I know it was an unusually sudden departure from the blog, but the hubs and I went to Germany! And did we have fun? Well, I did, for sure! It was a business trip for him, so not always fun. It was a total vacation for me. But in addition to some time off, I spent about a week with my cousin, Alexander, who I haven’t seen in about 40 years! We spent a great deal of time every day getting out and about and seeing new things. Lovely breakfasts and dinners every day, even a visit to an incredible art gallery and a Weihnachtsmarkt where we had a glass of traditional Glühwein mit Schuss (Amaretto)! I won’t lie, I spent a great deal of time sleeping in too! There was so much laughter, and mostly because of the Germ-glish we spoke! He liked to practice his English, and I had some brain fog recalling the German words, but between the both of us, we understood each other pretty well. Thanks, Alexander, for the time spent with you. Also, for your hospitality, and for the experience of reconnecting after all these years! I will look back on our time fondly and treasure it forever. And I look forward to your visit in 2025! <3
The time I spent with my husband was in a small town called Durbach, outside of the city of Offenbach. We stayed in the Hotel Rebstock, enjoying the wonderful views from our room and luxuriating in the comfortable yet firm German beds. The service at the hotel was simply superb, from the front desk to the restaurant! We both felt very well taken care of. And it was absolutely wonderful to sleep with the windows open snuggling under those classic feather comforters. We also went to another Weihnachtsmarkt in the city, but it was a little smaller than the one I went to with my cousin. While Uwe was working, I had the opportunity to walk through Durbach, and also take advantage of the many amenities of the hotel spa. Those are my little piggies sticking out from the hot salt-water pool at the hotel. That day I also enjoyed relaxing on the heated and swinging massage chairs and the sauna they offered. It was an awesome day. :)
I have to say the best part of this trip was the food. Real, authentic German food has not passed these lips in so long, and I was enjoying every single meal during my stay! Bonus – I didn’t gain a pound!
Breakfast was typically a brötchen with either honey, jam, or Nutella on one side and Schinken (ham) or Gelbwurst (like baloney, but way better!) Also, oatmeal with dark, sweet cherries and oat milk. The afternoon refreshment consisted of coffee and German pastries. Since we were in the Schwarzwald (the Black Forest), I had some of their famous Schwarzwälder Torte, as well as tasting their fruit cakes and cream pies. All of them were “melt in your mouth” deliciousness! The dinner menu at the various places we ate was no exception. I ate everything I hadn’t eaten in years and tried things I’d never had before. Simply wonderful!
Our last adventure before heading to Frankfurt Airport was to stop in the small town of Feudenheim where I used to live. It is outside the big city of Mannheim. The first photo on the left is of the apartment building we lived in. Ours was the unit on the first floor. Look at how tiny the streets are! The coolest part was running into an old friend I used to hang out with in my childhood. Amazing how the memories just flooded back! It was so cool to talk about all that we remembered. The last row of pictures – our bus stop for the school my sister and I went to on the American Army base in Käfertal, the local schoolyard where I would hang out with friends, and of course, the hubs and I enjoying our last bit of German pastries and coffee. Great way to spend the day!
So there you have it, my latest adventure! It was totally worth the long flights and the jet lag. While it was highly enjoyable, I’m glad to be back and working on the blog. My next focus will be getting the features ready for publication in 2024. I hope you all will enjoy the returning and new poets as much as I do!
I Write Her 