A visit from a very dear friend and her gorgeous family

"What are you doing over Christmas?" H had a plan.

As GO had no job to go back to, we were able to are with Mamilein and Papichen for the whole of the festive season.

H, wanted to come to Bünde and reminisce about the good old days.

Papichen booked her into the local hotel, I didn't hold out much hope. I was a bit worried, it didn't have the best trip advisor reviews. I have learnt not to pin everything on those kind of websites. Especially as the room was absolutely fantastic.

We met up and were introduced to all three girls. Who are gorgeous. We bimbled around Bünde with the intention of going to the park, not realising that the sun would set so quickly it being mid winter and all.

We made out way to the Italian and just had a lovely time catching up on all our news.

The next day I suggested a visit to the Tier Park in Bielefeld. I had seen someone mention it on Facebook and was curious, even more so when I found out it was free!

First Silvester at Home

Looking forward to celebrating my first

Silvester at home with Mamilein and Papichen.  They bought the house nearly ten years and I've never spent a New Years with them.

2006 - Murder Mustery in France

2007 - London

2008 - First with GO in Oxford fancy dress night

2009 - Oxford again 

2010 - GO was poorly, we were supposed to go to a party

2011 - GO poorly again, we were going to do London (again, once was enough)

2012 - I was poorly this time

2013 - Game of Thrones night

 

2014 - my turn to be poorly, in bed by 9pm

Little people make me laugh

I had a lovely chat with little IzzyWhizzy as we walked through Bünde, it went a little something like this;  "You know what I call GO?  The Ginger Ninja!"  I don't really it's more whinger than ninja, I wasn't going to tell a three year old that though.  She took this in and a while later found me in the shoe shop, "He doesn't look like a gingerbread man to me!"  I laughed and carried on.  As we walked to the restaurant she asked, "Where do you live?" "Ooh, at the moment I don't have a house.  We are living with the Ginger Ninja's mum and dad when after the holidays! Although

there has been lots of rain there and some of the houses have been flooded."  I explained, "Ahh!" She said and walked on, she stopped, paused and then turned to me and asked, "Does that mean the gingerbread house will float away?"  I almost cried for laughing.  I do love little people.

Mighty Minden

The Weihnachtmarkt was still on, it would have been rude not to pay a visit.

They add paprika to their onions when they fry them, they are scrummy.

Mamilein and I went inside the Christmas tree.

We've been coming here for years and this is the first time we realised you can go in the tree.

In the tree selfie.

The scariest Santa Claus I've ever seen..

Kaiser Wilhelm

The Christmas Willage

Wunderbar Bünde

Nothing little a Betwixtmas walk to blow away all of the cobwebs.  What was supposed to be a quick walk "my normal walk" with Mamilein turned into an epic seven mile hike.

Why?  At first we were led to believe that the reason we couldn't take the 'shortcut' because they were cutting down trees, which true but not the reason.

We were then led to believe we couldn't go down the next road because Mamilein couldn't get her bike through.

As we hit mile five and began to return home she let slip that the real reason we had walked seven miles instead of three.

"Ooh that's much better!"  She said as we hit the pavement.

"I didn't want to get my new shoes all dirty!"

Onkels Dieter und Wolfgang

Lucky Girl

Boxing Day Curry