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Published: September 14th 2009
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Beatles-Platz
The best thing about Hamburg...I really didn't care for that city. Loyal readers, I must confess something: I hate my birthday. Never have liked celebrating it, could really do without any of the hullaballoo that usually surrounds it and honestly would prefer to have money spent on my presents spent on people who need it more than I do. I know that sounds a bit self-righteous, but honestly I could do without the birthday. So this year, one of my nefarious goals was to be absent for the time surrounding the birthday. I couldn't be much more absent than here in Grossenhain, Germany.
As you might have guessed (given the backdating of this entry), I am incommunicado for the next two and a half weeks. I am enjoying a stay with Axel and Angelika, a very nice couple who are hosting two HelpX'ers right now. Ben arrived a day later than I did, and we both jumped right into the work. The last few days have been tough, with a lot of working with hay. On Monday we bailed up and loaded two wagons of hay, with Axel driving the larger tractor and yours truly behind the wheel of a 1950s era McCormick diesel. There were no incidents or accidents, thank
The Fab Four
The Beatles live forever... goodness, aside from a little uncertainty as to how to return to the farm while driving back in the dark. Since then we've been loading hay bales into the barn. Guess what? Both Ben & I have developed strange coughs and sneezes, undoubtedly due to working with the hay. I'm just glad I have an ample supply of handkerchiefs.
Angelika and Axel have been very nice to us, even taking us to Bremen for a tour of the old city before they attended a concert (during which time Ben & I found our way to the Hofbrau Biergarten for a tasty meal and some beer). They're very much living off their own land, with only dairy, meat and grain being purchased or bartered for. We eat loads of tasty vegetables, drink the farm-made apple juice by the liter, eat fruit like it's going out of style and generally live a very happy and content life. Like some of the other farms I've been to, they freeze or preserve a lot of their harvest for consumption throughout the year. Angelika was quite happy that I knew how to blanch and prepare vegetables for freezing, so this week I was set
Millstone
This is allegedly a millstone from the last stone age to preparing beans and carrots for the freezer. I've even taught Ben a thing or two about some of the workings of the farm. It's actually quite amazing how much I've picked up along the way, and I have found myself spouting off gardening knowledge at random intervals. It's pretty nifty, and I think I might have to pick up a community garden plot on my return.
I said at the outset that I wasn't going to start thinking about returning until at least halfway through the absence. Well, I have officially passed that point, and there are now fewer days ahead of me than behind. I haven't come to any decisions yet, and have kept in contact with the management folks. No more to really say on that front. This has been good for me, though, as I know now that I don't want to be a farmer full-time. I never really thought I would, but rather am using this method of travel to see some of the world that you don't see living in hostels for 6 months. Out here on the farm, you get to meet real people from other places, have conversations about their way
Cake
The cake row at the flea market. It was fun, but wet, to walk around the German flea market. of life, and may even learn a bit more about your way of life in the meantime. It's not always fun and games, and some days I feel tired and ready to pack it in. However, there are the good days that surround the occasional bad day, and those are the days that make it most worthwhile. Perhaps that's the lesson I really need to learn on this trip: Life ain't sunshine and rainbows, but it's not always a pile of manure either.
Lessons learned:
Hay sets off my allergies. Big time. Bleh.
There are places in the world that still have all four seasons. Texans, I feel sorry for you. You don't get to enjoy the simple pleasures of the leaves gradually changing color and a cool breeze in the evening. The three seasons in Texas are: summer, super-summer and rain. Go somewhere and experience fall.
Being on the road is made easier knowing that there are people back home who occasionally think about you. Believe me guys, you're all in my thoughts as well.
There is always time for cake. Axel and Angelika are pretty strong believers in keeping a 4:00 tea time,
SHEEP
The sheep on this farm were not for milk or meat purposes, but rather just to keep around nowadays. and during that time we typically have some homemade cake with our tea. However, the cake we eat is not overly sweet or coated with sugary frosting, but rather simple country cakes such as German cheesecake (made from a shicht-kasen, or layered cheese), rum raisin or rhubarb cake. All are homemade here on the farm in the giant bakehouse, then portioned and frozen.
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