Fischer-Lagerhaus, Neuwied

There are some stores which are just kryptonite to your wallet. I used to think I had the perfect kryptonite to avoid at all costs in the shape of B&Q, especially when they crank up that 80's style dad music; Duran Duran, Africa, Bananarama, etc. So much the more allure when I was fresh from the press with a new job, with a burning need to make DIY repairs to a new house. Well, scrub all of that. Fischer-Lagerhaus, has stores all over Germany including Neuwied near Koblenz. Their cathedral-like Aladdin's caverns purvey the most epicurean selection of ethnic trophies from around the world, from India to China, Africa to Tibet. In its splendour, taste and voluptuary elegance, it makes the likes of Dunelm Mill look like Preston Bus station in the 1970's. I have every confidence these people will bankrupt me in the most supremely ethical way, and leave me sitting in an immaculate museum piece of a house, surrounded by exotic leafy plants with furniture smelling sweetly of polished mahogany and sandalwood, as I weep into my final credit card bill with fond Sanskrit memories. 

Waldsee (Rieden, Eifel)

 In December I had a wonderfully romantic visit to Reiden in the Eifel region of Germany. Our accommodation was in the style of a secluded holiday log cabin, which was nestled into a hillside overlooking a lake called Waldsee (Forest Lake). The first night we arrived, we ascended into the hills to be greeted by cobs of fluffy snow which carpeted all around in a magical Christmassy scene, and pretty much sealed us off from the urge to explore. We were accompanied by a kind of industrial pellet oven heater we mischievously called the 'mini Gigant', which groaned and spat out flames all day and night, to whichever temperature setting you wanted. In this cabin more than any other, there were also a plethora of soft lighting options which offered an endless fascination with engineering mood. In all it made for an incredibly cosy retreat. In the grounds of the holiday cabin, there was a small outbuilding which served as a sauna, complete with coals, water pail and ladle, woodland essential oils and fragrances, plus the inevitably refreshing dash back to the cabin in the frosty night air. Whilst we had planned to explore the surrounds of the lake, woods and nearby restaurant, it turned out we caught covid, so had some enforced downtime, which was no hardship. Below are various photos of Waldsee. Some of them are from the internet, some self-taken of the cabin, and some out of season, but hopefully they illustrate the beauty of the area, which is an inspiration for naturalists, walkers, writers, and carries a rich tradition of folklore and fairy tales. We both have every intention of visiting again in future. 

Für Mein Waldelfin im Dezember

Today the mist hangs low
Black branches graze the air

Canopies dissolve in a mystery of longing
Their memories aloof to the forlorn earth
All is quiet in meditation
The birds bowed in reverence
I light a candle
And beg the trees to remain.

Heute hängt der Nebel tief
Schwarze Äste streifen die Luft
Baldachine lösen sich auf in einem Geheimnis der Sehnsucht
Ihre Erinnerungen sind weit weg von der verlorenen Erde
Alles ist still in Meditation
Die Vögel verneigen sich in Ehrfurcht
Ich zünde eine Kerze an
Und bitte die Bäume zu bleiben.