Travelog for: Nick

Hi, I'm Nick, a retired Santa Claus. I had a great life, having spent some time in Taipeh, Taiwan where I've met Pandamao, later on traveling with her to Europe. But then I've got a slight speech impediment (my tongue used to stretch out very long which is not possible anymore) and I had to retire. I have been suffering since my retirement, no fun anymore, no kids around with bright eyes and laughter. So I decided it's time to finish with this retirement thing and go out again, bring joy to the world and have some fun. Here I am - do you want me to brighten your life? Write to Pandamao (my agent) and I'll spare no effort to travel to you.

Yours affectionately,
Nick

Today three of us (Womat, Reinhilde and I) checked out our future travel compartment. We're not sure if we all will fit in. One of these days, soon, we will travel to BunTraveler. I'm really happy, she promised to show me a famous Christmas shop. This will be great, retirement - NO MORE, I hope to make children happy again soon.

Today we found a parcel in front of the door, the whole gang couldn't wait to open it. Wonder who will be in it? We expect IZ A Dorable and IZ A QT .... and yes, here they are, happy to be out of the travel box. Now we have two pairs of twin bears.

Oh dear, today we squeezed hard into our travel envelope, I hope the trip is quick and we'll soon reach BunTraveler. Well, I would do anything to make children happy, so what's a few days in limited space 

After three days waiting in the post-office for pick-up I finally got rescued out of my box today. It's good to be home. Thank-you Buntraveler, I had a great time with you!

I passed the German Museum (a science museum) when I went shopping with my host. We all sat in front of a big part of a turbine which is used in hydro power plant. Imagine, how big this plant is!

There was a knock on the door and when we looked outside there were two little packages sitting on the doorstep. Visitors! Sylphide, Tenderheart Bear and Snegovik!

Today Barthélémy wanted to visit the "Alter Südfriedhof" (Old South Cemetery) so I just came along.

This is what I read about the cemetery:

It is a little known fact that Munich's oldest green area is 450 years old, that it's in the heart of town and that it's a cemetery - the Alter Südfriedhof. The cemetery is something of a conservation area and bears unique testimony to the city's cultural history. Its romantically overgrown graves, tombs and mausoleums pay homage to distinguished Munich figures - artists, architects, master builders and scientists.

In the plague year 1523 graveyards within the city walls were so overfilled that a new cemetery - the "Äußerer Freithof" - was opened outside the city gate at the Sendlinger Tor. The cemetery wall and all the buildings were later destroyed as a preventative military measure in the Thirty Years War. Well into the 18th century the cemetery was looked on as a poor man's burial ground. In 1844, a new section designed by Gärtner was added and it continued to be Munich's central burial ground up to 1868.

Even if the cemetery is not in use anymore many people were walking there. It is like a park nowadays. We saw little spring flowers blossom and sat on a bench in the sun.

Some of the graves are inside the back wall of the houses. And windows pop up between the statues on the graves.

The cemetery suffered severe bomb damage in 1944-45. Today, only a quarter of tue graves are identifiable and many are in urgent need of renovation. Work is underway.

Our host had bought red cabbage ... because she could hardly eat 2 kg of it on her own we decided to prepare and preserve it. Sylphide did the research and found a nice recipe. Then our host had to cut the onions and red cabbage. We sprinkled everything with salt and now it has to rest for a whole night.

After one night we washed and dried the cabbage, filled it in glass and filled the glass with vinegar (prepared with oranges and spices - mmmh, great smell). I helped to close the lids. Now the cabbage has to rest for 3 or 4 months - too bad, because I'll travel and not be able to test the taste.

For the weekend we visited our Pandamao's dad. He lives in a small town in the North-East of Bavaria. I took a walk in the city center - nice houses. The battery of the camera was low so I only took photos of the houses.

The weather was sunny but cold. We went for a walk (together with half of Munich's inhabitants) to Nymphenburg Castle and park.

It's been a long time since I last was out. Today I went for a little walk and saw the German museum (Science and Technic museum). It is built on a little island in the Isar river.