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After three years of Technical education in the hospitality industry, I found myself in the position of looking for a suitable post. My dear mum and me were not on the same wave length. My choices, of something with music or horses even. No it was thought to be a far better idea if I went into Catering and hotel management. This truly was, as it was!! Three years of studies of a practical and theoretical nature, in the hospitality world was it.
Two years spent in the catering at a public school was not really my choice, something more engaging, and bit of fun were more to my liking.
Supported by one or two connections I found myself to a beautiful hotel in the Black Forest near Baden-Baden. There are many places in Germany to take the waters and to rest for the benefit of ones own health. My position was for just one year, but my stay developed into three years.
The old school trunk was brought down from loft. Duly cleaned and polished, then packed with all I though was necessary for a year. This included my tennis racket and two or three pieces of sheet music. I must have guessed there would be a piano somewhere, YES in the staff lounge. The journey from home in Suffolk to my destination was a very long one, especially the part from the Hook of Holland. Here at the destination, I met a wonderful new friend, Angeliker we still have that friendship after 54 years – not bad I would suggest. I have a real sense of pride in this bond . We still mark birthdays and of course Christmas.
We worked very hard, long hours (as they do), played hard too. We only had one day off per week, travelling in to France, Switzerland and Austria was so simple, large towns in Germany too, if you want to see a REAL Christmas market go to Cologne. That is so lovely, vibrant and out of this World. Finding small Christmas gifts for my family both in England and Canada was so easy.
The staff, of one staff member to the ratio of one and half guests, gives you a feel of what care levels were like. People taking the waters and so on usually stayed two or three weeks, this meant we got to know people very well. The brigade I was a member of was 14, with a head waiter and assistant. Angie, my wonderful friend, had a large and welcoming family, we were often celebrating something. The life was simple, still curing meat and sausages in a smoke house in the cellar. Autumn brought wine, snaps ,pickles and the like at home. I was often asked if I was from
Norway, because I spoke so well but they wondered about the accent. The area where I lived was in the south east, I loved it so much. When my year came to an end, I was very keen to stay longer. I did return to Germany, but to work in a large brewery, with hotels, in Munich.
Part 2 in the December
Best wishes Mary
