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Published: February 11th 2010
Photo 1
Flensburg Harbour.It has been almost two months now and our travel has STOPPED. Boom! Just like that!
Our travels from Nicaragua to Frankfurt took a couple of days which we always knew it would so it was OK. Our transfers were perfect actually. I wish I could say the same about zi German vether!
Two days after 5 days of perfect 30 degree summer paradise weather on a secluded beautiful Nicaraguan beach, we arrived in Frankfurt to visit Chris’s sister’s family. It was snowing and about -167°C...well it was actually just -5°C or so but that’s how damn cold it felt for this little Aussie battler who had just spent 3 months wearing just shorts, thongs and a smile!
Our Frankfurt visit was a quick stopover for to say Hallo to family and for us to grab some “new” clothes from our proper travel bags before heading north to Chris’s home town of Flensburg. And yep, it’s north alright...just 20 mins from Denmark! And yep, it was snowing there too. A lot!
Living in snow is a very different world. Yes we have snow in Australia on a 5 acre block somewhere in between NSW, Victoria and nowhere
Photo 2
On our way to Lunch near the Harbour. but how many of us have LIVED in it? There are so many things that you need to learn to get by day to day when you live in snow. Let me run a few things by you:
• Residents must shovel the snow off their front foot paths...by law!
• If you park your car outside, put your wiper blades up! Otherwise they will stick to the windscreen!
• Buy good shoes. Thick sole, warm inners, water proof.
• You can wear 4 jackets and still be cold.
• When you park your car outside, try to park on the flat so you don’t have to use a hand brake... it can ice over and stick... in brake mode if you use it!
• Scaping ice off your windscreen is just expected and accepted (you see oldies doing it without a gripe!)
• Paths become VERY slippery.
So Christmas in Germany is a very special occasion with lots of great traditions. With it being a very white Christmas this year, it took on an even ‘specialer’ feel. One of the best things about Chrissy in Germany is the Christmas Markets. In
Photo 3
Chris' Mum's Home in Tarp. a nut shell, it is minus something stupid degrees outside and so everyone heads out to their local town square and stands around drinking “Glühwein” (hot red wine). It is that cold that you have to drink quickly otherwise the hot part disappears...quickly. The markets are just portable shops like you would see at any carnival type of set up. They sell fast food too and everyone has a ball of a time. We tried our hand at the markets 3 times I think. I recall coming home at least once.
A more known tradition is that zi Germans celebrate Christmas as we know it on the 24th. Tree (no one has a fake one), presents, bad music (just like at home but with the added bonus of an overload of George Michael’s “Last Christmas”) and family gatherings (all speaking German which is fun) etc etc. They definitely do it better than us Strayans and they even get their presents a day earlier! All we did was eat and drink for a couple weeks which in sub zero weather, is very, very, very easy to do. If sunny, the sun comes up at about 9:30 and sets around 4pm.
Photo 4
Digging my way out of the House! A little different to home hey! But you roll with the punches and just get used to it.
We must have gotten used to it because we decided to venture further north to Dänemark, Köbehavn to be very precise to visit our little blonde friend Nille and her man Kasper - just gotta love those names hey! It was colder than in Germany and the days were even shorter but it didn’t matter....we were there to celebrate New Year’s Eve. And didn’t we. Nille’s brother Jesper (just love it!) organised a dinner with endless food and booze and yet more traditions that were new to us. At 6pm just as we were starting to get into it, everyone and I really mean the entire Danish population when I use the word everyone, stopped and watched the Queen’s yearly national address. We are told that it is so anticipated that you can actually place legal bets on the subjects that she will talk about. And the world thinks that us Aussies like a punt! So, it went for about 10 very long non-English minutes and it was oh so prim and proper. If you haven’t heard a Dane talk (in
Photo 5
In the Backyard at Tarp. Danish) you are missing out...it’s funnier than listening to the Irish. That kept me going during the speech. Anyway I digress. Afterwards the party didn’t really kick off straight away. They all had to discuss the content of the speech for the next half hour. I had little input. They all love Mary from Tassie and think she‘s doin’ awright!
I spent NYE in Germany a few years back and thought that their fireworks antics were so 1980’s and really crazy. Well, well, well the Danes are right up there with zi Germans. The streets turn into pedestrian danger zones well before midnight strikes when the non-government, non-parental supervised fireworks shows commence. Fireworks were being let off whilst we were eating brunch each day before AND after NYE! Crazy, crazy Danes. No wonder a girl from Tassie is blending in just fine.
The drive back to Flensburg takes about 3.5 hours and the next day we bid farewell to Chris’s mutter and friends bound for Frankfurt again. We spent a few more days there getting know Chris’s new niece who was born on December 27th. She had no interest in our attendance though....she just slept like a baby!
Photo 6
In the Backyard at Tarp. We did manage to build a snow man with Chris’s nephew though which was fun, especially the impromptu snow fights! See, we ARE getting used to the snow.
So we have reached the time where our travelling for pure pleasure actually stops. We hired a car and drove 4 hours south east to our new home. München! We drove through rain, sleet, sunshine and even near snow blizzard conditions but our trusty 3 door, 4 cylinder Fiat Punto handled well (according to Chris that is as my driver’s licence has expired and I can’t renew it unless I am actually standing in an RTA office in Australia. Very annoying). I thought I navigated well. Three motorways (autobahns) and we were there. Tough gig!
Ahh... home sweet home. And so it was after only our first week. We immediately searched for an apartment to rent and moved into the one and only one we inspected 6 days after our arrival. It is a swish 2 bedroom place in Sendling, 4kms and 3 trains stops west of the city centre. It is truly ideal. The owner is away on a voluntary mission to Ethiopia for 3 months so we are
Photo 7
Clearing the Sidewalk. really just house sitting for a new friend. He even left his CD collection at my request! The apartment is on level 4 - so 105 steps (no elevator) and it’s home sweet home. We are here until early April which gives us ample time to decide where we really want to spend the year. Sendling right now is looking like a great option as we are loving it.
Everything about German is likable for me. Everyone is anal to begin with. If a party starts at 8pm, all invited guests are there by no later than 8:15pm. People know and respect the queuing system. They recycle everything! You return bottles and cans and get paid for their safe return. Trains are NEVER late. Never late.
Chris is currently on the job hunting trail but I have already found my groove. On January 11 I started a German language course. It goes from 3-6pm Monday to Friday and I have 8 classmates. It’s just like being back at school but I am honestly enjoying it immensely. I have completed the first month with 84% in my exam.....I have learnt so much and am looking forward to continually increasing
Photo 8
View from Chris' Bedroom in Tarp. my understanding. It is a crazy language but I am hoping that in a couple of months I will be able to converse with friends (even if it is only baby talk!).
We had our first little trip away a few weekends ago. We went sledding about 60kms from Munich at place called Tegernsee. Now you know that I love to use the word crazy but let me tell you that this is easily THE craziest thing I have even done. It is seriously dangerous. To try to put you in the loop, you sit your butt on a wooden sled which about 1m x 0.5m in size and head down a 6.8km trail which at times narrows in width to about 3m. There are kids, mums, dads, teens and many people (like me) that don’t seem to know how to handle their sleds. The track gets icy too in spots and there are some sections which are lined by trees and shear drops. You could easily seriously injure yourself of even kill yourself on these things. The rush was well worth the risk and we had the most perfect of perfect days which was great. Anyway, check out
Photo 9
PROOF! It is VERY Cold up Here! the photos and video and maybe you’ll a better idea.
I had my fair does of Aussie this month too. Australia Day was spent at Ned Kelly's Bar in the heart of München. I invited all of my new German friends and most of us partied the night away. The bar played all of the great Aussie rock songs and I went a bit wild but it was great to finally hear some music that doesn't have trumpets and/or piano accordian in it! A 2am finish was respectable.
So that’s the past 6 weeks. Very exciting times lay ahead no doubt and who knows maybe soon I’ll be sprechen sie Deutsch! Stay tuned for my February wrap sometime in March!
Tschüss.
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Kerry C
non-member comment
Just delightful guys!
Man- you guys look so cozy and warm over there in all those yummy winter layers!!! So nice to see you with the family and BIG BOY Julian Chris!!! Cliff your hair was making you so not CLIFF- I can hardly recog in some pics - The Little home of Christine is just gorgeous...love seeing stuff like that- so wish Brendo and Thal could fit us in their luggage when they go- awwwwww.... so glad to keep getting your bloggs- they are really fabulous and I always have time for you both to read your bloggs Cliff! Keep em coming xxx p.s Nille just looks so beautiful- must have been great to see see them!