The Retirement Files:1

 

But what will you do? Many are bewildered as to why we, relatively fit and healthy 61 and 63 year olds, have sold up our 20 acre vineyard in lovely Marlborough and moved back to windy Wellington.

 

“What ever we feel like” we reply.  

 

Nine years of working on the vineyard was our first retirement. God knows why people call small vineyards lifestyle blocks.  They must consider constant chores and hard labour a desirable lifestyle.  Exaggeration, but it’s a tie that binds.  From mid September to late April there is always work to do. True, you can arrange your work to fit around the things you want to do, but like Damocles’  sword, it is always hanging over you.

 

The first challenge is downsizing from a house with lots of storage, a decent wine cellar (aka space under the stairs), a large double garage, a three bay shed and my girl cave (garden shed) to a three bedroom apartment with two car parks and two storage lockers.  

   

Bye bye house and vineyard

The hunter-gatherer has two motorbikes and the accompanying paraphernalia , and of course, far too much fishing stuff.  He’s had to rent a garage.

 

Despite what I thought was ruthless  sorting and chucking out while packing to move, it’s surprising how many things become less essential when you can’t find anywhere to put them. I’m on intimate terms with all the charity shops in both Blenheim and Wellington.  Both the h-g and I have become quite unsentimental about family ‘heirlooms’ and old photos. Of course digitising photos makes it easier to throw out hard copy albums. I must do that soon! 

 

So here we are. City dwellers again.

 

Hello city apartment

Month one has been dominated by organising tradies and delivery companies. And repair people. Exactly ten days after the new Fisher & Paykel Dishdrawer was installed it has turned up its toes. The h-g tried to unload it yesterday morning and couldn’t open the drawer. Locked tight.  No lights flashing - indeed, no lights. The F&P mechanic arrived this morning (a small miracle getting one to turn up within 24 hours) declaring it a 10 minute job.  Two hours later threw up his hands and said he was recommending a replacement. Glory be. I wonder how long we’ll wait.  Six people for dinner tomorrow night and I suspect the h-g will be up to his elbows in suds at night’s end.

 

Yesterday, on a splendid Wellington day, we took the mighty 4 wheel drive around the wilds of the South Coast to go visiting. 

Coming over Devil’s Gate on the Wellington South Coast

 Laurie and Isabel have lived there for about 40 years, and while the access is, in parts, not for the faint hearted, there is no better view in the world. Stunning is not overstating it. 

 

How perfect is that?

Aside from entertaining tradies, we’ve been to a comedy show, out for several dinners, socialised  with neighbours in the apartment building, watched two lots of spectacular fireworks (Diwali and Guy Fawkes), and I continued Russian classes (now finished). I started to learn Mah Jong - God knows why I didn’t learn when I lived in Hong Kong for three years; found my old massage therapist; am trialling a yoga studio - though no-one is as good as Trudy; found an exercise class I actually look forward to - it reminds me of late 80s aerobics; have connected with friends not seen for a while and know all the baristas at the downstairs coffee shop by name.

We’ve got plenty to do so far. 

 

Let the festivities commence

Hands up if you’ve heard of Landshut. Or Landshut Hochzeit 1475?  No? No-one? 

Landshut is a beautifully preserved town

 

Well neither had we until we we arrive at the home of our German friends and they announced we’re going there the next day and it would be fantastic!  The brochure they give us does little to enlighten me as my German is limited to counting to ten and what I learned from Hogan’s Heroes.  

An hour and a half on the train into southern Bavaria and we arrive at the medieval town of Landshut, founded in 1204.  The town is teeming with visitors as we arrive at one of the largest historical pageants in Europe, the Landshuter Hochzeit of 1475. What? The Landshut wedding between the Polish King’s daughter, Hedwig, to George, the son of the Duke of Bavaria.  While it was an arranged marriage it turned out pretty well for most concerned: the Polish King expanded his influence, power and reach and the “bride price” George received was in the region of 6.5 million Euro in today’s money.  It's unclear what advantage Hedwig gained. 

We walk up to the main street where the seating banks lining both sides of the street are crowded, but we manage to weasel our way between two bleachers to get a decent view of the wedding procession that's about to begin.

The procession takes almost an hour with about 2,000 people involved: town citizens, children with their nannies, mounted heralds, fanfare trumpeters, wagons with supplies, noble ladies and gentlemen, flag bearers  court jesters, church elders, the golden wedding coach - the attention to detail is meticulous as is each in period costume.  Men taking part are not allowed to cut their hair from the preceding November so they have the look for medieval fashion. I'm very taken with the schnabelshuh, or beak shoe, with its point upturned toe.

Love your shoes

The parade progresses with many call and return shouts of Hallloooooo! And Landshuuuuut!  Small garlands of flowers and/or box hedging are flung about to cheers and clapping.

Clothes not available at H&M

 There is a huge commitment from the town and all the citizens dress in medieval garments during festival days regardless of whether they are actively involved.  Because of the great pains they go to to preserve historical detail, spectators are not allowed medieval costumes.  An aside: I'm surprised, I don't know why, at the number of people who wear lederhosen on a day to day basis.  It always seems like a dress-up outfit to me, but it's worn with no irony. 

The wedding re-creation and festival runs for four weeks in July with people coming from all over Europe to attend. There are activities all day on weekends and every night during the week. In the evenings, at the Lager und Zehrplatz - Camp Ground - a medieval village has been carefully and accurately recreated and everyone gets carried away with medieval dancing, jousting, falconry, fencing, pageantry, cooking and feasting.  

At the original wedding, which is detailed in chronicles of the time, the feast included 320 bullocks, 1,500 sheep, 1,300 lambs, 500 calves and 40,000 chickens - no mention of kale or quinoa.     

Village life in the kitchens

 

I’m fairly sure the wedding party gets tired of the wedding banquet every weekend. We don’t get tired of touring the non authentic food stalls and drinking litres of beer. 

Grilled fish - not grilled in village kitchen

 Thanks to Jurgen, Barbara, Lou, Hannah, and Lukas for a one of a kind day out. 

Camaraderie!