Germany

We have been in Germany nearly two weeks now, we came with no plan other than to move in a northerly direction, because after Germany we intend on driving (about 1000km) to Stockholm, to visit Simon's brother Ben and his girlfriend Anna.

We haven't done very much. Aside from some overnight downpours and a couple of cloudy mornings the weather has remained warm and sunny. We have been driving and staying in small (incredibly lovely/neat/pretty) towns like Selb, Freidrichroda, Uslar, Hermannsberg etc.

A day in life of Simon and I in Germany goes something like this...wake up around 8 o'clock and doze or read until around 9. Simon gets up and makes coffee and breakfast, I then get out and another hour and a half of reading begins. I eventually tidy away the dishes and pack a small bag. We then walk into town to a bakery and buy fresh bread for lunch, and a quick trip to the info centre gets us a map showing the dozen walks which surround every small German town. Then a good 10km walk and a picnic lunch begins. The afternoon can include some incredibly competitive games of cards or 'take two' (home-made on the back of cut up cereal boxes) and invariably some more reading. Late afternoon is usually another wander into the town to taste a local beverage (and hopefully secure another coaster to add to our collection). Around 7 – 7:30 I make curry...etc etc

It has been very relaxing but I have to say I am looking forward to some more variety and excitement soon =)

One Sunday, our first in Germany, we were driving around for a while hoping to find a grocery store to do our weekly shopping (and get some lunch) as our cupboards were bare. Finally yeilding to the realisation that every shop in Germany was closed we eventually (at about 3:30) hit on a tiny pub that was advertising some sort of pork and chips. It was a bit awkward because the place was deserted except for the owner (whom we later found out was from the Czech Republic and had only recently bought the place), however he was so incredibly friendly and helpful that we stayed. He asked us if we would like him to suggest some food. We agreed. He served us a 3 course meal, cooked by himself. It was awesome, entree was some sort of goulash soup (so good I nearly died), we then had a massive salad, and mains was delicious stirfry pork with pickles/mustard/onion stuff. I don't know why I'm telling you but it was just a nice moment.

We also visited the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp (also used as a Polish POW facility before that). I don't think that anything we had studied at school or Uni really prepared us or made us understand the brutality and horror of what happened in those camps. The information and exhibitions set up there were really well done but they didn't spare you any details. I can hardly believe that only a lifetime ago such things actually happened. Its the kind of thing that makes me want to respond somehow, to do something, but there isn't anything to do except know about it. This is a strange thing to put in a blog but I've thought about it a lot since we visited, and also realised how little my generation has had to suffer though anything, or struggle against anyone or want for anything.

What else can I say...Simon grew the most massive beard because we've been staying in unpowered sites for two weeks and I (for reasons we wont go into) was forced to shove my arm down a sewage drain in the pouring rain. The joys of travel!