Finally...

Finally, after eleven months, I was allowed to go home for a good three and a half weeks. After some back and forth due to Corona and the cancellation of visits by my family, it was finally certain. My journey began on Thursday, August 12th at eleven o'clock in the morning. I took the bus for an hour to Liverpool Street and then another hour by train to Stanstad Airport.

This gave me plenty of time at the airport for check-in and a lot of breaks, which I spent eating, reading, listening to music, and walking around. Thanks to double vaccination, I didn't need a negative test result. The vaccination certificate was enough.

With a half-hour delay, we finally left for Germany shortly before 7 p.m. (British time). The flight was relaxed and I was able to marvel at a sunset above the clouds.

I finally arrived at the new BER airport around half past nine. This airport is an incredibly large area and you mainly spend your time walking long distances. The passport control went quickly and without any problems, and my suitcase was already there.

My parents picked me up in front of the airport. The joy of reunion was really huge.

We arrived in Magdeburg in the middle of the night. My three weeks were already very planned and booked. So I was on the go every day. I finally got the chance to meet my family and friends in person, without having to do it online.

The first few days were very summery and warm. So I went on a trip to the dacha with Swantje. It really is a place to feel good. With a bar and live music, various seating options, it is the perfect place to spend a relaxed afternoon chatting, an evening dancing, or both.

Another activity that we had planned before I moved to England was the riddle café. A room that is used as a riddle café in the morning and afternoon and turns into an escape room in the evening. It was a very mysterious evening and highly recommended for anyone who likes to solve puzzles.

Since I was allowed to bake a wedding cake at the end of my vacation, I used every opportunity to bake a cake beforehand. So my mother received a multi-tiered cake for her birthday.

The following weekend, we spent in Waldeck to celebrate a really beautiful silver wedding anniversary. The celebration took place in Waldeck am Edersee, and it was really nice to see everyone again.

In my second week, my mom and I took a short trip to Friedrichsbrunn. Just to say 'hello' to the house. Of course, a walk to the cable car pond and a visit to the Klobenbergbaude were a must!

Back in Magdeburg, I visited the showroom. This is an exhibition of the industrial design students at the university in Magdeburg. All works of the current semester are exhibited there. There were really impressive things and I recommend everyone in Magdeburg to visit the next showroom at the exhibition center.

In the third weekend, I spent time with my family in Altenburg. Due to Corona, my brother's induction was postponed to August, which of course made me very happy. So I could be a part of it and got to know my brother and his girlfriend's new home.

I also took the opportunity to bake a cake for this occasion. We basically lived on it for the whole weekend.

We spent Saturday with a little walk and many games. Activity, Taboo, Schwarz Rot Gelb, and many more made us laugh a lot (how do you best explain the sighing bridge in pantomime?).

On Sunday, the festive church service took place. It was really festive. With drums and trumpets, in the truest sense of the word. Many people from the family and friends circle also gathered for this event.

Game nights accompanied me throughout the entire vacation. Whether board games or card games with friends or the ESG or the occasional table tennis evening at the ESG/KSG, it once again showed me how much I missed it. That's something that I still miss here in London. A circle of friends with whom you can spend long evenings in a slightly larger group, but maybe and hopefully that will come.

At the end of the week, the baking of the wedding cake was due. I baked and decorated for over two and a half days. The goal was a three-tiered wedding cake made of chocolate sponge cakes with a blueberry cream cheese and quark filling.

On Saturday morning, I stacked and decorated the cake so that it was ready for afternoon coffee as fresh as possible.

The wedding took place in a really beautiful ambiance. First, a beautiful wedding ceremony in Magdeburg Cathedral and then the celebration in a large hall next to the Salbke Water Tower.

This was the end result and I think it was well received and (hopefully) tasted good to everyone.

I really enjoyed the celebration and it was nice to see everyone again. It was a really nice conclusion to my vacation.

Two days after the wedding, it was time to return to London. The three weeks were intense, but also really beautiful. It was great to see everyone again after such a long time, and I was able to recharge my batteries. I hope it won't take quite so long until I can go back to Germany next time. Maybe I'll see you again at Christmas.