What a Week! 12 September 2024
So on Tuesday I took the train to Rhineland-Palatinate - and what a journey that was! It was supposed to be a normal trip, but with Deutsche Bahn, well, that's always something of a gamble. Because of a signal box fire, almost nothing went according to plan. Instead of sitting comfortably on the train, I had to share a taxi with three other passengers - from Neumünster to Hamburg. It wasn't just expensive, but above all nerve-wracking. Only from Hamburg onwards could I continue the journey by train.
Once I arrived in Rhineland-Palatinate, the drama continued right away. My tenant gave me major headaches. I was really glad I managed to get a last-minute appointment with my lawyer and tax advisor that morning. Both were urgently needed.
Then at midday came the next chapter: negotiations with the real estate agent, who had coordinated with the buyers. At the last minute, the tenant tried once more to block everything. She was apparently offended that I hadn't included her in the sales negotiations - and I was hugely relieved that I hadn't. I think otherwise I would never have found a buyer. It was a really exhausting, almost absurd situation.
But there were bright spots too: I managed to have lunch with my dear friend Andrea. We had time to talk, laugh, just breathe. Later Claudia joined us, and I had a lovely hour with her too. It was like old times - a girls' afternoon full of warmth, ease, and genuine connection.
And then - finally - we went to the notary. The house sale is complete. Everything is signed, everything is done. And I celebrated that evening with Peter and Susanne over dinner.
A long, demanding, but ultimately successful day. And a huge weight has fallen from our shoulders.
After dinner I sat with Peter and Susanne at the dining table for a long time. We opened a bottle of wine, toasted together, had a video call with Michael in Denmark, and simply talked a lot. It was a lovely evening - cosy, warm, and familiar.
The next morning Susanne and Peter had to leave early for work. I had actually planned to sleep in a bit and then take the train back. But as so often happens, things turned out differently: fortunately Susanne discovered in time that my planned train had been cancelled without replacement - typical Deutsche Bahn. So I had to spontaneously take an earlier train and only just made it in time.
The journey then went surprisingly smoothly. Everything went without a hitch to Hamburg and beyond, and Michael picked me up in Hobro. Now I'm home in Denmark again - tired, but happy.
