First of December and Second Advent

It's the Third Advent tomorrow, and I have not even blogged about the week leading up to the Second yet... Well, here goes:

My train from Offenburg to Stuttgart on Monday (1st of December) was on time. I worked from home and afterwards met an old school friend at the Christmas market, where we enjoyed something to eat, a drink and most of all catching up with the goings-on in our lives. We've known each other since we were ten years old and still live in the same town, but manage to meet only a precious few times a year.

I liked the neatness of the month starting on a Monday; when I was little, I believed it should be so with every month, or at least with every year, and was quite puzzled when I first learned that the days of the week just continue no matter what.

Tuesday (2nd of December) was as sunny as Monday had been. The morning was frosty, but during the day it was as mild as 12C/53F - more than we often get in spring! I made up for the recent lack of walks and went on TWO walks: One pre-work walk, the customary hour with my friend which we try to fit in once a week (but often fail), and then I finished work early so that I was able to walk to Benningen without having to stumble across the fields in the dark. Sunset was at around 4:30 pm that day, and I timed my walk perfectly. 

It wasn't pure bliss, though; there is so much work going on along the lanes where I usually walk that I came against barriers twice and ended up NOT walking to Benningen, but taking a stroll in the deer park instead, which was actually very nice with the late afternoon sun filtering through the mostly bare trees. No deer were to be seen, but some wild sheep grazing relatively close to the path.

Of the equally sunny and mild Wednesday (3 December) I could not really take advantage, as it was dark by the time I left the office. My sister joined me at my kitchen table for a session of writing Christmas cards, most of them to our family and friends in England, but also to Switzerland and within Germany. It was a nice way of doing this, having mugs of tea while we were scribbling away.

Working from home made sense on Thursday (4 December), as I had online meetings scheduled from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm with only 25 minutes for a bite to eat - no need to travel to the office for that. After work, my sister and I met at our Mum's.

Friday (5 December) saw the annual highlight in the calendar of my group of girl friends: The "Rubbish Secret Santa"! It is something we have been doing in this particular group of friends for 17 years or so, and at least 15 of them at my place. I have mentioned it on my blog every year, I think; for instance the 2019 post is here (I still had brown hair then!).

Getting the table ready for a glass of sparkling wine to get us started.

I put up a few more Christmassy bits in the afternoon.

This year, I was almost ready to cancel or postpone the event, since only two of the group could make it. Thankfully, my sister agreed to join us (she's never been, since she's not keen on such games) so that there would be four of us around the table. And guess what - in spite of the smallest Schrottwichteln I have ever hosted, it was good fun! (And I ended up with the biggest rubbish gift I have ever received at this event!)

Look at the size of it!!

Oh my... what's this?!

You can tell how happy I was with my rubbish gift... but I am pleased to report that the three "snowmen" (?) have found a good home - just not with me :-D

One of my friends brought silly things to put on our heads.

O.K. deliberately arrived long after the actual game had finished, joining us for a drink and chat. 

On Saturday (6 December), against our habit we only had a quick breakfast before heading into town. Rain was forecast, and we wanted to make use of the hours before that. A stroll in town with a few errands and purchases was followed by food and a drink at the Christmas market around lunch time. 

I made a new friend at a fashion store.

Back home by 3:00 pm, we rested for a while before having coffee and heading back into town for another errand, something O.K. had meant to get in the morning but had forgotten about. Since we were already there, we had another turn at the Christmas market, which of course has a different atmosphere in the evening with all the lights, and many more visitors than earlier in the day.

We then retreated to my flat for good, and I made a kind of Shepherd's Pie for us.

Sign spotted at the Christmas market - "Women, think of your men!" The stall behind the sign sells all sorts of salami, speck, dry meats and things which apparently make perfect gifts for men (unless they are vegetarians or vegans).

A sweet and pretty Advent calendar I got from my Mum. It's got foxes, too!

The 2nd Advent Sunday (7 December) was here! We went for a walk after breakfast and had coffee and Christmas cookies at home later before briefly popping in at my Mum's for an errand (more on that in a later post). 

Pre-breakfast coffee with Christmas cookies

Two candles to light already!

At a little after 5:00 pm, we walked into town; the Christmas market was of course in full swing, but that was not what we had come for: My Mum had given us tickets for a concert in church! There were seven of us altogether, and we had the best seats up on the gallery. 

The organ was behind us, but not part of the concert.

A wonderful choir, an equally wonderful orchestra and great solo singers were performing Johann Sebastian Bach's "Magnificat" - a beautiful, very moving piece of music. His son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach wrote his own version of the "Magnificat", and this was the second half of the concert. It was very interesting to hear how father and son had composed on the same theme, with a distance of some 20-odd years between the two works. I greatly enjoyed both but was touched more deeply by the older one.

The choir and orchestra getting ready. I love to watch the preparations, and from the gallery we had the best view of course.

Everyone in place. Shush! Mobiles off!

It was a great early Christmas present from my Mum, and a very appropriate thing to do on an Advent Sunday.

Click here for the wikipedia entry about the "Magnificat" (in English) - and if you have time and feel like it, find it on youtube; it's about 27 minutes long.

When we came out of the church, it was raining; we didn't want to eat at the Christmas market with water dripping from every stall but went to the pub instead, just across the market square. Food and drink was enjoyed, and then O.K. had to leave - he still had a 150 km drive ahead in order to get home.

Last of November and 1st Advent

The last week of November ended on the 1st Advent Sunday. I was doing various things to get ready for the season and went to the Christmas Market twice. The weather ranged from wet and cold to spring-like mild sunshine.

Monday (24 November) saw a rise of temperature above freezing level, but it was wet all morning and only stopped raining in the afternoon.

After work, I went into town to buy a Christmas present for a 15-year-old girl. The company I work for has a large Christmas tree in the foyer of our building, hung with wishes from children of disadvantaged families. Children between 7 and 15 write down what they wish for, and we can pick a card, buy what's on the card, wrap it nicely and leave it with the department in our company who organises it all. They then make sure all the gifts (none of which should exceed 30 euros) are delivered on time. 

Looking at the cards, I didn't know what half of the items were (toys? clothing? something else?) and settled for a girl wishing for a small gift set by "Rituals", a company producing cosmetics and toiletries. I knew which shop in town stocks their products, and was indeed lucky to find the exact one the girl had written on the card. It was wrapped festively for me at the shop, and I then went for a few more errands. 

I was out for a couple of hours; not a proper walk but at least I was away from my desk and got to stretch my legs a bit.

Sunset on Monday, as seen when I left ALDI.

Ludwigsburg's beautiful Christmas market opened on Tuesday (25 November), but the weather was so dismal that I imagine it wasn't quite as packed with visitors as it usually is on opening night. 

It rained basically all day, but I still managed a brief walk of just under an hour around lunch time. It wasn't pure bliss but again, at least I did get away from desk work and computer screens for a while.

Here are a few pictures of Ripon's Christmas lights, sent to me from my sister-in-law:

My usual office day on Wednesday (26 November) was followed by a first brief visit of the Christmas market. 

It had again been raining most of the day, so that both my Mum and my sister decided they didn't want to go out in the evening. Being on my own, I didn't stay long, just had a quick stroll and something to eat. It was nice to find most of the familiar booths at their usual places, but I noticed quite an increase in prices for food and drink. Still, people were eating and drinking and buying other things, obviously undeterred.

On Thursday (27 November), I was at the office again. For a change, my trains were on time, and I managed the way to work in 27 minutes - just as it should be! (More often than not, it takes me 45 minutes or even a full hour for a journey that is supposed to take 17 minutes on the train, plus a few minutes on foot at both ends.) Why can't it always be like that?

After work, I met my Mum in town, and the two of us went to the Christmas market together. It was very nice to have a look round, some food and a hot drink. 

On our way home, Mum posed for me at the shopping centre :-)

Friday (28 November) was busy; first work of course, then the weekly cleaning. I then brought up my Christmas boxes from the cellar and started on the first bits and bobs of Advent decoration.

Next, I packed my little red suitcase and set off for the station at 4:30 pm. My train to Offenburg arrived there at 7:00 pm, bang on time - hooray!! O.K. and I had fresh pasta and an equally fresh salad for our evening meal after we'd briefly popped in with his Mum to say hello.

A small Advent market was held at the village on Saturday (29 November),  and five members of the village brass band (including O.K.) were playing Christmas tunes in the afternoon.

Of course, I went with O.K., and while they were playing, chatted to some friends and acquaintances and had a look round at the few stalls. As dusk fell, the lights came on and the fires were lit, the atmosphere becoming more festive. 

Sunset over the village

It was still rather mild after what had been a day of almost spring-like temperatures, but by the time the quintett finished playing, I was glad to join O.K. and the others for a steaming hot mug of mulled wine - when you're mostly standing about without moving much, it gets inevitably cold at some stage, no matter what you're wearing.

We had something to eat there as well (prices being about half of what they charge at Ludwigsburg's Christmas market) and then went home for a relaxing evening.

The 1st Advent Sunday (30 November) was here!

In the morning, O.K. and I met a group of friends in Offenburg for a sumptuous breakfast. I don't get to see them often, and it was nice to catch up and enjoy the meal together.

Back at the cottage, we prepared everything for the family meal we were hosting later, putting up a few Christmas ornaments as we went along.

O.K.'s Mum, his sister and her husband arrived, and the five of us spent a very nice evening eating, drinking, talking and sharing some laughs.

After our guests had left, O.K. and I put everything back in order and then settled for our customary early night in view of Monday's early start to get me to the station.

A Frosty Week

Last week we experienced wintry temperatures well below freezing, and although I wouldn't go as far as saying that we had the first snow of the season, there were a glorious few minutes on Thursday around lunch time when the first white flakes were falling. Saturday saw the first of many events of this year's Advent and Christmas period.

Because I had a busy morning and an online meeting lasting all afternoon from 2:00 until 6:00, I didn't go for a walk on Monday (17 November); sunset is well before 5:00 pm now, and I wasn't in the mood for a stroll in the dark.

On Tuesday (18 November), my team and I played our last pub quiz for this year. The four of us kept our good mood even though we weren't doing as well as we had hoped, leaving the pub without a prize but determined to return for more (and do better) in 2026. I am truly happy that, after years of only occasional participation, my sister has become an integral part of the team this year. It gives us a chance to catch up when, due to work and other things, we don't see each other as often as we'd like to.

The day had started frosty but sunny, and my friend V and I took advantage of the good weather and appointment-free first half of the morning by going for a walk. 

In the evening, just a little before I was off to the pub, my book-swapping friend A popped by to lend me the latest book in the Thursday Murder Club series, which I was really looking forward to.

Wednesday (19 November) went by unremarkably. It was frosty and sunny again, but of course by the time I left the office, it was dark (and still frosty).

I worked from home on Thursday (20 November), hoping for a walk before dark, and managed indeed about an hour. Stupidly, I left the house thinking I didn't need a woolly hat; it was really cold, though, and I made sure to warm up well once I was back home. So far, I seem to have avoided any unpleasant consequences of my carelessness.

I used to work on the 9th floor of the building on the horizon.

Friday (21 November) started again below freezing. The sun came out later, and I undertook a walk to Benningen - this time wearing a woolly hat. Because of construction work going on close to Freiberg, the normally clean asphalted lanes were covered in mud; my shoes were dirtier than they'd been in quite a while. It still did me good, of course, but next time I walk to Benningen I will use a different route to avoid the traffic and dirt near the construction site. On the other hand, I am curious to see how they are progressing, and what's actually being done there.

Shortly after Freiberg, looking towards Benningen. The sky was still blue then!

Near Benningen, looking back towards Freiberg, half an hour before sunset.

In Ludwigsburg, walking home from the station, the sunset looked almost like Aurora Borealis.

O.K. and I were spending the weekend separately. As always this time of year, the village band are busy preparing their annual concert on the Saturday before Christmas, and four weeks before, they always set aside an entire weekend for rehearsing. It makes no sense for me to go to O.K.'s then, and of course he can't come to Ludwigsburg either.

Instead, on Saturday (22 November) my Mum and friend R, my sister and I went to the sale and small fête in preparation of Advent at the garden center on the fields just on the edge of town, like we've done every year over the past few years. They serve food and drink, coffee & cakes, you can buy oranges from Sicily, honey and apples from our region, and of course all sorts of Advent wreaths and decoration. At 2:00 pm, a local brass band plays carols in one of the large greenhouses, and it all makes for a very nice, low-key festive start of the season.

A Saturday morning in winter pastel; not snow, just a thin layer of frost on the roofs and trees.

The brass band getting ready. The young woman standing in the front is the band's director Sophie Pope, originally from Sheffield. 

At home, I prepared for O.K.'s village band's concert in my own way. Like in previous years, I am going to be on stage with them to introduce each piece of music and give some organisational and other information to the audience. My prepration means I listen to each piece on the playlist, research the piece and its composer, and take notes of what I think is interesting to know. It is a "job" I greatly enjoy, both preparing for it and the concert itself.

My sister suggested we bake Christmas cookies together on Sunday (23 November), and like last year, we had a lot of fun doing that. She had prepared three types of dough, and warned me that one (made with a mix normally used to prepare a creamy chocolate dessert) looked like dog turds... See for yourself :-D

View from my kitchen window at 8:00 in the morning; the temperature was -8C (17F) at that time!

Sausages...? Dog turds...? No - just cookie dough waiting to be processed :-D

Once again we had 80s music playing at (more or less) full blast, singing along and dancing around the kitchen while trying to produce three kinds of tasty and nice-looking cookies. Do you think we succeeded?

I was home at about 5:30 pm; it was dark by then of course, but I was happy to see the big beautiful Christmas tree in front of a bank lit up for the first time this season. And after the afternoon's baking (and tasting!), I really needed something savoury, fresh and healthy to eat.