Monday 29th December sees Debbie and I driving to le Shuttle terminal at Folkestone to get the train over to Calais. Our hour delay is tempered by amusing seagulls sitting on our bonnet but it's nothing as to the delays and cancellation the next day so we dodged one there. On the continent we see a spectacular murmuration of starlings before reaching Hassalt in Belgium. Our hotel has a great view over the city with it's cathedral and surrounding very flat countryside. We are in the centre of town and we walk through the cobbled streets into the main square which still has it's winter market in full swing. We indulge in Glühwein with Rhum and freshly deep fried crisps on a stick. Everyone still seems in a festive mood and it's a fun evening.
Tuesday we awake to a bright sky and after a coffee set off on our long drive. Not a great start as takes ages to find the car in the underground car park but soon we've navigated the pedestrianised cobbled streets and are out on the open road. The terrain is flat through Belgium and Netherlands and into Germany with it's no speed limit autobahns then the hills begin sending us over high bridges spanning valleys. As the sun sets behind us and lights up the trees in front we climb up into the Harz mountains. There's some snow on the pavements and a little on the ground as we reach the Klostermann cottage on the Brocken next to the Schierke steam railway station. After a welcome by Lutz, Johanna, Levi and Tom we distribute presents and then Tina, Jens, Ula and Matti arrive. Debbie and I walk down into Schierke with Lutz to meet everyone else who've driven for a lovely Italian meal. We walk back up with Johanna and it's getting very icy underfoot and very cold in the clear starlit night air. Back in the warmth I win at Ludo then we watch the darts from Ally Pally. We sleep well.
We awake to a few inches of snow and go for a hike before a big breakfast of a typical German spread. Drive into Schierke to go ice skating which I manage in a manner with help from my friends but soon leave the others to it whilst Debbie and I watch the skaters drinking Glühwein. Us, not the skaters. Back home we go sledging in between snowball fights then feast on a raclette dinner. It's New Years Eve so watch the traditional German TV programme which is the odd English Dinner for One. We watch it twice and it's on a dozen times today. Then it's fireworks out in the snow for Tom and the adults chat until just before midnight when the teenagers join us for the countdown with an ageing German pop star. After the excitement of midnight and the new year we celebrate Debbie's birthday. The two of us have a romantic walk in the snow before Debbie opens the rest of her presents in the warm.
Thursday we're up lateish and Johanna returns from her overnight visit home to look after the cats. A quick walk in the bitterly cold wind, it's getting very gusty, but it's lovely in the thick newly laid snow. Another fantastic breakfast feast before sledging then Tina, Jens and the girls have to leave. Us adults have a late afternoon walk through the drifting snow making it back as darkness falls. A magical day in this remote cottage as the only buildings anywhere near are the mountain rescue centre and the steam railway station. Leftovers for tea then we celebrate Debbie's birthday with various gin based drinks then champagne and beers. We walk up to the station in the falling snow before Lutz and Johanna make impressive snow angels. We chat to Paul who visited us in the Autumn and then to Lily-Rose.
An early start and as I walk outside my feet sink into deep snow going way over and into my boots. It's snowed a lot overnight and drifted deeply in places. However, being Germany even our road has been snow ploughed in the morning. Shovelling snow off the car and de-icing the windows we say our goodbyes and gingerly drive down off the mountain worrying that I should be wearing winter tyres, rather than my summer ones. The main roads are cleared of snow except for the new still falling flurries and lower down the roads are properly clear. Apart from hitting a mini blizzard on the autobahn just past Hannover we leave the snow behind. We reach Arras at 6 and check into our lovely apartment which is opposite the cathedral. We wander into the main square with the town hall which is typically Flanders like then after shopping wander back along the cobbled streets to eat at home.
Saturday is a beautifully sunny day and we stop off at Agny Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery to see Edward Thomas' headstone. It's crisp air and frosty ground and you can't imagine how tough it would have been spending months in the frozen trenches. Onto the coast and along the route that I cycled in 2022 watching le Tour which is damned hilly. Incredibly clear views across to the white cliffs of the English coast. Soon enough we're at le Shuttle terminal and with a fast trip we're back home in Balham by 3.30 pm. Seems odd that only 8 hours earlier we were sinking into deep snow and freezing cold in a bitter wind.
A lovely break and so lucky we had such good (i.e. snowy) weather. And so lucky that we have such lovely friends in Lutz and Johanna who invited us over and spoiled us so much. X
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