The Witching Hour

[izmeina]

This is the real Halloween time for the wicked witches of the southern hemisphere. Of course Izzie never misses a chance to celebrate it twice because all that maypole stuff is such ridiculous schmalzy fluffy bunny stuff

At least the Germans got it right with the sort of sinister Walpurgisnacht where the witches sweep the last snow off the mountains on the eve of 30th April

I managed years ago to lurk near Thale - the town where the witches party all night at the end of April. It looked a bit drab and dreary back in those days as the Stasi government tried to squash all the magic out of it.
The Harz mountains were a most magical place. Must definitely add them to the wish list for the 2020 grand European Tour

It conveniently happens to be the day of the full moon but the clouds got in the way so never did see it rise on the horizon like last night. It did peek out from amongst the clouds some 10 minutes later.

It will be a busy week at the Lair. Loads of planting to do. Now that Privet Drive is being turned into a wasteland, it is up to this serpent to provide a happy home for the green and growing things and cute quirky critters.

Comments

[ozfille]

I have to agree about the magical Harz mountains. Every time I've stayed with Elke in Wolfsburg we always have an excursion to a village in the mountains. Just at the moment I wish the weather fairy would magically sweep away winter. I arrived in Chartres, it was raining and windy. The temperature which was recorded as 6 Deg C felt more like 2 Deg C. It is supposed to be less miserable tomorrow. Less rain at least and hopefully that biting wind will lessen as well. I wandered around a rather empty, closed-up Chartres after viewing the cathedra and headed straight back to the hotel to warm up. It is May Day tomorrow the official public holiday but most of the shops were closed today. When I asked the hotel staff, they said today was also a holiday. I think France should be renamed the land of the long weekend as Oz has long ago forced its workforce to put their noses to the grindstone. I just wish the railway unions would stop striking. They have punched holes in my carefully planned holiday.

Les Miserables

[izmeina]

Years ago in the still dark days not long after the Wall came down, I did manage to slink about in Quedlinburg which even back then was a most amazing town. But it was a bit rich of them to have witches on broomsticks everywhere promoting their town. Sort of like Auschwitz marketing itself as a centre of Jewish culture.

I only managed to get the Hogwarts Express half way up the Brocken. Not just because going the whole way got ridiculously expensive even by former DDR standards but you had to book ages in advance or some complicated thing. I always intended to go back one day to go up the whole way but even half was magical.
All the trains left from Wernigerode but I guess now everything will be totally commercial and even more expensive than it was in those ancient days of the early 1990s

Scary to think that you are freezing in Chartres when here it is supposed to be late Autumn and we have never had so many sunny 30c plus days in April. It has been gorgeous but a bit disturbing to have such warm weather. Still needing to water the weeds on account of it.

Do they still have the 35 hour week in France? Sounds more like the 35 minute week from what you are saying. I think Macron has got himself in lots of drama because he wants to wind back all the cushy perks that the froggie workers have gotten so used to. They make the Greeks look like workaholics.
I hope he doesn't give Mr Harbourside mansion too many ideas while he is here. No bromance going on that we can see so far.

What is the situation with prebooked travel? If you have already paid and booked for train trips, does the SNCF or your travel insurance find some loop holes so they can avoid compensation? Surely all the alternative ways of getting from A to B must either be booked out or very expensive in such circumstances?

At times like these a broomstick really would come in handy. Floo powder is even quicker.

I do hope the weather and transport options improve very soon for you.