Choices

This morning, the boss of my daily nursing service rolled up in her Mercedes cabriolet. Had to photograph her to add to my collection of cars I do not want to own :-((. Had wanted to Blip it but the day brought something I won't see quite so quickly and I am banking on the summer bringing out the Merc again and soon.

Birgit Meyer runs a nursing service which is primarily concerned with the home care of sick and particularly elderly persons. Germany's social system means that everyone pays directly from their wages in to different "pots": a sickness, an unemployment, a retirement and a nursing plan. As with everywhere else, the benefits the various pots pay out are being reduced/cut/reviewed etc etc but provides a basic service. Hence my rather deep open wound from April is re-dressed daily by her team and is more or less free of charge - the GP service here seldom has the capabilities/competence. She also has a facility in the village where elderly can go at lunchtime for meals. They say that Germany is in desperate need of home nursing service workers and is trying to attract people from abroad particularly Spain & Greece. So if you have what it takes (TLC), can learn passable German in 6 months or so and trust yourself to drive such a dreadful car (can you imagine how hot it is in there with the temperature at 35°C!), then you know where to send your CV.

Cabrio disappeared down the drive and the dogs & I followed in our cool, air-conditioned tin can to drive over to a place called Niederrieden about 25km away. Last Autumn, Angie bought something at the local flea market & said she would collect it from the stand when she went home. Naturally forgot and as the fleamarket only happens a few times a year had to write it off . However this spring at a similar event she saw the lady again who told her she had stored it at home and we just needed to come by to pick it up - there are still honest people about. On the way home we stopped off at a place on the edge of the village of Holzgunz for a walk. It almost overlooks Memmingen airport & we witnessed two Ryanair planes arriving. Also came across a very modern and attractive (not normally a fan) house in the middle of nowhere (Flickr) - interesting as I am sure the house was built on the site of an old building. Normally building outside villages is strictly forbidden just as doing any modifications to an existing one. For instance we would not be allowed to tear down & rebuild our house or add any outbuildings, even if we had the money. Shame I couldn't spot anyone to ask. Drawback on such properties, there is a public track going right through the yard (see map) which is very common, at least in Bavaria and may have something to do with the legal right all have to freely "recharge their batteries" in the forest, the lakes and fields.

The Blip was close to the house on the edge of the forest. The sign is on a branch which looks just like a stags head & antlers. Here it is with a translation of the inscription.

After a quick swim in the "Crab Stream" headed home passing the golden "M" arches. The house above is also in sight of a Munich-Lake Constance autobahn exit with petrol station and McDonalds. No we didn't, lunch was waiting at home. Pool water will hit 30°C today. Angie has to work late and with luck she won't have time to take a swim. There is actually a bit of a problem in not using the heating - with these temperatures, I fear the hoses would burst with the heat if they weren't being cooled down. I have burnt my hand on the water coming back to the pool when switching it on in the morning. I suspect it gets close to boiling.

Now after all this blurb, time for a .....................