Des's story
I had a strange experience while I was working in Germany.
I was walking down the road in a place called Oberstdorf. I was alone, and I was wearing a coat with a hood over my head because it was snowing.
Suddenly I heard somebody call my name. When I looked round I saw that it was a young woman I'd met the previous summer in Ireland. I live in Ireland, and she had been on holiday in my home town. After the holiday she'd returned to Germany, and I hadn't been in touch with her since then.
She had no idea that I was in Germany and she didn't even live in Oberstdorf - she was just visiting a friend. But somehow she recognised me, even though it was snowing and I was wearing a big hood.
After that we stayed in touch, and in fact she came to my wedding ten years later.
Lidia's story
My sister and my aunt had a strange experience the day after my mother died.
At the time of her death, my mother was living with my sister. My aunt came to stay with my sister to help her make arrangements for the funeral.
In the afternoon, the two women were sitting in the living room when my sister's little dog started barking.
They went out of the room to see why the dog was barking and they both saw my mother's shadow on the wall. The shadow came down the stairs and disappeared.
They said they didn't feel frightened, but of course they felt very emotional.
Actually, my mother's ghost often appears to different members of the family, in different forms.
I think this is because she was such a strong character, and her memory lives on in our minds.