Sunday Drive to Varrel

Fluffy frosted trees lined the autobahn. 

If you like the white stuff it was spectacular.

Traditional stall with "currywurst" in the town of Rastede. All stores and everything is always closed on Sundays in Germany so this was a pleasant surprise for the sausage eating driver. Nice government gesture during lockdown allowing at least a few folks opportunities for revenue. 

A sweets stall.

Classic German cookies just like at the Christmas market stalls. This season cookies are Valentine ready.

Fish Feeders Report

 

Mr. Mann stands - hmm - deep in the snow. Looks like the swim raft is buried. Thanks for your reporting Auntie Annie.

Snow Day

 

A touch of springtime inside.

Frosty Morning

 

Looking down the street from my window. Coldest morning so far -    27 degrees F but yay NO rain.

Sailing through the day with great memories of January 2014.

Rocking and rolling in Rio with Gramie and Bapa.

After a long walk GAB shares her happiness in a glass with Gramie.

Black and White Ball. Those were the days my friends.

Buenos Aires - Alvear Palace Hotel 

You can always count on GAB for finding the BEST hotels!

90210

 

Auntie Annie's Audience

 Good show Annie!

Bad News - Good News

 

A simple cloth mask is thought to not offer enough protection. Germany has mandated that these medical-grade masks be worn in all public places.  Best of all it appears that folks take this order seriously.

Good news. Starting next week, monoclonal antibodies will be used in Germany as the first country in the EU. Trump was treated with this form of antibody treatment after he was infected with the coronavirus last October.

Sunshine Surprise

Hamburg Rathaus 

Rathaus (City Hall) is Hamburg's seat of government and also the seat of one of Germany's 16 state parliaments.

Sunshine disproved the iPhone's weather forecast. So, we quickly headed downtown Hamburg for a walkabout, Vietnamese curry, and coffee and cake. Since indoor dining is still forbidden, we found a convenient park bench off the main boulevard and ate our curry.

 

The Afrikahaus = A little bit of Africa in Hamburg.

Afrikahaus was built in 1899 as the company headquarters for shipping companies Woermann-Line, and German East-Africa-Line. The building's location was situated conveniently close to the newly built harbor canal warehouse quarter of 1883. In 1894 the shipping company added the route from Hamburg to Durban via the Cape. Then in 1898, to avoid a clash with the British their steamers instead took a new route, Hamburg, via Suez to Dar es Salaam. Woermann became the largest private shipping company in the world and at the same time the largest German West Africa merchant.

Passing through the gateway of the building's facade you see it painted in the colors of the shipping company flag. Continue walking past the bronze statue of an African Wahehe warrior where the entrance opens into the courtyard of Afrikahaus.

There's an elephant in the room. But wait, there are two giant bronze elephant statues greet those entering the offices.

Our coffee and cake break on a table Betsy style.

Because many city streets are narrow and allowing entry to the courtyards, UPS uses these appropriately sized vehicles. No traffic blocking.

Rainy Days and Mondays

 

Rain! Looking out my window sort of feels like Groundhog Day. 

Stadt Ratzeburg

Stadt Ratzeburg is a city surrounded by four lakes resulting in an isthmus between the lakes which forms the access lanes to the town. Today, Ratzenburg is a popular tourist destination especially for all kinds of water sports. I must say, a perfect destination for a Sunday drive also.

Always love these ancient maps. 

This town was founded in the 11th century by Christian missionaries. Sadly their monastery was destroyed in a pagan rebellion in 1066 when the monks were stoned to death.

Typical North German style government building built in 1694.

For the most part, the buildings around the town square and throughout the town are not the most impressive.

St. Peter Church.

From 1945 to 1989 the Iron Curtain ran just east of the town, putting it on the border with the German Democratic Republic.

An old pub.

Oh yes, the jokes on you if your plan was getting a cake from this bakery.

Always window shopping. No other option.

Sock it to me.

Vitamin D-Day

 Clear blue skies brought the opportunity for collecting some Vitamin D. Tomorrow the forecast is for 100% snow so of course get out there quickly and soak up what you can before the white stuff.

Windows of Germany so often have delicate lace curtains.  Rarely do they cover more than a portion of the window.

More anarchy tagging.

Do you also see a Charlie Brown Christmas tree?

Notice the live roof on this house.

Colorful houses.

Early planning another German stereotype supported.

Who is He?

Yesterday, after too many days of challenging the clouds, the sun had a win. More of a compromise actually. The skies remained mainly cloud covered but the sun did make a short appearance. So, we along with most of Hamburg headed out to celebrate the sighting. We drove past this statue in Wedel, then added him to the who is he list. Wedel is another city in the state of Schleswig-Holstein where we are still allowed to travel. It is only about 11 miles west of Hamburg on the River Elbe.

Now we know that Roland is an iconic eighth-century knight. This Roland statue stands proudly in the town marketplace symbolizing freedom and justice? In the epic 11th-century French poem Chanson de Roland (Song of Roland) based on Charlemagne's Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778,  Roland is the hero after losing his life. He has become a popular figure in many other parts of Germany and other countries as well. The first Roland statue was most likely a simple wooden one erected in 1450. It is believed that the Roland now standing was commissioned by Count Otto IV in 1558.  

With the current state of affairs in the US Roland holds a strong message.

Roland is another man who became a hero after traveling through Basque lands with Charlemagne the founder of the HOLY Roman empire, killing, plundering, looting, and pillaging. How do these men ever rise to hero status?

 

Fish Feeders Arrive

 Auntie Annie Kicks It Up a Notch. 

Sorry Uncle Bob, Annie is by the big red X but not feeding your Walleyes.

Very Funny Annie. Rubbing It In On Mom Style of Skiing.

The Fish Feeders Arrive and Report All Are Alive and Well.

Saturday Market Day

 

Today I had to wait until after the market was closed for picture taking.  Too many people were shopping for my Covid distance safety. With the very long queues at the stalls, it looked like a successful business day.

Kruses Hofmilch (farm milk) sells many kinds of cheese. 

Normally the horse meat stall is located there.

Closing time for the Wurst Stall.

No coffee today from my favorite coffee man.

Too late to beamed up.

Next chance for spacey coffee is Tuesday. Not referring to Amsterdam Annie. I just like his unique style and theme. The latte macchiato is perfect.

Pick-up trucks are rare here. After almost 3 months, I am up to 19 pick-up truck sightings and still counting. 

Hoping to break away from the addictive news and there this was. 

Even the video screen has a reminder.

For such an orderly, clean, and manicured country it is surprising how there can be so much tagging and graffiti everywhere.

Saturday market day was not a complete get-away from the appalling insurrection news coming from America.