Arrival

So by now some of you maybe missing me so I thought I had better start writing where I'm hanging out and what I'm up to.


Getting out of the country proved to be no mean feat.  I arrived all bright eyed bushy tailed at CHCH airport at 4am after a night out with the family to discover that my flight from CHCH to Brisbane had been cancelled.  A good omen?  Anywhom two hours later at 6am all is sorted and I have been upgraded to business class for the first part of my flight.  The remainder of the flights were relatively easy and none longer than 8 hours which was pretty cool and yes I did have a couple of whisky's courtesy Etihad with a "lovely" guy from Milan......

Arrival at Frankfurt Airport .  Barb you were right in saying that perhaps someone should have warned them I was coming  but it seems no one headed your advice - Border Patrol was very easy I was through in under a minute and  I'm not sure if they have ever heard of a thing called customs.
Temperature at time of arrival a balmy -4 degrees.

Frankfurt airport to the city?  Easy - I caught the train. 

I spent two days here just cruising and jetting over my jet lag.  Short run down on the city.  It is Germany's banking capital and  with a population of  700,000 this makes it the fifth largest city they also have  a honorary cathedral St. Bartholomew's Cathedral where the roman emperors were crowned.  My accommodation is a 5 minute walk from the local train station and in the middle of the red light district. Which yes is open at 10am on a Wednesday morning.

Thursday saw me off on my first adventure and placement with HelpX.

2:30pm I caught the train from Fankfurt Main Hauptbahnhof (Central Train station) and had a train change on my way to Bad Mergentheim where I was being picked up.  This wasn't a bad thing but at the time having 5 minutes to change from platform 6 to platform 2 and not sure quite what I was doing  a little bit stressful.  But success as it was the correct train and I was travelling in the right direction. My ride was on time and a bonus they spoke English! 

I have settled for the next week and abit with a lovely family in a area called Niederstetten population 6,000.  The Bayer family have been nothing but warm and very open.  They live a traditional life running the family dairy farm. (did I mention it is quite large?  50 cows through a 4 aside herringbone)  As I understand it has been in the family since the late 1800's.  Mr and Mrs Bayer are in their early 60's. Mr Bayers mother Oma (grandmother who is 92) and son Martin live with them. 

Breakfast is 7am - this usually consists of german rye bread, jam and lots of coffee!!

Martin spends most of his day on the tractor up at the fields, organising the feed for the stock and learning the business from his father.  Prior to shifting back home he worked as a butcher in a near by town.

Mr Bayer - Helmut milks, does the calves, checks and feeds stock.  He also does any maintenance work that maybe required and I'm sure none of you want me to mention paper work......

Mrs Bayer - Ilse milks and then comes inside to carry out further house hold work.  She used to be a cook at a local church kitchen ( if I understand correctly) and yesterday had me making bread!

Oma - is 92 and she makes a hot meal for lunch (which is the main meal of the day)  for the family.

Milking doesn't start until 8am of course this means that they finish late at the other end of the day with the evening milking starting at 6pm.

As part of helpx the general idea is to help out and assist where the family asks. So I have been given charge of 10 calves (very different to the 700 I used to manage when I lived at home)  all bucket fed and all in stalls. All stock is currently inside due to weather conditions.  After helping in with the stock I pop back inside and help Oma I in the kitchen which I am quite enjoying picking up some new skills.

I must admire Helmut, Ilse and especially Oma as none of us speaks the others language we make ourselves understood via hand signals and lots of German.  This usually equates to Gabriella - point at object das is ...  or Gabriella -  and a spoon is given to me or my hand is grabbed and put some where with a explanation in deutsch with a odd English word. It may take a little longer but we have some fun along the way! I think you get the picture. Sometimes when we are stuck i.e discussing farming or we feel like treating ourselves we resort to google translate.

Its cool,  although I find the women to be very busy I am enjoying myself (trying to persuade Oma that I do not need to taste everything we cook or bake). To those of you out there that think I could learn about this bringing slippers business I am not saddened to say this still has not changed my resolve although this baking and cooking thing could catch on if there are others there to share it with.

Easter was very neat with extended family visiting for the day. A couple of the younger cousins came so they got to practice their English and I failed miserably at keeping up with the quick speaking adult conversations.  Minus the one about eggs (eier)  they tell me it has been so cold they do not need to put the eier (eggs) in the fridge for 15 days as it is so cold they will keep fresh and after this then you should put them in the fridge. 

I am enjoying my stay and feel very welcome and part of the family. Hope that you are all well in the tropical delights in New Zealand

-Gabrielle



 

View from my bedroom

 

 

Looking at Farm buildings and house

 

 

Front of house