Skip to main content

Black Forest Trip

We are nearing the end of our time in Germany. There are ever so many places I would like to visit before returning to the USA, yet we can only see so much in these remaining days. The Black Forest area is nearby, we had yet to visit this part of Germany, and we had to work around Anna's online classes. We picked places that would capture the interest of each of us, found an apartment, and we packed up and started our five day adventure.

Sunday: Drove to Strasbourg, France. It was near our destination and we had time before our check-in at the apartment. We found the Notre Dame Cathedral and waited in line to climb 330 steps to the top of the Cathedral. The kids took off at a tremendous pace, and going up a spiraling staircase, I quickly lost sight of them. That was stressful for me, even though I logically knew that they couldn't fall off the building. I admit to being short of breath by the time we reached the top, but what a view of the city! You might be surprised to learn that there are 330 steps back to the ground and my legs were quite wobbly and grateful to be done. Because there was a special Mass for what we could best figure was celebrating a new Bishop, we could not go inside the Cathedral. There was an amazing procession of nearly 100 priests in purple vestments entering the church as we waited in line.

           Then we drove onto the apartment. I was most impressed. It was so clean! Three bedrooms, a really nice bathroom, and a living/dining/kitchen area. The grocery store and bakery were right around the corner. We ate dinner in the hotel dining room the first night since the grocery store was closed on Sunday, but after that, I prepared our breakfasts and dinners, and packed picnic style lunches. We stayed four nights for just under 400 Euro plus the cost of groceries.























Monday: Europa Park. My family loves theme parks about as much as I love to knit. They had a wonderful time, therefore so did I. Jack and I rode a rollercoaster together, the first time he rode one with loops that take you upside-down. He was nervous as we waited in line, holding my hand tight, and chatting away. But the smile he wore when the ride was over let me know that he loved every minute! Tony went on all the other "wilder" rides while I managed the tamer ones with Therese and Peter. The mascot was a mouse that looks like Chuck E. Cheese. Peter kept yelling out "I love Chuck E. Cheese!" We even saw my sister's German doppleganger too!












I giggled when I saw the sign for this ride. I know I shouldn't find this amusing, but I do.
















Tuesday: We drove to Furtwangen to a clock museum. It was a very nice museum with all the explanations in German, French, and English. They also had a kid's scavenger hunt to keep the little ones interested. They each received a postcard for finding all the clues. Triberg was our next stop. It boasts the largest waterfall in Germany. We enjoyed our short hike near the falls, and then did some extra exploring before heading back into town. We perused a souvenir shop, but they were a little snooty as they eyed the kids. We had to be back at the apartment by 4:00 for Anna's online class, so we did not stop at the other museum on our list. While she attended her class, we went to the store for dinner groceries and I cooked. We were all so tired, we went to bed pretty early every night. At bedtime, it was discovered that Peter had left his backpack in the clock museum with all his stuffed animals inside.



























Wednesday: Our next city was Freiburg. Rick Steve's had a self-guided walk in his book on Germany. We learned so many interesting things. We also happened to be there for the open market which was right by the Cathedral. We ate Lange Rote, (long red bratwurst), fed the pigeons, browsed the market stands, and followed the walk laid out by the tour book. Then we tried to drive to St. Margen, which was supposed to take us through a dark valley. Google Maps was not aware that we may not want the fastest route and took us a different, but very scenic way. St. Margen was not too far from where Peter's lost backpack happened to be, so we swung by, picked it up and got Anna back just a few minutes late for her class.


These little water canals lined the streets. They were originally used for stopping fires from spreading by flooding the streets.




















Thursday: We checked out of the hotel and headed to a glass blowing museum in Wolfach. Anna got to blow her own vase, which was pretty cool. Then, for my lover of all things antique, we went to a car museum. We are glad to be home. I will especially love my fluffy pillows and soft mattress tonight (and I believe my back and neck will thank me tomorrow).


This old car was not at the museum, but parked at the glass blowing place.

The man did all the shaping, but Anna picked out the colors and got to blow the glass.
 















It is still cooling in this
picture. The colors changed even more as it cooled and then they finished the top of the vase.


We are so blessed to have these opportunities. I hope the kids have wonderful memories of their time in Germany.


Comments

  1. Thanks for providing recent updates regarding the concern, I look forward to read more.
    European Mattress

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Door Table

Once there was a store in Georgia. It is no more, but how I wish it was. I likened going in there to treasure hunting. One never knew what was going to be in there, and you had to dig through and wade through all the "other people's treasures" to find your own. I once found a set of blue and white teacups and saucers from England. I found lace handkerchiefs, a rocking chair, and an end table. But by far the best find was my kitchen table. I had stopped by one day while the kids were taking horseback lessons and the then little ones were asleep. The store was not open, but I went up to the window to see if anything new was there. And it was there. The table. And six chairs too! We were in need of a bigger table with Jack on the way. My mom had offered to give us her old one, which I was going to accept if I didn't find something I liked better. I didn't want anyone else to even see the table because I knew it was supposed to be ours, but one can never tell abo

Fog and faith

 I stepped out into the coolness of the November morning to start the car and defog the windows, preparing to take Jack to school. Daylight had yet to appear. As we drove the many miles, the sky lightened, and we could see the mist hanging out just above the grass. We usually listen to a story together on our drive, adding commentary, exchanging a knowing glance or a shocked expression as the twists and turns unfold. I relish this time with Jack. I know that all too soon he will be preparing to leave the nest, like his sisters before him.  On the drive back, I pull my rosary from my purse and pray. By this time, the sun is just about to appear, making the sky a beautiful orange-pink on the horizon. I am pondering much as I pray, for the path I am on is once again rocky and uncertain. Such is life, whether we have faith or not. Faith makes it bearable. For the most part, the road home is a straight shot and I can see the ribbon of road laid out before me, narrowing in the distance. The

A Tale of a Tail (or the excitement of the day)

 First of all, I doubt anyone still checks this little old neglected blog, so I am probably talking to myself right now. But if by chance, there is still someone out there, I will tell the tale of the tail I came to tell. As little boys are apt to do, Peter left his rainboots outside on the front porch several days ago. As they do not add to the decor on the porch, I decided to bring them inside this morning and I put them by the back door, where they belong. There they sat, until the mail truck came by and tucked our mail into the box. I may or may not have mentioned that our property is surrounded by a moat during the rainy days. There is no going to collect the mail without rain boots. Seeing how Peter was supposed to be doing his math lesson, of course he eagerly volunteered to go get the mail. He hopped up from the table and went to put on his boots. The scream that came from him made me leave my seat! I thought he had hurt himself. He claimed there was a roach in his boot. I pick