Elephants, corn fields and cute small animals are the highlights of the small village Uentrop (near Hamm). There are corn fields everywhere, but I've hardly seen any corn farmers! Most people work in nearby industrial parks, and previously coal mines all of which are now dormant. But there are hardly any other businesses around... Thomas' dad Dieter is the local GP (one of two) in the village. Cute little practice that is connected to their house so we can have coffee with Dieter and Angelika during the day if they have a break from working. We also saw a pig farm yesterday, I there are two or three in the village. Unfortunately there weren't ant piglets, just five large pigs laying in the 30 degree sunny mud puddle.

The whole town has a pretty similar feel to Sussex Inlet, on the south coast of NSW where I grew up. Or maybe it's more like Folkestone! A couple of little shops, a very local feel and some cute local animals. I've seen a red squirrel stealing nuts from the backyard and I've been told a hedgehog also lives in the yard and eats the fallen apples. I'll believe it when I see it!

For the first time in my life I saw a hamster yesterday, and it bared its teeth and hissed at me through the glass in the petshop (Tiergarten)!! Not sure if I like hamsters anymore, I just wanted to see it try and eat a whole carrot and store it in its cheeks! But it wanted to scare me instead *sigh*

Women (wohnen) are given priority parking spots in the shopping centre. Similar to disabled parking spaces, the spots near the entrance are labelled for women only so that they can feel safe when returning to their car. Princess service - I'm impressed!

Elephants - I'll explain more after I have visited the large glass building that's shaped as an elephant!