Travels.......part whatever I can't remember LOL

It's Wednesday and that means travels  part............(I can't remember what part I'm up too.....doh!!)  ah well............here it is :o)  Still in Germany..........

SATURDAY 21st JULY 2007

Late rising again!! But we had another fabulous breakfast from Sandra and Jurgen. The plan was to visit Stuttgart town centre for shopping purposes. Trina and I both needed to get pressies for people, so once everyone was showered, ready and had, had enough to eat we headed out. Yet again decisions were made in German, and Trina and I were getting a lift to the train station which wasn't that far away from the house. Everyone else walked!! Then came the buying of tickets. I stayed out of it, figuring this was the best thing I could do and sliently wished I had taken my MP3 player. Tobi was playing tunes from his mobile, mostly Wake Me Up by Green Day. (Everytime I hear that now I think of Tobi!)

Eventually the train turned up and we got on. This was the German equivalent of the tube, only it didn't go underground, until we got to Stuttgart (I think!!) Sandra had arranged to meet up with her friend Heike and her children. We had met Heike last year in London at We Will Rock You, chasing Roger's car around London!! So we made our way to their meeting place. As we walked through the town it occured to us how many shops are similiar as the ones in England. Although for example their mobile phone shops are not called the same you can pretty much tell what they are from logos etc.

We stopped in a square, with lovely old buildings and statues to one side and a market place in front of us. There was some kind of demonstration going on as well as there were blokes talking into microphones, but I'm not sure what about!! Heike arrived with her children a boy and a girl (can't remember their names, but I do remember they were teenagers). The kids went off by themselves and the adults (if that's what youwanna call me) went off to look in a few shops.

First stop was this shop that Trina and I had never seen before which sells crystals made into all sorts of ornaments and jewellrey etc. Unfortunately everything in there was far too expensive so we just browsed and left after we had browsed enough. Next stop was Claires accessories. I can't remember why we stopped there but we ended up looking round this shop for ages (well it felt like it!!) Brigitte was browsing through the ties and eventually decided to buy one for Sandra as a pressie as we all knew she would wear it. So she disappeared into the shop and the rest of us waited outside. Trina had gone in after her and so had Tina. After a while Tina came outside and asked for my opinion on something for Trina. Trina, meanwhile looked to be in deep discussions with Brigitte, I had an idea of what was going on but didn't give the game away coz knowing me I would be completely wrong. Tina asked me which wallet they should get Trina for a present. I helped her pick one out and then went back outside. Eventually everyone reappeared and we moved on again.

Walked through town and down a side street. More of those mobile shops that looked very familiar. Tina brought some melon pieces which were gorgeous. It was still quite warm, but there was a bit of a breeze. We bumped into the kids, but they soon went their seperate way. We ended up at a very large department store that Sandra and Brigitte love. A bit like Debenhams, it sells designer gear etc. They wanted to wander through and gaze at all the things they can't afford. This wasn't for everyone's taste, so it was agreed that we would split up and meet each other later outside the store. Trina, Tina and myself decided to go elsewhere. Tina wanted to buy presents for her kids so we decided to follow her. We ended up in the german equivalent of Hamley's toy store, it was great!! The ground floor had cuddly toys, I can't remember what all the floors had but we ended up spending the whole time in there. Trina brought Wayne a model kit of an aeroplane, which she thought could amuse him whilst he was off work with his brokenback. Tina did manage to get some presents for her children, which was good. I hadn't brought anything but that didn't depress me!! We went to wait for the others in the area suggested earlier.

The sun was disappearing by now and it was a bit chilly waiting for them. Pam was the next to arrive, then Jurgen and Tobi and eventually Brigitte and Sandra. We made our way away from that area and it had been decided that we were going to eat in a restaurant called Ochs n Willi, where Trina and I could experience some fantastic food and also because it was our last night in Germany. Luckily the place was still open but it looked quite busy, because we hadn't booked Sandra was concerned that we might not be able to get a table. We did however and it was outside but I knew I would soon warm up once we got some food inside us. So we made ourselves comfortable and ordered drinks. Trina and I had some kind of lager shandy, which was very nice and tasty. The waitress brought the menu's over and I was looking at it but it made no sense to me whatsoever so I asked Brigitte who I was sitting next to, to explain the dishes to me. Pam was doing the same thing for Trina, until Jurgen, Sandra and Tina pointed out that it was written in English at the back. Oh did we laugh about that!! The food that was being served to other customers looked absolutely gorgeous. They are famous for doing steaks if I remember rightly and one bloke had a huge ox type thing. Unfortunately I can't actually remember what I had to eat except that it was gorgeous and very tasty. Trina had the same as Brigitte and Sandra and that looked absolutely lovely too. I did wish that I had copied her but mine was nice.

After we finished our meals we sat there and enjoyed our drinks and being sociable. Also to let our food go down before walking back to the train station. When it came to pay, our friends were working out how to split the bill and money was exchanged. Trina and I suddenly realised that they hadn't asked us for our contribution and mentioned this. They said they had wanted to treat us and had paid for our meals. Trina and I were gobsmaked and felt rather blessed for having such lovely friends. We soon left the restaurant after that. As we were making our way back to the station, we passed an ice cream place, some of them went to get one, Trina included and the ice cream seller came onto her, which was quite amusing. It had also started raining!!

We got back to the train station and Jurgen drove Trina and I back to the house but stopped off to get Sandra some more cigarettes. He didn't go to a shop or a petrol station like we would, in Germany there are machines on street corners that pay out cigarettes. I couldn't get over how strange that was. Back at Sandra's and the rain was coming down quite a lot now so we had to spend the evening indoors for a change. We made ourselves comfortable in the living room and presents were given. Mine was a blue skull and crossbones wallet, which Trina had helped pick out. I love it coz it goes so well with my bag which has red skull and crossbones on it, which Trina and Wayne got for me at the Download festival for looking after their cats. We decided to spend the evening watching some Queen videos and drinking more. Heike arrived not long after and joined in with the merriment.

I would spend some time of this evening outside with the girls and we had a good laugh about Brian most of the time. I can't remember what was said but it was certainly one of those conversations where you had to be there at that particular time. Watching the Queen videos had been such a good idea and it was amazing how quickly the evening passed.

Soon Heike left and we decided it was time for bed. Trina, Sandra, and Brigitte stayed chatting for ages. Tina, myself and Pam made our way down to the bedroom and I was going to go to bed but needed the loo. So I went back upstairs and when I came out Pam was there with the other girls talking. So I decided to go downstairs and sleep. I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. The rest of them came down eventually.

 

One last part of this trip to tell you about...............Normal service with the next entry lol

Take Care

Jenny xx

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