Why Worry?

At long last Germany's General Election Day, the first time in 16 years we don't have Angela Merkel as a choice for Chancellor. The 'little, shy' East German girl became an MP 21 years ago in 1990 shortly after reunification and then head of the German main conservative party, CDU, in 2000 before winning the 2005 election. What an incredible career and what an incredible woman. Germany and the world will miss her, I suspect, even all of those who didn't agree with her policies.

While the election campaigning has been a mess with Corona and above all the horrendous floods in mid-west Germany in July, it frankly isn't a great deal who gets into power once you right-off the far-left, Die Linke, and the far-right, AfD. Every country is entitled to a few nutcases.

Looks like Greens who at one point were set to win blew it by choosing the wrong leader (because of their party determination to have a female candidate at all costs & disregarding competence). The conservative union of Merkel's CDU & Bavaria's CSU also chose the wrong candidate, who then even lost a default win by making most serious PR mistakes. Sadly the once liberal & middle of the road FDP have become quite right wing and attracted lots of young fed up with main parties, so they should do well, and the Labour, SPD, who were totally written-off in the spring, have by default and by keeping their heads down and thus avoiding mistakes are making a remarkable showing.

§0 minutes before the polling stations closed at 18:00, I completed my postal vote and drove to the parish town hall to drop it in the letter box. We get two votes at many elections, so I used the opportunity of my first ever German general election since becoming a citizen in 2018 to spread it around and voted for two different parties.

To celebrate the day, Angie made German/Bavarian Hamburgers & Potato Salad - as I insist on eating my home-grown Annabel(le) potatoes with skins on, I was forced to give them a good scrubbing in the sink - see extras.

And with that, the day was nicely rounded up. Oh! The main photo - My friend in Norfolk, Annie, was out on an early morning's boat trip with her friends who have the old fishing boat. Not a perfect day at Cley but refreshing and followed by an excellent scrambled eggs & smoked salmon brunch. I miss the sea, and Norfolk and ...............