Germany Adventure – Day 2

Field at Kaufbeuren looking out over other fields and towards the mountains

Sunday 21^st September 2014 – Exploring Kaufbeuren

Rain down low to the left and snow on the mountains out of the picture to the right

After today I feel if ever I was going to be a great writer and pen amazing sentences it would be tonight, and at this very moment I even have a desire to try. Listening to the rain softly pattering against the window I remember the day I just had. My first full day in Germany and an experience like no other I have ever had before. Waking up in the morning to church bells chiming and looking out to see an apple tree next to the neighbours’ house that looks like a little cottage made of brick and wood with a beautiful green garden was like a dream. However this picturesque view was then topped by a beautiful distant view of rain to one side of us and snow falling on the mountains on the other (and the satisfaction of knowing in a few days I will be up there seeing that snow).

Which side?

We (Steve, Svenja and I) started our day together with breakfast and each learning new words in either German or English as we planned our day. Then we headed out and being a passenger on the wrong side of the car is definitely an experience, one that can seem quite frightening as your brain automatically thinks that every approaching car you see is on the wrong side of the road and you are going to crash. Luckily I managed to learn to embrace this and enjoy the car ride even if my brain was screaming that we were going the wrong way around a round-about and we arrived at the medieval fight re-enactment training (hopefully tomorrow I will brave being the driver and drive on the wrong side of the road).

It takes at least two people to put on the armour. Steve’s full armour is over 40kg!

I then got to watch the process of how long it takes to put on the huge, heavy armour and watch a training session of a re-enactment battle (and take pictures of course). This was more of the fighting I always thought should be in fight scenes  that involve kicking and using shields to hit your opponent (rather than the Hollywood sword fights you see in movies).  Thomas taught Steve a few things as their girlfriends Elle & Svenja talked and laughed while their boyfriends tried to kill each other in a sense – haha clearly they were both used to the noise and sheer force of the blows that you could hear as the two men battled on. One of my favourite photos is where Steve is on the ground having died and Svenja is in the background smiling “If he wants to do this he will and if he hurts himself well that’s his problem, just as long as he doesn’t complain about it.” That’s love!

Steve & Thomas in battle

Thomas defeated Steve and the girls are happy in the background

Can I reach the top?! (80m-100m tall tree planted from Canada at edge of forest)

Once the training was finished we joined Thomas and his girlfriend Elle for a lunch at a German/Turkish restaurant where I tried and enjoyed a Doner Kebab. Thankfully Svenja was a great translator for ordering and translating the conversation as I was very lost with a conversation between four Germans. Feeling very full we then decided to go for a walk and see a very tall tree (A Redwood between 80-100m tall whose seed was brought over from Canada). We found the tree next to a very green hay field and on the edge of a forest. With the discussion of mushrooms on the way to the hill we soon discovered that as an Australian I really didn’t know any different types of mushrooms at all and then the mushroom hunt was on. I was enchanted by the forest (and really feel this is the only time I can truly use the word enchanted and know its full meaning).  It was amazing to listen to and watch the very tall trees swaying in the wind. It was very cool and dark in the forest and the ground as you walk was so extremely soft due to the very soft green grass or green moss covering the ground (it felt surreal and very different to the wide, brown land I am used to). We were careful to watch where we stood and found many different types of mushrooms with discussions about what they looked like and if cartoons correctly depicted some being red with white spots. I was excited to find this is true but a little disappointed that we didn’t find any.

Red mushroom with white spots

Smoking Mushrooms

Just as we had given up looking and deciding to head back (always ensuring we knew which way we had been and where we were going so as not to get lost) Steve spotted a red and white mushroom just in front of me! I was as happy as a kid at Christmas to find the cartoons were correct and managed to take many photos of our mushroom finds – including the very cool smoking mushroom (but no smurfs were found).

 After taking more photos of the forest and deer hunter boxes we headed back to the car and were grateful to head home.

Hunting box hidden on edge of forest next to path and green field

Once back at the apartment this involved cooking a Guinness chocolate cake (a cake with beer and included me trying my best to guess the German ingredients) and chatting before finishing up with a delicious German meat dish of Leberkäse (roughly translated is liver cheese but it has nothing to do with organs). The rain had stopped during the day when we were out exploring but poured down when were inside and so card playing weather it was! After adapting a card game with Australian and German rules and me learning a new game called ‘Swimming’ we ended the night playing Texas Hold ’em poker. Steve was thoroughly disappointed to have me walk away from the table and end the game with me having 2 cents more than he did. But it was early to bed for Steve had to start his working day the next day at 4am.  The rain stopped just as suddenly as it started but as I got ready for bed and started to write about my day the pitter-patter on the window can be heard again as the cats play with their string before going to bed as we are. I hope they are enjoying their night as tomorrow night Svenja’s parents and their large dog will join us!

View of mountains from field

5 image panorama of forest to try and fit it all in (still couldn’t get the top of the trees)