It's cold, and I have a cold.

So, to pick up where I left off... I got my chores done here (ok, I didn't wash any clothes, but I'll do that tomorrow) and ate dinner. Went over to K's house at about 7pm and we hung out for a bit before eventually driving to his parents' house. We stopped at the Kaiser Wilhelm monument along the way, and I got some awesome photos in the darkness. It was absolutely freezing, so we didn't stay long, but we thought it was nice that there was some kind of small Easter choir group singing at the top. I'll post photos when I remember to upload them.

I don't know what time we got to his parents' house... which is somewhere near Minden and Petershagen, for the record. It's nice little farms and green, lush pastures. I saw the home of Melitta coffee. The parents were away caravaning (apparently a very popular pastime in Germany) which explains why K had the car. We lazed about for the evening, didn't get around to the fruit we said we'd eat (we agree on how awesome fruit is, even though we seem to have very different ideas about optimal nutrition), and actually, I slept pretty well, even though usually I sleep awfully in strange beds.

The next morning was really lazy. Went downstairs for a late breakfast, joined by his sister (and the dog, who was hoping for snacks). She was more shy about her English than she needed to be, but she was really nice, so breakfast was pretty relaxed. It was the typical German breakfast that I know about but never eat myself; rolls with meat and cheese, and boiled eggs. Score one for the parents' kaffeemaschine; awesome crema. Bread and jam wasn't that filling, though.

After breakfast K and I went for a drive around the area. We drove around the farms, smelled the fresh air and enjoyed watery rays of sunshine. At one point we stopped just to hear the peace and quiet; the only noises were leaves rustling in the breeze and birds singing. It was really nice, so tranquil, and I can see why it would have been a nice place to grow up. We looked around Minden and Petershagen, K had an icecream, and I got excited about Spring flowers. I saw the place where K did his civil service, and realised he was telling the truth about feeding large birds. (He tried to convince me the other day that a volcano we saw a picture of was in Germany, so you can see why I know better than to trust him entirely!) I discovered that BackFactory is a vicious chain, but I'm not sure if that will stop me from snacking there occasionally. And there is another Butlers! The one in Pb has served me so well. We were lucky with the weather; it only rained while we were in the car, not while we were walking.

It was a really nice, lazy day. We went back to the house in the afternoon. We did later discover that we didn't have much time for dinner; I was starving. So we made food, and ate quickly, and were ready for the 7pm train. K took supplies from his parents' freezer (as every sneaky child does!) and his sister drove us to the Bahnhof. I travelled for free for the first time, courtesy of my semesterticket. We changed trains once, and saw Easter fires from the windows. My only regret is that we had to leave too early to attend an Easter bonfire; it sounds like a tradition that meets with my approval. I was really tired by the time we got back to Pb, and walked home safely under my umbrella, because the weather had finally turned on me.

On Monday (the reason why we had to be back in Pb on Sunday night) I attended the Eurobiz day trip to Detmold. At 9am (ouch, so early!) we met at the Hauptbahnhof and caught the train to Detmold, then split into English and German groups. I think you can guess which one I was in. We saw the Schloss, and had a tour around the rooms that are open to tourists. Very pretty; I wouldn't mind living there, that's for sure! Again, photos to follow. We then caught a bus to the Hermannsdenkmal; a monument built where the Germans fended off the Roman Empire. Very cool monument; the stairs up were treacherous, though. And it was freezing cold and windy up the top.

We took another bus, this time to a natural (?) rock formation, which I've completely forgotten the name of. The treachery of the stairs up definitely made the Hermannsdenkmal look meagre in comparison. Again, it was cold and windy, but this time my true feelings towards heights made me a little uneasy. Oh well. Anyway, we were tired by then, and opted to catch the train straight back to Pb. So we got back at about 4pm; I saw F as I was leaving the station, because she had been visiting her parents over Easter. We walked together as far as we could, exchanging juicy details and discussing our present situations. She invited me to a party at her apartment tonight, but I'm feeling under the weather at the moment, so I haven't attended. I'm a bit sad about it, but I think sleep is a safer option.

So, this morning was back to Uni after the long weekend. And really, it was a good weekend; I was worried that I'd be bored and lonely, but K definitely came to my rescue. I really do owe him the dinner that I said I'd make tomorrow; better make something impressive. The Deutschkurs was pretty good, and afterwards I went via the Rewe to buy some fruit and a toothbrush; I left mine at K's parents' house. Home again, still with the sore foot that has been plaguing me, and had lunch. I was feeling really tired and was sick of sniffling and sneezing, so I napped for a few hours. Got up and made spicy pasta salad for dinner, plus enough leftover for another two meals. Now it's back to bed; I should just try to sleep off this cold. If it is even a cold; hopefully it's just a sniffle and I'll be fine tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Pictures coming soon.