A little Berlin lady discovers Exeter
by Sieglinde Mayer, translated from the German
1 December 2025, Monday.
Feeling excited—and having remembered all the last-minute travel preparations (turning down the heating, shutting off the water)—I found the taxi waiting at my door right on time at 8:45 a.m. My dear neighbors Sylvie and Ingie helped me carry my large suitcase—weighing in at 21.5 kg (not bad, considering the 23 kg limit)—down the stairs and gave me an affectionate send-off for my long trip.
My flight from BER Airport to Bristol was scheduled to depart at 11:30 a.m. There was a delay of only ten minutes! Half an hour before takeoff, I had taken pills for both motion sickness and anxiety; they were a godsend, as I fell asleep shortly after takeoff and woke up just before landing. And then, there was Ian waiting for me in Bristol with a heartwarming welcome sign: "Homuncula mea." What a joy that was! And, of course, it was raining. We had plenty of time to grab a coffee. At 3:10 p.m., we took a bus heading southwest, where we had to change buses once to reach Exeter. We arrived around 7:00 p.m. Ian had lovingly prepared everything for a cozy evening—including, of course, fish and chips.
2 December 2025, Tuesday.
At noon, we visited his sister-in-law Julie (Jill’s sister) in Topsham, a small town about five kilometers south of Exeter. Ian handles her paperwork—usually on Tuesdays—and today was Tuesday. After reviewing the documents, we went to the Nancy Potter House community center, run by the Estuary League of Friends, for lunch. We had to be back home by 4 p.m. at the latest, as a Tesco delivery bringing food and wine was scheduled to arrive. Afterward, I had plenty of time to unpack and put away all my things; Ian had cleared out enough drawer and cupboard space for me. We prepared dinner together and enjoyed a lovely evening; there was so much to talk about.
3. Dezember 2025, Mittwoch
At 11 a.m., we attended an event at the city museum (Royal Albert Memorial Museum) for the Friends of the Museum; it was a talk on the history of Pantomimes given by Alan Caig. What a fascinating, different world it was for me! Even Prince Albert was featured in pantomime costume. Afterward, at 1 p.m., we met Kate for lunch at the Italian restaurant "Sabatini." I think we were both pleased to finally meet—or at least to get to know each other as best we could, given that my English skills are rather weak. But I believe we took a liking to one another.
And now we had time for me to get to know Exeter a little. How beautifully the city lay before me, with its mighty Cathedral and the laughter and cries of the seagulls. I was captivated. The colors and the light in the sky! And glorious sunshine to boot. Everything was perfectly in tune with Exeter and the pre-Christmas season. What a magical atmosphere hung over the city. We strolled through the Christmas market before stopping at the Chapter House Refectory in the cathedral cloisters. Ian visits this café often—it is also where he meets up with Kate.
5 December 2025, Thursday.
We had two engagements today: lunch in the small village of Broadclyst and backgammon in the evening.
At 11:30 a.m., Susie and Richard picked us up for the Exeter University Club’s turkey and Christmas pudding lunch. Everyone at the Red Lion Inn greeted me so warmly and kindly. It was a lively gathering around the table. Everyone found a small surprise gift inside a Christmas cracker—a paper crown that everyone immediately put on. Very British!
Today, Jill (Ian’s sister) came to visit us. She is spending the weekend in Exeter to meet up with us, Kate and Matt and their children Sennen and Pippa, as well as a friend in Torquay. I was really looking forward to meeting her; I had already seen her on Zoom during the Sunday family gatherings. Ian had prepared Chicken Kiev with vegetables. It turned out to be a lovely, cheerful evening. Jill can speak a little German and understands it even better; she lived in Essen for a while about 30 years ago. If I were to describe Jill, I’d put it quite simply: Jill is a real character. She radiates a distinct personality—one I want to get to know.
We had arranged to meet Jill at the Cloister Café at 11 a.m. After a late breakfast/early lunch, we went shopping. Jill wanted to look for a new sweater or blouse, Ian needed some persuasion to buy a new jacket, and I wanted a new dress for Christmas. We decided on the clothing store Seasalt in Gandy Street (very popular in England and known for good quality). Jill didn't have any luck finding something suitable, but she spotted two dresses for me—one for Christmas and another as a birthday gift from Ian. I had overlooked the dresses, even though they are lovely and suit me well. Eventually, we found a suitable winter jacket for Ian, as well as a nice plaid winter shirt as a Christmas gift from me. We moved on to another department store to try and find something perfect for Jill after all, but without success. A stop at an HSBC ATM rounded off our shopping spree; By now, I badly needed cash.
There was still time to visit the Devon and Exeter Institution—an old library founded in 1813—to enjoy coffee and cake (or mulled wine) in its beautiful setting. Ian, being an insider, knew how to open a section of the bookshelves to reach the restroom, but the café wasn't open when we visited.
Then I realized I must have lost my left glove somewhere. We took the bus out of town to Waitrose—an "upscale" supermarket—to pick up a few odds and ends for Sunday and have another coffee. Afterward, we were invited to Kate’s place for dinner.
I was delighted to see Kate again and to meet Sennen, Pippa, and Matt. Matt did the cooking; we had turkey with a wide selection of vegetables. The meal was outstanding—even better than the one we had enjoyed with the Exeter University Club. I was immediately struck by the warm welcome I received from everyone; I felt right at home with Ian’s family. A real Christmas spirit took hold of me, especially thanks to Sennen and Pippa, and childhood memories came flooding back. I watched Sennen shuffling the cards while glancing over at us. Ian and I asked him what game it was—UNO! Once Sennen had explained the rules to Ian, the three of us started playing right away. We had a wonderful time together. A lovely evening with Ian’s family came to a close, and then we took a taxi home with Jill.
7 December 2025. Sunday.
Rain was forecast for the entire day. We decided to stay home and take care of our Christmas correspondence—I enjoy writing to my loved ones at Christmas. We made ourselves very comfortable, enjoying Bach's Christmas Oratorio, good food, and good wine (Primitivo). Another lovely day spent together.
8 December 2025. Monday.
After breakfast, we went into town to run some errands and for me to get to know the town better. We took a different route, and Ian led me to the lively Studio 36, run by the artist Veronica Gosling. She had recently passed away, and Ian had put up a brief tribute for St. Leonard's.
It was another glorious day—almost spring-like. The city of Exeter was once again showing off its best side in all its beauty, with the cathedral, Roman traces, lovely houses, and the cries of seagulls. We went to the HSBC bank to ask about a glove I had lost, but unfortunately, we had no luck. We strolled on through the city to Marks & Spencer to look for a new pair of gloves for me. We found them—another Christmas gift from Ian. By then, we were ready for a bite to eat. We stopped at an Italian restaurant (Pizza Express) by the Christmas market, overlooking the cathedral. We had the best table; from inside the restaurant, we could soak up the atmosphere of the Christmas market outside and view the illuminated cathedral just as if we were right there. The suggested truffle menu was excellent, as were the Primitivo wine and the general ambiance.
I had visited the wonderful library at the Devon and Exeter Institution the previous Saturday, but it was closed on Mondays—and I wasn't a member anyway. Wanting to learn more about Exeter and its history, I suggested visiting the city library. Ian agreed, so we made our way to this busy library. I was quite disappointed. There were only half a dozen shelves of books covering the whole of Devon and the region, all available for loan. Presumably, there was more material elsewhere. As I looked around, I found more books in the children's section in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, and the languages of Iran and the Indian subcontinent than I did books about Exeter and Devon. Although I found this multiculturalism admirable, I was shocked by how poorly Exeter seemed to promote its heritage—especially since I couldn't even find a tourist office in the city center.
Ian explained that the world's largest library dedicated to the cultural heritage of South West England was located in an industrial park five kilometers east of the city center, and that there was a small tourist office in Exeter's harbor area. I had expected far more from a city that had recently been named a UNESCO City of Literature, and I felt it compared unfavorably to the much smaller city of Weimar, where I had first met Ian.
9 December 2025, Tuesday
At noon today, we visited Julie in Topsham again. As usual, the first thing Ian did was look through her incoming mail and documents. Afterward, we went together to the Nancy Potter Center for lunch. Everything was decorated for Christmas, and the elderly guests and their companions—as well as us—were clearly enjoying the atmosphere. We had a lovely conversation with Julie and a good meal; she had another appointment in her Tuesday Club to get to, so we took the bus back to Exeter and stopped at the Common Beaver, a place where Ian often goes for coffee. The young waitress greeted him—and me—very warmly, as if we had known each other for ever. She had confided in Ian about her grief over her late boyfriend, and Ian shared some things with her about us as well; perhaps that offered her a little comfort. It turned out she was actually expecting us. Just before the café closed and we were about to leave, she gave us some pastries to take home for breakfast the next day.
