 |
| Simba looking out the bedroom window |
Side note: Simba was sleeping when we arrived at the pension. When he heard Derek and I whispering, he popped his head up right away and started meowing. He then proceeded to roll around on the floor as he usually does when he is happy. This made us smile as we had thought he might like the pension so much that he wouldn't want to go home.
We headed to our new apartment and after getting a few things unpacked, we went out to the town center for some lunch - a great German wurst- and started to climb the vineyards to see what the Weinwanderweg was all about. On May 1 vine owners set up tents along the trail and people walk from Zwingenberg to Heppenheim trying different wines and picnicking. We only walked about 1.5 km through the trails. This area is truly stunning and I'm not sure if my photos can do it justice. Maybe you should come visit us now to see for yourself? We do have an extra bedroom! We walked on the trail for a little while and then made our way through the town park and back to the apartment.
 |
| Walking along the wine trail in Zwingenberg |
After a nice discussion with our landlady and her son, we enjoyed the sunset views of our new home for the next nine months. The place is definitely not perfect, but is very spacious, has a great location and has most of the stuff we need. For example, I went to heat up my dinner in the microwave a few nights ago. This led me to discover that we don't have a microwave. Interesting. But we will manage!
Yesterday I explored the town a bit and I must say, it is one of the cutest, quaint towns I have seen yet. The cobbled streets of the city center are filled with cafes and restaurants with outside seating next to fountains and trees. I even found a chocolate and wine cafe- sounds like heaven to me. There is a grocery store near the train station, which is only about a 13 minute walk from our flat. As in most parts of Germany, the houses are beautiful, the gardens are plentiful, and I even saw bright pink peonies in bloom. I think Zwingenberg will make a great home for us for the next nine months.
 |
| The entrance to our flat and our patio |
This weekend is relaxing - on Friday night I had dinner with some friends from work and on Saturday Derek joined Marius at a Springfest (beer festival) in Stuttgart. He took the train back last evening and met me at a friends house for game night. Today we explored our backyard, literally, the Odenwald National Park. It is a very large hilly forested area that occupies several hiking trails, large valleys, streams, picnic tables, etc. I was in awe at the beauty right out our backdoor (It's a 1 minute walk to the park entrance from our flat). I am so excited to be able to explore this area - its a great place to spend one hour or five just hiking and exploring.
Next week is my last week of work before returning home on Sunday the 13. I am so excited to go home and finish last minute preparations for the wedding, and of course, to see everyone. After the wedding, we will return to Zwingenberg for a day before traveling to Sicily for four nights. Abby (my sister) will arrive the following Tuesday for one month. I must say, we have been blessed with a wonderful experience abroad, wonderful family and friends.
My Paris blog is almost ready, but due to slow Internet connectivity, I can't upload the photos. Hopefully sometime this week I'll have it up!
I was fortunate enough to live in a U.S. army-contracted apartment on the extreme north side of Zwingenberg from 1978 - 1981. My God, I loved that little town. Whenever I hear of a friend or relative traveling to Germany, I make sure and tell them how to find the Bergstrasse north from Heidelberg, they are sure to like Zwingenberg. From the looks of things on Google Earth, not much has changed in that beautiful little town. I miss it so.
ReplyDelete