I should not have gloated yesterday about sleeping so well the first night post-transatlantic trip, because that didn’t happen last night–I woke up probably around 2 am and I know I was up until past 4 am if not past 5. But eventually, I did doze back off and slept until about 7, so it wasn’t too bad. And I didn’t nap all day, so that was good, and I hope it’ll all right itself tonight. But it meant that I was a bit groggy when I ran this morning, so I ran only about 2.5 miles.
Before I got back home, I picked up rolls, and we had quite a lovely breakfast, although it was probably more food than it should have been. One of our oldest family friends, Uschi, came around 11, and we chatted for a bit. She had come with her daughter Isabel and a friend, Andy, who are currently visiting and explored Osnabrück while Uschi, Mark and I drove to Fürstenau, my hometown as a child and teenager (1971-1986, from before first grade to just past high school graduation) so I could speak to a manager at my German bank about reinstating my online banking. (You have to log in at least once every three months or it kicks you out, and I didn’t know that!) Before I had my appointment at 2 pm, we had ENORMOUS but mediocre Döner/gyros in a little fast-food place with outdoor seating. That was nice (except the meal was much too big), and a little stroll around the main street was really all there was we had time for otherwise, although we did drive by the cemetery to check on Elmar’s grave (to make sure on Imke’s behalf that there is proper upkeep). But then we just returned to Osnabrück (lots of driving for Uschi! But she does like to drive), since I’d shown Mark the town before and I no longer get much out of revisiting. So the trip was really just about the bank appointment and about giving Uschi and me a chance to chat about her various trips past, present, and future. So that was lovely and Mark got to do some napping in the back seat while we talked.
When we got back, we all had tea and coffee with Imke and VERY SMALL bites of apple and cherry streusel cake (Mark didn’t have his until dinner time), and chatted a bit more. Uschi, Isabel (whom I had not seen in decades) and Andy (whom I had not met at all) left a little after 4 pm, but we’ll see Uschi again early next week in Hamburg–I am very glad because there wasn’t enough time, and Mark didn’t even get a chance to take a photo of the two of us!
We then also went for a lovely walk–Imke was with us for part of it, but then Mark and I added a stroll through the botanical gardens. It was interesting because we have not been there in July–always in May or June–so some flowers looked unfamiliar, even though we typically see the same stuff at about the same stage every time we visit. I also started to bake the complicated layer cake that Judith had requested for her birthday, Donauwellen, because tomorrow is a bit tight to do it all. So I baked the cake part and made the butter cream for it. The only thing left to do tomorrow is the chocolate glaze that goes over the top.