A Day Out in Starnberg

                                                My year spent as an au pair in Germany, told in many parts. (2010-2011)

I wonder if people do to me what I do to them? I imagine so. Today I was introduced (informally) to the gardener and I’m not sure how much English he spoke, although he seemed to do pretty well. He asked me something in German and I blushed and looked down in dismay, as I had no clue what he said. I can imagine that often things I say flutter right over the tops of people’s heads.

This morning K, the babies and I rushed out of the house in a mad flurry to get Clara to school. K had to get to an early doctor’s appointment in a town that was about 45 minutes away. I love the autobahn. In our hurry we got up to at least 200 km/hr, which is about 124 mph.

While the family was in the appointment, I got to explore the town of Starnberg! While I wandered, I took some photos and bought a couple post cards. I even managed to order myself a latte and croissant at a cafe. I sat outside so I could watch for the family to come out of the doctor’s office (even though it chilly out). While I sat a woman sat at a table near mine with her unleashed dogs.They were small shi-tzu’s and one sat at her feet and one wandered up and down the street. It amazed me that she was so nonchalant about her dogs roaming the way they did.

After the appointment we went to a shop to get a gift for K’s sister, then a coffee shop. This time K bought me fresh squeezed orange juice, which I shared with Lukas. Yum, backwash!

After we got home Clara went to a friends house and K was invited as well and she told me I could come with or stay home. I decided to take a nap which ended up lasting three hours. What sweet relief!

At 4 we had homemade cheesecake and coffee. Then there was a meeting about S’s father’s funeral, which is this Friday. That has been the main focus of this week.

The meeting is when Clara’s tantrum took place. I was supervising them while they played in the playroom. Clara began hitting Lukas because he was trying to take something that she wasn’t really playing with. I told her not to hit and gave Lukas the toy. She then went red in the face and started throwing toys across the room. I picked her up and took her to the couch and said

“no hitting, no throwing. Neine, Clara!”

She pulled away from me and when I let go of her arms she started hitting me! So I kept sitting her back on the couch. I finally let her go, which is when she ran upstairs into the meeting screaming. Then “M”, the lady who helps Stefan’s mother invited me into her kitchen to sit and chat (she is from Romania, doesn’t speak much English but speaks German, Romanian, and Hungarian).

Later I apologized to K about Clara and she said

“its not your fault! we have the same problems, don’t worry!”

S put them to bed, so that was a relief too. Tonight was ‘fresh bread’ night so I just had a delicious salami, butter and mozzarella sandwich straight from the oven!