Week 4 - Oldenburg & trip to Bremen

First week of the new year....  I have finally given in and joined Facebook.... finally made it into the social networking scene.... if anyone wants to be my friend....

Monday: The weather is pleasant and Veronika and I go for a walk around Oldenburg town.  And... to do some fun shopping....

Tuesday: We are off to Bremen, to do some window shopping and to visit Jan-Hendrik.  Unfortunately, it is a very cold and windy day and pretty miserable...I have not yet visited Bremen in nice weather.... I only have photos in the rain, even at our last visit many years ago....

We do the Park & Ride thing, you park outside town for free and take the tram into the city centre. 

The City of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area (2.4 million people).

The oldest part of the Altstadt is the southeast half, starting with the Marktplatz and ending at the Schnoor quarter. The district owes its name to the old ship trade. The passages between the houses were often associated with occupations or objects: There was an area in which ropes and cables were produced (string = Schnoor) and a neighboring area.

Die Stadtmusikanten (Town Musicians) which portrays the donkey, dog, cat and rooster of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale.  Despite the title of the fairy tale, the characters never actually arrive in Bremen.

We have a wonder around town, have a nice tea/coffee in an old house and visit the old parts of Bremen and of course the Bremer Stadtmusikanten.

This is a lollipop shop - where they make the lollies fresh... a lady showed us how... it was very interesting, and the lollies are very yummie.... different fruit flavours...

The Schnoor quarters

Afternoon Tea break...

Bremer Stadtmusikanten...(by Brothers Grimm)

We walk along the river, but totally get blown away by the wind, it is so stormy.

We then walk to the building where  Jan-Hendrik lives, have a look at his flat, which is very nice (he shares it with another student).

 and make him come out in the rain to show us the suburb.....

There is a great shopping street close by with a huge organic health food supermarket Al Natura... what a selection of healthy foods... never seen anything like it.
 And... of course... the compulsory 'bong' shop.....

After some time it rains so hard, we all have enough and take the tram, Jani back home and us to the car. What a day....

Weather wise it's a pretty miserable week... we even had a storm and lightning and some hail.

Finally I make it to the hairdresser's - about time... I try the local one in Wardenburg... the hairdresser is doing a pretty good job... now I can show my face again in public! ... and it's cheaper than in Australia!

Veronika is off work for 3 days, and we spend quality time together, walking, talking, shopping and handcrafting things.

I even catch my friend Sabina in Australia on Skype -finally, we tried for many weeks....

Friday night we go to the movies with friends.... 'Almost best friends' = French movie - worthwhile seeing!!!!
Bycicling is fun and good excersice, but my behind is hurting.... don't have enough padding....and am out of practise. hi hi....

And the Xmas tree is being disposed of....ooohhhh

Other than that.... not much else to report this week....
Oh yes.... my sister presented me with Lionheart the lion... who will now be our travel companion.... now we are Three!!!

S & D & L