- July

July/August2023

Summer Holidays: Germany / Netherlands

That time of year again booked a flight….back to Germany for the holidays to see my mum and what was left of the summer….if there was one at all.

Both felt a bit nippy over the last few months.

Fortunately my Mum cheered up throughout, the weather unfortunately did not.

Still the whole Travel/Transport experience came down to not much more but a constant TEST, TRY and TEASE Scenario.

Though the flight was wonderful (on time, not busy at all, really quite and only about an hour in the air…).

The rest was 10 hours of trying to find alternative transport ( though apparently all lines and trains were enjoying exceptionally good service according to the status updates from the internet) to and from the airport!!!!

Though quite exhausted from work and the tripple T in everything that used to be a given I went cycling (in Germany) and felt tested, tried and teased entering phase 2.

Leaving me on the edge to tortured, tormented and terrified.

I had to realise that really nobody goes out there without a cycle helmet no more. Literally an army of geared up participants coming towards me fighting an invisible and ridiculous war in the name of SAFETY against the “German Angst”.

Trying to calm my misplaced utterly exposed and unprotected (?) self with the thought that I’ll soon be on “friendly terrain” .

Thinking about our short trip to the Netherlands.

Finally driving again…

Turned out “the driving” I was rather looking forward to turned into a mix of “file staan” (Dutch for being traffic jammed) and being pushed into your place by mad people overtaking both sides without any further regard to speed limits or other cars and drivers once the traffic got up to speed again.

So funnily enough... being confronted by German Road Rage at 160 kmh on “the Autobahn” I did for a short lived moment consider the benefits of one of those cycle helmets. Terrorised!!!!

So the Germans have after all a sense of humour, one just really(!) has to look for it.

Ja well "De Duitsers"....

Really not sure how long I would last if I ever had to go back there to live .... cause they are either covering up their heads with their helmets or they are shaking them....in the worst case both....literally never seen so many constantly disapproving people.