THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT MUNICH….

The hopon/hopoff tourist bus (express inner city route) at 13 euros allows the visitor to view the beautiful buildings in Germany’s third largest city (1.4M) where Hitler started his campaigns. The “Englische Garten” had been recommended and as it was such a lovely day, I spent a couple of hours in one of the world’s largest urban parks. Lots of people soaking up the sun along the banks of the fast flowing river where surfers were riding the waves..yes amazing. What I wasn’t expecting was the naked sun worshippers mixed in with the clothed ones! Yes in Germany nudity in public places (within reason) is allowed. The other main attraction (!) is The Chinese Tower, a huge Bier Garten and restaurant area located in the centre of this beautiful park. A small beer cost 3.70 euros. Apart from the under renovation part outside the main railway station, I thought Munich to be one of the most impressive and green cities I’ve seen. It´s also the dearest in Germany. The hostel which was pretty horrible cost 59euros for one single room, shared shower and no breakfast…and prices here soar during Oktoberfest. Time to head back to my "home", Bad Nauheim..a four hour train ride.

FALDEREEE, FALDEROOO WITH A RUCKSACK ON MY BACK…

Oh what freedom to travel only with ‘the bare necessities of life…they´ll see you through´!! (shock, horror..I even left mascara behind!) With the minimum packed for a four day trip I set off on The Romantic Road. This Romantische Straße is billed as Germany’s most popular holiday route and can be done on foot, bike, coach or train (except the train doesn’t follow the 30 towns included) but I chose the four most popular ones on this 350 kilometres stretch. Only one hour south of Frankfurt, Würtzburg is surrounded by vineyards, is the first town on the route and has the Prince Bishop Residence as a UNESCO World Heritage monument, among many other impressive buildings. A 40 minute toy train ride chugs us round the main sights but with more time, the Tourist Info map explains all. On to the next one hour (2 trains) part to reach the magnificent, but touristy, walled town of Rothenburg ob Der Tauber. A quaint half timbered Gasthof just inside the walls cost 40 euros for a single room en suite with breakfast. The highly entertaining Nightwatchman´s Tour (7 euros) starts at 8pm from Marktplatz. He had about 80 of us hanging on to his every word. He also sells DVD’s and at a rough guess, he made around 500 euros – not bad for an hour’s work! A walk around the town walls is a must to view this gorgeous place. A four hour train ride to the next stopover town was broken by a quick trip to see Augsburg, one of Germany´s oldest cities. The Rathaus (City Hall) dates back to 1615. But what interested me most was that it has the world´s oldest social housing founded in 1521 for “innocently impoverished citizens of the Roman Catholic faith”. It now has over 200 homes and the annual rent is ONE EURO. Back on the rail track to the last stop on this Romantic Road – Füssen, near the Italian border. The Bavarian scenery of cornfields, sunflowers, cream coloured cows, suddenly had an added dimension…The Alps. The picture postcard perfect chocolate box views, in glorious sunshine, took my breath away. Füssen is stunningly beautiful with mountain backdrop, turquoise coloured river and cobbled streets to wander around admiring the quaint buildings. But what brings tourists here is the nearby Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangan castles. Disney used the former for Sleeping Beauty castle and it is certainly recognisable with its white turrets. Unfortunately half of it is covered in plastic due to a renovation process. “Disappointed” was the comment from a Taiwanese lady I met at the hostel. She had just arrived from seeing Edinburgh Castle and was more impressed by that. Thousands of mainly Japanese, Taiwanese and Korean tourists crowded onto the Mariensbrücke, the famous view point bridge. As this is suspended over a deep ravine, I was praying that it was strong enough to bear the weight! This was a worthwhile trip and would be beautiful to do by bike, or hike, too. Now…Munich awaits….

TRANSPORT – THE GERMANS DO IT SO WELL..

Are they all born with a bike saddle attached to their backsides? Am I the only non cyclist in Germany? Bike hiring businesses abound. Strangely the traffic doesn’t seem to be nearly as heavy as cities elsewhere. The air feels clean and no great problem crossing main roads. Quite remarkable. And how they locate their own “Fahrrad” parked outside railway stations is beyond me..there are hundreds all looking the same to this non cyclist. But hat´s off to them for cutting down on pollution. (note to self…learn to ride a bike!) Signposting can´t be faulted. Comparing it to Spain where signposting often disappears after a while when trying to find someplace. Here it leaves nothing to chance! Tourist sites, public places, transport networks are well marked. They even provide how many metres to reach the place. I haven’t driven here but assume the same attention to detail for drivers. Trams, buses, underground and trains are clean, frequent and fairly easy to understand (unlike other cities out with Germany). They are big fans of automatic ticket machines. Railways have good information points and staff members are plentiful, visible and helpful. Prices are certainly higher than Madrid. A Berlin Day Ticket currently cost 6.80 (July ´12). The German Railpass I bought for 299 euros gave me complete access to rail transport (sleepers excluded) during a whole month so I made full use of it hopping on and off Berlin trains just for the fun of it. Funnily enough no ticket inspectors came on board in the city so I assume the possible 600 euro fine for not having a valid ticket must encourage honesty. The useful railway network map is fairly straightforward, even for a simpleton like me. So OK I did ask a zillion times for help and to confirm I was about to step onto the right train but in general their system works. Especially well designed is www.bahn.de. It allows for easy journey planning with leaving/arrival times, platforms, connection minutes needed, train reference numbers, the direction header for. So as long as you know if you are heading north, south, east, or west you should be able to navigate. On board the visual sign in each CLEAN carriage states next station and voice announcements, the same. It even tells which side to disembark…links or rechts (left or right). I am very impressed with the Railway stations. Some are like shopping malls with even cinemas within. Potsdam, one hour from central Berlin has quite a variety of clean, attractive eateries, shops, cinema, information (even tourist tours leave from it) and is beautifully decorated. I compare the stations with Scotland and must say “Congratulations” to DB (Deutsche Bahn). Perhaps all this public transport efficiency is the reason for the apparent lack of car congestion in Berlin. “Let the train take the strain.” Remember that UK slogan from way back? The success of any public transport system lies in providing a reliable, efficient and cost effective one. Perhaps the UK should follow the German one! PS I experienced my first train delay. An electrical fault meant a detour and I arrived two hours late at Frankfurt from Berlin. We were kept informed and the polite conductor handed out claim forms (I should get a partial refund credited to my bank account). Free coffees and ice lollies for the kiddies too!

ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING…

Now here´s something you just might not have know… Elvis Presley lived in Bad Nauheim (1958-60) during his military service Each year on the anniversaries of his birthday (8/1) and death (16/8),.... they hold Elvis Festivals here. He recorded “Wooden Heart” and “It´s Now or Never” in his temporary home at Goethestrasse 14. Of course I had to walk past it.... ahhhhh. There´s a monument to him at Elvis Presley Platz. He also met his future wife, Priscilla here.

FROM ONE EXTREME TO THE OTHER…I LIKE VARIETY

If Friedrichshain, Berlin was full of hip youngsters, then Bad Nauheim is full of oldsters looking for new hips! Yes here it’s famous for Art Deco buildings, expensive looking clinics, health research and balneo-therapy (used by Kings, Tzars and Emperors, no less!). This is such a pristine, classy town. It´s just too perfect, like a film set. It has beautiful parks, children play areas, houses, boutique shops, cafés, ice cream parlours, etc etc. The fantastic house, where I´m looking after the plants while the owners are away, is enormous. My flat could fit in here 4 times. Some statistics: 16 lamps in the lounge/kitchen area 26 electric rolling shutters 30 steps from basement to upper floor 8 steps from WC to sink in the en suite bathroom!! A beautiful garden surrounds it and it’s at the edge of public parkland. The Germans like their gadgets. At home I don’t possess a dishwasher or coffee maker and my shutters are hand operated!

SHE WHO HESITATES, PAYS THE PRICE…

Only two days ago I was checking out accommodation for the next part of my adventure – The Romantic Road and thought I’d try hostelling as a possible way to meet fellow travellers. However as I dithered before making the reservations, I now discover that the availability has shrunk and I’ll be paying much more. Munich is especially expensive even for hostels and apparently rates soar at Oktoberfest.

FREE MUSIC IN BAD NAUHEIM

In response to an advert, I headed off to a free outdoor music event in Marktplatz, a beautiful part of this totally picturesque town. I ordered a beer. Handsome waiter (I later found out he was it Italian) asked for 2 euros “Pfand”. Yes they charge for the use of the glass here! I suppose it’s a good idea as everyone will return glasses to claim their deposit. So I stood at one of the many outdoor temporary bars, listening to the lively band and looked around for a friendly face. Nada, nichts, nothing. Until an inebriated pirate looking guy approached and somehow we got chatting IN SPANISH!! He was half Greek, half German but had lived in Ibiza. I had begun to wonder if my vocal chords would remember how to speak, but thanks to Nikolas, I discovered that I could! We agreed that the Germans weren’t the friendliest, despite the fact that he was half German. He was outrageously loud, shouting along with the band and I was amused by the horrified looks he was getting from the folk around us. How can they be so unresponsive? Anyway after a few beers I decided it was time to head home. Nikolas was getting even more outrageous but at least he spoke to me!

FREE CITY TOURS...ARE THEY WORTH THE MONEY?

BERLIN AND HAMBURG “FREE” TOURS. The red T-shirted guides explain the concept that any visitor should be able to get to know more about the cities and donate what they consider it´s been worth. The other companies typically charge 12 euros for a 2-3 hour walking tour. So the "free tours" continue to grow in popularity. Enthusiatic Aussie Karina, with history degree, guided about 30 of us through the main points of interest in Berlin centre, “Mitte”. Starting at Brandenburg Gate, the much photographed icon. Then to the Reichstag,the German parliament. A surprising place was "Hitler´s Bunker" (the German authorities do not want this site to be a memorial to his (and Eva Braun¨s) suicide 15 feet below ground so it’s a car park with no signs to inform of its history. The nearby strange Holocaust Memorial with 2711 unmarked concrete slabs arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field was thought provoking. How can any memorial adequately depict the murder of 6 million Jews? We were asked for our opinions on the designers thoughts behind this. Some say he wanted it to give the idea of fear, claustrophobia, and uncertainty as those who were led to be slaughtered must have felt. Its proximity to the current parliament is meant to ensure that it remains as a constant reminder of that atrocity which will never be allowed to reoccur. The city has not tried to bury its dark past and one can’t help but wonder what young Germans think as they daily pass by the numerous War memorials. Some of the other sites were the Nazi Book Burning Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie (touristy), the remains of the Berlin Wall (ironically protected with a fence to prevent more of it being chiselled away!), Luftwaffe HQ and Museum Island (yes they have several beautiful looking museum buildings clustered together surrounded by water). So much to see and so much dark history for contemplation. Hamburg is only 2 hours by train from Berlin. When there, I joined the “free” Hamburg tour and although the male (good looking!) Aussie guide wasn’t quite as informative, it was still a recommended intro to the city. What a history here too. Almost totally destroyed by fire in 1842 (I asked our guide if this was a chip pan fire but he didn’t catch on to the joke), Hamburg bounced back several times until the so called Hiroshima of Europe happened when it was severely gutted in WW2. Being totally rebuilt is why it is so modern looking with Europe’s largest new inner city development at Hafen City which eventually will have its own university. The monstrosity of a concert hall will cost around half a billion euros! I left the tour to catch a train to the infamous Reeperbahn, that sleezy strip joint area. So why did I go there? To see the Beatles Platz of course! The Fab Four strutted their stuff in Hamburg before making it big. Wonder if they ever went back to see the metal outline “statues” of themselves. A group of down and outs were boozing close by and there were lots of guy party groups. It wasn´t a comfortable place for this single female.

BERLIN IS BUZZING

APOLOGIES HERE FOR THE LACK OF PARAGRAPH SPACING. NO MATTER HOW IT LOOKS ON THE DRAFT,IT AIN´T APPEARING THAT WAY IN THE PUBLISHED BLOG...SUGGESTIONS WELCOME :) PART TWO – FRIEDRICHSHAIN, EAST BERLIN So from a quiet country toytown to a scruffy East Berlin district…I like variety! First impressions were wary. Old, badly in need of reforming, ‘soviet’ looking apartment blocks next door to newly refurbished ones. Loads of reforming work going on. This is an up and coming area and I feel that in 5 years time it would be unrecognizable to me. No lift and a three floor climb on linoleum clad stairs to my second German ´home´. It was like stepping back in time with faded, mottled flaking painted walls and ancient, but nice, wooden doors. Inside the small flat had a narrow kitchen, small bathroom, owner’s bedroom and a large living room with my guest bed in a corner. No TV but as I didn´t miss one last week, I didn´t miss it this week…except that Murray was playing in Wimbledon finals! There was a tiny balcony off the lounge which I made brief visits to between heavy downpours. An exploratory wander around the area showed an incredible amount of eateries, bars and small one-off shops. And how lucky am I….a superb health food supermarket a stone´s throw away….no I didn´t throw one… really. Then nearby Boxhager park was full of young folk chilling out with mates. And the whole area was just full of life. I´m definitely in the senior citizen’s league here. As the week went on it really grew on me. I felt safe and enjoyed the atmosphere. And there’s a lot of greenery to break up the blocks of flats. It lies between two railway stations, Ostkreutz and Warshauer Strasse so a choice of two interesting daily walks and access to all of Berlin and further afield. One stop to the east and I was in a beautiful Treptower Park with its monument to Russian war victims. Good use was made of my railpass. And hours were spent wandering around the centre too. East Side Gallery is the name given to a remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall which has been painted over by artists from many countries with the theme being their reflections on the Wall. It´s free to view, unlike many places and worth finding near to Ostbahn station. Some Berlin facts…3.5 million inhabitants, 175 museums, 4650 restaurants, 55 bridges over the River Spree and 900 bars. No I didn´t manage to get around all of the latter but did find the recommended Hops and Barley, a quaint tiled bar and brewery. A small beer, at 2.10 euros, seated outside, was welcome. To see some of the aforementioned bridges, I recommend taking one of the numerous boat trips on offer. A one hour trip at around 11euros allows you to view this fascinating city from a different perspective. They really have made excellent use of their waterways with lovely, almost countryside looking riverside walks. Wedding party boats were in abundance.. a lovely idea….for good weather! Berlin is simply full of touristy ideas so no need to be bored here. However a day trip out side is worth doing, especially to Potsdam. This was referred to as The Forbidden Town during war times. There was so much to see that a two day stay would have been better. A guided tour costing 27 euros covered some of the main sights. The Tudor influenced Cecilienhof Palace, where Churchill, Truman and Stalin thrashed out how to control a post war Germany; The Russian Colony (this town was at the centre of the Cold war and the KGB HQ was sighted here until 1994; the Glienicker Bridge where captured spies were traded; the communist military quarters are now beautiful residential homes; the Dutch quarter with wooden houses and orchards; and the stunning, elaborate rooms within `Frederick The Great´s´ Sanssouci Palace. What a man he was...a philosopher, linguist, musician, lover of the arts and a reluctant military leader. Oh he only saw his wife every 2 years, died childless, buried beside his favourite dogs and Voltaire lived with him…errmmmm no comments there…. There is also a branch of the supermarket ALDI. So why mention that? Well it’s the only ALDI in Germany with a yacht landing pier for customers! Potsdam is one very rich looking and attractive town with an exceedingly dark past.

GERMAN PEOPLE…. SOME OBSERVATIONS

STYLE, FRIENDLINESS AND MUSIC TASTES The Style Police would have a ball here! Such strange combinations in attire for men and women. Men with tight denims, business shirts tucked inside and a tie! And the Angela Merkel look rules. So many women wearing business style jackets, too big, too padded and too long to be less than 30 years old. And worn with anything below….skirts, denims, trousers…. And the colour combinations! And the shoes! Lots of hefty walking sandals. Girls with coloured tights under shorts. The window displays in some clothes shops brought a smile or two. Would have liked to have taken photos of the awful clothes on offer but afraid that the shop owners would object. Nothing yet seen has enticed me inside a clothes shop….unbelievable I know. I see very few well dressed people, many butch looking women and lots of not so butch men! Porky men with long grey ponytails, sandals, socks and white legs seem the norm. So with apologies to all style conscious Germans….I didn’t see you! I admire the German respect for the environment and how they stick to the rules. Young, plump guy stubbed out his cigarette, picked it up and dropped it in litterbin. That was one of many examples of this attitude. They rigorously adhere to the recycling policy which seems complicated to a newbie. Bins for everything. But it works, as can be witnessed by the litter free streets. Even in Berlin this is observed although the incredible amount of graffiti (even on new buildings) seems incongruent to the overall cleanliness. And artistic work is to be seen in the most inaccessible places. These graffiti “artists” must have risked life and limb. I did admire the audacity of one (the same ‘handwriting’style) who scrawls “STOP CHEMTRAILS NOW” on many walls next to the parliament building! Good on you whoever you are! Are the Germans friendly? Hard to tell as they are often expressionless like puppets unable to crack into a smile. Some are quite fierce looking…and that´s just the women! But… oh so polite with the language..”Bitte, bitte, bitte is heard several times in even a short exchange. The supermarket checkout staff wish, "A pleasant evening" with all the sincerity of "Have a nice day"! They were mostly helpful when asked for directions. I was also helped with my suitcase. And even crowds of young guys behaved in a non threatening way. But one observation is…I have never seen so many young folk, girls too, drinking beer whilst walking along the road…or riding bikes! Still as long as they remember to put the empties in the correct recycling container! Did I get talking much to them? Well a drunk guy said “Prost.” to me when I was sitting outside enjoying a beer but didn´t engage in further conversation…perhaps just as well. I sat next to a guy outside a veggie café and I started the conversation. He was friendly enough….at least he didn´t run off immediately (!). He recommended an open ´park´ party on Saturday. Was this an invitation? I think he was just being hospitable. While on a guided tour (German/English) I did get chatting to a German woman of about 37 who was on her own and we went for a coffee before going on to do separate things. At last a short opportunity to practise the language apart from asking for directions and ordering beer! And while on a six hour train trip I tried to converse with a couple of around my age. They were polite but obviously not interested enough to ask me any questions before going back to their laptop and joking between themselves. (Note to all couples….. please show a little consideration to solo travellers who may just appreciate a short chat to feel less alone). I found the Germans don´t readily make eye contact even when passing by in a park. Unlike in Spain where fellow walkers, or even when entering a shop or restaurant, always say “Buenas Dias”. Is it me? Do I give off some “Do not smile or attempt to speak to me” vibes? I seem to be invisible here so I’ve just done a small experiment. I walked along the road with a ready smile and all I got was people turning their heads away…”Sorry I don´t see you trying to be friendly so that gives me a good excuse for ignoring that you exist!!!!! Yes I am a bit pissed off with the German unfriendliness. There have bee a few examples of unsolicited kindness….a woman, seeing I was struggling with luggage, stopped a taxi for me; a tourist information lady gave me an unwanted bus ticket; a woman asked if she could help me when I was examining a map. I can't help but compare this with how Glaswegians treat strangers…as people have told me. Someone on their own,obviously a foreigner, is normally treated like a potential friend!!! And now I must ask myself the question..why am I bothering to study German when they don´t seem to want to communicate?! Are people reluctant to engage in chitchat with a single female traveller….especially a foreign one who’s attempting to speak the local language? I am willing to place a bet that single female travellers are treated friendlier in other countries. I felt invisible even when I made attempts to smile or talk. The question is…do males travelling on their own experience the same? And now to a comment on their music tastes…. I observed several shops selling old vinyl records! Why such an interest? Then I listened to the radio…ahhhh they seem musically stuck in a 70´s time warp. I wondered if I had mysteriously been whooshed back in a time machine. Even the posters promoting concerts proudly announce names of people whom I confess I had long forgotten about. Amy McDonald? Billy Idol? They are alive and well here. Beam me up…as I type this, the radio is playing some goddamn awful electronic geeky muck (ah it´s Tears for Fears with “Shout”!!) which makes me want to scream before switching it OFF.

Kassel - Documenta Stadt

BACK TO THE TRIP….. NIESTETAL, KASSEL Finally, 7 hours after leaving hotel, arrived at Niestetal (8 kms from Kassel) where Franziska and 8 month old Emilio were there at her parents home to greet me. I have the attic “suite” (bedroom, living area and lovely new bathroom) which is spacious, with great views over this peaceful, country town (popl.10,000). Franziska introduced me to a fab supermarket, Edeko, with such a huge variety compared to my local Spanish Mercadona. Bio Tempranillo Spanish wine at 2.99 was a better bargain here. Hard to compare prices as they have their own brand names but some items seemed more expensive. The next 6 days was spent exploring Kassel, the documenta Stadt, with its worldwide famous modern art exhibition. How lucky to see this in 2012 as it takes place only every 5 years. The galleries, museum, public places and parks have exhibits from over 150 global artists. I´m not keen on modern art but the atmosphere and the outdoor (weird) exhibits were enjoyable. There are so many museums here, but at a price. I took advantage of a 3 hour evening pass (10euros) to run around a few (I managed to fit in five!!) and to enjoy the buildings. The temporary outdoor exhibits were my favourites. Another worthwhile place was Schloss Wilhelmshohe Park, the largest and highest park in Europe with the massive Hercules monument towering over it and visible for miles. The climb to it took too long as I´d arranged to meet Franziska and son back in town centre, however the wooded park with water cascades and old buildings was worth the visit. There was a wedding taking place within a tram carriage at the station. Sweet idea. Niestetal is toytown Germany. So clean, so quiet and with lovely parks and a free outdoor natural swimming pool where I spent a few hours with Fransizka and Emilio. The weather was mixed, with a few rainfalls but never cold. Taking advantage of my railpass, I spent a beautiful day at Hann Münden famous for its 700 wooden framed medieval buildings and being at the joining of three rivers. Fabulous walks along the riverside and up into woods to Tillyschanze Tower. Picture postcard stuff!

The start of the adventure...

Part One. Niestetal, Hessel First of July: Valencia Airport to Frankfurt (Hahn) had one hour delay but the shouts of “Gol” from the waiting passengers kept the atmosphere light. Yes Spain has won the European Cup. Great! Hahn is a long way from the city of Frankfurt so Hotel Advance was booked for a very late arrival time. The booked airport/hotel pickup didn´t happen and I arrived by taxi to a closed reception but an open door and envelope lying there with a room key. Three flights of stairs with suitcase wasn´t the best at 1a.m. Breakfast was good, hotel spotless, my 9 euro taxi fare was refunded (how kind) and I was dropped off at airport for the regular bus to Frankfurt´s main railway station (1.75 hours). The information system there was super efficient despite the 45 minute queuing time and I asked for recommendations for the different types of rail passes. As I had no definite plans about how many journeys I’d be making and when, the friendly assistant offered a very flexible German Railpass which gives a full month’s rail travel for 299 euros which will prove beneficial. I got the impression that they would rather sell the passes with restrictions but as I played “dumb”, I ended up with a terrific deal. Just think…I can use this for all rail journeys (except sleepers). By the end of week two, it had already paid for itself and more importantly, meant I didn’t have to waste time searching for fare deals or purchasing tickets. Just hop on and show the pass and passport. Oddly enough, in Berlin, where I used it every day, no one asked if I had a ticket! A daily ticket there would have been 6.30 or 6.80 depending on the zone. So easy….I thoroughly recommend getting one if intending to explore Germany and wishing complete flexibility.

HOME SWAP EXPERIENCE - GERMANY

Well here I am in Germany for another travel adventure and hopefully for the improvement of German. This trip will prove to be a bit different in that I shall be living in the homes of complete strangers! Yes. Can you imagine allowing someone you’ve only had email contact with, through a home exchange website, complete access to your precious home…and while you yourself won’t be there! I first registered with www.homelinkinternational.com with the expectations of doing simultaneous exchanges during July and August, that is, I would be in different parts of Germany while the German owners would be living in my small Valencian home. Surprisingly no one wanted to be in Spain in the height of summer..or at least they didn´t want to be in my humble abode. So not having the avalanche of enquiries expected, I then proactively approached the HomeLink members who met my criteria…nothing ventured, nothing gained. Some had already made their summer plans or my place was too small for their needs. But I did start to communicate with two couples who didn´t wish to hold me to an exchange but were happy for me to stay in their homes cost free. Seems too good to be true, yea? So what are the benefits of this growing holiday sector? Well no faceless hotel rooms. You will be living like a native and hopefully meeting local people and shopping at local stores. For someone like me, on a special diet, it´s much more convenient to cook what you want, when you want and stick to your own budget. You have all the comforts of a home and perhaps garden. I did take some special food items but I was told not to buy things like olive oil, loo roll, washing up liquid etc etc. Compare that to a self catering apartment where usually nothing is provided. I’ve been in such apartments where I’ve had to spend the first day buying such mundane items as dishcloths. And the home exchange owners just leave all their personal things there. So trust is important. I felt this made me especially careful with their possessions being so aware that such a trust was given to me. Well the first retired couple were to have their single parent daughter looking after their home while they were away on holiday. As she spoke Spanish and English and would perhaps welcome some company, they invited me to be in lovely Niestetal, 8 kilometres from Kassel in the heart of this land. The daughter, who’s Berlin flat would then be empty for a few weeks, then offered me a week there while she remained at her parent’s. The second enquiry was from a couple looking for a cat sitter but not really interested in a Spanish exchange. I was a bit anxious recognising from the emails how much this cat meant to them (I have been known to kill friend’s plants!). Perhaps the cat instinctively caught on to this as I was informed ten days before going there (Bad Nauheim) that the poor cat had died. Why would they still want me to live in their home then? The couple insisted in honouring our arrangement. So here´s what happened….