunschweig University.  The plaque left, shows Professor Johann Blasius, the founder of the Garden.  Originally started in 1828 on a smaller site on the opposite bank of the River Oker, Professor Blasius eventually bought this larger area and founded the garden in 1840 on the site of a former mansion.  By 1900 there were 2700 species of plants growing outside and another 1900 in greenhouses.  Some of the  trees planted in 1840 still remain today. 

Although badly damaged in the war, the garden has been totally reconstructed, and in 1985 an approximately 800m2 baroque garden was laid out.  That was augmented in 1989 with an area for ferns, all growing in a small ravine complete with a waterfall.  In 1995, the garden was expanded to about 4 acres, and is used mainly for research. The garden is open every day, and there are plenty of lovely little corners in which to sit and enjoy the plants or read a book.

Waterliles grow in one of the many tropical greenhouse, and can be seen floating on the still water.  I visited this greenhouse last year in a heat wave, and stayed for a matter of minutes because it was so hot.  I once  knew the names of all my flowers, but now cannot remember any of them, (well I know a rose when I see one) so maybe someone would like to buy me a "I Spy Flowers and Plants" book for Christmas.   The plants are labelled in Latin and German, so that was no real help to me.  (This photo is on the right because it will not go into the centre.  Do not ask me why.  The blog format is being temperamental tonight.) 

The ravine with ferns and a water Naiad.

This area was delightful, very cool and verdant, with the water playing a gentle trickle as it cascaded down the rocks.  A naked Naiad sits and surveys her realm, I hope she has some warm clothes for the German winter!

Red Roses in the rose garden.  I sat down in a pleasant bower to enjoy the scent of the garden, only to have an elderly man sit almost beside me and promptly light up his smelly pipe.  I was not amused and decided to move on!  How do you smoke a pipe in a rose garden?













Saturday 16 June 2012

Blowing a "Gale of Wind" and raining "Cats and Dogs."

Poppies in the cornfield last week when the sun was shining. 

It is not nice here today, a strong wind is blowing the windmills around at a rate of knots, and the rain keeps dashing itself against my windows.   After a busy week with the American lads, I decided this morning to have a day of doing as little as possible.  The decision was helped by the foul weather, so at 6.30am I made a cuppa, went back to bed and slept til 8.30am, which is very late for me. 

I switched on the box (and the heating,) and watched a repeat of the England game from last night, as I given up at half time when we were a goal behind.    CET, Central European Time is an hour ahead GMT, so the match here was due to finish around 11pm, which is much too late for my eyelids to remain open.  I get so stressed when I want a particular team to win and then cannot sleep,  so I've decided only to watch repeats of the England matches when I know the final score.  That way my fingernails might survive for an extra few days!

I did venture out mid morning, as I'd run out of sugar and I need my sweet fix first thing in the morning.  I caught the bus to the local supermarket, idled around the aisles, bought sugar lumps, mixed salad stuff, smelly cheese and some fresh peaches, and then caught the next bus back to Timmerlah.

I met a friend at the bus stop, where we sat and moaned about the weather, (in English and German,) while watching the cars and bedraggled cyclists drive through the puddles.   The bus arrived  almost empty, as "The Sensible" were indoors drinking tea/coffee and eating wurst/cheese.  I got home and joined them, with tea/tomato sandwich.  It is supposed to be better tomorrow, with just a few showers and temperatures of around 23c.  We shall see, fingers crossed pleased.

Friday 15 June 2012

Football/House in Shop/Hamburg Railway Station

Celebrations in the city late into the night.
Football fever has taken hold, and after the Germany won on Wednesday evening, the city has gone mad!  I was not there to witness it, I watched on the tv, but Scott and Craig watched the first half on one of the big screens in the city for "Public Viewing."   I went into town on Thursday morning, to be met with a strong smell of beer  in the streets, and  the   discarded remnants of a big party lying in the gutters. The street cleaners must have  been  busy all day.  I have to support both nations, as I feel I have dual nationality and  I will watch every England and Germany match even though I'm not a footer fan!   I brought my flag of St George with me this year, so I can sit  in front of the tv tonight and wave my support for England when they play against Sweden.

On Thursday afternoon I met Janet in "Graff"  for our weekly chat session, where we drink hot chocolate with cream and talk women's talk.   I like speaking German to my friends, but it is nice to speak to another English person and be totally understood.   We later visited T.K.Maxx, a shop that sells English sweets and household bits and pieces, where I was interested to see that the new building had incorporated an old house into its structure.  How very imaginative, although I expect the building regulations demanded the preservation of the old house.  Brunswick was once a city of half timbered houses, and every one that managed to survived the fire storm in the war has been vigourously protected. 

The home furnishing department in T.K.Maxx
My visitors left this morning, and it is very quiet without their American accents, their relaxed attitude to life and their very big smiles.   They caught the 08.53 bus and then a tram to BS station and travelled back to Hamburg for their leaving party tonight with friends.  They leave Hamburg Airport for Portland, Oregon at 09.00 on Saturday morning.   In Florence, Oregon they will report back to their father the details of the big search for family "Buehrig" in the Timmerlah area.  I wish them all the success in the world, for when I began a search for my ancestors, I gave up after having spent £100 and only gone back to 1840.  I can see how family searches can become totally compulsive.

Hamburg main station, where I met Meggie and Jan + beer a fortnight ago.

Wednesday 13 June 2012

Green and more Green

"Have you ducks and geese had enough to eat?"
On Wednesday I took a stroll through the Buergerpark with a friend, where we were much struck by the greeness of the grass, the trees and the reflections in the water.  In the dappled sunlight, the intensity of the various shades was so refreshing.  Canada geese breed and raise their young beside the river, and many smaller mallards with ducklings throng the banks.  They must fight for their portion of food against the larger and more aggressive geese, and lady above  with her bag of bread,  induced a feeding frenzy everytime she threw a handful into the water.

The lads from the USA are staying with me at the moment, having found it impossible to find hotel accommodation in Braunschweig.  A European Business Conference is taking place in BS with 2,500 visitors, and every hotel in BS is fully booked, so the lads have had to stay with me. They did mention that they could sleep under a bridge for a couple of days, but they are here in Timmerlah in my spare room.    Fortunately they are "as  easy as clams" to get on with.  That's their description of themselves, and seems to be correct!   They are researching family history, so they go out in the morning and return late at night, and I don't see much of them.  They travel to Hamburg on Friday, and fly back to Portland, Oregon in the USA on Saturday morning.

Boat on the River Oker, that flows through the Buergerpark.
On Tuesday evening I watched the tennis from Queen's Club, and was much taken with the greeness of the court.  The contrast between the orange clay courts at Roland Garros in Paris was quite a shock to the eye!    Mind you, weeks of rain in southern England must have encouraged the grass to grow.  I think Andy Murray had problems on the slippery court in his match on Wednesday, and he did not play well.  I hope he gets his act together for Wimbledon in July.

Right, it's Thursday morning and the lads have gone to search the State Archives in Wolfenbuettel for the day, and I must get my act together.  This afternoon I'll meet J in "Graff" for a hot chocolate and women's chat, and this evening I'm singing in the choir in Gliesmarode, so a busy day of easy living for me.
Waterlilies.
Boaters on the River Oker.





Tuesday 12 June 2012

Tracking down Family "Buehrig" in Braunschweig and Timmerlah.

The cemetry chapel built in 1887.
I had two visitors today from Oregon in the USA.  They are the sons of Mark who wrote to me last year about trying to trace his great, great grandfather named Buehrig,  who had lived and worked in Timmerlah in the 1840's.  We met at the station and then walked to a hotel, where they managed to get a room for the night.  There is a big international conference this week in the Stadthalle, and every hotel room in Braunschweig is fully booked.  After checking in, we caught the tram to the main cemetery in Braunschweig, where many notable former inhabitants are buried. 

We spoke to a very helpful man who searched the records for the name Buehrig on his laptop.  He found one family grave of that name, which we visited, and wondered where in the history of the family these people fitted in.  Mark has done an extensive search for his forebears, and has traced his great, great grnadfather, but would now like to know if he had brothers or sisters, and if any members of his immediate family are still alive.  It's a difficult search, as Buehrig is a common name and spelt with or without the umlaut.  The weather was lovely after a wet start, when I got soaked just walking to the bus stop.

Scott and Craig talking to a gardener near the chapel.
The cemetery covers an area of 103 acres and is the largest burial ground in Germany.  It is run by the Evangelical Lutheran Church association, but near the main entrance are burial sites for other religious denominations.  The visit was very interesting, as I had never been before, but knew about the many notable people who are buried there.  Today we saw the burial site of the Wolters family, the founders of the famous "Wolters Braunschweig  Brewery."   Tomorrow Scott and Craig visit Timmerlah to meet a man who has searched the Timmerlah church records for the name Buehrig.  He may have some extra information, and we will visit the church and churchyard for more clues of the family's history.  All very interesting. 
Just one small part of the cemetery plan.

Monday 11 June 2012

Quiet Sunday, busy Monday

The view towards Timmerlah village from my third window, with the disused petrol station in the background.
Sunday was quiet, although I had a good 3.5 mile walk in the morning and then came home for the men's tennis final from Paris.  I wanted Djokovic to win, but he seemed rather subdued, and only woke up in the third set.  Then rain stopped play, which was a pity for Novak who was just starting to get his act together. Never mind, Nadal was the better player on the day, but I was cheering for Novak, (so good looking and alive!)

Just a few lines tonight, as I'm watching England v France, (1-1 at the moment) and I was out all day at the English classes in the morning, and then went to Querum to see J&G in the afternoon, where I ate some nice strawberry flan and cream, (well two pieces actually.)  I took my pc, as I'm doing a talk for J&G's English groups, and we needed to sort out some of the English vocabulary beforehand.  J and I had a nice walk over the meadows, the sun shone and "everything in the garden was rosy!"  

Tomorrow two friends from Oregan in the USA visit me to see Timmerlah, the place where their great, great, grandfather lived and worked way back in the 1840's.  Last year their father contacted me via my blog, and I did a little research into his family's history and sent photos of Timmerlah church, a place that must have figured in his great grandfather's life.  We will visit the church and some of the older, half timbered buildings in the village, and then go into BS to St Katharinen's church where another relative was christened in ca. 1880.  More news tomorrow.