“You fancy going into the town this afternoon?” Manda queried.
“Could do,” I allowed, I guess sleeping can wait. “what about the others?”
“Tal was talking about the water park again, Gret’ll probably go with.”
“Should we ask Ron?”
She shrugged, “if you like.”

I do miss doing stuff with Ron, we had some good adventures both at races and other times. I fished my Handy out of the pile of ‘stuff’ piled on the desk and hit Ron’s speed dial.

“Ron?”
“Regenbogen.”
“Eh?”
“You know, your rings? Forget it, wassup?”
“You doing anything this afternoon?”
“Thought I’d take a walk along to the burger place, why?”
“Me an’ Mand are going into Feldkirch, for a mooch like, if you wanna come.”
“Okay, my arm is twisted, meet you in reception.”
“Tschussie.”

“She’s gonna meet us downstairs,” I advised my roommate.
“Netter put some clothes on then, these yours?” she held what looked like a pair of putrid socks at arms length.
“Erm, soz,” I’d just peeled them off and dropped them when we got back.
“Sometimes Bond.”

The sun might have made an appearance today and it might be warmer here than where we were earlier but its still flippin’ cold and will no doubt get colder later. I dressed in jeans, jumper and my ankle boots then located coat, hat and gloves grabbed my bag and followed de Vreen out of our current shared abode.

Kat was talking with Ron when we got to reception.

“Ron says you’re going into town, mind if I tag along?”
“Fine by me,” I opined, “Mand?”

That was a bit unfair of me really, she can hardly say no without looking a right be-atch.

“Bus is in five minutes,” Mand advised.
“I’ll just get my jacket.”
 
I think the driver saw us waiting to cross at the lights, whatever, he waited for us at the stop and we were soon getting off in the centre of the town. We’ve not actually done the shops, they weren’t open when we came the other day so rather than head straight to the main street and the Weihnachtsmarkt we headed along Schlossergasse which isn’t exactly shop central but led us to the top of the town where we turned toward Marktgasse. We were none of us looking for anything in particular, so it was as much a comparison of local fashion as actual shopping.

We couldn’t resist the apple fritters on the market although we did share, well four of them would be a bit piggy. The local examples of Cunda and H&M let us warm up a bit, then we did the market, well you have to don’t you? I found some stuff for Christmas presents, some trinkets for a couple of the Angels, a necklace for Mum and a belt for Max with an Edelweiss decorated buckle.

You can’t do a market without Glühwein so before we headed for the return bus we went through the ritual. Whether it was the lingering sweetness of the apple but it tasted a bit better, less bitter than it did last time. It was full on dark by now and it felt a lot later than half five when we got back.

 
“Mand?”
“What?”
“Any chance you can do something with my hair, It won’t behave.”
“You should’ve dried it properly earlier,” she opined from the bathroom.
“You know I’m a dead loss with hair.”
“Give me a minute, I need to finish mine.”

Well it was closer to five when Aphrodite appeared, her hair a work of art I can’t even consider for my mop. Mand looked at my sorry pink tinged mop.

“Well?”
“there’s not time to get it properly wet, you wearing the beads?”
“Yeah,” I allowed.
“’kay, sit,” she ordered.
 

“Well?”
“Its very, er, Heidi.” I suggested looking in the mirror.
“The clock’s running,” my hairdresser pointed out.

To be honest I wouldn’t have the patience to do this stuff, but Mand seems to enjoy doing it. My head is adorned with some intricate braiding, which disguises the unruliness, somehow she’s sculpted it into a flower, a couple of combs give it a bit of life. So okay, it wasn’t what I’d been thinking of but I’m not complaining, this looks much better than anything I can do.

“Cheers Mand, I owe you one.”
“Or several, come on or we’ll be late."

It was but the work of moments to shimmy into my frock, I already had sparkly hose on and a set of posh lingerie – well I know I’m wearing it. The sparkly sandals are actually Jules’, they’re a bit Gothic but they go with the dress quite well which is why I ‘liberated’ them for this trip. Its not like she’s at home to wear them is it?

I did debate wearing a wrist brace but it would spoil the whole ensemble so I used a hair bobble with a sewn on bow as a sort of bracelet and I was hot to trot as they say. Mand was looking at least as spectacular in her figure hugging red lace number, it looked like she was running commando. Good job we’re not leaving the building tonight, but that aside we headed down to the dining room.

 
Okay, perhaps we have gone a little overboard, everyone else was dressed nicely but definitely more casually than us, oh well. Instead of being spread over a couple of tables tonight we were seated around a single table which was already pre loaded with charged wine glasses. We found seats, I found myself between Katy and Tina, and the serving staff were soon distributing the cream of vegetable soup, something a bit heavier than we’ve had all week.

The atmosphere and conversation had a distinct ‘end of term’ feel to it, this is essentially the last team ‘event’ until the training camp in early March. Until then everyone gets to spend time at home, organising their own training and getting their heads around another season on the road. Dad and George will be keeping tabs of course, but for a few weeks at least, for most of us, Erika will be riding cross of course, it’s a chance for some down time.

Soup consumed, the table was cleared for the main course which turned out to be a pasta buffet. A couple of tables were wheeled out, already laden with covered tureens and kettles. Oh boy, this looks mega.

Lids were removed and we were invited to dig in. it wasn’t quite a stampede, there was plenty to go round and I could see multiple visits in my future. There wasn’t any spaghetti or Tagliatelle but there were kettles of Farfalle, shells, twists, Ravioli and Rigatoni, not in sauce though, for that you could choose from Carbonara, Milanese, Bolognese or Neapolitan plus trays of Canneloni and Lasagna. If that wasn’t enough there was garlic bread and salad stuff, oh my.

Most of us treated it like a buffet should be, a bit of this, some of that but George just had the Canneloni with the Carbonara – his loss. After a plate of mixed stuff I did go back a second time, I couldn’t resist the Lasagna and I wasn’t disappointed. The wine was flowing this evening, it was getting to be a jolly affair, more chatter than eating even if the diets were out of the window for one night.

At some point the pasta plates were cleared and to my and I think a couple of others surprise, dessert bowls appeared in their stead.

“What do you reckon this is for,” I asked Tina.
“No idea, Eis maybe?”
“I don’t think so,” Katy chipped in from the other side as George got our attention my tapping his glass.
“Ot oh, Boss speech,” Tina sighed.

“I’ll be quick then I’ll pass you over to Marco,” he indicated the chap in Chef’s whites stood off to one side. “So, I hope you’ve all enjoyed this week, from my point of view its certainly been successful. Tomorrow its back home of course, some of you I won’t see until next year so I’ll wish you both Frohes Weihnachts and Frohes Neu Jahr now. I’d like to propose a toast, to you all, lets two thousand and seven be as successful as two thousand six, to you all, prost!”
“Prost!” everyone chorused back.
“That’s it from me,” George continued, “Marco, they’re all yours.”

“Ladies, gentlemen we have a tradition at the Weisses Kreuz, to begin the pasta buffet you’ve eaten this evening but also we like to crown the Knӧdelkӧnig or Kӧnigen. But for this we must determine who is the holder of the title and for this we have a little competition.”
“Hope its nothing too athletic, I’m fit to burst,” Tina stage whispered.
Marco grinned, “no Fraulein, you don’t have to leave your seats to take part, it is a food eating contest, of course its Knӧdel. Its quite simple, the person eating the most is the winner and will be declared Kӧnig, let the battle commence.

The serving staff came around and delivered two plum dumplings to each of us, they were quite big things too and after all that pasta, urgh! Everyone set to on their desserts, but clearly not everyone had space for even round one. I did clear mine but I was quite glad it wasn’t a speed thing.

When the servers returned with more, a good percentage of our number passed but I let another couple be delivered, not that I reckoned I’d get through the pair of them. I took my time and to my surprise got through them both but my stomach felt fit to explode so I’m not sure why I accepted another dumpling. The table was getting quite boisterous at this stage, only Mike the mechanic and myself took on number five, half the table chanting and encouraging each of us.

I really didn’t think I’d get through this one but I gamely dug in and fed my maw. Another spoon, then another, I shovelled the last bit in and put my spoon down, no more! The table erupted in cheers, ‘Gaby, Gaby’. Mike hadn’t finished his before having to rush off to the lavs, oh yeah I rule!

Marco reappeared and I was presented with a small but solid trophy which declared me the Knӧdelkӧnig, Weisses Kreuz. Some week huh?
 

“Urgh, I don’t feel so good.”
“No surprises there then,” Mand stated as she extracted herself from her glad rags.

I might’ve survived the pasta, even the Knӧdel championship, but unlike previous evenings when us ‘youngsters’ found our own entertainment, tonight we’ve been in the Stube with the ‘adults’. I use the term a little loosely, this lot might not party often, but when they do, they do it hard. You’re probably thinking drinking games right? Well the plug was firmly pulled on any teen involvement in that enterprise however there was no such restriction with the acapela karaoke or other ‘games’ – just don’t go there. All of that on top of the food, well I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be sick or quite what.

“You getting undressed or what?” Mother de Vreen demanded.
“I can’t,” I groaned.
“Fine but don’t complain to me when you ruin your dress sleeping in it.”

Urgh, she has a point, I’m bound to rip half the beads off and it wasn’t exactly cheap.

“Gis a hand then,” I requested pushing myself upright.
“Whatev…..”

I didn’t hear the rest, my gullet was in revolt and I only just got to the bathroom before I got a second look at my dinner. Not good but after ten minutes of decorating the porcelain I did feel quite a bit better, it’s a miracle it hadn’t happened earlier.

“Better?” Mand asked when I returned to the main room.
“Lots.”
“You still need a hand?”
“I think I’ve got it,” I told her fishing around for the zip.
“Its under your arm? Geez Gab, no wonder Max is so enamoured, you’re a proper cheap date.”
“Huh, I resemble that!”

I managed to undo the zip but then I couldn’t undo the little hook and eye, urghhhh! But eventually I got the frock off, PJ’s on and into bed.
 
“Been a good trip,” Mand stated into the darkness.
“Yeah,” I sleepily agreed.

I think she wanted to talk more but I was beyond conversation and we’ve shared often enough that she knows the signs of my impending unconsciousness.
 

It’s a good job Dad wasn’t on a mission to get home, by the time I’d located and packed everything it was some after eight, my arrival for brekkie coincided with the departure of the main body of the team. That delayed my arrival further of course, not that I exactly felt like eating much.

“You alright kiddo?” Mum enquired as I picked at a Pain au Chocolat.
I gave a shrug, “not really hungry.”
“You did put away a fair bit last night,” she observed.
“And lost it,” Mand supplied.

Thanks for sharing that.

Dad returned from the coffee machine, “you not eating Munchkin? We won’t be stopping until we get up Speyer way.”

Okay I need to eat something, not the scrambled egg though, maybe some fruit salad and yoghurt.
 

We only had our bags to put in the car, the bikes have gone with Mike so apart from the Apollinaris jackets on the rear shelf we look quite normal. Once you get past the two heads. What am I talking about? Well from the looks we were getting you’d think we had double the normal cranium count, my hair’s still in the braids Mand did last night but come on.

Dad had us pretty much retracing our outbound route, the sun was out and we were treated to some nice views of a very sparkly Bodensee before heading across the Schwarzwald. I must admit to dropping off somewhere after Donaueschingen so the next thing I knew Mand was poking me.

“Gab, wake up, we’re stopping.”
“Eh?” okay, I’m not really with it.
“Lunch?”
She had my attention now, I cracked a seeing orb open, “where are we?”
“Speyer,” Dad announced from the front seats.

From the view outside we weren’t stopping at motorway services, we’ve been before but I didn’t recognise anything until we passed the Technical Museum – maybe we’ll get to go in some time. We looped around the Dom and into a car park close beside it where surprisingly we found a bay without difficulty.

“There anywhere to get some milk?” Mum asked.
“Sure there’s a Penny or something along the main street,” Dad supplied.
“Well if you want tea in the morning we need to get some, they’ll be closed when we get back to Dernau.”
“You two coming?” Dad enquired.
“Do we have to, its freezing,” I moaned shrugging deeper into my ski jacket.

Well okay, not technically freezing but there is a raw wind blowing around the cathedral.

“Up to you, Manda?”
“Might see if there’s anything to read.”
“We can pick up some magazines if you want to stay with Regenbogen.”
“Okay.”
“Shall we say the front of the Dom in,” Dad checked his watch, “forty minutes?”

The Olds set off to get necessary groceries leaving us with forty minutes to kill.

“So what’re we doing?” de Vreen asked.
I looked about, “the Tourist Info’s open.”
“If its out of this wind it gets my vote.”
 
“Thought you were just getting some milk?”
“You know what its like, you have to go past the fresh produce and the freezer cabinet on the way, I got you a Stern and Bild Mand, that okay?”
“They’re fine, its just something to do in the car.”
“So where’re we eating,” I enquired.
 

There was a reasonable restaurant a stone’s throw from the Dom, one of those German clones, all beige and wood with the standard menu. I’m not knocking it, it’s a proven formula even if it’s not very imaginative and it certainly doesn’t deter the prospective patrons. Not that it was packed out today but it is December and tourists are a bit thin on the ground.

My stomach was expecting food by now, my miserable breakfast only working due to my slumber. A bowl of Cauliflower soup and a slice of chocolate orange gateaux went some way to filling the hole, Mum hinted we’d get a take home Chinese for dinner so I was a bit more restrained than I might’ve been. We didn’t rush the meal but we didn’t hang about either, it was after two by the time we pulled out of the car park.
 

Once on the road I occupied myself with sending a few texts to my friends – well I was bored.

“You seen this?” Mand queried.
“How could I see it, Mum only got it an hour ago,” I pointed out, “what is it?”
“Apparently Prince William was in Davos, it’s a wonder we didn’t see him,” she informed me, “says something about being with some mystery blonde… hang on, that’s an Apollonaris jacket!”

© Maddy Bell 26.03.2019