Homesick

Gray for days, wet and littered with horse droppings is the path that we always use to walk the dog. The clouds hang low and condensation forms under our noses. The branches of the trees reach for the sky and the clouds, leafless, black-veined. Mistletoe is unreachable in the treetops. Partly unharvested apples hang from one branch or another. Rotten fruit lies in the meadow and the dew has frozen overnight. Brown leaves with white-edged ice crystals lie at the edge of the path.

Gray in gray

It's not particularly cold, but the wetness causes an unpleasant feeling up our backs. Nevertheless, we use every day to walk, it is here in Germany almost the only way to get out the door. Dead city centers, only the parking lots in front of the supermarkets are filled before Christmas. Curfew and restriction of exit is what they call it here. The social life from the policy, due to the still high Corona numbers, strangled. Slowly, politicians are beginning to apologize for their misjudgments in this crisis. The slogans of perseverance are also becoming quieter and quieter, because the measures that have been taken have had only insignificant successes, if any at all. Everyone is waiting for the vaccination and hoping that this will be the solution to all problems.

Vineyard hut at Korber Kopf, Germany 

We are homesick, homesick for our boat, for some warmth, for the circumstances of livable normality. The dog, which we borrow every day, does not mind all this. He doesn't care about the weather and neither does Corona. All that matters to him is romping around in the meadow with his bright orange ball, which he has long since bitten to pieces and which is sticky and slippery with drool. Which reminds me again of our politicians, sticky and slippery. "Sorry we overdid the measures in the spring and a lot of people died alone". By now we have reached the top of the hill. Here the vines stop and the orchards begin. I look along the vines into the valley and I notice that the parking lot of the hospital is stuffed full, but the parking lot of the sports and recreation facility is totally empty. We are homesick, homesick for the many hiking trails, the walks along the beach and the many outdoor sporting opportunities. To be able to visit relatives and friends here in Germany these days, you need at least a degree in law. If one can put then still another study in mathematics on it, understands one at least what with these meetings, does not go or one simply the risk takes that one makes what wrong. For all those who stayed on their boats, it should be said that the contacts with Skype or WhatsApp are currently much easier to take than a real meeting here in Germany, if the contact is not just busy with a TV Soap, or can be sprinkled by advertising of various contact and flirt apps and therefore has no time to take your call. Obviously, we have long since arrived in the modern age, because contacts take place best only virtually. It's safe and you don't have to go out the door. For that little bit of feeling, you have the TV soap.

Beach bar at Porto Santo, Madeira

We are homesick, homesick for people who sit in a pub with the necessary distance and with whom you can talk, even if it is a foreign language and you do not even understand half of it, for people who you can take in your arms without risk. We want to get back to our "normal" lives as soon as possible, if we can. We are now used to living together in a very small space. On our 60 square meters, at least we pay for the 60 square meters the berth, we have arranged.

Santa Cruz de La Palma

Here in Germany we have a bit more space, but are four in a household. Since I am, admittedly, as you can certainly infer from the text, a somewhat difficult character, I delete somewhat and replace somewhat in quite, no better extremely, it is not quite easy for the remaining three, these days. Since undertakings are quite limited one hangs nevertheless arg on the pelt. I think there have which homesickness, homesickness for TV Soaps, the advertising of flirt and contact apps, video and betting games, after a life for two. How we get through Christmas and New Year and what will happen next week in Germany, you can read in our blog on www.glenswelt.com. Until then, as always,fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.

Merry Christmas