Episode 15: In which Andy remembers he owns a blog

Sorry for the lack of updates, hoor! I must confess that I didn't exactly forget that I owned a blog, per se, I just never got round to writing more than a few sentences of an update before losing interest and going off to work on my dutch knowledge/inventing a cure for the common cold/facebook. But worry not, loyal blog-reading fans, for here is what you've probably (not) been hankering after since Episode 14 way back in October: Episode 15.

So, we've entered November now and autumn has well and truly hit. It's still unseasonably warm, but all the leaves are nearly off the trees now. It's around 14° or so, which is really pretty good for this time of year. There are, of course, exceptions: monday morning, for instance. In the 15 minute cycle to work I managed to get soaked right through, to the point that I dripped when I got off my bike. "Was it raining?" I hear all of my 3 blog readers ask! No, it was fog. Freezing fog. Freezing fog that was so dense even my oh-so-pathetic generator light was bouncing back off it. I looked goooood at school that day! Still, it was nice to be there - surprisingly so after a 10 day break which went far too quickly. Week 1/7 until Christmas is almost over and I'm actually looking forwards to visiting the UK, if only briefly. If you weren't yet up to speed with the fact that I miss the UK this time around, please see other whiny posts (Episodes 1 - 14).

Over the Herfstvakantie (that's autumn holiday for you non-Nederlands sprekers out there) I wisited Tschermany where I am staying in a house of a friend. It was nice to speak German again, many were impressed by my german (especially my housemate as we never really speak in Tcherman to each other), but I must say I wasn't a fan of the accent. It wasn't hard to understand; no, after having lived in Austria I could probably take on any accent the german language has to throw at me (*runs away from schwiizer düütsch*), it was more unpleasant with all it's 'shhhhh'ings. I'm an 'ich' not an 'isch' man and so this displeased me. Though, (and this is aimed at you dear Parents, should you be reading this) I actually managed to bring my Luxemburgish knowledge into play as some of their dialect is similar to L. as are some of their words. We went on a tour of the vinyards surrounding housemate's village, for her father's birthday. It all started off so civilised, with standard tscherman restraint but then come wine bottle 42 they were all trying to teach me ever ruder drinking songs. I learnt a few, but felt a bit wrong singing them in front of the elderly germans assembled. They were singing the loudest mind...

Great-Aunt who was ecstatic when she realised I spoke German

After a few days spent there, I headed south to Heidelberg to visit 50% of the Dream Team, Bella and Cyd. Sadly the other 25% was in Basel and was coming up the following weekend: so close and yet so far. Heidelberg is far too pretty for its own good: hills, how I've missed thee! I wandered around a bit on my own as Cyd had uni and Bella had work, so I got to find my own way round the city which I always like. 

View from the castle onto the Neckar river and the Old Bridge

We spent most of the time either drinking coffee in cafés, mocking german fashion sense or expressing our disgust at german banana-flavoured Weissbier, before ordering more. It was great to see them, a nice break from the Netherlands and great to see some friends. The journey home was uneventful, long and boring. I was hungover, hungry and tired. All in all, NOT the best travel companion. Schade, eigentlich.