Day One * June15/16 * 2010

We had a remarkably smooth flight to Germany. 

We made a timely arrival to Pearson only to discover that we had no assigned seats and since the flight was overbooked, we were placed on standby. !?! This made us feel rather anxious.  We waited at gate 172 and the very moment the gate was staffed (generally one hour before take-off) I marched off to the desk to haggle for a place on that plane.  The way an airline can gouge for a last minute seat only bolstered my conviction that I would NOT be playing the polite mousy Canadian!  :)  Thankfully, it turned out to be a non-issue.  We did however get the two seater bench in the back forty right by the rear bathroom.  Row 50 H & K.  So I suppose that makes it the back fifty then.  Neither one of us could sleep on the aircraft and hence we missed a lot of the green rolling countryside during our hour long taxi ride from Munich to Bad Heilbrunn - taking turns as we did, dozing off for little catnaps.  Victor was waiting for us at the baggage drop with a sign marked Leonardis Klinik - Mrs.Vanderkruk.  So cute. It is raining here (and apparently has been for two months!)  so he carted our bags off to the car and made us wait under an overhang for pick-up at the door.  His English was pretty good and he played the attentive tour-guide most admirably for all those moments that we were'nt dozing off.   

 

The view from Mom's balconey.  When the fog lifts, we will be able to see the Alps.  The hills are alive with the sound of music....you're supposed to know that tune and if you were here, you would be singing it met fulla borste with me.  

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Psalm 19:1  

Momsie took in the soccer match between Spain and Switzerland.  What a fiesty fan that woman is!  At one of her exuberant outbursts, I managed to slip a stitch or two off my knitting project and now sadly - I'm rather stuck.  I will have to park in front of Skype and show the sorry mess to my sisters at home so they can pace me through it.

Every house and building around these parts looks very alpine-ish.  Y'know what I mean?  Painted shutters and wooden balconeys on three sides?  I half expect to see Maria vonTrapp and her gaggle of choristers bursting forth.  I did hear the distinct and lovely sound of church bells pealing the 8th evening hour.  *sigh*  That is truly a wonderful, exclusively European experience it seems.  

My room is more spacious and I've tried to switch with Mom ever since making that discovery but she'll have none of it.   I spent a fair bit of time finding out about adaptors and convertors and what was safe to hook into my laptop.   I am still smarting from the hot-rollers and hair-blower Catherine and I blew up in England and it makes me VERY cautious with my laptop!

Look beloved, at the beautiful beech trees within view of my balconey?  

Almost like home.  But not quite of course.