Angela Merkel's beloved thrifty folk in SW Germany also homeland loving & caring.
Farmer with field bordering river & ditches, hand rakes little heaps of hay for must be kilometre or more.
At first only saw abandoned tractor.../2
/2
And then I spotted him, carefully raking each blade of grass. Normally his wife also helps. Mustn't waste anything but beavers (encouraged here) make banks dangerous for machines.
Some may find it strange walking over farmers field but here normal & in constitution.../3
/3
Property rights here very different. These paths can be used by walkers, bikers, horse riders, skiers like I guess bridleways but no fences unless specifically animals out. Same in all forests. But you must respect land too especially in growing season & stick to paths.../4
/4
...the same with many places. You might see a sign Private Property but as here, it's at own risk for insurance purposes. If it was snowy and slipped, broke leg, because path not cleared, property owner would otherwise be responsible for health/loss of pay costs!
Thread End
This little story from my 2015 diary explains Swabia a bit more, but using the same grass/hay raking background.
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Just done 2nd #EV longer roadtrip this year, in my 6/2023 BMW iX130. Have to say EVs are fab, as long as you have a *PAYMENT* infrastructure equal to ICE stations. That is certainly NOT the case in Germany. Both trips turned into pantomime of unnecessary delays despite planning🧵
2. While lots of criticism for @BMW 8.0 hard/software on my 'old' car, basics work. In phone App, put in destination, tells you where to charge, regardless of cost. However I want an Ionity 1-month sub & pay €0.39/kWh so change & send to car which ignores it & uses own route!
3. Ionity is App only charging, as are (non) Tesla, which i discovered in summer on route to Tuscany is deadly when you don't know that 🇨🇭is not in EU Roaming (🇬🇧is!) & phone App doesn't work!
Anyway, set off 1st charge near Stuttgart fine but then see Autobahn nearby closed.
BORING THREAD
A mutual likes my videos made driving in Bavaria. Few weeks ago lost one driving thru High St of our county capital, Mindelheim, with its medieval towers below once English castle. I was on an 'emergency' trip to hospital last Saturday (all OK) & thought...2
2. ..you might like seeing how relaxed driving is in Bavaria off motorway. This stretch (2 videos) is old main Munich to Switzerland road before A96 motorway built 1994 to bypass town. Here stretch Erkheim to Kammlach....3
3. and through 1,800 inhabitant village of Kammlach with its 1910 founded cheese dairy. 100 employees produce brand St. Mang soft cheeses especially Limburger & Romadur only from local milk. Cheese rescued this very poor region in late 19thC. #CarlHirnbein 1807-1871
../4
1. Christmas Eve muddle. OH announces 9:30 'walk dog, I'm off to Munich'! On plus side remembered I needed Kicher Erbsen, chick peas for hummus, & fresh bread so dashed 1st to small village supermarket hoping something on shelves before they close at 13:00 till Monday🙏
../2
2. Luckily some basics available in supermarkets, but only just. Then took off for walk in drizzle, seeking shelter of forest from wind. Bavarian radio announcing 'Last Christmas' was #2 in UK charts.
God is large in Nature, if you want to see God larger, stand by a cross
../3
3. Back home & unpack food. Got given a cloth bag as Christmas 🎁🎁 from village bakery. No fresh bread until Monday but thinking about Weisswurst & Brezn for tonight's 'humble' Christmas Eve meal. Sausages, mash & sauerkraut still very traditional here in Bavaria.
More to come..
One of most horrific events I have witnessed was British Petition system after Brexit with call for People's Referendum. How can anyone claim that Democracy exists in UK?
Not perfect, but let me tell you about Bavarian petition held about same time & has to do with this video
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2. (Background)
Bavaria 13m pop. 10m voters
Land mass same as Rep of Ireland, 20% of Germany's total land.
86% of land for agriculture & forest. Loads of major rivers incl Danube to Med, Main to North Sea.
Land & Water critical
Own Parliament & MPs.
Want a petition?..
/3
3. Petition, Rules. 1. Write full legal text of law you want & why it is important, what it's aims are 2. Get 25k signatures, hand in for checking if text legal 3. If approved, petition put in town halls 14 days & must collect 1m (10%) certified signatures.
If successful.../4
Going to my German village supermarket in next hour. Anyone thinking food shortages and petrol shortages are rampant here too like me to video the empty shelves and petrol station queues? Perhaps Daily Express reader out there?
OK, I'm sure the requests are leg pulling but here you go, own fault.
Village 1700 inhabitants satellite franchise supermarket of national chain Edeka. It's 11am and it closes in 2 hours. The main supermarket is 3km away coming up in another clip
..../2
2. For the supermarket pretty busy so couldn't get to all the fresh fruit eg strawberries. Remember closes in 2 hours so not refilling fresh stuff. Here the dry, frozen, chilled and some of drinks.
..../3
Brexit Revenge, guess I deserved it for being totally over the top last few months, provoking them.
Short thread.
GPs in Germany have very short opening times, typically under 20hrs/week. Last Friday was bragging about no appointment 15-minute wait incl jab, blood test
..../2
2
Dr had given me paper to get an X-Ray. Monday phoned local radiology unit, Wednesday done. Thursday dropped off X-ray copy at GP & ask when I shd come when full report rec'd. In meantime asked them to review vaccine passport as 8 (non-Covid) vaccines out of date.
Was about
../3
3
...to leave when receptionist said go to waiting room, doc would take a look at vaccines now! Enter empty waiting room - GP had been open 15 mins & still for 75 minutes. Waited, lots of activity & voices, & waited & waited...40 mins gone & waited when receptionist..
../4