Edinburgh 2005-12-10

Rita was at EDI to meet me and to guide me to their grand apartment in Comely Bank. Lucky ducks for living in (posh) UK. We went to pubs, did some Christmas shopping in the overwhelmed downtown, and then to the Weihnachtsmarkt in Princes Gardens. Yes, a real Weihnachtsmarkt with stalls imported from Germany. The mugs were even “stolen” from Frankfurt’s Christmas market.

Rita accompanied me on a trip to Colinton to see Auntie Frances and Uncle Jimmy, which took up a whole, grand, day.

2005-12-13 Stuttgart

Flew from EDI to Stansted, hung around for five uneventful hours writing Christmas cards until it was time to go to fly onwards to Stuttgart. Steven met me at the airport and it was off to Fehn’s. I clearly needed sleep, because I was coming down with a cold and slept for fourteen hours. I haven’t done that in eons! It was good to be back in Stuttgart, did some Christmas shopping, hung out with Volkmar, and saw Christopher, Vanessa and Claudia.

Bamberg 2005-12-16

Managed a short little road trip to Bamberg with Volkmar. There was snow in Bayern, which added to the Christmas feel. More Weihnachtsmaerkte and a game of Trivial Pursuit in German (I’m thinking I might have won).

Fuerth 2005-12-17

Had Kaffeetrinken, okay Biertrinken, in Fuerth with Katrin. We managed to find her house despite the crazy and complicated instructions. Managed to have a Hefe Weizen in Bayern for the first time in a while, despite it being oh so Bayerisch!