It's Easter break for the Bremen schools and the college as well and I HAVE NO APPOINTMENTS ON MY CALENDAR THIS WEEK. Can't remember the last time that happened. Last week we did the major work on the kitchen and though not completely done, we took a break from the mess. It was supposed to be almost warm yesterday - predicted highs around 70°, sunny all day. Since the rest of the week's forcast was gray, threatening rain and cooler, it seemed the perfect day to take a bike trip.
We loaded the bikes on the car and then drove about an hour north of here to a small town called Dangast on the Jever Bay (Jadebusen in German) where we first took a loook at the water and considered immediately returning home - it was freezing! Not freezing really, but of course it was a lot cooler there by the water and a good bit breezier as well. I was so glad I put on my summer pants! Werner suggested I wrap my exposed legs with his jacket, but that would have made pedalling impossible, so I toughed it out.
It is spring time. The crocuses at the top of the page adorned our front step for a couple of weeks; now the forsythia is out in full, the Japanese magnolia are blooming, there are daffodils and tulips everywhere. And best of all, the days are brighter and longer.
There are always sheep on the dikes. Now of course, lots of new baby lambs. Seems most of the mama sheep had two, often a white one and a speckled one. Cute!
Another sign of spring, or more specifically Easter, are the piles of wood and discarded Christmas trees and such that will be burned on Saturday night before Easter. Of course it was originally a pagan ritual to welcome spring and the new growing season. In the past peasants used to watch the fire carefully because superstition said the fields would be fruitful and the households protected from sickness as far as the light from the fire reached. Needless to say, there were lots of fires in those days! Now it's mostly a time to stand around, drink some beer, talk with the neighbors - and conveniently get rid of the scraps.
Werner watching the train go by.
We always think we can get a sandwich or a Bratwurst rather easily, and Werner had his mind set on a fish sandwich (since we were so close to the sea), but we always take something just in case. Good thing - we were out in the countryside a lot and the little villages around there close at mid-day for an hour or two. So we sat down in one of those little villages across from one of the churches and had our sandwich and water. Nice view.
A little later we came across this cemetery, hidden a bit from view by shrubs - I don't know if I'd have seen in it the summertime. All the gravestones were very close to each other, fenced in, outside of the village, and it reminded me somehow of the old Jewish cemeteries in The Czech Republic that we'd seen. Sure enough, it was a Jewish cemetery. Most of the stones were inscribed in Hebrew and German, most were from the 19th century, but there were a few rather recent grave stones as well. Interesting.
And here, the local manor house, Schloß Gödens. We'd heard of it before because they have antique auctions there several times a year (nothing that we can afford, of course, but it would be fun to go sometime). The residence is private (can you imagine!) but the grounds are open for visitors.
50 kilometers and we were back at the car. We'd packed essentials to spend the night somewhere, but decided it was easier to go home. So we did. Nice day.
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