Germany will be closed for the Holidays, three days in a row. Imagine three days without any option to buy groceries, to return your gifts or to just go out and browse. Grocery stores? Closed! Bakeries? Closed! Shops? ALL CLOSED! Finally, now that I have a couple of days off, I can't even spend the money I've earned...
Anyway, temps were hitting 16°C (60°F), and I took Alonzo, my Vespa scooter to run some final errands. Of course I had to go the long way round.
This is not how the Black Forest should look like in December. The weather should be more frightful, then a fire would certainly be delightful, and since we wouldn't have some place to go... may it snow, may it snow, may it snow. At least on the hills and mountains... please?
Happy Holidays to all of you out there!
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Ein weihnachtlicher Ausritt
Wir Deutschen kennen das ja, die Geschäfte werden nun drei ganze Tage geschlossen sein, und da wir sonst den frühen Hungertod erleiden würden, sind die letzten Einkaufstage vor Weihnachten immer stressig. Nicht aber, wenn man früh genug damit anfängt, die Kühlschränke (ja, wir haben zwei) zu füllen, und ansonsten das Essen anfahren lässt (Mama kocht!). Ein paar Kleinigkeiten werden kurz vor Toresschluss schnell noch auf dem Roller erledigt, den so gibt's dann auch keine Parkplatzprobleme. Danach fahre ich noch einen kleinen Umweg über die Dörfer, solange es das Wetter und die Temperaturen um 16°C hergeben. Zwei entgegenkommende Motorradfahrer auf BMW grüßen mich, ich winke enthusiastisch zurück. Draußen sitzen die Leute bei Kännchen-Kaffee und Schwarzwälder-Kirsch, während ich mir wünsche, es läge wenigstens ein bisschen Schnee auf den Hügeln und Bergen. Aber jetzt genießen wir erst einmal ein paar gemütliche, gesellige, gefräßige Familientage und wünschen Euch allen da draußen friedliche Festtage und einen guten Rutsch.
Best Christmas wishes to you!
ReplyDeleteGermany is closed? You mean like if Wisconsin was closed? Our weather yesterday was like springtime, thunder/lightning and rain. Now it's cold and there is a touch of blue somewhere up there. Wish we had your gorgeous blue skies. But then that would mean it was much colder, so it is what it is.
Have fun, relax, enjoy.
The same to you, Martha. The current weather pattern is weird, to say the least. It's even warmer than the years before. But the weather man is predicting some white stuff: trees are showing blossoms and an early petal shower is expected.
DeleteHere in the Wild West (if only), we're actually having a good start to winter. Were it not for the terribly warm and dry one we had last year, I'd do my darnedest to send some of the white stuff your way, Sonja, but we've gotta be greedy this time around. Happy Holidays to you and yours!
ReplyDeleteAh well, thanks for nothing, Ry ;-) Wishing you and your loved one a festive season as well.
DeleteIch wünsche Euch ein wirklich schönes Fest! Feiert schön und lasst es Euch gut gehen!
ReplyDeleteLetztes Jahr bin ich auch mit Gesa vor Weihnachten einholen gefahren. Dieses Jahr habe ich die paar Dinge, die man braucht, schon vorher zusammengesammelt. :)
Minya, ebenfalls Frohe Weihnachten. Die Vespa ist zum Einkaufen unschlagbar, wenn man nicht gerade eine Kiste Bier holen will...
DeleteThere's another thing we could learn from Time's woman of the year. Shut all commerce down for three days. Never happen. We just adopt Teutonic Christmas symbols to light up the shopping frenzy. Peace and goodwill.
ReplyDelete"Mutti" for once has nothing to do with it, Michael. It is just by coincidence of first and second Christmas holiday falling on Friday and Saturday, and Sundays being closed anyway due to a stupid ancient law. Happy holidays to you, too.
DeleteEverything closed - it must be wonderful having no place to go!
ReplyDeleteIf you have stocked up on supplies, all is well ;-)
DeleteNice shots SonjaM, I assume folks were told beforehand that the shops would be closed for three days? Merry Christmas to you and Roland.
ReplyDeleteWell, Dom. You know how it goes... X-Mas and its related holidays always com so sudden and unexpected... makes it so hard to plan ahead ;-)
DeleteYour weather is warmer than our rights now. If it would just warm up a smidge and stop raining we could get out on the bikes. Fingers crossed for new years.
ReplyDeleteWe have 4 days off (including yesterday) so it will be nice to have a little break from work.
Merry Christmas to you and Roland, and all the best in 2016.
Merry Christmas and enjoy the all-shops-closed break. (That still seems odd) Yesterday, Christmas Day, we were walking around Huntington Beach and a few restaurants including Starbucks were open. Most shops were closed.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London. I like it that the shops are closed. Everyone needs a break at Christmas. I wish you great riding in 2016!
ReplyDeleteVespa scooter is the best
ReplyDelete