Great sadness and yet looking forward

Hi to all,

We hope that this finds you all in the pink as always, but we don't exactly match that description right now. We have been very blessed with being able to stay with Josie and Reinhard in Werneck, Germany. Both of us, but Jean in particular, have been greatly traumatized by the treatment we received at the hands of the Hakan Yatcilik Boatyard and even now the thought of returning brings her out in a cold sweat - and more. So, that is definitely not an option. Being in Werneck and with Josie and Reinhard has been a godsend and has returned us to a semblance of normality.

The decision to have the yacht shipped to Turkey (Fethiye) has been an unmitigated disaster, but in no way is this intended as a criticism of Sevenstar Yacht Transport whose service and care of TT3 was exemplary.

We have given extensive detailed information about the yacht to brokers in NZ, the UK and in Turkey and reduced the indicated price massively. It's a dose of reality for us and probably just reflects the state of the yacht market generally. It's amazing how actual events act as a motivational force. We can only hope now that she will sell to someone who will act as her next caretaker. This is definitely NOT how we ever envisaged our sailing careers ending.

We have been having some doubts as to the security of our on-going ownership of the boat, given that so far we have been unable to pay the yard because it was only 2 days before we departed that we received any idea of the amount owing with itemized amounts written on  a scrap of paper. Never have we been given an invoice, or any bank details for the yard. Furthermore we were told that they did not issue receipts! Who in their right mind would hand over large amounts of cash without a proper receipt? Then all meetings with us were abruptly cancelled and as we were already booked, we flew out without making the payment we thought had been arranged.

However, the Bodrum based broker has already been in touch with the yard and we feel reasonably confident that we can attract a buyer soon and firm arrangements made for payment and subsequent launching. We know that if we went back things would just drag on as before with us incurring more and more cost.

Dealing through a local broker/agent seems our only alternative.   

Meanwhile we have been reveling in being in Werneck which is a very quiet peaceful small town SE of Frankfurt. There is a supermarket and a few small cafes within walking distance. Everything is very neat and many houses have extensive vegetable gardens. Difficult to compare with NZ - Werneck would be about 50% bigger than Wellsford at a rough estimation. All around is farmland, but all cropped. Just rolling country. Haven't seen any animals. Also many wind generators on massive towers turning so slowly that you imagine they would not be capable of any significant power generation but all done through turbines and apparently very effective. Also a great many houses have large arrays of solar panels. You would think that here where winter temperatures can drop to -10C, these also would be not so effective. Especially as with the past few days with heavy overcast and occasional rain, but no doubt the sums have been done.

The weather started off being very warm when we arrived but the last 3-4 days have been unseasonably cold. We've been wearing windbreaker jackets when going outside but now it is warming up again.

Josie and Reinhard have a cherry tree in their back garden and we have been eating great quantities of those beautiful fruits. Also roses galore and many plants we are familiar with in NZ. We eat much wonderful German bread which we are trying to cut down on having regard to our waistlines. Much ham and Bratwurst sausages! And Schwein (pork). Beautiful food.

We have been for extensive walks around old historic buildings here and in Wurzburg - a city on the River Main where last weekend by accident we witnessed a parade associated with the consecration of the new Bishop. We don't share the religious beliefs but could not help but be impressed with the colourfulness and majesty of the procession. Also the obvious devotion of many spectators. Josie works part time as a caregiver for elderly people and we recently met a 90 yr old woman (Gertrude) when we all took her for a walk in her wheelchair to a local park - very beautiful with lovely old trees and a very big pond. Probably half the size of the Auckland Domain - wonderful for a relatively small place like Werneck. There is also a very large old building overlooking the park which is currently used as an orthopaedic hospital. Used to be the bishop's residence back about 300 years ago! There is a café in front of the old palace and we spent a very pleasant time with coffee and homemade German cake!!! Gertrude spoke minimal English but Reinhard was an enthusiastic translator and filled us in on much of the history. 

Today (17/06) there was a street party in our street but not as we understand the term in NZ. So organized. Firstly a portable set of toilets marked "Damen und Herren" was parked almost in front of the house. The street was closed and tents were set up on the road with long tables and chairs inside. Just adjacent was a portable kitchen with bratwurst sausages, rotkraut, and beef rolls and potato dumplings. Plus much more. No-one brought their own a la NZ - just purchased from the kitchen. Not cheap - 11 Euros for 1 beef roll, 2 bratwurst sausages, 2 dumplings and 2 servings of rotkraut. Jim didn't expect to like the rotkraut, but it is quite delicious. Cooked with vinegar and apples. Then a couple of hours later Josie suddenly produced some pieces of Apple Strudel together with vanilla custard. Goodness me!!! Absolutely wundebar. 

Then this afternoon Reinhard and Jim walked in one direction through the park and Jean in another and we were all supposed to meet in front of the Orthopaedic Hospital. When we arrived there was music from a live band and a female vocalist. Great music and we lingered but Jean didn't show! Among the numbers were "The Girl from Ipanema" and "Putting on the Ritz". Later back home she said she arrived before us, waited about 10 minutes and then left. A likely story! Anyway, it was all very pleasant.  

Yesterday Josie, Jean and Jim went into Schweinfurt again on the bus. This time, being a Saturday they only had a small 20 seater bus on and halfway into Schweinfurt it filled up with some very black immigrants who are living in a transit camp between Werneck and Schweinfurt. Used to be a USAF base apparently. Now the Americans are gone and the country has filled up with Turks, Somalis, Syrians, Libyans etc. Germany and the rest of western Europe have bought themselves a huge problem because of course these people don't assimilate, don't work and are in receipt of large amounts of welfare from the government. In Germany alone the immigrant population is about half of the total of New Zealand. This issue will only get worse as these immigrant populations have children and increase in numbers relative to the Germans. Chancellor Merkel is solely to blame and as she comes from the former DDR (East Germany), we can only wonder whether she's an extreme Socialist in sheep's clothing and/or there's a latent feeling of guilt with WW2 and all the consequences. Whatever the reason, it is a disaster and is turning into an even bigger disaster for Germany.

In Schweinfurt Jim bought some pieces of Schwein with crackling (!) and Jean found some clothing. Had a great lunch in the Schwein shop which has some tables where one can eat Bratwurst and sauerkraut, rotkraut, and of course Schwein! Beautiful but probably just as well we're leaving on Wednesday. 

We fly out to Madrid this coming Wednesday and after 2 nights there, we fly direct to Medellin. Our apartment in Jardines de la Maria is let until the end of September and possibly until the end of March 2019 so we cannot go there but we have taken a 3 month lease at this stage on a 1 bedroom apartment in the Laureles-Estadio district of Medellin. The rent is about half of that which we are receiving for our apartment so we will have a surplus which God knows we can do with.

More news again soon after we have arrived in the City of Eternal Spring - Medellin.

Cheers and lotsaluv from us in Werneck..............

Jim and Jean 

 

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