Apologies and Germany cont

Hiya Everyone :-)

I'm sorry about the secrecy in the last entry I really should stop doing things like that it must bug the hell out of you as a reader...........Thing is I wanna save it for the write up which will be coming eventually LOL..........

I don't have any gossip, or news worthy of a whole entry to itself....was gonna moan about the song lyrics I was just listening to but the song has changed so I shan't do that!!  Let's just crack on with Germany Part 3 (after all it is Wednesday :) 

Brief catch up.......we had made ourselves at home at Sandra's house........lol

FRIDAY 20th JULY 2007

The next morning Brigitte's mobile alarm clock went off and it is the most annoying noise in the world!! She didn't hear it so it went off about 3 times before Tina got up to turn it off!! We got up quite leisurely, as we had to wait for the bathroom. Davie barked when we made our way upstairs, mainly because he had forgotten we were still in the house bless him!!

After we were washed and changed we joined the others outside. It was another hot day, but the sun wasn't shining so great!! Once we were all ready, breakfast was served. Sandra and Jurgen serve the best breakfasts ever!! Basically there was a basket of pretzels and crossiants, and the rest of the table was covered in jams, spreads, ham's, cheeses, anything and everything. It was amazing the selection and choices!! I had a couple of crossiants with nutella chocolate spread. Well I wouldn't usually have that at home, that's my excuse anyway!! After breakfast we sat outside for a bit. The plan today was to visit the Wilhelma Zoo, (click the link to see it :) but we had to wait until Tobi finished school so he could come with us. Jurgen had taken the day off and was fetching drinks again, bless him. Whilst we were sat outside the wind picked up and it started raining. Plus thunder was expected but not much happened. I made the mistake of telling everyone I don't like thunder but I was actually okay.

The rain subsided eventually and Tobi had arrived home from school, so we all agreed it was time to get going. It made me laugh but whenever organisation needed to be done they would do so in German, so Trina and I were there thinking what?? What's happening?? Trina didn't like this, she's a very organised person and suddenly this job was taken away from her. Plan was that we were going to the zoo and at some point a bit later Pam was going to arrive and we'd have to pick her up from the train station. Brigitte, Trina and myself climbed into Jurgen's car and the rest went with Sandra in her mini-cooper. I was hoping for a ride in that, but unfortunately there was not enough room.

It was very odd being driven on the wrong side of the road, Trina really didn't like it. I just found it odd whenever we went to pull out of anywhere we pulled out all wrongly!! Trina and I discussed this though, it doesn't matter where you go abroad, us English are the only ones who drive the other way around so surely we are the ones that are driving on the wrong side of the road??!! Something to think about!! Eventually we pulled into the car park and Jurgen did very well to get his car into one of the spots. We made our way to the zoo along the main road, not too far to walk, which was good as the sun had appeared again!! The next bit I dreaded, and I was starting to feel uncomfortable about being in a different country but not being able to speak the language. For one moment Sandra confused me as I thought she was buying everyone's tickets but that didn't happen. As Trina was in charge of our euro's she went up to the lady in the window. Brigitte translated and things were fine, but that didn't help my uncomfortableness!! Once inside I tried to explain to people how I felt and they immediately told me I was being stupid!!

The first animals we saw were the penguins, it appeared that they were being fed as there was quite a crowd surrounding them. Jurgen kept trying to find better spots for us to be able to see, bless him. As we walked around he was educating Trina and I on most of the things we saw. After the penguins, we walked through a bit with all different species of birds. Some of them were very pretty!! Tina wanted to go through the plant house and the butterflies. It was very hot in the plant house. Apparently some of the buildings we were going through were very old. When we came out of the housesit was a nice relief but itwas definitely hot!! We saw the insects and spiders, which Tobi enjoyed, then through to the butterflies which was nice, they weren't flying around as much as I had thought they would be. We also saw an alligator/crocodile (I'm sure Trina will set me straight here!!)

At this point it was decided that we should get some food. We went into the cafe and got some chips, which were very nice. Again we had to ask one of our friends to translate. I was still trying to get Trina to say thanks in German. It just seemed rude to me that you would pay for something and then walk away, I don't do that over here even though some cashiers flippin' well deserve it!! Anyway we sat in the sunshine eating our chips. I finished off Sandra's chips too, I'm such a pig. Trina and I found it strange that several of them would mix the tomato ketchup with mayonnaise. Apparently you can actually buy bottles of stuff like that in Germany!! I just stuck to the mayonnaise.........

After food and a bit of a sit down we continued through the zoo. More gardens, very pretty, fish, and very strange things in tanks, toilet stops and ice cream. Whilst everyone was sat down eating their ice cream I was stood watching everyone around us. This family were coming towards me, mum, dad and a little girl who was helping push the pushchair. Her family stopped walking but because she was too busy looking at me she walked straight into the pushchair. That was very funny!! Onwards we went and saw more plants, a headbanging bird, monkey's, goats, polar bears and lots of other things and eventually up to see the big cats etc. It felt like we were walking miles. The funny thing I have to mention is the polar bear. There were two of them and they were both slumped as if the heat was getting to them. One stood up whilst we were watching and had a piss and then flumped back down it was so funny to watch. Trina and I were actually trying to take pictures of him whilst he was going to the loo. I should point out he didn't flump back down where he had just been to the loo.

Up by the big cats was more monkey's or whatever they were and one of the little ones had a red cap. He kept washing it and then looking around to check that people were still looking at him, it was funny but kinda cute. The cats were all being kept in tiny cages and weren't moving around very much. Trina was happy seeing them though. It was getting late and we were due to pick someone up from the station soon, but we had to walk up to the elephant house for my sake and Sandra's. Unfortunately they were not outside but fortunately we could still go inside to see them. There were four of them if I remember rightly and they were eating. They were lovely, as I call them gentle giants. Some of them had pink skin which looked really weird!! Further up in this building was a rhino with a baby rhino. I sat watching the elephants though as they are truely lovely.

We decided it was time to leave at this point and made our way back to the main entrance. Again decisions had been made in German, so Trina and I got into the car with Jurgen and Tina to go and pick up Pam from the train station. I was quite nervous meeting Pam for the first time. Tina had met her before which was why she came with us. We looked around the station and sat on the steps before she eventually walked towards us. Back into the car and back to Sandra's. We sat outside for the rest of the evening and much later ordered pizzas. We were supposed to be eating out at a Greek restaurant which Trina and I were quite nervous about as we weren't aware of whether we like Greek food or not. It was decided that as we had got back quite late it was probably not practical to eat out and we were all pretty tired from walking around the zoo.

We went to bed not long after the pizza's were eaten. We had spent most of the night chatting and laughing away. Pam kept translating for Trina and I.

 

So there you go, perhaps a proper entry next time LOL..........

Love y'all