Having spent the best past of the last three months in Europe alone as a family, tripping from place to place and country to country, and only speaking a small amount of each language, feelings of isolation had definitely started to creep in. So to connect with friends on arriving in Germany, and be welcomed so warmly, has been an absolute blessing and has made our time here a real trip highlight. Germans also know how to do winter right: houses warmed to perfection; gorgeously lit Christmas decorations adorning every window; hearty meals featuring lots of meat, potato and bread; and hot mulled wine and eiliquor around a roaring fire pit.
Our time in Germany began with a short stay in Konstanz on the Swiss-German border (the city actually straddles the border, and you can easily walk between the two). We were greeted here by Rolf, a friend of Fiona’s mother, who proved to be a very willing and helpful tour guide.
We then travelled to the former East Germany, for two weeks in Reichenbach with our good friends Michael and Anica. During our time here it really felt like we became part of an extended German family, with Michael and Anica going to amazing lengths to make sure we were comfortable: organising a cosy flat to stay in; providing us with additional layers so we could venture out into the sometimes sub-zero temperatures of the German autumn; and arranging days at the local school for Anna and Sienna. They also organised a full two weeks of activities: dinner at a traditional German restaurant; an evening visit to Dresden; a morning making Räucherkerzen (traditional East German Christmas incense cones); a buffet breakfast at one of the top patisseries in Germany, where we were treated like (very minor) celebrities, as the customers who had travelled the farthest distance (we even made the Instagram page); three hours spent fully naked at a sauna in the swanky city of Bad Elster; and the absolute highlight of our time in Germany — a kid-free overnight trip to Leipzig which included our first Christmas market, followed by a night of dancing to 90s German electropunk band Deichkind (I was so tired the following day that my brain went into default mode, and I proceeded to drive on the left side of the road, which fortunately lasted only as long as it took for Fiona to yell “what the hell are you doing?!?!” before I veered back on to the correct side, leaving a trail of startled German motorists and pedestrians in my wake).
We now head back to the United Kingdom excited about the last month of our adventure, but feeling sad to say goodbye to the many wonderful people we have spent time with here — Petra, Gisela, Wolfgang, Antje, Nils, Finn, Nuria, Elizabeth, Dani, Matthias, Nadine, Noah, Eliah and Josua — not to mention a couple of very special furry friends, Karl and Emil.
Wow, amazing time in Germany. Enjoy the final leg.
Wow ! Gosh Germany sounds amazing !
Awesome work team!!