Travelog for: Hurley

Hi Mummy,
Katja is knitting socks. They are too large for my big feet.



Bye
Hurley

Hi Mummy,
today we visited a friend of Katja in Luettringhausen, one of the older districts of Remscheid. You can see the typical schist houses here. They have two churches in this district.





This is a really narrow house!





A really tawdry house decoration.



Now you can see the whole district with its church towers. The third tower on the right side belongs to the town hall.





We walked through the outskirts then. Here are horse ranches and farms.







It was getting dark soon and we had to hurry to get back home.

Bye
Hurley

Hi Mummy,

we helped Katja to make christmas decoration today. We made paper stars, they are called "Froebelstern" in German. These stars were created by the German educator Friedrich Froebel who lived from 1782 until 1852 A.D.

These stars are made of paper stripes. They are only folded, you don't need any glue.

When we visited Venlo last month we tried to buy those pre-cut paper stripes but they were not available there.

You begin with four long stripes, each folded in the middle.









In the end you have to cut off the remains of the stripes.



We also made two coloured stars.





Ready!



Bye
Hurley

Hi Mummy,

I'm on my way to Bruchsal now ...

Hugs
Hurley

Hi Mummy,

I'm so sorry, that I only write today. I had been busy or maybe I should say, that Petra had been so busy. She already took some photos and she promissed to update my travelog this coming week.

Bye, Hurley

Today I saw the first snow in Bruchsal - only a little, of course. Bruchsal is located at the edge to the Rhine valley and during the last years it was much too warm for a lot of snow. So we were happy to see just this little bit of snow.

Today is 1rst Advent. Ralf decided to go and take a look at the toy train exhibition and Martin went with him. They allowed me to join them. Ralf and Martin said, that it wasn't as interesting as last years.

Today is Sankt Nikolaus Day. In the morning all kids got some sweets and nuts in some socks.




Later in the afternoon Petra did some handicrafts for her school. She created some lights with napkins and she was very happy, that we offered to help her.

It's the second Advent today and so Petra lit up two candles of the advent wreath.

Again it is time to help Petra with some handicrafts. She created some invitation cards for a stuff Christmas celebration at her school.




Here you see Sabrina's adventcalendar, which she got from her godmother. Each morning she opens one small gift.



Each evening we read a story in the book of this adventcalendar. This year it was a story about a figur of the crib, which was missed in the church. It was the little baby Jesus. And two children searched for this figure and learnt a lot about the history of their hometown and the life of the creator of this crib scenery.




After the story is read, the one who read it, has to open the piece for the day so you can see more and more of the complete picture.


I asked Petra to take some photos with me and the lights we made the other day. Unhappily she didn't turn the light on.




Petra likes to cut pictures for the window. Isn't it nice?

Today we asked Petra, whether we are allowed to cut an own window picture too.




I am really proud to see the result. We did a good work, didn't we?



Then we were allowed to sit on the piano next to some Christmas decoration. It's a nice place there. In the background you see the faces of Petra's children. Her mum and kids made them four years ago.



Do you like this Nikolaus? Petra and her friends made them the other day.

Petra thought, that we should go on a little walk, because the weather was so beautiful. So we drove to the palace and she took some photos there. You surely remember, that I had been at some of these places the other day, too.

The sunset in the palace garden.




The backside of the palace in the evening light.




She also stopped at a parking place next to the Belvedere to catch a last evening view over Bruchsal




Next to the church with its two tower I live in Petra's home. The church is called St. Peter.




All white buildings in front of me and even on the left side the one in the far belong to an older people house. The grey building left is a private grammar school founded by patres of the Pallotti order.




This is the Belvedere, a former hunting lodge.




The next two photos were made, while we sat in the car. Petra didn't want to go outside.
Here you see the old building of Bruchsal's hospital.



And just turning around a little bit you see the big building of Bruchsal's jailhouse.

Petra had some problems with a bad cold and cough and so she hadn't been able to do any baking during the last weeks. Finally today she said, that it would be time to start now or she never would get ready with everything before Christmas. Of course we offered to help her again. To tell the truth, she said, that we were a great help.

At first we read in her book. Husarenkrapferl, what a difficult word.



Ok, we need eggs and flour and nuts and what else do we need?





The next cookies are Honigkuchen-Herzen - honeycake-hearts

Again we helped Petra to bake some cookies.

Coconut-curd-cookies




We helped to put the hearts together for the honeycake-hearts




All together we helped to bake about 15 sorts of cookies - less than usually.

Today it is a busy day. First Petra has to get ready with the last cookies and then she has to bake a cake for dinner.

Then Sabrina has to go to train for her singing and at last we went to church to attend the Kinderchristmette at 3pm. The Kinderchristmette is a special service just for smaller children and their parents. It is only about 30 to 45 minutes, so for children it isn't too boring. The musical choir performes a little play and we sing three Christmas songs all together and we pray together. It was a nice and peaceful service.


After we were at home again, I helped Martin - one of Petra's sons - to wrap the presents.

Later I helped to set the table. We had corn salad / lamb's lettuce and chicken ragout and selfmade bread.

Then the most silent part of the evening began. Only some candles were burning, when we were allowed to enter the livingroom again. It was closed for everyone for the whole day. We saw the crib and the tree and many presents, but at first we sat down and sang many Christmas songs and listened to Ralf, who read the Christmas story. Then the kids brought the presents to the one, whose name was written on it - one by one, so everyone could see, what the other received.







Only now, after everyone had received the presents, Petra went to bring the cookies.





Then we sat down and played a new game: Keltis.