Wasting time

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Watchin' the tide, roll away
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wasting time

My earworm of the past few days. Do you know the song? Then hum along relaxed. Madness, the whole sound is totally relaxed and even though the lyrics could also be interpreted as melancholic-depressing, the song sounds cheerful, happily relaxed. And it definitely suits our mood more than the sound that is booming here with a lot of bass over the socialist-inspired Zlatie Pliesko campsite in Bratislava. Slovakia! The route led via Freising, Rofan Mountains, Alpbach Valley, Karwendel and Lake Constance directly and completely unplanned here! And now we have a little less than a week to explore this country. We started with the big capital, which feels like a small metropolis to us. It's hard to describe: hip and young, but not particularly creative, touristy made up, but also dilapidated and empty, boo end, with all the big brands, familiar with a lot of German, but also dismissively unfriendly. An interesting mix. We are in a country that I didn't really connect with before, that I know little about its history, that I don't speak the language of even remotely, let alone read a street name correctly. There are rumors that there are great hiking areas and beautiful landscapes. We are excited!
But actually relaxed. Because this summer is the feeling of having time this year! A whole week of time in Freising with Karen and the grandchildren. Go swimming, play Uno, bake cakes, let planes and helicopters fly, read books, cook... We also had a nice evening with my cousin and her friend! Finally someone who can understand our enthusiasm for farming and who is really interested in our experiences! 🤗😘
And then it was time for the mountains again. We met our favorite friends and neighbors at Lake Achensee and introduced them to hut trekking. Oh, it was really nice. Two familiar people around us. Relaxed, uncomplicated understanding. Getting to know new sides of each other... We did a 3-day tour in the Rofan Mountains and then relaxed in a beautiful vacation apartment in Alpbach. Vacation with friends. My personal highlight was the local brass band on Friday evening with Udo Jürgens Medley and one-hit-wonder Bimbo-Jet. We grew many beans, fought over Kaiserschmarrn, and read newspapers extensively. And enjoyed the views of clear air and the summer blooming mountains.
The second tour was a bit tougher. After saying goodbye to Elke and Uwe in pouring rain, we picked up Michael in Seefeld in brilliant sunshine and immediately set off on the first stage of the Karwendel High Trail with some deviations because huts were already fully booked. I have never walked in such warm temperatures, but it was certainly more bearable at higher altitudes than in your cities. The trail: varied and also challenging in terms of climbing. I particularly liked the detour to the Möslalm. Rarely have I walked on such idyllic hiking trails in the Alps. It's a pity that they weren't looking for employees anymore. The theme of our next work assignment was with us almost the whole time. Because the Wetterkogelhaus had simply pushed us back by 5 days and so we, unfortunately unsuccessfully, tried to apply for other huts. Occupied, unreachable, too old, too late, two of us... At some point we accepted the postponement. But that was only after the week with Michi. The high trail in the Karwendel was another great week. Michael calls it the idiots' filter of altitude: we met really nice, funny, interesting people from Wernigerode and Paderborn (!)! We exerted ourselves, snored in mattresses (well, especially the boys, of course), got blisters, met goats, had time to chat and to be silent, discussed future plans and relationship problems... The boys climbed the summit of their lives, while I struggled cautiously with thyroid and lower abdominal pain! The week went by super quickly. The globetrotter set off to London without a suitcase but with flip-flops and some difficulties with thunderstorms, while we leisurely drove through the Allgäu to Lake Constance with our little bus to pay a visit to our old home and old friends. That was a bit of everyday life with doing laundry, going to the doctor and hairdresser, cooking, shopping... and the obligatory, daily, evening visit to Lake Steißlingen. Thanks to the Hartmann family, such a visit is uncomplicated, familiar, and filled with nice encounters and conversations. It's nice to feel at home even 700km away from our home in Hanover. (Although we would never go back, don't worry dear Elke!)
At the lake, we also had the idea for a brief visit to Slovakia. 'I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay... ' Well, now we have a few more days to 'waste'.