We're sad to leave Berlin but sure there's something good ahead as the bus rolls along the autobahn through forests, wind farms and meadows. Now I learn that what I thought was a weedy mess in the Botanic Gardens is a wild flower meadow specially grown to cater for native bees and insects who cannot work the monoculture of maize. The meadow is left until all the seeds have dropped for next year's crop then it is harvested for biofuel. As it is only half as productive as maize it is mixed with restaurant scraps and sold at petrol stations.
Lucy's word for the day is Waldeinsamkeit - meaning wandering alone in the forest feeling at one with the trees. David is going to adopt this word.
We're off to Worlitz (imagine an umlaut '' over the o) to visit the summer palace and garden of Prince Leopold Franz. He was a highly enlightened ruler of the tiny principality of Sachsony-Anholt in the 18th century who believed in equality to the extent that he allowed his subjects to visit his palace and enjoy the gardens even allowing them to eat the fruit. He thought a garden should be enjoyed with all five senses and that's what we do as we board the gondolas where kuchen and coffee are waiting / photo 1. Our gondolier is Ott pronounced Ert (this phone can't do umlauts) and he is passionate about the Rolling Stones and 'our Prince' - whom he talks about as if he's still alive. The whole garden is water-based and best seen from a gondola: soon we glide into a watery green tunnel /photo 2 &3 and become part of the landscape.
We get left behind because Ott talks more than he rows but as Merryle is in our boat it doesn't matter. The 2 hours fly by and it's a marvellous experience that has everyone buzzing with pleasure as we meet back at the bus for another picnic lunch.
No comments:
Post a Comment