A weekend in Trier

It's the end of August and the evenings are getting darker. The summery  heatwave is gone and finally we have some cooler days and nights. Actually we had quite a strong summer storm last week. Some winds blowing about 100km/hour were measured near the dutch coastline. Two days in a row my son came home soaking wet after school. He doesn't want to wear rain clothes when cycling(a typical teenager).

It has been a different year so far, but many nice memories were also  made in these insecure times.

We were mostly at home, but I'm glad we could make a few small trips. Like in many European countries the corona virus cases are increasing also in the Netherlands after the summer holidays. We just try to follow all the rules and stay healthy. It is important that the kids could go back to school and have some social contacts and normal lessons there. At the schools of my kids they only use masks if the teacher wants, at some other schools it is obligated to use a mask at least in crowded hallways. The schools can make their own decisions on some issues, but for example the ventilation should be checked and updated to modern regulations. It is a problem in some older buildings. You can't keep the doors and windows open during the colder months.

As a family we just follow our weekly plans and avoid big crowds of people. We keep it simple at home and try to enjoy the beauty of our daily routines. We are not stopping living and planning, now it's time to dream and  find some new ideas for the future. The virus is among us and we can't just totally stop the spreading of it. There has to be a some sort of balance between keeping the life going on and controlling the corona spread. I don't think the total isolation and spreading the fear is a good thing. I am not anymore following the news about this issue on daily basis. The way media is talking about this is just taking my energy down. The news and the journalism are important, but our time is overwhelming with all the details, scenarios and speculations. I'm just focusing on our well being as a family right now.

Augusta Treverorum 

-Trier-

Two weeks ago we drove to Germany for a weekend with my husband. We visited a very old, actually the oldest German town Trier. We drove nonstop from Amsterdam via Maastricht and Belgium to Trier. It takes about 4 hours and driving through the first flat dutch scenery followed by the beautiful, hilly views of Ardennen (Belgium)...there is so much great nature to see. It's not possible to stop in Belgium at the moment because of the corona rules. 

Trier is an old Roman town. Surprisingly it existed already before the Rome in Italy. There are very many interesting ruins and museums to visit and to learn about the Roman culture. Trier is easy to discover by foot. Just perfect size for a quiet weekend trip. It is also a student town and there is an international vibe when walking on the streets. 

We found many nice terraces and restaurants to visit. You have to wear a mask when entering to restaurant, but the mask can be taken off after you are seated on a table. Also at the Hotel everything was organized well. People are wearing masks in the public areas of the hotel and the breakfast buffet was clever with individually served small portions (breads, fruits, yoghurts, cheese and meats, veggies already set on small individual boards of bowls- ready to take to table).

Porta Nigra

Porta Nigra is the north gate of the town and it used to be a part of the old, more than 6km long city wall around Trier(build around 160-200 after Christ). It was made from a white sandstone which got black over the time, because of the small micro-organisms on the stone. Since the Middle ages it's known as a black gate (Porta Nigra). At one point the whole gate was a part of a new building, a church. The roman gate was hidden and also protected behind these new construction for centuries. During the French rule (1794-1814) Napoleon arranged for the excavation of the ancient building. The extensive conservation work took place between 1969-1973. As a visitor you can go and climb to all 3 floors of the gate, learn about the history and admire the panoramic views.

Amphitheatre

The weather was great the whole weekend and we decided to stay more outdoors. One afternoon we walked to the ruins of roman amphitheatre nearby our hotel. The roman arena was build around 160-200 after Christ. It is estimated there was about 20 000 seats for the audience to watch the animal fights, gladiator shows, religious gatherings and musical happenings in Roman times. Now you can hardly see any seats. The curves of the arena are covered with grass and earth. You can see better the old stone structures under the arena and around it. It is an interesting place to visit and surrounded with nice views.

In the last morning we walked to a hill nearby our hotel and admired the views above the vineyards and over the Mosel valley. It was a beautiful morning and worth to walk there. A last look over the green hills and some fresh air before it got hot in the sun. 

Thank you for the wonderful trip my partner. It was so relaxed and interesting. Autumn can come now. I have some new plans for me for the next half a hear. I will tell about them in my next post and update the info about my healthy lifestyle changes as well. 

...Best September wishes...

We definitely have to go back to Trier. We did not have time to see all the nice places. Maybe next year!

Nice restaurants:

Herrlich Ehrlich: 

A great place to sit along the Mosel river in a garden like terrace. You can also eat inside during the colder months. We only had drinks, but the food looked delicious. 

Restaurant Schlemmereule: 

More Traditional and elegant place with super good food and attentive service. Modern and fine tuned portions. Fine dining in relaxed athmospere. 

Liebling Trier : 

Great, modern, fresh vegetarian dishes. Young&urban style with ecological ideas. Funky interior.

For a late night or a afternoon drinks:

Citybeach Trier: 

A sandy beach on a rooftop of a shopping centre with a bar. Nice place to chill and enjoy the sky and the silhouette of Trier.

I know this place!

I know this place and I still love this place. Sometimes I miss the scenery and the quiet patchwork of the green countryside, the endless world behind the far away hills. I am visiting the town where I used to live 6 years in the Southern Germany. It is familiar, it is cosy and definitely a warm feeling to see the important places and the friends. After two days I could speak out my mind again with the german language and it felt I had never been away. Even the people, the familiar faces on the streets are asking did we move back. No, just visiting and enjoying the best parts of this very old town. And I know I do not want to come back to stay! It was the most important period of my life so far, teaching me a lot about myself and about my real needs and ambitions, facing the hidden parts of me. It was also a painful and vulnerable time, HAPPY, time of insecurity, but in the end I felt stronger than ever. We made the decision to go, even it was a difficult one and it turned out to be the turning point and the world was open again to discover. I felt free again. I left the hills behind me and the valley between was not my home anymore. It will always be part of me and I will be regularly coming here and I will see the same living picture book all over again. Being not part of this fairy tale anymore, jumped away from the pages and looking at the letters and the sentences and seeing everything differently. 

The view from the top of the Einkorn, the highest point in Schwäbisch Hall

Looking at the horizon gave me the feeling of freedom in Germany and now in Holland the beach has the same effect. Maybe I will be always looking for something, trying maybe to reach my roots. I have been growing some new connections, some new roots. The place can change, but the memory is collecting the details and the important people will be part of your life everywhere. They will not forget you and I will not forget them. 

It is wonderful, I am appreciating every moment here and I have still many spots to visit. I will be taking some pictures and collecting new moments and memories. 

I wish a great weekend to everybody, to you and to myself! 

A secret charm of Germany

I found a couple of memorycards, which included a lot of photos from the time we were living in Germany. During those six years we were living in Schwäbisch Hall, in the South part of the country(Baden-Württenberg). It is a small town from the middle ages. A lot of History, traditions and breath taking Nature and a little bit of a touch of the mediterranean influence in every day life. This is a little longer post, but I just wanted to show many pictures of this beautiful town and it's surroundings. More photos than text.

Cafe am Markt (cafe beside the marketplace)

Market square ( a big market every wednesday and saturday selling vegetables, fruits, cheese, flowers, fish..)

There was every Summer outdoor Theatre on the big steps of the St. Michael's Church. 

A tasty Cappuccino in a Cafe/Bar Ilge by the river. Many italians living in south Germany: many italian restaurants and ice cream bars.

St. Michael's Church and the silhouette of old the centre

There is a lot to see in this little town. Our visitors really liked the atmosphere with lovely houses in the old centre and inviting cafe's and the local culture with many Museums. Schwäbisch Hall is also a very green town, surrounded with high hills and nice walking or cycling paths beside the green river valley.

The river Kocher

Sometimes the water level was so low that the river turned out to be the big, inspiring playground for the children.

Other times the water level was very high in a rainy season.

We had a nice garden and a cute terrace in our home. Sometimes I miss it too. A lot of space to play football, have a grill party or just have a quiet coffee and read a book. A nice HOME.

It was great to have a walk near the River and hear the sound of the running water. You could also rent a little rowing boat in the summertime and enjoy the view. If you follow the river by walking or by bike to the direction of the Town park (Anlagen Park)and further you will soon see the Castle of Comburg (Schloss Comburg) which used to be a monastery in old times. It was a nice destination for a family walk. Kids loved to run there around, it was like an adventure and you will have nice views from the little windows from the castle. In the wintertime there was also classical concerts in some evenings.

A view from the Ruins of Limburg, on the horizon you see the Castle of Comburg

The most inspiring thing for me in the area of Hohenlohe, where we lived, was the hilly landscape. Even if it sometimes felt a little bit too small to live down in the valley, I always lost that tight feeling when I climbed on top of the hill and saw the big landscape around. Then the whole world was again reachable and you did not feel stuck in the same place too long. 

A view from Einkorn, the highest hill nearby. There is a nice restaurant, playground and a beer garden on the hill.

One more great destination for a historical walk outdoors is the outdoor museum Wackershofen nearby. A short drive by car or by bus from the town centre. It is a big park where they brought and rebuild some old german farm houses. You can go inside the houses and see how people lived long time ago in farms. There are also farm animals and few restaurants where you can eat traditional food. 

The Winter is almost there again. My friend from Germany just sended me a message that it was first time snowing in Schwäbisch Hall last night. A cool season and almost time for the traditional Christmas Market. A cosy season with warm drinks (glühwein) and food.

Germany is quite a big country in an european scale and has a big variety of lifestyle and nature, which I think makes it a very interesting destination to travel. I experienced more the Southern way of living, which I was told is a little bit different than living in the North part of the country. A bit more relaxed I think! I am happy that I had a chance to live there and learn to like the language, the people and the beauty of Germany. I was sceptic before I moved there, but everything turned out to be much better than I thought in advance. Better to be open and let the culture surprise you. 

Füssen, a charming town near the Alps

Forggensee beside the Alps.  A local sailing club.

Schloss Neuschwanstein, a Castle which gave also inspiration for Disney stories.

The Alps are so near in South Germany which makes it so easy for making a hiking trip or doing different sorts of winter sports. Beautiful views in every season and a strong presence of the Nature.