Peacock at Schloss Rheydt, GERMANY

My first day trip this year!  The village of Rheydt, part of the municipality of Mönchengladbach, is only about 158 km. from where I live, so roughly 315 km. altogether, a 2-hour car trip (even with the new 100 kph speed limit to reduce emissions), meaning that only a fourth of my fuel tank got emptied.  I hadn't filled it up for 7 weeks and it was only slightly over half empty, but the price was the same as 15 years ago ... amazing!  Some extras ... and those are sun spots, in case you're wondering.

The schloss has been recycled into a museum and the artefacts on display were quite impressive for such a cutey schloss, but I most enjoyed the peacocks outside putting on their best feathery display for the ladies.  Most of the visitors opted for the park and only about half a dozen were interested in the artefacts, but those of us who did go inside had to wear masks, and I put mine on promptly.  Not that we were jostling each other.  Quite the opposite, in fact, as we simply avoided each other and smiled apologetically from a safe distance that we couldn't be more friendly.  I left at lunchtime, and didn't bring any food or drink, but did not intend to eat anything anywhere anyway.  What I did buy was for Granddaughter and Grandson -- two swords and two shields.

AW finally did some supermarket errands while I was away, for a change.  So so glad I took this opportunity for a change of scene!  The weather was glorious but quite hot at some point, but I didn't mind one bit.  It does feel different, though, after all this time at home, but also because I hadn't taken any long drive for practically a year.  I have gotten older, too, so am more sensitive to long distance road travel.  There's another trip planned for the immediate future, so I'll see how that will go, energy-wise.