Stiftland - the most exciting tourist destination you never heard of!

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I tell you, they have it all in Stiftland - the biggest tourist destination you never heard of!

Stiftland is reeking with history: modern, historical, pre-history.  And some vital geographical features too.  Then there are architechtural gems strewn all over the countryside.  And the food. -  To break your diet for!

I am telling you - the place could compete with Rome, Paris  or London for all there is to do and see there for your two weeks holidays.   Ok. ok. so maybe a teeny tiny bit lacking on a few world class  Impressionist  paintings.  But after that they have it all in Stiftland!

Stiftland, about the size of Co. Kilkenny, is situated in  a sort of tri-angle area in West Germany, as it was before the Iron Curtain came down, the Czech-Republic, and the DDR,  former Communist East Germany.
https://www.ferienregion-stiftland.de/was-leib-seele-gut-tut/sakrales-erleben/dreifaltigkeitskirche-kappl/

So we visited Romeo H´s cousins last week; they live near a small town called Waldsassen in an area called Stifland.

It is a quite bucolic region, and at the same time a prosperous and productive area too; like Germans most everywhere, the Germans here work hard as well.  Main income sources are a building company of 500 employees, mineral water bottling.  And the production of what is considered the best Lebkuchen in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD:   Indeed you can buy some yourself to check it out!
https://www.lebkuchen-rosner.de/shop.

Attached are a few photos of some of the places that Karin X and Andreas X brought us too, that were of particluar interest to me.

1) Attached photos of self sitting on a rock in part of what was the Iron Curtain. The hill is called Dylen´s Hill. The radios masks etc now used for local radio stations were part of the Czech Communist Regime ´ears´to eversdrop on West Germany.  Herbert´s  cousin said, the DDR had its own system to eversdrop as did the Western Powers. All evesdropping on each other and all the radio masks were in sight of each other.

Before 1989, we would have been shot and killed sitting here. Problably killed before we actually got this close to the radion station.

2) The photo of me before the gates with the dogs:

This was obviously the entrance to this zone. The area would have been very heavily guarded two decades ago. As I stood there there were mountain bikers from the Czech Republic and the German republic cycling by out of scene. The old dogs no doubt belonged to the gardener inside who was cutting the grass, and not there for more sinster reasons.

... And all this just down the way from where the King and Kaiser himself decided was the middle point in Europe...

Sometimes when we busy ourselves with world concerns today; we forget about the good stuff that did get sorted out,simply because it is no longer a concern now. I think that is not a good thing.

God bless stay safe.

Now lads I have to admit, the last two weeks ran away on me, so I am doing a ´quickie´from here on in.    It is times like this I am in particular awe of journalists who can ´do 1500  words´or so for tomorrows papers.  HOW do they do it!  

Anyways...

Here is self doing my yoga at exactly 50o latitude.  öö

Yep there in the field it is exactly 50o on the stones laid in a row.   Cool or what!

And then beautiful churches all over the place.... I tell you, Stiftland would give Rome a run for the money!

Well I have to leave it at that, and I have not even got into the half of it!

To get the full scoop on Stilftland, you will just have to go there yourself!


Yes, Paris, Rome, London, take note.  Stiftland is a´ comen!


And they have something there you won´t find in many metropolises ----

.. happy Cows!


Happy Day to you all! 

Covid-19 Lockdown Allensbach Style.....

My plan for a bit more blog posting  during the Covid 19 Lockdown was put seriously out of kilter when myself and Blogger.com had a ´bit of a run in´.  -- Say noth´in.

We are back on track now and all love and kisses and lemonade and great sport again.

But I know full well these days of Covid-19 Lockdown are far from lemonade and great sport for many.

With this in mind, I will just up load photos that I hope will give the viewer a moment´s pause in
these days of ´other-than-normal-times´.  What ever ´other-than-normal-times´ means for you.

The photos were taken in the area, and speak for themselves.  I have nothing to add. 

God bless.  Stay well.

Hausfrau  Róisín.

I am breaking my own rule here - hey it´s my blog!   But in truth this picture may not speak for it self, nor the picture below.

The avid blog readers amoung you -  (all 3.5  of you!!), will know that we  in these parts, well some of us in these parts, partake in the  ´Great Saint Patick´s Day Wellie Race up the Alps for Conern´

The Wellie Race takes place on the Kretz-Broggy farm in Moos, near St. Gallan in Switzerland.
https://irishstewforthesoul.blogspot.com/2018/03/

- I kid you not, a dairy farm in Moos!

Anyways!   Like the World Cup, the Tour de France, the Olympics et al, the ´Great Saint Patick´s Day Wellie Race up the Alps for Conern´ was cancelled due to Covid-19.  

So being banned from travelling to Moos for la Wellie Race, I did a ´sympathy run´all by myself on the Bodensee. (Lake Konstanz to you non-locals.)


Not one to let the side down am I!





More of breaking my own rule again.

I like the juxtaposition of the two pictures below, that seem to have little in common. Not so.

The first is a ´bee baby´ nursery.  Wild bees are safely allow to cocoon and grow up  and then go out and about and do their bee business.

In the small picture on the right, children are playing and well,  just being children.

For me both these images offer a sense of  `Covid or not life goes on`.

Bärlauch gathering. Wild garlic.  Yummy.  Can use it for soup, sauces, mit noodles etc.

Never ate it, nor knew about it before coming to the Bodensee area.

But it is always a delight to collect it.  In woods. Great to go on week days early in the morning. You have the place to yourself.

March 11th. The last day we could go to a restaurant before lockdown.

Stay well!     Fanacht go maith!    Bleib 'gesund!

My 65th Birthday in the time of Covid-19....

Well I am glad I did the two years celebrating the 60th birthday, because this year it was the one day celebrating the 65th!

I am not complaining:  A different birthday for different times.   -   And it was just lovely!

Romeo H and self went for a walk in the woods, woods normally as full as Tramore Beach of a sunny bank-holiday Monday in August. But in all of four hours we saw 12 people at most.

Our walk was a true adventure including a good 40 minutes climbing over fallen trees - it was only at the far side of the fallen trees, that we saw the ´do not enter´ sign!

 

And then there was an half hour getting lost in the woods....  😐!

....But we just kept cool, paused for a moment, or six!

Then we set off again.  Calmly putting one foot in front of the other and getting lost some more....

But we DID enjoy the view in our ´lost-ed-ness´ if you understand what I mean!

Finally we got back to where we started.  And there was himself there to greet us.


With his entourage in tow.....


But the fun and frolix did not end there.

Our adventures in the wild were followed by a swim in the lake.

And nobody was going to rush me either!

Well, to be honest, more like a ´Schwimmchen´ - for you Germans and a ´swim-ín´ for you Irish readers....

Romeo H was far more robust in his swimming adventures, God bless him....

The swim-ín was followed by home made pizza -  cooked by the Pizza Meister himself.


 

 

And eaten auf der Terrasse - which was just begining to come into bloom.

Along with a glass of what ever you are having yourself!

A lovely day.

Much to be grateful for.

And I am.

                                                                Sláinte!

More Funnies in Time of Covid-19

So as all the decent sods among you are saving the world by sitting at home and watching re-runs of your favorite T.V. series/ pondering your navel/ fattening up on cream cakes ect, I am sending you a few more funnies which, I hope, will give you a chuckle in your day.

Enjoy. 

Stay safe. 

Hausfrau Róisín.       P.S. I have highlighted my favorite funnies. What are yours?

-Half of us are going to come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks. The other half will come out with a drinking problem. 

• I used to spin that toilet paper like I was on Wheel of Fortune. Now I turn it like I'm cracking a safe. 

• I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator. 

• Still haven't decided where to go for Easter ----- The Living Room or The Bedroom.

• PSA: every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pajamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.

• Homeschooling is going well. 2 students suspended for fighting and 1 teacher fired for drinking on the job. 

• I don't think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we'd go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone.

• This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into my house, told my dog..... we laughed a lot. 

• So, after this quarantine.....will the producers of My 600 Pound Life just find me or do I find them?

• Quarantine Day 5: Went to this restaurant called THE KITCHEN. You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have no clue how this place is still in business. 

• My body has absorbed so much soap and disinfectant lately that when I pee it cleans the toilet.

• Day 5 of Homeschooling: One of these little monsters called in a bomb threat.

• I'm so excited --- it's time to take out the garbage. What should I wear? 

• I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to Puerto Backyarda. I'm getting tired of Los Livingroom.

• Classified Ad: Single man with toilet paper seeks woman with hand sanitizer for good clean fun.

• Day 6 of Homeschooling: My child just said "I hope I don't have the same teacher next year".... I'm offended. 

• Better 6 feet apart than 6 feet under.
   

- And seen outside a church in Pennsylvania Easter Weekend:

“Jesus rode an ass on Palm Sunday, but you should keep your ass home on Easter.”

Ten Suggestions on What To Do with one´s time in these times of Covid-19.

So.  Like everybody else in this world who is not a first-responder, I have time. So this is my second blog posting in about a week.  -  Lucky you!!!

Below is a copy of a letter I wrote to the Ryan Tubridy Show on RTE, the national radio station in Ireland.  - And a darn good radio station too.  But I digress.

The letter is as the heading implies about stuff one can do in these days of confinement.  

Note: If you have not already done so: Might I suggest, you read my last posting first.  

While this factual posting may be ´sort of´  interesting, the last posting was all about laughter, more vital at this time.   And much more interesting.  Check it out, you will see.  So now my letter to Ryan Tubridy:   

Dear Ryan,  

For the first time since the year dot, many of us can FINALLY say, yes I HAVE the time.

But regardless of their age, people who live alone may be more vulnerable to falling into isolation and may need some structure to their days at home.

Here are Ten Suggestions on what to do with one´s time in these Covid-19 times. 

 

1) Wake up, pause and consider:  

I HAVE enough time. I do not need to rush rush rush today.

2) Enjoy lazy breakfast.

3) Write a list on what you can do with this precious time; I suggest you break down the list into ´to do´s´that are not fun, and ´to do´s´ that are fun.

4) Start on one of the items on the not fun list. i.e. Write/update last will and testament* ; clean out closets, drawers attic etc. You get the picture.

4b) Set yourself a realistic time for this activity. Then stop regardless of how far you have got. - Don´t forget you have time, you can come back to this tomorrow. 

 

5) Now do something on the ´fun to do´ list: Call a friend, lounge on the couch and read – or not. Try out a new recipe. Write/ update the bucket list…. etc

5b) Take at least twice as much time to enjoy the fun ´to do´activity as you spent on the project on the other ´to do ´list. 

 

6) Exercise. Take your pick, a walk, outside if possible. Dig the garden. If going out is not feasible then play your favorite dance music and dance in the kitchen as if no one is watching.

- I enjoyed hearing about the people in Dublin 8 who were coming out to their front doors at 11.00 am. everyday and exercising – with appropriate social distance, together.

7) Do something nice. Write a letter to someone in your life who is or who was important to you at some point in your life, let them know. Call someone who you have lost touch with. Create some way to acknowledge the people who must still go to work: The medial professionals, food shop/markets employees, bus drivers who ever, they deserve our appreciation. Etc.

8) Between all these activities, take a nice long break for a cup of tea…..

9) Pause and be grateful for whatever is precious to you in life. - For example the people on the front lines of the fight against Covid-19 who risk their own lives to keep us safe.

10) Then go to bed, sleep well and then get up and do it all again tomorrow.

      

You HAVE the TIME!

Thank you Ryan, I am home now and call listen to you on my computer. All good stuff.

Yours etc

Hausfrau Róisín

*Full disclosure:    I have a real bee in my bonnet about will writing. Writing a will will effect us in no way what so ever, but it is the most important document most of us will ever write.
It is especially important for people with no children, to decide how they want their inheritance to be used.

See link to my blog regarding will writing. Hopefully, an important message and a smile:    https://irishstewforthesoul.blogspot.com/2017/02/