I'm getting to know one of the ESL teachers from the FIS elementary school (she's actually the ESL teacher assigned to Judy's room). She asked if I'd bake something for the school's annual Apple Fest to help raise funds for one of the student projects (an orphanage in Poland, I think). Anyway, we have since met for tea and I had dinner with her and her husband this evening. I happened to mention I'd like to buy a couple of bikes but don't want to spend a lot of money. She took me to her "supplier" today. This guy procures bikes and pieces of bikes and fixes them up. I got the two you see here for 180 Euros! They came with front and rear lights, racks, and little annoying bells (that you have to use here to warn people you are coming up behind them). The guy even guarantees his work and will fix anything that goes wrong.
I shared my train ticket experience with Frederique and she and her husband laughed. He used to work for the school and now works in London but (as he is self-employed) travels back to Germany often. He says that this kind of thing is the reason he got fed up with southern Germany. This is a theme - the Hessens aren't known for their warmth apparently! People are still shocked when I tell them about our great neighbors upstairs until they discover they are actually Czechs!! The people here eventually warm up, it just takes an event like... Global Warming!!
Anyway, we have some bikes now! When we need a third, we will borrow one from those great Czech neighbors (they keep offering theirs).
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