Shoes

About six weeks ago I wanted to buy myself a new pair of shoes. I don't own that many (one pair I can wear during the winter, two for the summer) and I really needed a new pair. But of course I couldn't find a pair I liked and if I did like them, the cost would keep a third world country fed and clothed and housed for a year! Apart from that, I always have difficulty finding shoes that fit properly. Boots are out, because my calves are a bit too wide. Heels are out, because within two hours my ankles swell up to ginormity and start to hurt. Pointy shoes are out, because they hurt my toes. And when I do find a pair that fit, they are usually in brown or some other hideous colour that will clash with my uniform. So, no luck.

The girl in the shoestore had a sollution for me though: Germany! She actually advised me to go to Germany for shoes. More choice, less money. But when do I ever get to spend any time in Germany. I mean, I go to Germany on a regular basis, but I never have the opportunity to visit a shoe shop. Until this week.

On Monday I had to go to Winterberg. Which is exactly as the name describes: winter on a mountain (Berg is German (and Dutch) for mountain). A lot of snow which was good, since Winterberg makes a living of skiing tourists. Which I had to pick up on Tuesday. Due to some strange instructions I phoned the contact on Monday already and immediately found out that instead of leaving at midday, we were supposed to be leaving at six pm! Which gave me a whole day in town!

I had a lie-in. A lazy breakfast. I took a walk to see how much my coach had been snowed in during the night (see photo). And I found a shoe shop. And some shoes. They were black. They fitted. They had a 1cm (approx. 1/2 inch). They were fantastic. It was a 20% off deal! They are mine!