Palatine Wood Gnome

There are many that spread over a much larger territory; that host a wider range of peculiar plants or give shelter to much more interesting wildlife species.
But the Palatine Forest is the largest coherent wood in Germany and, most of all: It's my home.
Why "Wood Gnome"?
Well, I have been named thus because I turn into Rumpelstiltskin kind of regularly when "visitors" come over from the other side of the Rhine Plains (where they have lots of forest as well...) with their huge cars, jamming the streets of my village, drive up to a forester's lodge, have lunch there, return home after a final cup of coffee and then claim "Oh, we have been to the WOODS this weekend"

That's why.

Tuesday 4 March 2008

Great Ocean Road;Monday

They say that parting is sweet sorrow.
That's bullshit.
Parting rips your heart out and leaves it defenseless and trembling in the cold. Considered matter-of-fact, it's ridiculous. I only just got to know Rob and Jenny and we spent the best part of two days together. But why do I feel like I parted with a beloved part of my family then?
I have to admit I'm built very close to water and today found me constantly trying to fight back the tears. It surely didn't help that we heard Christy Moore singing ballads of sorrow and parting in the car.

In spite of Rob's advice for the direction (or, to get it right, by completely ignoring it...) finding our way through the mace that is Melbourne was a piece of cake and we soon were on the Great Ocean Road.
One breathtakingly beautiful beach after the other; we made several stops before we halted at Apollo Bay, our place for the night.
Although we planned to grasp the opportunity and have some really decent seafood, a visit to the local supermarket completely changed our mind. For I found there at last something that I have been looking for all week - Kangaroo Fillet! Hmmmmmh...
So we had green salad, Kangaroo Fillet and sweet potatoes with a bottle of S.A. Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by some Tim Tams.
As I write, I have my second Australian beer, a Coopers Sparkling Ale. So far I wasn't able to track down a single beer of the list Tidgh gave me. But the substitutes weren't bad either.
And this one might help me get to sleep. Whereas, at the moment it makes me wonder how on earth you are supposed to turn 375ml into 1.7 standard drinks.

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