Auf Wiedersehn Niedersachsen !

Goodbye Lower Saxony, Hello Dublin !

Another trip to Gottingen completed. I spent 10 days in total coaching in Gottingen, but with Kelly visiting as well, we were able to get out and check out some of the local sites.

Look at the size of that dog !

Ok its actually a pony, but thats what I said when I caught a glimpse of the sturdy beast through the crowd at the Christmas market.

The Weinachts Markt in Gottingen is very festive and has all the things you expect including :

Booths to get hot Alpine Cheese treats,

Buildings that are made up to look like advent calendars,

A street rally / protest by black clad piereced left wing German dudes...watched closely by the Polizei,


and the item most people come for... Gluhwein.

We had our hot Gluhwein with Rum...ohhh so tasty and warming. Its like drinking a German Holiday Hug.

On Sunday, local lacrosse player Annette let Kelly & I use her car so we could go tool around outside of Gottingen. So off we went !

We didnt have to go far, about 15 km away is Plesseburg

a 900 year old castle perched atop a hill overlooking the town of Bovenden.


Looking over the walls you could just imagine hoards of animal pelt wearing barbarians screaming and shaking their axes up at the defenders...to no avail.


We did all the usual castke stuff including saying stuff like, "wow, these walls are thick" and "I wouldnt want to try to attack from the outside" and "I bet this is where they dumped hot oil on people from".

We also climbed the tower and had coffee at the small castle cafe'.


and Kelly made a snowball.


More pics and stories to come from coaching trip #2 to Gottingen.