Week 7: Bundesländer Bingo

Days since last round up: 8

Best bit of vocab: anstoßen (‘to chink glasses’, ‘to cheers’, but also the act of getting together to do this, to celebrate)

Major achievements: two children safely delivered to grandparents, surviving a bus, U-bahn, and three hour train journey with no injuries or fatalities

Reading: European Others by Fatima El Tayeb

Weather: cool and sunny

As I start to write this I’m sitting on an ICE train with only half an hour to go until I’m back in Munich, totalling just under 7 hours travel time today. Both girls have been handed over to their grandparents, this time on the mum’s side, who live around 5 hours away in a village near Marsburg, and it was my job to take them as far as Kassel, where they were picked up by the grandparents. Getting home today will be something of a sigh of relief: after two weeks of family holiday, two long car journeys and one public transport marathon, I’m now free for a week. The overall experience of the Bodensee holiday was incredibly memorable and generally a very fun time, but I’m beginning to feel the effects of two weeks in quite close confinement, and am looking forward to having the freedom to organise my own time again - even if I wasn’t worked into the ground on holiday (far from it), I didn’t have much control over when I’d be free and the location was more isolated than Munich, leaving little space to do my own thing. At the same time it was a great chance to bond with the girls and consolidate the relationship as part of the family.

The second week was largely similar to our first week, with me responsible for waking up with the younger girl in the mornings, while the others lay in. Each day was a bit different and at the start of the week we were busy with preparations for the Mum’s birthday on the Wednesday. The girls drew her pictures and we wrapped presents when she went for a day trip to Konstanz, and on Wednesday, me, Dad and girls got up early to decorate the table and buy bread rolls from the local bakery for a special birthday breakfast. The aunt and uncle came over to Anstossen and then Mum, Dad and girls headed to the local animal park for the afternoon, leaving me free for a run along the lake front and more chilling in the sun before looking after the girls while the parents went for a meal in the evening.

Dinner was mostly eaten outside in a little marquee on the lawn which kept the wasps out, and a highlight was another BBQ on Friday night with all three families, tables pushed together, kids sharing, and lots of food to go round.

Once again, the weather brightened up towards the end of the week, with almost unbearable heat on Friday, making us all appreciate our direct access to the lake, but even on rainy days swimming was absolutely lush. There was a campfire most evenings, which was a nice chance to sit and chat with the adults (or at least listen to them chat!) after a day with the kids. Some highlights of daytime activities though were painting both girls’ nails outside after a rainy morning as the sun came out, and playing catch on the lawn, followed by a game of cops and robbers with the older cousins. One morning me and the younger girl paddle-boarded out to the aunt and uncle on the motor boat and helped to clean it, and the early evening was spent with everyone on the water after a surprise discovery of various inflatables in the cellar.

Friday and Saturday saw the return of packing chaos, and while I managed to reduce my contribution to just one bag, I think the family actually had more luggage on the way back, if that’s possible. We said goodbye on Saturday evening and were back in Munich before midnight, leaving Sunday to unpack and settle back in, with some free time in the morning and the evening off for me, before setting off this morning. Both girls were really well behaved and the journey was nowhere near as stressful as it could have been, the grandparents were absolutely delighted to see them and it seems to be smiles all round. I’m on the home straight now, waiting on a bus back to the apartment to get ready for round 2 of train travel tomorrow - stay tuned!