Wednesday, August 10
Today was mostly a travel day. Mark and I went it get some fresh rolls for breakfast and a picnic-on-the-train. Then we were on the various buses and trains again and, despite pretty crowded conditions, arrived without a hitch in Osnabrück (where my mom lives) before 2 pm. We took the bus to my mom’s house and I got to hug her for the first time in a year–partly thanks to everyone’s negative covid test this morning before we took off!
The house in which my mom lives is currently being patched and repainted, so it’s hidden under scaffolding. But I still just LOVED walking into my mom’s house and her guest room instantly became “our room.” This is despite the fact that this is not the house of my childhood (she moved here less than ten years ago), but it has just so become “her house” with all the familiar things that she loves best–books, art work, beautiful dishes, beloved furniture, each piece with its own story–that I just love everything about it and feel instantly happy just being in it. And I love sitting in her little walled garden in the shade under her apple trie. Our friend Uschi had just arrived from out of town when we got there, and since it was glorious weather, we all had coffee and cake from the nearby baker outside in that spot, with the apple tree growing a record number of apples this year.
After our coffee break, Uschi, Andrea, Peter and I walked downtown in search of some items that we’d forgotten and needed to replace, chatting and enjoying the weather while we went into various drug stores and book stores. Again, nothing about being here ever feels unfamiliar anymore, but I just love the streets and shops and the pace here in Osnabrück. When we got back, Uschi took off (she is staying with another friend in town, just so that she can see Andrea and Peter and the two of us, and will be back to hang out with us again tomorrow), while we helped Imke prepare dinner, and then had a third meal consisting of rolls with cheese and cold cuts–and I’m still not at all tired of it! Plus, there were different cheeses!
After dinner, Andrea and Imke stayed home, but Peter, Mark and I went for an evening walk. It had gotten quite hot today, in the 80s, so we just couldn’t pass up that it was cooling off so nicely. We got to walk to the Westerberg, our favorite “green”/park area in Osnabrück. Peter hadn’t been here in a while but loves it here, so he enjoyed it a lot, and I’m sure Andrea and Imke also enjoyed catching up. (Everyone always loves being with my mom, and Andrea hadn’t seen her since last summer; they are quite fond of each other–they’ve known each other since I made friends with Andrea when I was 14!) We sat around for just a little bit longer, but we all went to bed quite early.