The Labraventures of Carbón, Spanish (ex-) foster dog extraordinaire
- Thread starter Emily_Babbelhund
- Start date
- Location
- South Wales
This!
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
Thank you again for the lovely walk and lunch - it was the perfect bon voyage as we made our way to Folkestone.
Mmmm...somehow I don't think Stoli has a moping bone in his little body, but I'm doing my own bit of moping, so does that count? And ugh, way to make me go all weepy over the toys, you bad woman!
Luckily for Carbon, he's got SO many toys now that once I unpack them all in Regensburg he's going to need his very own toy basket like his friend Curly in Ireland.
Somehow the toys kept multiplying along the road. Wonder how that happened?
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
Carbon - or I - will always be very happy to play bitey face with Pongo. How is Mr. Beasley looking these days?
Thanks, but I've got to sort the Germans out first...one country at a time!
Lots of good podcasts, mainly season 2 of My Dad Wrote a Porno, recommended by @snowbunny . Keeps me giggling!
...but @Jacqui-S , healthy snacks? I live off of M&Ms and Coke on the road. Oops...shouldn't have admitted that, huh?
Many, many thanks...and very much reciprocated...
- Location
- South Wales
Mr Beasley is very well thank you - he has been to the doctor and had reconstructive surgery, his gait is a little awkward but he is entirely in one piece. He says he will cherish the memory of being loved so very, very much by such gentlemanly fellows.
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
Today's drive was easy peasy.
I got a good if cramped sleep in my single bed with Carbon mashed up against my posterior all night long. With no sofa to decamp to, he was stuck with me in bed or the floor and he is SO not a floor-sleeping dog anymore. It was an easy drive to the Tunnel terminal and we ended up getting a slightly earlier train.
I got grumped at by the French customs because I went in the "non European passport" queue because...well, I have a US passport, so...? But this is the second time that the French have grumbled that because I have a German visa in my US passport I should go into the EU queue, so maybe next time I will. Maybe it's something new that the French have dreamed up, that having an EU visa makes you an honorary EU citizen if you're going in or out of the UK and Ireland? If so, I wish the Germans would catch up and just treat me like an EU citizen too.
Then it was pretty much four hours of driving in the very hard rain. I stopped once for gas/petrol and had the brilliant idea to check the air pressure in all my tires. The first petrol station had a wonky air machine that actually took air OUT of my tire and wouldn't put it back in, so I had an anxious 50 kms or so limping along to the NEXT station where I could fill up the deflated tire and top up the other three. But hey, if that's my only mechanical issue, that's ok by me.
The only real excitement was that about 100 kms away from Reims, I started seeing the motorway info boards saying there was a protest ("manif") 15 kms before town. This was worrying because I could imagine all sorts of really unpleasant ways that the French do these sorts of things, including blocking the road with trucks. Every 25 kms or so there would be another sign on the motorway with the kilometres away distance shrinking and shrinking.
Finally I approached the toll gates, thinking the protest would be just on the other side. But no...the protest was AT the toll gates. A group of 20 people or so in yellow vests had somehow raised up all the toll gates and were ushering cars through without having to pay. It was the friendliest protest I've ever seen: they waved at me and smiled, I waved at them and smiled. My kind of protest! I've since read in the news that there were protests all over France, none as harmless and cheerful as the one I encountered. I was a lucky duck today, that's for sure.
We got to our hotel about 3pm: it was so nice arriving somewhere in daylight. Yay! The place I picked is similar to the place I stayed at in Angers in June with Carbon and Paul on the way to the UK: a retirement community/nursing home that uses its unrented apartments as hotel space. The entry and community areas on the ground floor are very hospital-esque which is a bit of an odd vibe, but the little apartments are super comfy and the staff very friendly.
When we arrived, many of the residents were putting up Christmas decorations in the community room and Carbon got a lot of attention. I'd put his training vest on and he really knows to snap to in that thing: he pranced right along at my side and then laid down crossing his front paws while I was checking in. That crossed-paw thing is totally his party trick that he pulls out to impress people: what a ham!
Because we arrived so early, I was able to give Carbon a nice long walk through town. I have no idea why, but he's in a fabulous mood with not a single hint of Señor Grumpypantalones. He trotted alongside me and seemed to love being back in his vest again and asked to do turns and other tight heeling practice. Back in the room, he's been tossing up Bunny to play and just generally being a happy, happy boy. I don't know how long it will last, but I'm giving him tons of praise as it's a joy to see.
Finally there was a bit of drama with my landlady in Germany STILL not telling me how I was getting into my apartment tomorrow. I started looking for hotels in Regensburg just in case and texted my friend Nadine to see if maybe my landlady had dropped off the keys without letting me know. Thankfully later on I got a text back from Nadine saying that she does have my keys...whew! But also the cryptic message that my landlady had told Nadine that she got "a lot of new furniture for the apartment". I've suspected that the new landlady (my apartment was sold this summer) would want to redecorate in "Bavarian", which means lots of deer antlers, lace curtains and heavy wood.
I'm really kind of afraid to go home tomorrow.
But for tonight, I'm tucked into my retirement village with a happy pup, so it's all good. I'll enjoy my six hour drive tomorrow and face whatever awaits me with stoic determination and my mother's favourite expression: "This too shall pass."
And what doesn't pass - like deer antlers and lace - I can carefully hide away in the closet for the next five weeks.
I got a good if cramped sleep in my single bed with Carbon mashed up against my posterior all night long. With no sofa to decamp to, he was stuck with me in bed or the floor and he is SO not a floor-sleeping dog anymore. It was an easy drive to the Tunnel terminal and we ended up getting a slightly earlier train.
I got grumped at by the French customs because I went in the "non European passport" queue because...well, I have a US passport, so...? But this is the second time that the French have grumbled that because I have a German visa in my US passport I should go into the EU queue, so maybe next time I will. Maybe it's something new that the French have dreamed up, that having an EU visa makes you an honorary EU citizen if you're going in or out of the UK and Ireland? If so, I wish the Germans would catch up and just treat me like an EU citizen too.
Then it was pretty much four hours of driving in the very hard rain. I stopped once for gas/petrol and had the brilliant idea to check the air pressure in all my tires. The first petrol station had a wonky air machine that actually took air OUT of my tire and wouldn't put it back in, so I had an anxious 50 kms or so limping along to the NEXT station where I could fill up the deflated tire and top up the other three. But hey, if that's my only mechanical issue, that's ok by me.
The only real excitement was that about 100 kms away from Reims, I started seeing the motorway info boards saying there was a protest ("manif") 15 kms before town. This was worrying because I could imagine all sorts of really unpleasant ways that the French do these sorts of things, including blocking the road with trucks. Every 25 kms or so there would be another sign on the motorway with the kilometres away distance shrinking and shrinking.
Finally I approached the toll gates, thinking the protest would be just on the other side. But no...the protest was AT the toll gates. A group of 20 people or so in yellow vests had somehow raised up all the toll gates and were ushering cars through without having to pay. It was the friendliest protest I've ever seen: they waved at me and smiled, I waved at them and smiled. My kind of protest! I've since read in the news that there were protests all over France, none as harmless and cheerful as the one I encountered. I was a lucky duck today, that's for sure.
We got to our hotel about 3pm: it was so nice arriving somewhere in daylight. Yay! The place I picked is similar to the place I stayed at in Angers in June with Carbon and Paul on the way to the UK: a retirement community/nursing home that uses its unrented apartments as hotel space. The entry and community areas on the ground floor are very hospital-esque which is a bit of an odd vibe, but the little apartments are super comfy and the staff very friendly.
When we arrived, many of the residents were putting up Christmas decorations in the community room and Carbon got a lot of attention. I'd put his training vest on and he really knows to snap to in that thing: he pranced right along at my side and then laid down crossing his front paws while I was checking in. That crossed-paw thing is totally his party trick that he pulls out to impress people: what a ham!
Because we arrived so early, I was able to give Carbon a nice long walk through town. I have no idea why, but he's in a fabulous mood with not a single hint of Señor Grumpypantalones. He trotted alongside me and seemed to love being back in his vest again and asked to do turns and other tight heeling practice. Back in the room, he's been tossing up Bunny to play and just generally being a happy, happy boy. I don't know how long it will last, but I'm giving him tons of praise as it's a joy to see.
Finally there was a bit of drama with my landlady in Germany STILL not telling me how I was getting into my apartment tomorrow. I started looking for hotels in Regensburg just in case and texted my friend Nadine to see if maybe my landlady had dropped off the keys without letting me know. Thankfully later on I got a text back from Nadine saying that she does have my keys...whew! But also the cryptic message that my landlady had told Nadine that she got "a lot of new furniture for the apartment". I've suspected that the new landlady (my apartment was sold this summer) would want to redecorate in "Bavarian", which means lots of deer antlers, lace curtains and heavy wood.
I'm really kind of afraid to go home tomorrow.
But for tonight, I'm tucked into my retirement village with a happy pup, so it's all good. I'll enjoy my six hour drive tomorrow and face whatever awaits me with stoic determination and my mother's favourite expression: "This too shall pass."
And what doesn't pass - like deer antlers and lace - I can carefully hide away in the closet for the next five weeks.
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
Lisa
Moderator
- Location
- Alberta, Canada
Glad your journey has been fairly uneventful so far...so funny to hear about the cheerful protest. I wonder what they were protesting?
Hope your last leg goes as well and that you are soon ensconced in your Bavarian hidey-hole.
Hope your last leg goes as well and that you are soon ensconced in your Bavarian hidey-hole.
- Location
- Wellington, NZ
It's the Gilets Jaunes movement, @Lisa. There's nothing that the French love more than a good protest 
Yellow vests movement - Wikipedia
Yellow vests movement - Wikipedia
- Location
- East Sussex
Hope the final leg of your journey today goes smoothly - and fingers crossed you're not greeted by a stag's head on your living room wall. 
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
I so enjoyed reading your post as usual @Emily_Babbelhund. You were very lucky with the protest as the one in Paris became really nasty. I hope S.Carbon will remain happy once in Germany, perhaps he has been slightly off colour? I guess you are driving as I write this, 6 hours driving seems a very long time to me, I get bored after one 
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Oh, I totally meant to say, I’ve been told that if you put your hi-viz vest on your dashboard, it has helped people get through the protests.
- Location
- Wellington, NZ
Anybody else jumpy with anticipation to see photos of Emily's "new" apartment? I mean, I don't want you to be living in a Bavarian monstrosity but...*awkward silence*
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
A very quick update...no, really!...to say that we made it in. Carbon had reverted to Señor Grumpypantalones today, which is not a huge shock as I was Ms. Grumpytrousers myself. I'm just not ready to face the mess that waits for me in Germany, but there's nothing to be done but jump in.
I asked Nadine to come to the apartment with me as I just couldn't face whatever was waiting for me alone. I always get bad culture shock when I go back to Germany and knew that so many changes to the apartment - even good ones - would bother me. Most of the changes are positive (new mattress!) or neutral (different table) but the comfy but ugly sofa was replaced by an ugly but horridly uncomfortable - and tiny - sofa. It quite literally has a hardwood half-back rest plus no arms. Sigh. But Nadine - queen of home decor that she is - swears it can be improved with a bit of creativity, so I shall hie myself off to IKEA at the nearest opportunity. I'm thinking a back bolster pillow - or pillows plural - and possibly a footstool. And I can use my own pillow covers to hide the god-awful pillows that are on the thing now.
On the very bright side, I still have full-on window coverings, which are very important when you are ground floor on a busy street. The next door apartment, also owned by the same person, has had it's window shades chopped in half and now you can see into a studio where even the bed is on full display. I lived in that apartment five years ago and it was already like living in a fishbowl because it has wrap-around shop display windows. I'd be screaming bloody murder if I'd rented that sight unseen and then showed up to a place with two solid glass walls that gave the general public open viewing of everything but the toilet. Yikes!
Anyway, I'm rambling again...indicator of my fried brain!
Bottom line: I'm grumpy, Carbon is grumpy, but we've made it safe and sound. IKEA will sort our sofa situation and for the other icky stuff, I'll just make a list and start hacking away. As a friend of mine likes to say, "Onward!"
I asked Nadine to come to the apartment with me as I just couldn't face whatever was waiting for me alone. I always get bad culture shock when I go back to Germany and knew that so many changes to the apartment - even good ones - would bother me. Most of the changes are positive (new mattress!) or neutral (different table) but the comfy but ugly sofa was replaced by an ugly but horridly uncomfortable - and tiny - sofa. It quite literally has a hardwood half-back rest plus no arms. Sigh. But Nadine - queen of home decor that she is - swears it can be improved with a bit of creativity, so I shall hie myself off to IKEA at the nearest opportunity. I'm thinking a back bolster pillow - or pillows plural - and possibly a footstool. And I can use my own pillow covers to hide the god-awful pillows that are on the thing now.
On the very bright side, I still have full-on window coverings, which are very important when you are ground floor on a busy street. The next door apartment, also owned by the same person, has had it's window shades chopped in half and now you can see into a studio where even the bed is on full display. I lived in that apartment five years ago and it was already like living in a fishbowl because it has wrap-around shop display windows. I'd be screaming bloody murder if I'd rented that sight unseen and then showed up to a place with two solid glass walls that gave the general public open viewing of everything but the toilet. Yikes!
Anyway, I'm rambling again...indicator of my fried brain!
Bottom line: I'm grumpy, Carbon is grumpy, but we've made it safe and sound. IKEA will sort our sofa situation and for the other icky stuff, I'll just make a list and start hacking away. As a friend of mine likes to say, "Onward!"
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
You bad girl!
I feel like I've let you down, but I escaped the deer antler and lace fate. They added a new tacky rose painting and some hideous pillows (see above) as well as some other touches (vases and the like) that will disappear into a drawer for the next five weeks, but they didn't go Bavarian after all.
I guess I'll just have to buy these for Carbon if I want to add Bavarian flair to my surroundings:
https://www.amazon.de/Doggydolly-Do...ncoding=UTF8&refRID=KZYBJCJ00XDJ0XK3BEGX&th=1
I've just seen em but I still don't believe
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
I actually do kinda want to buy them, just to see what they look like on a real dog. Poor Carbon.I've just seen em but I still don't believe
