It all felt a bit strange, it seems like forever since I've worn my Kabin 'uniform', well its not a uniform as such, apart from the shirt embroidered with 'Con's Kabin' on the chest Therese had done. Leggings and a cropped cardi, trainers et voila, I'm ready for a day flipping würst and cooking pommes. A quick twist and clip and my hair's sorted, guess its time to shake a leg.

Being Sunday we don't open so early, ten o'clock, so after a quick breakfast I sorted myself out and went to find the Schauff.

“You riding up kiddo?” Dad queried.
“Yeah, thought I should make some effort, i've not touched a bike to ride all week.”
“Things'll calm down, won't hurt you to have a bit of a break.”

His comment did little to assauge my guilt, maybe the ride up the valley will.

“What are you up to?”

For once Dad didn't have bike tools in his hands.

“I need to fix that fence post up at the top then I'm taking your Mother out for lunch.”
“Anywhere nice?”
“Might go over to Bad Honnigen, they do a mean steak at the Alte Fähre,” he advised.

I'm not a big steak fan, it can be a bit hit and miss on how they turn up, I want it cooked not bloody or charcoal!

“Well enjoy it, think I'll be having Frites.”
“You'll get fat,” he chortled, "you might want a jacket, its cool outside, they were talking frost on the radio.”
“I guess summer's over, I'll get my jacket.”

 
It felt, well strange, riding my 'school' bike, the whole dynamic is so different to my race bikes. Its not just the weight but riding position and balance – I nearly fell off when I stood up to set off! I cautiously headed up the lane to Rech where I picked up the bike track up the valley, soon I was bowling along, glad of my down jacket as there was indeed a bit of frost in the sheltered edges.

I suppose I could've come up with Con and her dad in the van with the bread but I need the exercise and a few minutes on my own at the kiosk isn't a bad idea, I need to make sure nothings been moved! The trail is only a slight uphill to the top end of Maychoß where it gets a bit steeper before tackling the climb past the TanzKlub and up to the tunnel. Well I got to the Klub before giving up, I can get up the hill on the Schauff but lack of practice had me grinding to a halt on the steepest section.

Hopefully no one will see me, I mean its embarrasing, double World Champion and I'm reduced to pushing my bike up a hill. Well its Sod's law isn't it, I heard approaching voices behind me as I laboured up, the familiar sound of gears being changed had me glance behind. A bunch of club riders, but not just any, it was Hen and his mates from the Ahrtal Radsport, just my luck.

“Gaby!” Hen called out.
“Morning guys,” I replied with a smile.
“You at the Kabin?” Hen asked as he came alongside.
“On my way,” I allowed.
“See you later then,”
“'kay, have a good ride guys.”

There were several waves and I stopped my progress to watch them smoothly climb up into the tunnel. Well it could be worse I guess, no one's taking photos! I pushed my steed into the hotel drive before stepping through the frame and pushing off to complete the climb.

 
It was like a freezer in the kiosk, the morning rime decorating the exterior and coating the stack of tables and chairs in the garden. Once inside I turned on the fryer and hotplate to get some warmth going before starting the rest of the pre opening chores. Bike in the bin shed, shutters open, drag the sign outside, only then did the coffee go on although I kept my coat on to do the till.

I was sipping a second cup of coffee when the door was flung open.

“Morning Gab, grab these, I'll fetch the tray,” Con instructed.
I took the bag of Brötchen from her, “coffee?”
“Oo, yes please,” Nena told me coming through the portal.
“Hi Nen,” I allowed, opening the bin for the rolls.
Seeing me with the bread she headed for the machine, “i'll do it, you want another?”
I shouldn't really but it is still cold in here, “yeah go on.”

Con came back in followed by her dad with the tray of torte.

“You want me to do the tables?” he offered.
“We can manage, thanks Dad.”
“Well have a good day girls, see you later.”
“Bye,” we chorused.

He departed, pulling the door closed behind him.

“Maybe it'll warm up in here now,” I opined.
“You are such a wuss Bond,” Nena replied as she took off her jacket.
“You got the 'plate on Gabs?” Con queried.
“Yeah, look sorry about yesterday, was Bern okay?”
“She was fine, by the time we closed she had the till sussed.”
“Bern was here?” Nena asked returning from hanging up her stuff in the back room.
“She was covering for Gab.”
“Why for?”
“I had to go do some modelling for Apollinaris, I only found out Friday night.”
“The lives of the rich and famous,” she chortled.
“Hardly,” I shot back.
“Oh come on Gab,” Con put in, “maybe not rich but you are famous, you've been in the papers, on TV, famous in my book.”
“If you say so,” I allowed with a roll of the eyes, I'm not gonna win the argument so I might as well acquiess.

 
Our first customers were waiting for us to open five minutes before we were due, regulars according to Nen, so we opened the window and got the day started. I guess there are some things you never forget, riding a bike for example and cooking Frites is, for me, the same. Well its not rocket science but you do need to know how to do it right and doing it right, does take some skill.

It might be a few weeks since I did a shift but I was soon back in the swing of things. Maybe it didn't need three of us, well first thing at least, but it did mean I was able to slip back into the routine more easily than being swamped. There was something different about it today though, a different feeling to back in the summer.

“Everything okay Gab?” Con enquired in a lull late morning.
“Er yeah, just thinking,” I turned and wiped my hands, “its not the same is it?”
“What isn't?”
“This, us.”
“What are you on about? Nothings changed.”
“Maybe not with the kiosk itself, but we have, you go to college in Mayen, me in Koblenz...”
“You're Weltmeisterin,” she added.
“Exactly, we're not the same people Con.”
“I guess,” she agreed.

It dawned on me then, the real difference. Back over the summer we were here every day, it was what we did but now its, well not a hobby exactly but not our main thing either. Its not that its less important per se, but its slipped in the pecking order, it was top of the list and its been replaced by our renewed studies.

Oh I know. for me, the cycling has always been up there, how could it not be, its just that when it was just kiosk and bike I could cope with both fairly easily. However, throw in college, reduce the kiosk time and suddenly its all changed, no surprise then that I feel like the Saturday girl at the bakery again. Maybe its less so for Connie and the others, but for me, its different.

“So, is lover boy coming,” Nena enquired a bit later on.
“Eh?”
She sighed, “Max?”
“Oh, er i don't think so, he never said anything on Friday.”
“Of course, you see him everyday at college.”
“Well not exactly at college.”
“You know what I mean.”
“You can be a bit pedantic Gab,” Con put in joining the conversation.

Accuracy is important. The sound of squealing bike brakes halted the discussion as Hen and co arrived for a post ride coffee.

 
I had thought that i'd be able to catch up with the others but whilst they seemed to know what was going on with me, I never really got more than the vaguest replies to my own questions. Its not that they were avoiding the answers, more that, I dunno, it wasn't the time or place.

“We should all get together, you know, compare notes and stuff,” I suggested as we started the day's clean up, ”i've not seen Bridg and Steff for ages.”
“You keep galivanting off,” Connie pointed out.
“I should be home until December,” I offered in defence.
“What's happening in December?” Nena enquired.
“Apart from the Weihnachtsmarkt,” Con added.
“We've got a training camp, Dad's on about the Alps. I'd forgotten about the market, we still doing that?”
“Course,” Nen advised, “i guess we should get everyone together to get things organised.”
“Boxxie wanted the school to be involved,” Con noted.
“So we need a meeting then,” Nena surmised.

Okay its not exactly what i'd envisioned but I'll at least get to see everyone.

“I can talk to the guys, where and when?”
“I'll talk to Pia,” Nen suggested, we can probably use the Stube.”
“What about Boxberg?” I asked.
“Lets get ourselves organised first,” Con suggested.
“Would it be okay if Bernie helped?”
“Can't see a problem, Manda did it last year,” Nen pointed out.
“I'll see if they want to do it then.”

 
“You want to come back for dinner?” Con enquired.
“I've got my bike.”
“It'll go in the van.”
“Aren't you dropping Nena off?”
“Bum, yeah, you could still come?”

But that means riding home then going out again, on the other hand, maybe we can talk, I really miss getting together with Con. Don't get me wrong, I'm still tight with the others, well I think I am, but Con, well she's my BF, I used to be at the bakery all the time, I can't remember when I last went for more than some bread.

I'm not supposed to be cooking or anything am I? Don't think so, Mand's got a shift at Der Mühle, the olds are out galivanting.

“Go on then, I'll drop my bike off then come straight round.”
“Cool, think mum's doing Stroganoff.”

If she'd said that before I wouldn't've hesitated, Frau T's a dab hand at foreign food and her Strogonoff is legendary.

 
And so my return to the catering profession ended much as it started, with me traversing the Ahrtal on my Schauff. Of course, its easier and faster going down, this mornings frostiness replaced by a gathering coolness and a certain dampness in places. I was certainly glad of my jacket, gloves would've been a good idea, we can all do hindsight, I seem get caught out by the weather every year!

There were a lot more people about than this morning, I say a lot, there were a few dog walkers, a couple of joggers and I passed Herr Stiependorf, one of the Lions, making his way up valley on his mountain bike. Smiles were exchanged, waves given, it felt good to be alive.

With gravity assist I quickly dropped through Mayschoß, around the loop and down to Rech. When I got to the lane to the Schloss I did of course look that way – well Max might have been outside. Well okay it was a bit improbable, I turned up toward the main road and five minutes later I was in the garage at home.

In theory it was a park and go but I'm pretty sure I stink of Frites, Würst and maybe, just maybe, a bit of perspiration so I hurried up into the house for a shower and change of togs. By the time I was clean and dressed twenty minutes had ticked by, five more had passed by the time I found a bottle of red to gift my dinner hosts, I doubt Dad'll notice its missing. I locked up and gave a shiver as I stepped out into the cooling evening, maybe a skirt wasn't the best choice after all.

 
© Maddy Bell 14.1.2018