Up early to finish the Bourne Supremacy, so I can trade it for the Shantaram. Start at 7am, finish over breakfast around 9am. Means I don't get to see any of the surrounds of Picton - the Queen Charlotte Sound, or the massive, forested hills; sheer yet dense.
Instead it's just the library and the supermarket. Some others join us to wait for the bus - Jess from Canada, Esther from Holland, and Heidi from Germany. Also German Anja. Heidi sits next to me on the bus, she's from Passau, but living in Nuremberg. Also meet Julia from Nuremburg, who describes a beer festival in Erlangen, called Die Berg - sounds like a great trip!
We stop for a wine tasting, sauvignon blancs, a chardonnay and a Riesling. Only the first piques my taste, zesty and tasty. Some fudge as well. A supermarket stop - myself, Michelle, Laura and newcomer Neil (Hamburg) plan dinner together. At the farm, we try mussels (like oysters, but chewier), and have our dinner.
Then some card games. I'm sharing a room with Neil, Dutch Corney, Dutch Rowan, and German Marius. Along with Canadian Sarah, we play Uno, 99 and 31. But it gets cold and dark, and we adjourn in favour of bed around 11pm.
German is definitely the most common language I've encountered after English. Dutch is a strong contender as well, but then I do seek out German speakers. As I use their language, I'm struck by pride in my abilities, and encouraged by their responses and praise. Frau McCarthy would be proud. Nicht so schlecht!
I also try to teach some Irish, or at least raise awareness of it. My pride in that has also increased. Travelling not only teaches one about other places, but also about oneself, and where one comes from. What will matter to me upon my return? Cycling? Guinness? Couchsurfing? Will I just want to travel further?
Instead it's just the library and the supermarket. Some others join us to wait for the bus - Jess from Canada, Esther from Holland, and Heidi from Germany. Also German Anja. Heidi sits next to me on the bus, she's from Passau, but living in Nuremberg. Also meet Julia from Nuremburg, who describes a beer festival in Erlangen, called Die Berg - sounds like a great trip!
We stop for a wine tasting, sauvignon blancs, a chardonnay and a Riesling. Only the first piques my taste, zesty and tasty. Some fudge as well. A supermarket stop - myself, Michelle, Laura and newcomer Neil (Hamburg) plan dinner together. At the farm, we try mussels (like oysters, but chewier), and have our dinner.
***
German is definitely the most common language I've encountered after English. Dutch is a strong contender as well, but then I do seek out German speakers. As I use their language, I'm struck by pride in my abilities, and encouraged by their responses and praise. Frau McCarthy would be proud. Nicht so schlecht!
I also try to teach some Irish, or at least raise awareness of it. My pride in that has also increased. Travelling not only teaches one about other places, but also about oneself, and where one comes from. What will matter to me upon my return? Cycling? Guinness? Couchsurfing? Will I just want to travel further?
No comments:
Post a Comment