And Here We Are - To The Honest Stranger

Taking a short Perth-break.
Whew. Windy and cold. I love my rain, but a drop of 20C is too much!

But Germany can be arty, too.

Though my first view... "oh, no..."...

We said a proper good-bye to our... team and all nice people we didn´t say good-bye to already, the first being our Pakistani-family, who had to "break my heart" by letting me know they have to leave the SC on short notice (they can stay in Australia, though! Phew!!!). Our grocery has to leave!
Can you believe it. The children were really kids in 2006 and now are adults!
We brought a bit from home and got a good-bye-pressie, too (sadly the Mum wasn´t there, it was Saturday!).

Can you imagine next time... no one there when you turn left in the SC.
No heads popping up, saying, my, two years gone by, AGAIN?! No smiles, no sheepy grins, no hugs...
Likely ALDI management instead.
Then we went home, packed up, took time for the managers and team.
Just to learn: They gave up. Terminated. They terminated, not they were. They quit, they have enough.

I feel so sorry.

I e-mailed them later (and got an instant answer, no need to ask three different friends in Perth for help)... they´ll really start all over.
I think they could´ve revived the park... but I understand.

Grace and P already waited to bring us to the airport... uups, sorry for the delay! And big thanks again!

Sadly we ran and checked in in Singapore just to be informed later there is something wrong with the plane (WHAT???), it´ll take an hour.
Oh, something´s really wrong, another hour (AHHHHRGH, HELP!).
And I´d had had soooo much time to take pics in this arty airport, argh! This is all I got...

But, luckily and certainly all went fine with the plane.
BUT THEN!
Airport Frankfurt isn´t exactly small.
You get the normal info according seatbelts etc, but suddenly, in the midst of taxi.... click-click-click-click... everybody up, lagguage out, stewardesses had no chance, both captains had to tell people off twice, like kindergarten!!!

3 hours in Frankfurt, off to main train station, luckily with an earlier train, "we have to stop, there is another train blocking the way" - twice!!
With the regular we´d missed the ICE, which started from another platform, too :-(

3 hours later... Braunschweig.
Dressed up people everywhere, most drunk, too. Carnival!!! TODAY?!

Long story short, Ingo forgot the backpack in the ICE, I didn´t notice - lesson learned, see title, we got it all back!!!

Public transport only went till the castle, so we had to drag the luggage through all the drunks and rubbish - all in all it was 2 km home.

Those who know me know I hate (!) to be on the phone, but I called Deutsche Bahn, which sent me to ... to ... to... in the end (first people were unwilling, but one lesson learned: I stayed friendly and everybody turned into friendly-helpful also!) - we got it all back, sadly we cannot give thanks, no name attached.

Funny coincidence: See the background in pic above?
My trolley. "LET´s FIND (some beautiful place to get lost)".
What can I say to this!!!

Mielebär, Elmo and Blanket sure went for an adventure and learned to trust strangers ;-)

Just as explanation: Mielebär was produced in 2006. Only. I don´t know how many, very limited, they came with some Miele washing-machines.
This fella was a Christmas-pressie from Ingo´s old company, so even more special! (We do own a Miele, though, now).
Blanket is "just" a ripped piece of a towel bought in some Outback town after we watched The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland" in Kalgoorlie and Elmo himself... he is with us since 1999, went through the Australian Outback and all.

I am so darn thankful they´re back home!
Two big lessons learned: Take better care and there are honest people around still!

Back in Braunschweig, right...

Lion of the day on a bike.
And yes, it´s 04:33 am. Jet lag.

Ingo is off to work soon and I gathered more good karma by letting my neighbour, who was looking after all our stuff know in time yesterday that Ingo´s car is not stolen but he went to work with it. My, was she relieved, she said.

Well, much to be thankful for, right.
But, to be honest... yes, thankful, not happy, though. I´d trade this nice apartment for the Cabin any time. Will look for solutions but heard so many disappointing stories...

Good: no snow, heating working, too!!!

Addendum: Lille Ingo was in Ingo´s "big" luggage...

Another addendum: I´d so love to have the movie, but neither amazon not JB HiFi had it, can anyone help?
Please, if you don´t know the movie, read the plot.
It starts with Bert saying it´s a sad movie and Ernie replying, "Bert, have gou ever seen a movie with a bad ending?"
Bert: "Titanic."
All the adults were laughing, the kids had no idea, though.
It´s quite an interactive movie, you have to watch it, it´s not only for kids!