Well on My Way!

Here I am in the middle of beautiful, green, clean Deutschland, land of rarely tainted sprouts and eco-conscious citizens. It's 5:31 in the morning and I'm typing on a whacky German keyboard on which the "Y" and the "Z" have been swapped, so, you may see some crazy looking words before this post is fnished. I am in the boarding area for my Ryan air flight to Larnaca, Cyprus where I hope to spend the rest of the day decompressing on the beach in the blazing Mediterranean sun. It's been a little chilly here in Niedereine (northern Germany) and I'm very glad I threw in a sweater at the last minute.

Main square in Kevelaer

I arrived in the small town of Kevelaer after landing in Düsseldorf airport and taking the S-Bahn train about an hour north. This town is near the airport dedicated to Ryan Air's flights.

As we barrelled in to the airport in the shuttle at 5AM this morning the buildings reminded me of the DeWitt Center in Auburn. This used to be a military airport and it shows. Very spartan. Grumpy driver, too. When I greeted him with a cheery "Guten Morgen," he looked at me like "What planet are you from lady?" Must have partied too hearty at Finksten (see below).

Unbeknownst to me, yesterday was a popular Catholic holiday in Germany called Finksten. The church in Kevelaer, that seems to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was extra busy.

Special areas had been set aside for candle-lit entrieties to her holiness. People filled the town square and packed the local restaurants, giving it a festive air. I'm amazed that I was able to book a room so easily on such a special day. Maybe it's because today is Monday and revelers had to get back to work. (Reluctantly driving shuttle busses, apparently :)

After my 3 or 4 hour flight to Cyprus, assuming I find the car-rental agency without difficulty, I will check into my hotel in Larnaca, The Lordos Beach Hotel. There will be souvlakia for dinner, then a good night's sleep, and tomorrow, the Essential Oil Quest begins!