Nothing really interesting happened, just the usual stuff: getting up way too early on christmas day to sing at the morning service, lots of good food and seeing the family (i.e. laughing about the little ones' antics, playing cards with the others and depleting my parents' wine-cellar quite a bit).
I went to a pub to meet some people back from school on the 23rd. Now I once again know how great Berlin is and why I moved there the first place. There were just too few nice people in Lemgo and too many that annoyed me...
On christmas eve, however, a packet from the US showed up, full with honey and candles. Once again, I would like to thank the noble donor(s) and as proof that we put the present to good use, without much further ado, here are the pictures of Rachel's candles on our tree.
before lighting it up.
detail
After lighting it up (and switching off the lights)
Rather pretty, innit?
Today Willi and I went to visit a friend in a clinic, where he recovers from a nervous breakdown. The hospital is at the end of the world in a small village outside Berlin (actually not really IN the village as such, more OUTSIDE the village). So we took a trainride for about two hours and then hiked through the snow for about half an hour (no such thing as a bus out there).
We had a great day outside.
It was snowing the whole day, even inside Berlin, so now it looks more wintry than it has done in years... and I wish I had a sledge.
Berlin in winter.
wintry Berlin again.
Arriving out in the sticks - a rather icy welcome.
Through the snow.
On the road again...
The lake near the clinic.
