Looking back on May

Now that I've started to thaw out after so much travelling this Spring, I'm enjoying looking back over our travels in Germany during May - we had a splendid time.

The first week at home after a long tour is like a whirlwind of emotions for me ... like, why on earth am I doing this?  I should have got a sensible job years ago and then I could retire like my friends are getting ready to do etc etc.   But after a week or so, when the garden has been suitably attacked and I've stopped missing my lovely cats who haven't been around for a few years now, then my mind instantly goes back to practice and planning.  So on Monday I was back at the desk getting a few bits into place for this time next year when we'll hopefully be travelling the Autobahns again (I do hope they have all the roadworks finished by then!)
So here's a few snaps ...

Canada Geese fattening up before the next stage of their journey

The Canada Geese were on Hallig Hooge when we were there - they're magnificent birds and protected by law which turns these islands into birdwatching holiday havens.  People come from all over to visit and to photograph them as they land mid journey.  If you don't know about Hallig Hooge, the lovely little not quite island off the coast of Germany,  read my blog here.

Hallig Hooge in the distance at low tide from Schlüttsiel

The Hallig is totally exposed to the North Sea and can be very windy - I've come to the conclusion after our trip to Australia, that I really really don't like the cold - I was meant to live in warmer climes.

There's something very architectural about low tide.

Tom took this ridiculous photo of me with our friend Barney
at the Dyke on Hooge.
I was so cold - no matter how many layers I had on me,
including Barney's jacket over my own coat, jumper, tunic and T-shirt!!!
And to make it even worse, they were enjoying a heatwave back in Ireland :) 

Good use of an old boat outside Kiel

Rapeseed everywhere

Some of our audience in Eckernfoerde

House concerts are a new departure for us
This was in Susi and Oli's living room, 4 floors up in Berlin

An unexpected hour of sunshine at the beach at the lake

Wood piles everywhere - this one under a church
I love the architecture of cut wood - beautiful shapes

From Rostrevor to Annahütte - we played lots of concerts in Churches,
and this one is one of my favourites, Henriettekirche

Don't be a sheep - not sure who this advert was for but it caught my eye

The formal gardens at the 10th century Monastery Kamp Kloster
We wondered how much work must go in to keeping this precision.
(I could use some of those guys to get my hedges in order)

The monastery there can name its abbots
right back to its foundation in 1123
Impressive 

Our ferry was changed from Cherbourg to Rosscoff - luckily we had allowed ourselves extra time to get there from our last stop in Luxembourg.   We ran into the start of the torrential rain that went on in France and Germany for nearly 10 days.  I have NEVER seen anything like the downpour in my life.  Sadly some people were hurt by lightning only a few miles away from where we were trying to battle our way through the storm.

Relieved to get on board the ferry, just missing the strike in France
and the sun was shining ... there's a fabulous sun deck on this boat.

It was lovely to catch up with old friends and make new ones along the road.  But I am very happy to be home for a while - hedges beware!!! 

Lecker the lamb - Take 2!!

I have no idea why why this post is in my draft folder - I distinctly remember posting it and noticed the other day that it has comments on it - so if you think you're experiencing deja vu, rest assured you're not.  

We were having a wander around Hanswarft on Hallig Hooge before our gig in the Cafe zum Seehund when we spotted this man walking in front of us.   Is that sheep following him? we asked each other!!!!  And sure enough he was. That's a chain around the garden, not a lead on him...

Man and sheep made their way to the front door of our abode for the night and Jörg, our host, came out to see what was going on.  

The guy told the sheep to wait and it obediently did and then told it to go the other direction and off it went!!!

Roars of laughter and oohs and ahs followed. 

What's he called Tom asked.   Well, I don't want to give him a name cos he's going to be a sausage some day - OH NO!!!!!  You can't do that!

So Jörg very helpfully named him Lecker.  Do you know any German?   Lecker is the German equivalent of Yummy!!!!  Oh dear....  The poor wee sheep.  

The previous night we walked to a session on Lorenzwarft and some more of Lecker's pals decided to follow us too - they must have been into the music.  

At the session - the first Irish type session every held on the Hallig run by Barney (in the green T shirt) and it was  a huge success.  All with German songs - lots of fun.   People here in this picture from Austria, Cologne, Bavaria, Dusseldorf, Kiel and Ireland.

Odd shoes found around the dyke which surrounds the island - they stink but there's something fascinating about such a collection.

Arriving on to Hallig Hooge at sunset.

The Hallig is a very unusual place  - not quite an island, more like a silt deposit in the ocean without protection.  It's a nature reserve and the Canada Geese land here both in May and October.  The houses are all built on little hillocks, and the whole island is surrounded by a dkye.  Still, there are occasions when a storm hits and the place floods - then the houses look like they're sitting on the water.  There are other halligen - including Sylt, Langanesse and Amrun ... excuse the spellings if I've got them wrong.   In total 10 off the North West Coast of Germany.
If you're interested in reading more you can check out www.hallig.de   Hooge now has 85 inhabitants.