Short vacation

In this blog, I will document short vacations, day trips, as well as multi-day trips that I plan from spring to fall this year.

Trip 1

14.4.2017

From the wine regions of the southern hemisphere to the beautiful German Wine Route of the Southern Palatinate. All week, keeping an eye on the weather and ultimately choosing Good Friday as the best day for an outing. It was not even 20 degrees yet, but it was still fun to be able to be outside more after this long winter.

We didn't start until early afternoon, taking our time to have coffee and breakfast first.

Our tour took us from Worms to Pfeddersheim, Monsheim, Grünstadt, Bobenheim, Weisenheim, Leistadt, Bad Dürkheim, Forst, Neustadt.

Funny and creative things discovered along the way...

People were outside everywhere, whether in the ostrich restaurants, hiking, or in the 'in' wine bars, where you can see and be seen. Finally spring.... nice... let's go outside into nature.

We stopped at Haardter Castle and Hambach Castle for coffee and around 5pm we drove back home because it was starting to get cool. A short vacation day, leaving everyday life behind without much effort, sometimes that's all you need.

Trip 2

The enchanting Alsace,

we seem to be everywhere where there is wine this year🍷

A long weekend is ahead, the weather is good, and we won't miss anything at home. A nice trip to Alsace is on the program, to the Route du Vins Alsace, the Vosges, Colmar, maybe Strasbourg, or maybe not, because it's too crowded and we don't like that.

We start right after the end of work to not waste any time and to start fresh and rested the next morning.

Destination, 'Das Hotel des Vosges' in Obernai, strategically well located, simple but good, the train station in front of the door to go to Strasbourg.

This morning we didn't linger for breakfast, went to a bakery around the corner, had a quick coffee and packed a sandwich for lunch. It was 8am when we started and then we headed straight to our first destination, the Monte Saint Odile Monastery, located at an altitude of 763 meters on the eastern edge of the Vosges. The monastery is still inhabited by nuns, but there is also the opportunity to retreat here, as there is a hotel as well. It is a beautiful place, calm and quiet, simply beautiful.

A walk leads around the building with a view of the plain.

Afterwards, we continued along the wine route to Chatenois, where we had our second coffee in a street café and indulged in an éclair. I love these little pastries....

Freshened up for the next stage, the Haute Koenigsburg.

The 260-meter long structure perched as a ridge castle at an altitude of 757 meters on the eastern edge of the Vosges on a mighty sandstone rock high above the Upper Rhine Plain and is one of the highest castles in Alsace. Together with the ruin of the Ödenburg (Petit-Kœnigsbourg), located about 200 meters away at the opposite end of the ridge, it forms a group of castles. It has been reconstructed, which explains why it is so well preserved and a major tourist attraction, but if you come during the week, it is quite relaxed and for 9 euros entrance fee per person, you can visit the castle, through corridors and towers through the winding estate.

I am more of a fan of these little hidden things that not everyone visits, so I had the opportunity to visit ' les Jardins de Callunes'. A landscaped garden with many azaleas, hydrangeas, lilies, willows, and sculptures by a local artist, as well as a water lily pond. A beautiful place to linger. Thunder rumbling could be heard from the distance, and we walked through the garden all alone, wonderful.

We continued through the picturesque towns of Barr, Mittelbergheim, always along the wine route, until we stopped at another milestone, the Nusbaumer Distillery in Steige. They produce over 30 different fruit and wild berry brandies, and I couldn't resist taking a bottle or two with me. You can also taste the brandies and receive good advice.

After this beautiful sunny day with 32 degrees, we were glad to be back at the hotel at some point and spontaneously went to the restaurant attached. The heavy thunderstorms that were forecasted for this day passed us by. With a glass of wine and a nice dinner, we planned our next day.

It won't be Strasbourg after all, but another place recommended to us by our waiter, which turned out to be a good tip in retrospect.

After our breakfast, this time in the hotel, we started around 10am. It's Friday and there is more traffic on the roads, we encounter several vintage cars whose drivers are driving their tours armed with maps. Very nice cars, it's like a dream.

After a drive along the wine route, similar to the route of the previous day, we first arrive in Huawihr. There is a butterfly house there. Really worth seeing, something different from the old towns.

The little creatures flutter around you, there are so many of them, and it's so much fun to watch and photograph them.

For children, it is definitely a highlight. According to the website, you should plan 1 hour for the visit, but we stayed for two. I couldn't tear myself away and was hunting with my camera, which can take some time.

On the parking lot, a stork greeted us....

And bid us farewell as well, because we continued to the picturesque town of Riquewihr at the foot of the Vosges, about 12 km northwest of Colmar. The cityscape with the really beautiful old town from the 16th century is intact and has been classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France.

Cafés and restaurants aplenty....

We ended the evening in a Flammkuchen restaurant in Obernai.

The next morning, we went through Ribeauville, along the Route des Vins

to Sainte Marie aux Mines, through the Val d'Argent to Gerardmer, further through the Vallee du Chajoux, to Lac du Kruth.

It was quite a long distance today, but we saw a lot of scenic landscapes. In Gerardmer, we found a cozy spot by the lakeside and enjoyed our sandwiches.

Our journey continued to other beautiful lakes, surrounded by lots of nature. This area is ideal for biking and hiking. Along our route, there was an old royal textile factory, which we visited. They have a beautiful garden and a museum about textiles, especially about dyeing and printing fabrics.

The Route des Cretes led us further to a war monument from World War I, the 'Hartmannswillerkopf'. Unfortunately, there are many military cemeteries from these unnecessary world wars, but that's how it is and it cannot be changed anymore.

We continued along the Route des Cretes, passing by Grand Ballon and Honneck. If you want to stop at various cheese dairies and farms for food, a tip for you: they only start serving food again after 7 pm.

We ended our journey in Stosswihr with Flammkuchen with Münster cheese and a Riesling. When we get back home, we'll go back to low carb, no need to be stingy. Life is too short for bad food and bad wine.

We drove through Münstertal and Münster, the area where my grandfather comes from, and arrived in Colmar around 9 pm. The hotel is okay for one night, tomorrow we want to wander through Colmar.

Sunday, our last day...

Colmar,

the third largest city in Alsace and the capital of the Haut-Rhin department.

We focused on the old town with Petite Venise on this beautiful sunny morning. Colmar is really nice, although I much preferred the small towns outside the gates, but Colmar still has its charm. The 'Kaufhaus' or rather market hall with the beautiful old buildings and the Lauch flowing through the city. Unfortunately, there was a construction fence set up at the most attractive part of Petite Venise, that's just how it is sometimes.

We got two sandwiches at the market hall this morning and walked slowly towards home, driving through Landau. Along the way, we made some stops, enjoyed a dinner to end the long weekend in the Southern Palatinate.

Monday, back to the office.... but we are already looking forward to our next little trip, let's see where we end up then.

Trip 3

LAKE CONSTANCE

It is now July 13th, last week we decided to go on a one-week trip to the south of our beautiful country.

The last time I was at Lake Constance was over 20 years ago, I can remember Uhldingen and Meersburg. We found a small vacation apartment with the Ebner family in Sigmarszell. It has everything we need, away from the hustle and bustle in Lindau. We gladly drive the 6 km, we need a little relaxation and peace. Going to Lindau this evening was really crazy, endless traffic, everyone coming from the ferry wanted to leave the city, but then around 7 pm it became more relaxed. Many people made themselves comfortable along the lake with a little picnic, some even went swimming. We started by walking along the lake and then found a nice beer garden.

There are some nice events in the next few days, so the decision will be difficult.

Day 1

Today the weather is unsettled, warm but rainy, and somehow we are not getting started this morning, but it doesn't matter. First, breakfast and coffee. Our goal today is the Dornier Museum in Friedrichshafen.

The story of Claude Dornier, born in 1884, and the development of aviation and aerospace are wonderfully explained in the museum, with really beautiful exhibits and rounded off with the Star Trek exhibition, highly recommended and entertaining.

Day 2

A little exercise is good, and because it's not so hot today, we are going hiking. The Scheidegger Waterfalls are our first destination. However, the circular hiking trails are located outside, to visit the waterfalls, you have to pay admission and can view everything very nicely via stairs.

The Eistobel is much more fun, in winter bizarre ice formations form at the falls, hence the name. There are several options and hikes, so there is something for everyone. Admission is also required here, the Eistobel is highly recommended on hot days. We opted for the 5 km tour, and we are sure we can manage that, although we have walked much more before, we are just out of practice. Office jobs make you lazy and sluggish....

The big waterfall

In and around the Eistobel, it was really fun....

In Friedrichshafen, the Seehasenfest is being celebrated this weekend, and no, I did not write that wrong.

There are various stories about it, one being that after World War II, the city fathers decided to organize a festival for the children to distract and delight them, the Seehasenfest. Today it's just one big fair, live music with a beautiful fireworks display on Saturday evening. We parked at the vocational school center and took the shuttle bus to the city. It was a good decision, it was total chaos. There is an incredible amount of traffic around the lake, you have to feel sorry for the residents. It's not easy to get around quickly, especially during the holiday season.

Evening atmosphere and fireworks

Day 3

A little tour takes us today from Sigmarszell via Ravensburg, Salem, Pfullendorf, Stockach, Uhldingen, and Meersburg. We pass by orchards, vineyards, and lakes. Our first stop is a Buddhist monastery. We were allowed to enter the prayer room and could have even stayed for a meal. But then we wouldn't have been able to go any further, so we thanked them for the invitation. I can't deny that the harmonious and very relaxing atmosphere is very appealing to me. It's nice to take a little of that with you.

However, we had gotten hungry by then and found a organic bakery in Schmalegg that offered lunch. They had freshly baked Dinette, or Dünnele as they call it in Baden, a kind of 'Pizza' topped with cream and bacon, or potatoes, or leek. Super delicious, I would skip any Flammkuchen for that.

We continued, the weather today is fantastic, not too hot with a bright blue sky.

We stopped at Salem Castle, which was once an abbey of the Cistercian order. In the 19th century, the Margraves of Baden turned the huge monastery complex into their castle.

Used for various events and concerts, as well as with the internationally best-known German boarding school, where personalities are educated. The atmosphere here is very elitist, it's actually a small town in itself.

You can easily spend an afternoon here, take a guided tour, or simply enjoy the garden.

We stopped by the lake near Uhldingen and watched the kids happily splashing in the water and enjoying their Sunday, the sails of the ships glistening in the afternoon light, and the occasional hot air balloon taking off on the horizon. I can just sit and watch, in the distance, slightly in the haze, you can see the mountains of Switzerland.

About 5 km from our vacation apartment, we discovered a restaurant with a beautiful beer garden, 'Zur Sonne'. We ended the day there comfortably.

Day 4

Today it is a bit warmer again, but as I am writing this, it is noticeably cooling down, behind me the sound of a fountain, sitting comfortably on the terrace of our vacation apartment with a glass of white wine.

Originally, this morning after breakfast, we wanted to go to Wasserburg to a café at the beach. No chance! Everything closed, no parking spaces, I can only recommend taking your bikes if you have suitable vehicles. A little disappointed and annoyed, we drove on to Meersburg. After asking our navigation system for a suitable parking space, we set off, 45 minutes of driving turned into 70, well we're alone. The parking spot was also fine, a bit outside the city, and we could walk into the city relaxed. Meersburg beautifully situated on Lake Constance, the lords already knew where it was beautiful. The entrance fee is steep because it is financed privately, the castle is still inhabited, a total of 26.50 euros for the two of us, not exactly a bargain, I really wonder how families finance vacations if they want to include some general knowledge and not just hang out at the beach.

According to legend, the Merovingian King Dagobert is said to have founded the castle in the 7th century. The castle was never conquered or destroyed, and so it still proudly towers high above Lake Constance today, that's Meersburg, really great. The tour takes you through the individual chambers, the servant's house and kitchen, you can see the dungeon and can pass the private chambers with a guide, go up to the Dagobert Tower, or learn something about eating habits in the Middle Ages with another guided tour. Do you know where the saying 'to put on a tooth' or 'clever fox' comes from?

This evening, we just went to the nearby Edeka and got some sausage, olives, and cheese, and made ourselves comfortable. Tomorrow is our last day, and on Wednesday we will head back home, we still want to do something, but we have to start making our way home slowly. Thursday back to the office, office, everything is stressful enough, so leisure time doesn't have to be unnecessarily stressful.

Day 5

Good morning sunshine... today we are expecting hot summer temperatures. We slept in, we are not early risers, that only works if there is something really special on the program. Hiking is out of the question today with the heat that's coming, so we will head to the treetop walkway, it's not as strenuous.

If we hadn't received a tip from our landlord shortly before departure. Möggers in Austria, the forest nature trail. Sounds far away, but it's actually only a few kilometers away, just around the corner. So we drove there, a little walk in the forest and in the shade, that's nice. There are not many people here, it seems to be a hidden gem. The grounds are beautifully designed, there are many explanations, musical instruments made of tree trunks, several picnic spots, and hammocks, really cool. We turned off on the Inspiration Trail on the circular path, here we went up and down over tree roots, a stream, over bridges and ropes to very beautiful waterfalls where you can even walk underneath. You should wear sturdy shoes and be surefooted, the ground is muddy and slippery. The path then rejoins the normal circular path and you return to the car via a suspension bridge, but there was still a surprise before that. Sometimes you shouldn't be so curious, then you won't get wet. I won't say any more about that.

By now it was 2 pm, and our stomachs were growling, so we found a snack bar in the neighboring village, had a little something to eat, and went for a drive. We discovered a beautiful forest lake on the way near Großholzleute, the place really has that name. We spread out a blanket and just enjoyed chilling there this afternoon. Every now and then a heron flew over the lake, dragonflies danced around. Wonderful.

We discovered a guesthouse with a beautiful beer garden about 5 km from our vacation apartment, 'Zur Sonne'. We ended the day there comfortably.

Day 6

Departure, unfortunately...

35 degrees, and it will get even hotter.... Today it's really cozy, but unfortunately, we're heading home, we deliberately chose these days so as not to get caught in holiday traffic jams. Now we'll have coffee first and then pack our things.

The next trip is already booked, we will fly away for another week before winter comes and the time for cookies and mulled wine comes, which also have their charm. Maybe we'll be lucky and the beautiful summer weather will continue until September/October. Until the next blog.... Moni