Fri 3 Jul – Sat 11 Jul 2015

After leaving Amsterdam we drove around looking for gas for the car that didn’t cost 20-30 cents more per liter then it should (turns out that at certain times of the day they make it more expensive!)

It was a four hour drive from Amsterdam to Hannover and we stopped at a rest area for a picnic. We met our hosts, Hendrick and Christine at their tango studio in Hannover at around 6.30-7pm. We changed our clothes and jumped right into helping them renovate it. We filled cracks and scrapped a sign from the front window. They had already renovated one side that they had been using for a few years but now someone else was renting it from them (the Tango company) so they leased next door for more space.

We met another workaway couple, Nate and Phoebe – Canadians from Alberta, who arrived at the studio later in the evening. We left the studio around 11 and drove to Raspberry Hill in E…. where we would be staying. We arrived around midnight and were given a quick introduction to the place. We would be staying in the converted barn where they host tango workshops and retreats.

Hendrick informed us that we would be a doing a little bit of work in the morning and to be ready for 9am. There was no hot water in the converted bar and we were too tired to lug our stuff over to the main house so we had a very, very quick cold shower and went to bed

On Saturday we were up and ready for work. Matt and Natalie swept and weeded the sidewalk while Nate and Phoebe mowed the lawn. We had bread, cheese and a tomato and cucumber salad for lunch. Then we went in search of a place to swim. After spending around 60 euros to get to our destination we decided that we didn’t want to drive anywhere. So in the blazing heat (about 38 degrees) and at around 2.30pm we set off looking for a swimming hole. We found one but it didn’t look too appealing so we decided not to risk it! Nobody wanted swimmer’s itch! So we walked back and had a cold bath in the big jacuzzi tub in our room. Hendrick and Christine had friends visiting so we had a nice BBQ of sausages and a potato salad with lots of different veg in it as well as grilled bread and fish and fresh strawberries for dessert. On Sunday we slept in and then just hung out at the house and then had ‘lupper’ of gnocchi and salad around 4pm with the guests. We had a brownie for dessert and watched the second Harry Potter movie.

The next day we were up and ready for work for 9am. We were told that our project for the week would be to demolish a concrete wall in the courtyard where they used to store manure and to weed the brick courtyard to pressure wash and then put down new sand. We worked until 12.30 and then stopped for a lunch of sausages and a different potato and veggie salad. The four of us took turns working with Hendrick on the wall and switching between that and the weeding until 3pm. We started watching the Tudors TV series on Monday night.

The days followed a similar routine. They made our main meal for lunch and we made our own dinner in the evenings as they often traveled to give tango lessons. On Tuesday we had rice and tomato sauce with cheesey grilled zucchini for lunch. After work at 3pm we would do a bit of relaxing/working out/showering. On Tuesday night we watched the third Harry Potter movie. On Wednesday we got halfway down the wall and most of the courtyard weeded. We had rice and meatless chili for lunch with a mixed lettuce salad. We watched the sequel to 300 – it was so awful we almost turned it off!
On Thursday we had squash risotto for lunch and watched the fourth Harry Potter. Friday was our last day of work so we had amazing homemade pizza for lunch as a celebration! After work the four workawayers walked through the little village and up to the forest where the Brother’s Grimm were inspired to write Snow White. We didn’t see any dwarfs though. We had a little picnic and then walked back home and played a game of Rummy.

On Saturday we slept in a bit and then drove about 30 minutes away to visit Marienburg Castle. Unfortunately it was closed for a special function but we got to walk around the outside. Then we drove to Hannover and did a little shopping and had dinner at the mall with Nate and Phoebe. Then we went to a tango party! It was very hot in the studio but there were about 30 couples all dancing the tango it was really cool to watch. We left at about 10.30 to drive back home. On the way we went to stop for gas as it was on 1.44 euros per litre but by the time we pulled it turned 11pm and then price went up to 1.50. We didn’t fill up – just drove away – how crazy! On Sunday morning we got up and Hendrick made us an amazing cappuccino. We packed up and said our goodbyes and drove east towards Berlin.