Too Early, or Too Late?

 

Spring is still making slow progress here... But today I noticed these tiny green leaves on a garden hedge I passed on a walk to the main post office (some 15-20 minutes away) to post a parcel for someone's big birthday towards the end of the month. 

When I got back home and looked at my calendar again, I realised that in my head, I had somehow been a week ahead of myself, and needn't have posted that parcel until next week. Ah well... Better too early than too late, I suppose!(?) 

"Better three hours too soon than a minute too late" 
(Shakespeare, the Merry Wives of Windsor)

"Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable" 
(Origin unknown)

Whether spring is early or late here this year, compared to "normal", I'm not really sure. They say that meteorologically, "spring" arrived already at the end of February - but it hasn't felt like it in nature. When I look back at photos from last year, we had magnolias and cherry blossoms in bloom in early April. This year, I still haven't seen any trees in bloom.

Men At Work

 

Back in March, I wrote a post about Dutch Elm Disease, in connection with seeing a sick tree being taken down in the cemetery where I often walk. Ever since last spring, I've also been seeing a sick tree closer to home, and wondering when that might be removed. Over winter it has become even more obvious that it's not going to miraculously recover. So when today I woke up to the sounds of a chain saw at work, it did not take me long to guess what was going on. When I looked out, the tree was already felled, and they were cutting  branches to later have it all moved by that green machine to a truck to take it away.

In the background, by the fence, there is another tree obviously suffering from the same thing. That one is not on the grounds of this housing estate, though, so I suppose "someone else" is responsible for having that removed. (Probably also more difficult to get to that one, as it's on the wrong side of the fence with a steep railway bank beneath...)

My view in that direction is "opening up" more than I'd prefer; but I can see the necessity of having the sick trees removed.  

Much Ado about a Small Parcel

 

It's been six months since my knee injury back in early October. I've come a long way since the initial stage when the whole leg was blue and the left knee resembled a balloon.  But I still depend on wearing knee sleeves on that knee for support, plus using a walking pole/stick when I go out. And I'm still struggling to figure out the "right balance" between  "being on my feet" vs resting, during the day. 

I'm using two different kinds of knee sleeves. When I go out, or am on my feet a lot at home, I prefer a compression one in synthetic material (on the left below). Luckily, I already had those (having had milder "on and off" problems before), so could use those right from start after my injury. (Which helped to keep the swelling down - and the doctors I saw shortly afterwards seemed to approve.) 

    

After the injury I also bought the grey ones to the right, made of bamboo - softer, "airier" and more comfortable to wear in the night. (I'm actually surprised how much that helps to keep the knee steady during sleep.)

With spring/summer and warmer weather ahead now, I thought it might be a good idea to order yet another pair of bamboo sleeves, as I imagine they may also be more comfortable than the synthetic ones in hot weather. However, when I checked the website where I had bought the old ones, that company did no longer have them in stock... 

... But if you have ever googled anything even once, you know that a lot of products will prove to be available from more than one company... (My FB ad algorithms have been actually been showing me very little but knee sleeves and compression socks all winter!) 

I found some looking very similar, from another Swedish company, which did seem to have them in stock for speedy delivery. They also seemed to promise to deliver parcels to the most convenient place for the customer - which in this case should have been by "letter" directly to my own mailbox. (As that had worked with similar deliveries from other companies before.) At worst (I thought), I might have to go a covenience shop in my own neighbourhood to pick it up (~300 m away). 

Big Groan from me when yesterday I received a text that the parcel had arrived at a (for me) very incovenient shop around 2 km away - across the city centre from where I live, and up a rather steep hill... 

Ah well. This morning was neither wet nor windy, and as it was Saturday, the buses shouldn't be crowded. I walked to the nearest bus stop (~300 m), took a bus from there to the railway station, where I changed to another bus that took me (via the city centre) half way up the hill towards my goal. Got my parcel (which could indeed easily have been made flat enough to be sent by regular mail) - and managed to refrain from complaining to the shop assistant (as it wasn't his fault)... 

Out on the street again, I decided to try a downhill walk back "downtown". I managed it - but learned that walking downhill still requires "baby steps". So it took a while. 

Back down at the bus square (on flat ground by the river), I got on a third bus to take me two stops further along the river; from where I knew it would "only" take me another 15 min or so to walk the rest of the way home. 

All in all, the whole outing took me about an hour and a half. 

However, the content of the package did turn out to my satisfaction. The new bamboo  sleeves (I ordered two) seem to be the same size and quality as the old ones, and feel the same. So at least I won't have to return them - and hopefully it will be a while before I feel need to buy more... 

Left: New - Right: Old

 

The photo at the top of this post was taken from about half way down the hill from the shop - turning back and looking uphill. (If anyone wonders about the windowless brick wall on the right, that belongs to a church.)

 

Spring Preparations

 

Yesterday: Crocuses in a flowerbed in my neighbourhood.

Today I decided to put what energy I had into getting started to "make spring" on my balcony. So I got the plastic rug, my chair, and  the trellis with fake leaves (bought last year) up from the basement storage room. With pauses in between, I also got them in place during the day. (Fingers crossed that April has no plans to throw another storm at us!) 

No live flowers for a while yet, as frosty nights are still likely to happen. I also plan to keep it simple - not too much messing about with "growing things"... But I'll buy some geraniums later on, they're easy to move around depending on the weather, or even take in if needed.
 

After the Storm...

 We have a proverb in Swedish that is probably used in English as well: "After the rain comes the sun". Looking it up now, I learn that the origin is Latin: "Post nubila phoebus" ("after the clouds, the sun"). 

On Tuesday Storm Dave had moved on. It left quite a bit of debris behind, but in my immediate neighbourhood, and along the way I chose to walk into town, only "minor" stuff. (I.e. while there was still a mess of minor broken branches etc here and there, I saw no fallen trees, or roofs blown off, etc. - Our local newspaper has reported some such events as well, though, from other parts of town and its surroundings.)

When I approached the city centre yesterday, it seemed that the winds from the coast had also brought (or been followed by) a sure sign of spring, though: The seagulls are here now, and making their voices heard to let us know. There was a whole flock of them circling over that footbridge in the photo above - but before I got the camera up, they had temporarily scattered...

Branches/trees decorated with feathers are an old tradition and probably still the most common Easter decoration here (besides eggs). I noticed these outside an hotel near that bridge. (There were two of them, one on each side of the entrance, but I found it made better photo to just focus on one of them.)

My main purpose for the walk into town was not to take photos, though, but to get a haircut. I had called my hairdresser in the morning and asked if the could fit me in, and she could. 

I walked both into town and back, which means around 3+ km or 2 miles; which is still enough to make not only my left knee but also the rest of me tired. So not a whole lot more got done yesterday. 

Today was another sunny day, but a short walk to the nearest corner shop for some bananas felt like enough. Later I put some energy into cleaning the outside of the windows in my living room, from the balcony outside. The Easter rain had somehow managed to make those dirty rather than clean them. I also gave the (metal) floor out there a brief mopping while I was at it. If the sun continues to shine for few more days, I might even bring my foldable chair up from the storage room... 

 

Easter Monday

 

It's Easter Monday, which is still a public holiday here in Sweden (and in several other countries too, I think). For my own part, Easter "celebrations" have been very modest this year, though - as I've hardly been out at all, nor had any visitors.

On second thought, that last statement is not 100% true. On Friday afternoon, someone  tried to pay me an unannounced visit, exactly during that half hour or so when I was out on that day (for my usual weekly walk to the recycling station some ten minutes away).

When I got back from that short walk, I found a pot of small daffodils sitting outside the door to my flat. No card attached, so it had me puzzled for a while who had brought them. I was contemplating putting a "thanks to whoever" on Facebook, when the benefactor called me. It turned out to be a friend still not using neither computer nor smartphone (so a message on FB wouldn't have reached her anyway). I thanked her of course - and the daffodils really were a nice surprise, as I had not got round to buying any myself. (No flower shop nearby, and when I was in town last week, other errands took priority.) 

I did not say what at the same time I thought to myself: that paying someone a surprise visit is not really the best idea these days - even if statistically, I'm likely to be at home "more often than not". 20-30 years ago, this person and I were neighbours. These days, we are both 70+, don't live in the same residential area, and our paths rarely cross spontaneously. So really better from several aspects to call first... 

With the weather forecasts for the rest of the weekend in mind, I also did not suggest that she'd "pop by" another day soon instead. 

Storm Dave from England had announced its arrival in advance (via the weather people on TV etc), and did not care one bit that most people might prefer some peace and quiet for Easter. The whole weekend was very windy, with Easter Sunday the worst: the wind noisily rattling the windows on the south-west side of my apartment all day yesterday, and including quite a bit of rain, too. (Luckily I had taken the warnings seriously, so had removed the plastic tarpaulin from my wooden bench out on the balcony and tied the bench itself to the balcony railing - not leaving the wind much to "play with" this time.)

Today it's been sunny again, but still with capricious winds blowing. I took out a bag or two to the bins by the corner, but felt discouraged from walking further. From national and local news I've also learned that quite a few trees have fallen over roads, trains and buses have been cancelled, and electricity and internet have been out for people in some areas. For my own part, power and wifi have been working the whole weekend, though.

So as blog readers may have noticed, I spent pretty much the whole Easter weekend  finishing my 1983 time travelling project instead. (With some food and TV in between.)

Time Travel / Germany, 1983 / Part 8 - Trier (4)

 Germany 1983 /Trier an der Mosel (4): Roman Bridge, the Barbara Baths, Karl Marx House, Baroque Church St Paulin - THE END.

On Tuesday 30th August (1983), I bought a bus pass to get around town to see some places I had not yet been to. 

According to the notes in my photo album, I started by taking the bus down to the riverside, to have a look at the harbour, and the oldest bridge in Germany: die Römerbrücke (the Roman Bridge) or Alte Moselbrücke (the Old Moselle Bridge).

The Roman Bridge (German: die Römerbrücke) is an ancient structure in Trier, Germany, over the river Mosel. It is the oldest standing bridge in the country, and the oldest Roman bridge north of the Alps. The nine bridge pillars date from the 2nd century AD, then replacing two older, wooden bridges that dated at least as far back as 17 BC. - In Roman times, tossing a coin off the bridge into the Moselle was an offering of good luck. Today, experts believe approximately one million coins could be lying hidden in the riverbed. - The upper part was renewed twice, in the early 12th and in the early 18th century, after suffering destruction in war. Along with other Roman and Early Gothic sites in Trier, the bridge was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986 because of its historical importance and architecture. (Wikipedia) 

Tourist bus pass for a day

 

After having seen the bridge, and some other old structures/buildings along the riverside, I went to visit die Barbarathermen - The Barbara Baths.

AI summary: Built in the second half of the 2nd century C.E., the Barbarathermen (Barbara Baths) in Trier was the largest Roman bath complex north of the Alps, covering over 42,000 square meters. Serving as a luxurious, well-appointed public leisure center, it remained in use until the 4th century before later being repurposed as a quarry and castle.  [The name seems to have been given to them later, referring to the district of town where they were buil, in turn named after St Barbara, an early Christian saint and martyr.]

 

 

 

Schwimmbad = swimming pool

 

Frigidarium = a cold room in an ancient Roman bath.

This photo had acquired such a weird colouring that I turned it b&w instead...

(AI:) Key Historical Aspects of the Barbara Baths:

    Purpose & Size: Built to accommodate a growing population, it was the second largest in the Roman Empire, featuring pools, heated rooms (hypocaustum), and marble decorations.
    Architecture: The baths were designed to accommodate a high volume of visitors, with a two-story hypocaust heating system and a structure typical of Northern African bath designs.
    Decline & Reuse: Following the decline of Roman power, the complex was used as a castle. By 1610, the ruins were heavily exploited as a quarry for building materials for a nearby Jesuit college.    

After having seen enough of the Barbara Baths (I did wander around there for quite a while, trying to imagine how it might all once have looked), I went to visit a building of later date:   

Karl Marx House - my photo from 1983

The Karl Marx House museum. This is where Karl Marx was born back in 1818 - the father of Marxism, who influenced both modern socialism and communism. It is now (and also back in 1983) a museum about Karl Marx's life and writings as well as the history of communism.  

Photo copied from Wikipedia

The house was built in 1727 as a two-story baroque building. Karl Marx was born there on 5 May 1818. In October 1819, the Marx family moved to a smaller building near the Porta Nigra. The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) acquired the the house in 1928. After the Nazi Party came to power in 1933, the building was confiscated and turned into a printing house. After WWII, on 5th May 1947, the building was opened as a museum of the life and works of Karl Marx. - And on 14 March 1983*, 100 years after his death, the museum was re-opened after a year-long renovation that expanded it to three floors. 
(Main source: Wikipedia)

*I can't recall now if when I visited, I was aware that the museum had been so newly renovated and re-opened. I also don't remember details of the interior of the place, or  items exhibited. But as back then I was studying German at the university, I no doubt found it interesting from historical and academic point of view. 

On Wednesday 31st August, it was time for me to start my journey back to Sweden. According to my photo album, I managed to squeeze in one last tourist attraction before leaving town - a visit to the Baroque church St Paulin, built between 1734 and 1753. (The photos below are postcards.) 

 

The church was named after a saint, Paulinus of Trier, whose tomb is located in the church's crypt. He was a bishop of Trier before being exiled to Phrygia in 353. He died there five years later, but his remains were returned to Trier in 395. Before the present baroque church, there were two earlier church buildings in the same spot. (Wikipedia) 

My journey back home went without any problems (or at least none are recorded in my photo album). Train from Trier to Koblenz, then from Koblenz to Hamburg, and from there a night train back to Gothenburg. (And from there, either straight back to Karlstad, where I lived then - or possibly first a detour to visit my parents for a belated family birthday celebration - I'm not quite sure. My dad and I had the same birthday...) 

On the last page in my photo album there is this postcard:

Bright days - 
don't cry that they're over, 
but smile that they happened.

- - -

THE END 

Thanks for having joined me on my "time travel"! 

 

 

Time Travel / Germany, 1983 / Part 7 - Trier (3)

Germany 1983 /Trier an der Mosel (3): Porta Nigra, Stadtmuseum, Dreikönigenhaus, Basilika St. Matthias, a Market Square - and a boat trip on the river.

Monday, 29th August 1983 was my 28th birthday - and I was still in Trier, Germany, touristing on my own. Alas its seems that I used up my last slide film the day before, because the rest of my photos from the trip are faded printed ones in my photo album - mixed with a few postcard images that kept the coulour better. 

Porta Nigra, Trier (postcard)

I started my birthday touristing with having a closer look at the famous Porta Nigra (also mentioned in Part 5 of my time travel series).

I asked AI for a short summary today, rather than try to create it myself...

Porta Nigra - History and Facts 
Built around 170 AD, the Porta Nigra (Black Gate) in Trier is the largest and best-preserved Roman city gate north of the Alps. It served as a massive, northern, grey sandstone fortress gate, though it was never fully finished. It survived by being converted into a church in the 11th century to honor the hermit St. Simeon, which saved it from being quarried for building materials. Napoleon ordered the removal of church additions in 1804 to restore its Roman appearance. The site was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. 

Above is a photo of my own from inside the Porta Nigra. The dove I seem to recall was actually a live bird sitting on that gate! Weirdly fadad colouring - but I arrived at preferring the purple to turning it black-and-white or sepia...

 

My own photo - I think  a view taken from inside the Porta Nigra.

 

Nearby was the Stadtmuseum Simeonstift Trier, showing art and cultural treasures from the Middle ages and onward. The photos above are my own, but the info below I copied from the museum's current website: 

The collection is housed in the Roman building of the Collegiate of St. Simeon, which originates from the 11th century and is directly adjacent to the Porta Nigra. Also worthy of note is the building itself, which boasts one of the oldest and rarely preserved two-storey cloisters. 

 

 

 Nearby is also a building known as the Dreikönigenhaus (the House of the Three Kings). Please note the door halfway up the wall, without any stairs leading to it... The image copied from the German Wikipedia article, while AI gave me the following summary in English: 

Built around 1230 in Trier, Germany, the Dreikönigenhaus (House of the Three Magi) is a rare, fortified early Gothic residential tower on Simeonstrasse. *Originally designed for security, it lacked ground-floor access, requiring residents to use a retractable ladder to enter on the first floor.* Today, the building is known for its brightly painted, colorful facade with pointed arches and is now used as a café. 

My own photo

AI summary: St. Matthias Abbey in Trier is a historic Benedictine monastery and pilgrimage site renowned as the only abbey north of the Alps holding an apostle's grave. Founded on Roman cemetery grounds, the current Romanesque basilica was built in the 12th century after the 1127 discovery of Saint Matthias the Apostle's relics.

According to the Acts of the Apostles, St. Matthias was the disciple chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot as one of the Twelve Apostles following Judas's betrayal of Jesus. He was a follower of Jesus from his baptism until the Ascension,, and was chosen for his firsthand witness to the Resurrection.

My own photo from inside the St Matthias Abbey - alas another one church interior having turned very red/purple with age. (And no, I don't know what those things/decorations in the foreground are...)

 

Postcard, Trier

I also spent part of that day shopping - after all, it was also my birthday! ;) According to a receipt glued into my album, I made some purchases in a bookshop (I no longer remember what!), and I also remember buying grapes in a market square. If it was in the same square as on the postcard, I dare not say, though!

 

And in the afternoon, I went on a little boat trip on the river Mosel, to a part of town named Pfalzel and back again. 
 

My own photo from Pfalzel

I don't really remember Pfalzel now; but on request, AI comes to my help again: 

Pfalzel is a historic district of Trier, Germany, located on the Moselle River, known for its origins as a 4th-century Roman "little palace" (palatiolum). It features Germany’s oldest inhabited Roman stone house, medieval fortifications, and a former collegiate church. Today, it is a quiet, scenic village perfect for wine tasting, cycling, and exploring Roman and Baroque history, often acting as a peaceful retreat near the busy city of Trier. 

Linking this post to Sepia Saturday 820 

Time Travel / Germany, 1983 / Part 6 - Trier (2)

Germany 1983 /Trier an der Mosel (2): Kurfürstliches Palais, Kaiserthermen, Landesmuseum, Amphitheater, Cathedral - and a Flower Show.

Sunday, 28th August, 1983: My first full day in Trier was a very full day. Looking back in my photo album now I can't really grasp that after first having attended the church service in the Basilica (previous post), I afterwards also managed to see all of the sights below on the same day. (Somewhere in between, I suppose I must also have had lunch. No note in my album to remind me exactly where, when or what, though!)

Das Kurfürstliche Palais, with the Konstantin Basilika in the background

Das Kurfürstliche Palais - in English, the Electoral Palace - is situated very close indeed to the Basilica. From the 16th century until the late 18th century, this palace was the residence of the Archbishops and Electors of Trier. (According to Wikipedia, nowadays most of the palace is used as governmental offices; but classical music concerts are sometimes also held there.) I can't recall going inside - I probably just snapped the photo in passing. 

After the Basilica, I went to see the ruins of the Kaiserthermen - the remains of a large Roman bath complex. (Very close the Basilica and the Palace - you can see those buildings in the background in the first photo below.) 

The construction was started around 300 C.E. and was meant to be one of the largest of its kind, with baths built around hot water pools, and underneath the complex a network of underground passageways and a sewer system. It was never completed, though, and during the Middle Ages, it was converted into a castle.

 

I also visited the Landesmuseum - an archaeological museum with a collection of objects from prehistory to the Baroque era, but with a strong emphasis on the Roman period.

And from there on to the Trier Amphitheater:
 

Trier and its amphitheatre resembled many Roman cities of its time, and many  gladiatorial contests occurred there. It is the 10th largest Roman amphitheatre still intact. The structure which was dug into the side of a hill around the 2nd century A.D. could accommodate approximately 20,000 spectators. When later on gladiatoral contests were forbidden by the Christian emperor, the amphitheatre was incorporated into the city wall. 

Trier Dom - Postcard

 Furthermore, I visited the Trier Dom (Cathedral) - the oldest cathedral in Germany and the largest religious structure in Trier.  Below: One of my bought slides that turned all red over the years, showing the inside of the Dom.

Trier, Dom, Mittelschiff, von West nach Ost

 And as if all of the above wasn't enough for one day of touristing, in the afternoon I also managed to attend part of a local flower show that happened to be going on in Trier that weekend...

 

 

Except for the Dom, all the other photos in this post are my own (slides).