the past is a different country. So is Bayern.

We have arrived in Bavaria for Christmas with Katrin's family. We've hardly been here 12 hours and already we are stuffed to capacity with food from the ample "World War 3 Preparation Pantry". Here is Katrin taking some internet respite from regional culture:


But the thing I really love about her family home is the heater that stands opposite where she is sitting. It is a big, beautiful tiled oven complete with relief sculpture tiles at the top:


It basically functions as the glue of the household - not only does it heat the entire house from its strategic central position, but they dry their shoes by it, the towels from their showers, keep food warm as they eat (last night katrin's mother put the tray of pizza we in it while we ate the piece on our plate, to keep the rest warm for second helpings) and a range of other handy things.

But it will be nice to take some walks in the forest that backs onto the house...


Pretty huh?

In other news, I finally moved this week into my new house. My room is lovely, but sadly there is a rather unhinged woman who lives downstairs who has been complaining for two years about the fact that the floorboards are too noisy - her bedroom is directly underneath mine. The new landlord therefore wants to put in carpet and cover this beautiful floor.


I haven't really set it up yet as you can see, but the windows look out onto a nice central courtyard in the middle of several houses. The great thing about living here will be that I only ever speak German with my new housemates, one of which is a good friend. There is also a cute cat who lives here, but I am told that she takes a minimum of two weeks to get to know someone without committing violence on them. Hmmm.