Synopsis: Easter Holiday in Germany to visit Helen and Laura, and Can and Hendrik. A ten day holiday packed full of fun and interesting days out. Especially nice to see Helen and Can’s new place.
(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)
Tuesday 3rd April: I arrived at Stutgart airport. Helen, Can and I took a walk on Teckberg
I arrived punctually at Stuttgart airport, and there to greet me were Helen and Can. It was so nice to see them both again. Helen visited me, along with Laura, at Christmas. I hadn’t seen Can since his visit to England in 2008.
Helen and Can suggested a walk up to Burg Teck on Teckberg (confused?) as the sun was shining and the day warm. Sounded good to me so we sought out a supermarket in Kirchheim and bought some readymade sandwiches and drinks and off we set. We parked in the car park and found a bench at a nearby picnic spot to eat our lunch. There was rather a keen wind blowing but the fantastic view made up for that. Pudding was Kinder eggs. Well, you see, I kidded Helen at the supermarket checkout, that we wouldn’t find Cadbury’s Creme Eggs in Germany. She said Kinder Eggs were the German equivalent, so each of us picked one up as we paid for our lunch supplies.
Coat of arms of noble familes of this region
It is a reasonable climb from the car park up to the old Burg Teck castle at the top of the hill, and Can wasn’t at full strength, having recently been ill, but we made it to the top. I vaguely recollected the castle from my previous visit to Germany in 2008. Over the entrance are the coats of arms of various nobility from the region.
Helen and Can, on the perimeter wall of Burg Teck
I recognised one of the perimeter walls from our previous visit. At that time I posed everyone on the wall eating their ice creams for a photograph. This time I posed Helen and Can on that same wall for this new photograph. The peak to the left of the range of hills in the background I was told was Hohenstaufen, a hill we would climb later in the holiday (see Sunday 8th April below).
View from the ridge on Teckberg
On returning from the castle Helen suggested we walk out on a hill ridge to take in the views, and this we did. It was certainly worth it, as it was possible to look down the valley for miles (or is that kilometres?).
Helen preparing supper in the kitchen of their new flat
A little while after arriving back at Helen and Can’s Laura joined us. I showed her my new camera and she used it to take a few photos about Helen and Can’s flat of which this is one; it shows Helen preparing food in the kitchen.
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 3.3 miles (5.3 Km)
Elapsed Time: 2hrs 12min
Total Ascent: 392 metres
Maximum Elevation: 780 metres
Wednesday 4th April: Helen and I took a trip into Stuttgart and visited the Landesmuseum
Helen had got some pretzels so that I might have breakfast German style, something I could get used to. Very nice with just a bit of butter on them.
The Landesmuseum of Stuttgart is situated in the old castle. This is a lovely old building and although much renovated still has echoes of its medieval origins. Inside this building is a superb model of how the castle would have looked during medieval times, complete with walled enclosure and moat.
As there was a major refurbishment of the interior taking place many areas of the museum were closed and off limits, and for that reason there was no entry charge being made. Helen and I took in some of the portraits of the old dukes and kings of Baden-Wurttemberg.
A boy looks at his reflection in the mirror that is held by another boy
In the basement there is a museum of glass with exhibits that date back over 3,000 years. This is quite an amazing collection with many fine examples of early glass. There are also many exquisitely beautiful later works in glass to admire, such as this example of a boy looking at his reflection in the mirror that is held by another boy.
Monument of count Eberhard I in the inner courtyard of the old castle of Stuttgart
After leaving the museum we had just a little time to spare so we wandered out into the inner courtyard of the old castle where we came upon this monument to Eberhard 1.
Modern stained glass in the Stiftskirche Stuttgart
We then took a very quick look around the Stiftskirche Stuttgart (Collegiate Church). Much of this church is now quite modern, having been heavily destroyed during bombing raids in the Second World War. This is an example of the modern stain glass that now adorns the church.
Konigstrasse, Stuttgart. The main shopping street.
By now time had run out and we were getting late for our 5pm train back to Uhingen. Helen said it was now time to run. I had just enough time to take a couple of shots of the main street (Konigstrasse) of Stuttgart before making a dash for it.
Laura and Hendrik came around in the evening. In the evening Helen, Laura and I cook a wok meal (Bang Bang Chicken p.55 7/10). This wine required sherry, so we bought a bottle, and as we had spare, this made for a very nice aperitif.
Since everyone was together I handed out a few Easter presents that I had brought over for everyone. I think the lava lap that I gave to Can went down particularly well. I discovered Hendrik doesn’t drink tea which was rather unfortunate, as I’d given him a teapot; still, as Laura said, it is a good present, as Hendrik will want to make her a cup of tea.
Thursday 5th April: Helen, Laura and I visited Hohenneuffen, in the mist, and Panorama Therme Beuren
There aren’t that many photographs of this day, and that’s for two main reasons: 1) Up on Hohenneuffen there was a thick mist all around and visibility was down to about 50 metres at best; and 2) We went to a thermal baths where photography was not permitted. For this reason, you will have to take my word for it that this was a thoroughly enjoyable day.
I really enjoyed the thermal baths as this was not something that I’d done before. Relaxing in the hot baths and being gently massaged by the water jets is extremely calming and soothing. The saunas and steam rooms were interesting too. I even had a go under one of the plunge showers, the one with the big diameter outlet, although I admit my time under this was extremely limited. Well, is was darned cold. And the only other thing I wasn’t sure about was what Helen and Laura referred to as caniping (or some such word), whereby you walk through a cold bath raising your legs as high as you can, for as long as you can, and then plunge back into the warm bath. This sure makes your legs tingle.
Helen and Laura in the mists on Hohenneuffen
Here is one of the rare photographs taken on this day. It shows Helen and Laura in the mists as we approached Hohenneuffen.
We had a cheese dip salad meal for supper that evening.
Later that evening Helen, Laura and I watch the film I Capture the Castle. We chose this film because all three of us had now read and enjoyed the book, Laura having just completed it. The film is very true to the book and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Friday 6th April: We’re invited around to Can’s mum, Christine’s place, and took a walk around Heiningen
Christine and Can, in the kitchen at Christine's
Christine, Can’s mum had prepared maultaschen, a traditional Swabian dish for Good Friday, since the meat, which should not be eaten on this day, is concealed in a ravioli like pasta, hence it is a big secret that we were eating meat. This was served with diced potato cooked in a Swabian style called kartoffelsalat, whereby the potato is cooked in oil. Christine like’s the colour purple, and her kitchen is particularly purple, as can be seen in this photo.
Coloured eggs decorate a tree in a garden in heiningen
We had a walk around Heningen in the afternoon. One of the unusual (at least for an Englishman) things that I came across was garden trees that had been decorated by coloured eggs. I understand these are ordinary eggs dipped in a dye. A nice touch for Easter.
Tea at Christine's - what a fantastic spread!
Christine had prepared a lovely tea for us that evening. Delicious cakes and goodies to eat, and presented on a lovely tea service.
Laura, whilst at Christine’s, had a severe attack of gurgle tummy. It’s difficult to know what caused this and we were all worried that it would knock Laura out over the Easter holidays. As it happens, Laura made a speedy recovery, and by the following day she was feeling much better. Impressive tummy sounds from Laura all the same.
Later that evening we watched the Tintin DVD that I had given Helen as an Easter present.
Saturday 7th April: Helen, Laura and I visited the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart
Today didn’t start too well. Helen, Laura and I were planning to catch the train into Stuttgart, but after waiting for more than an hour on the station platform, and then hearing over the PA system that we’d have to wait another hour for a train, we decided to leg it back to Laura’s. There we ate our picnic lunch and I met Tobi for the first time on this trip. We three then piled into Laura’s car as she offered to drive us into the Mercedes Benz museum in Stuttgart. We arrived in good time. Perhaps this whole episode was meant to remind us of the value of the motor car and why it’s been such a success.
Hendrik was to have joined us at the museum and although he was in the museum at the same time as us we never did meet up. We all however thought the museum made for an extremely interesting visit. The displays are superb and the way the history of the motor car is interwoven with the world history of the time is excellent. You don’t have to be a car fanatic to appreciate this museum. I don’t know my Mercedes Benz cars as well as some, so I’ve simply picked out a couple of models of particular interest to me, and if you wish to see more, check out my holiday photo set on Flickr (link above).
Mercedes Benze 300 SL Gullwing
I’ve always admired the lines of this gull wing car. It was probably totally impractical and a really difficult car to get in and out of, but the lines seem to me to be near perfect. It strikes me as so elegant. The quirkiness of the gull wing doors just adds to the appeal. So, how much would one cost? Well, one sold in January for $4.6 million. Start saving now!
Mercedes Benz limousine
Why this car? I can hear you asking that question. Well, the reason is this: I had a model version of this car, right down to the same colour, when I was a boy, and yet this is the first time that I had ever seen one for real. I guess we don’t get that many limousines down here in Devon. In many respects the car’s design could be said to be very conservative, and yet it seems to make a powerful statement all the same.
The Mercedes Benz Museum is simply a museum that must be seen.
Hendrik joined us later that evening for supper. We watched the film Prince of Persia on DVD.
Sunday 8th April: Helen, Can, Can’s mum Christine, Laura and I take a walked up Hohenstaufen
This was to be an outdoor exercise day. Helen and Can knew of this walk up Hohenstaufen which we thought we’d try. We thought Can’s mother might like to join us, so Can spoke with Christine and arranged for her to meet us at the car park. By 10:30 we were ready to set off on our walk.
Can, Laura, Christine and Helen, on the approach to Hohenstaufen
The path begins through woods, following the course of the road. As we came out from the trees a fantastic view of our intended destination, Hohenstaufen, across a sweeping valley from where we stood. A small village named Hohenstaufen lies just below the peak of the hill, both of which are clearly visible in this photograph.
The altar of the church in Hohenstaufen
We stopped at the village to briefly look around the church. It appears to me that German churches are relatively stark when compared to our English counterparts. The light streaming in from the window behind the altar did make for a nice photograph.
A bench with a view on Hohenstauffen
From the summit of Hohenstaufen there are terrific views for miles around on a clear day such as this. How is this for a bench with a view? The two peaks that can be viewed in the distance are, in conjunction with where we stood, a three-peak range of hills. We found a picnic bench nearby and hastily ate our picnic lunch, as there was a chill wind blowing and we were keen to continue on our walk.
"Why does it always rain on me?", asks Laura.
As we approached the car park on our return we took a small detour to circle around a small lake in the forest. Poor old Laura; she tells me it always rains on her (see photo left) :-)
In the evening we had a barbecue at Laura’s place. I took a small amount of time out to see if I could do anything with Laura’s printer which she said wasn’t printing properly. I ran the cleaning option from the maintenance option, but this did not improve the printing.
We decided to eat inside as it was rather cool and there was the threat of rain. We had a little sherry from the previous evening’s meal, which we shared around as an aperitif. It was evident we would need more sherry before my holiday was out.
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 8.6 miles (13.7 Km)
Elapsed Time: 4hrs 23min
Total Ascent: 529 metres
Maximum Elevation: 696 metres
Monday 9th April: Laura, Hendrik, Can and I visited the Uracher Waterfall
I went around the Laura’s place to take another look at her printer. Unfortunately my best efforts to clean the print head proved to no avail, the printer still failing to print correctly after all my cleaning. Why can technology prove so exasperating? Grrrh!
Helen needed some time today to catch up on her class preparations so the four of us, Laura, Hendrik, Can and I, took a trip out to the Uracher Waterfall. Hendrik kindly offers to drive. It was rather a wet day, but we weren’t about to allow that to dampen our spirits.
Laura, taking a shower at the Uracher Waterfall
There were quite a number of cars in the car park, so we were not the only ones undaunted by the inclement weather. We set off along a short track that would take us to the waterfall. The water shoots out on an overhang from the top of the waterfall, so the drop is quite dramatic. It’s possible to stand quite close to where the water plummets, as Laura was keen to prove.
Laura and Hendrik, at the head of drop of the Uracher Waterfall
A path sneaks its way up the side of the hill to the top of the waterfall. There are good views from the railings of where the stream of water shoots out from the falls. Here there is a small cafe, a sheltered picnic hut, and a place for barbecues. There were some hardened barbecue fanatics attempting to cook their sausages in the rain. That’s the spirit I like to see!
We ate our picnic lunch in the car as it was still raining. A flask of hot tea went down well with Laura and I. As soon as we’d eaten we set off in the car.
On the way back we dropped Can at the railway station in Plochingen so that he might return home, whilst Hendrik, Laura and I drive on to where they do their dance training. Hendrik and Laura did some dance training so that I might see them dance, this being the first time I’d seen Laura dance for real, as on all previous occasions I’d only seen her dance on video. It was a real treat for me. Hendrik and Laura danced beautifully, and it was a joy to watch.
We had pizzas from the pizza place just across the road from Helen and Can’s. These were very nice, but also very large, so there was plenty left over, except that of Hendrik and Can, who both ate theirs.
Tuesday 10th April: Helen, Can and I visited Blautopf & Ulm, and climbed the spire of the cathedral
The weather looked promising today, warm and sunny, as we set off for our first destination, Blautopf, Blaubeuren. Helen had explained to me that this choice of destination was to show me the deep pool (21 metres) of Blautopf, where the waters are coloured by the rocks through which the water flows before springing to the surface at this pool.
Church of the Benedictine Abbey in Blaubeuren
Before we visited the pool we briefly paused to explore the Benedictine abbey in Blaubeuren. There is an impressive reredos triptych in the church of the abbey, as shown in this photograph.
Blautopf - the pool and the old mill
We then walked on to the Blautopf. The colours of the pool of water lived up to their reputation. I understand the colour of the water is the result of the chemical properties of the limestone in the water. There is an information board that has a graphic illustration of the underground path the water takes on its route to the Blautopf pool.
Blautopf - ducks in the pool
I could have done with having a polarising filter for my camera, as unfortunately reflections on the water detracted from the true colour of the pool. It was also difficult to obtain a clear view of the pool too, as there are trees obscuring the view all around. Nevertheless, I believe my photos may convey some impression of the unusual and beautiful quality of this pool.
Blaubeurin - a watercourse running beside the old timber-framed houses
The town of Blaubeuren is a pretty place and so we took some time to wander through its streets as we followed a circular route back to our car. We then set off on our journey to Ulm, arriving around midday. Helen and I acquired a town map from the tourist information office and then sat on a low wall in view of Ulm Munster (cathedral) to eat our leftover pizza from last night. Can went off in search of his lunch, having eaten his pizza entirely on the previous night, returning with 4 burgers!
Ulm Munster - west side with steeple
We decided the best plan after our lunch would be to begin with the Munster, since we were sitting opposite it. We started with a climb of the steeple, which I thought was the tallest in Germany, but we discovered that in fact Ulm Munster has the tallest steeple in the world at 161.5 metres, and 768 steps. Can found the climb a little unsettling, since he doesn’t have a good head for heights. Standing on the first gallery, it took a lot of persuasion to get him to approach the railings to take in the view.
Can and Helen taking in the view from one of Ulm Munster's galleries
We thought that next we were climbing to the second gallery, and that would be as far as we could go, but we discovered there were yet more steps, and yet more steps again. The first ‘yet more’ took us to a third gallery, and then there was the final stairwell taking us up the spire to the very top. Here it is very cramped both on the stairs up and the final gallery, but the views, including those of the Alps, are more than just rewards for our efforts.
The Donau (the Danube) as seen from the spire of Ulm Munster
We became somewhat entangled at the highest level, since we, and a small group following us, proceeded clockwise around the spire, only to be greeted by a group coming in an anti-clockwise direction. It took quite some negotiations before there was agreement that we should all be going in the same direction, as there was insufficient room to pass.
The Donau (the Danube) - cafes and restaurants along the banks of the river
After Ulm Munster, we decided to head off in the direction of the Donau (the Danube), which had been visible from the steeple of Ulm Munster. There are paths that run along both banks of the river, with a number of cafes and restaurants overlooking the Donau. Can was keen to cross the river as the other side was Bavaria, whereas we were in Baden-Wurttemberg.
The old Fischerviertel (fishermen’s quarter) just off the Donau
We then headed for the old Fischerviertel (fishermen’s quarter) just off the Donau. This area is crossed with waterways and cobbled streets, and is full of old timber-framed houses. It is very picturesque and a lovely place to just stroll through.
In the evening we shop in a Turkish shop in Goppingen and buy the ingredients that Can and Helen are to cook for our supper tonight. Laura comes around to be with us. We all really enjoyed the meal, involving us all mucking in with the preparations, me pasting the pastry with egg white, Helen and Laura making up the pastry rolls, and Can cooking the aubergines. This, on top of a very busy day, did make for a very late night. As Laura had work the following day, she set off for home as soon as she had finished her meal.
Wednesday 11th April: Laura and I visited Willhelma, Stuttgart’s Zoo
Laura took some time out from her physiotherapy work to join us at Helen and Can’s for lunch. Can had to go to work today, so that meant there was just the three of us. We had some leftovers from yesterday’s Turkish supper which Helen reheated in the microwave for our lunch.
The penguins at Stuttgart Zoo
Laura and I hastily gathered our things after lunch for our trip to Wilhelma, Stuttgart Zoo. I attempted to use my Garmin GPS to assist our navigation, but this took us past the Stuttgart Zoo turnoff, which was rather annoying. Anyway, after a nifty little u-turn by Laura, we were soon parked at the zoo and began our tour at the penguins, always fun to watch.
Strange looking animal in the insect house, Stuttgart Zoo
There were some pretty strange looking animals in the insect house. It made me realise that this planet is populated with some very weird animals.
The butterfly house, Stuttgart Zoo
Next, Laura and I found ourselves in the butterfly house. These are always very colourful. There were several large species fluttering around. Not quite as easy to photograph as one might think, not least because the butterfly house was packed, especially with children, for whom the butterflies were evidently a major attraction. They seemed to have learnt the trick of taking an apple with them, since the butterflies were happy to sit on pieces of held apple, presumably because they would feed off of them.
Polar bear
I asked Laura if we could see the bears next. We started by viewing what were purported to be brown bears, but I thought these were decidedly fair in colour. We then made our way to where the polar bears are kept. I’d seen photos taken by Laura of the polar bears at Stuttgart Zoo, and knew from these that it was possible to get a good view of them at this zoo; we were not disappointed, as can be seen from this photo.
Freckle faced elephant, Stuttgart Zoo
The big cats section was a bit of a disappointment, as these were sleepy and mostly out of view. Moving on to the elephant enclosure we discovered that a million Euro renovation of the elephant enclosure was taking place, which looks to be a superb structure, as it’s now nearly complete. To see the elephants today we had to go to the interior of the elephant enclosure where we saw this rather freckled elephant.
The glass houses and gardens, Stuttgart Zoo
Besides the animals at the zoo I was extremely impressed by the gardens and glass houses. The glass houses appear to be very early constructions, with beautiful iron tracery. The grounds of the zoo are themselves a very pleasant place in which to take a stroll.
In the evening Helen cooked us salmon on a bed of white sauce and parsley. This we enjoyed very much, although Helen was critical of her sauce, which she said had not reached the right consistency.
Later that night we watched the film As Good as it Gets on DVD together. Or at least all bar Can who was watching a football match on his laptop. The film was a big mistake actually. We’d chosen the film because Laura had said that she’d would be attending a seminar on anger control and I had said that there was a good scene in As Good as it Gets about anger management, but this was a mistake, as the film I actually meant is called Anger Management. Still, I think we all enjoyed the film all the same.
Thursday 12th April: Helen, Can and I visited Schloss Ludwigsburg
Helen and I were sat around her laptop after have had our breakfast, exploring things that we might do. I asked about Karlsruhe, which I’d seen on road signs, but investigating this place, there didn’t seem to be much of ‘tourist’ interest. Then Helen came up with the idea of Schloss Ludwigsburg. Checking this place out, there appeared to be lots to see at this place, as, in addition to the palace and gardens, there are several museums hosted in the palace. We put together a picnic lunch and, along with Can, set off for Ludwigsburg.
Approaching Schloss Ludwigsburg through the south garden
There was some sun in the morning, although brooding dark black clouds drifted through the sky. This made for a good light for photographs. The palace itself is very attractive, and quite a size. It sits in very large gardens which had plenty of colour in them. This photo is a view of the palace on our approach, in front of which is the south garden.
The knot garden at Schloss Ludwigsburg
We found a knot garden with a fountain at its centre on the northern side of the palace. Here we settled on a bench to grab a quick mid-morning snack. This looked like high maintenance gardening to me.
Aladdin, from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights)
Helen told me that she and Laura would come here as children as there is a corner of the gardens given over to the “Children’s Realm”. Here there are recreations of scenes from various folk tales including those from the Brothers Grimm. It’s a very interactive experience for children, with the sets performing little animations at the touch of a button. It’s necessary to know a little of the folk tales to get the best out of the exhibits, which apparently most German children do know.
Ducks by the lake, Schloss Ludwigsburg, and Can is a contented man
We found a bench near a lake on which to eat our picnic lunch. There were ducks, which once again enchanted Can. Towards the end of our meal it began to spit with rain, so we made a hasty retreat in the direction of the palace. This was extremely fortuitous, as we happened to arrive just a few minutes before the only English tour of the palace for today (at 14:30) was about to begin.
The palace tour was very interesting, although I have no photographs as photography is not permitted. Apparently the palace was not occupied for 200 years which meant that there was little change done to it since it was built. It therefore represents a very true picture of how the palace would have looked at the time it was built at the beginning of the 18th century. Much of the furniture is also original to the building. It was particularly interesting to see the theatre, which apparently is the oldest in Europe to still have it’s original stage apparatus in working order. The tour guide constantly made reference to the fake marble, which he described as an artificial ‘stucco marble’, by which I think he would be referring to scagliola, which is of lower cost than real marble.
We had some time to spare after the palace tour and as previously mentioned, there are a number of museums in the palace, so we thought we’d take a quick tour of one of these. I said I had an interest in seeing the ceramics museum and Helen and Can were happy to defer to my choice. Once again I have no photographs of the museum, reason as for the palace, but I can say this museum has a fine collection of ceramics through the ages. One particular exhibit that I liked was a set of miniature figurines that portrayed the grand fair of Ludwigsburg that took place annually, the figures having been created in the 18th century. These were exquisitely produced and must represent a realistic eye on the fun and entertainments of the annual town fair of that time.
Hendrik came around in the evening. He told me his sister Olga really enjoyed the Cadbury’s Creme Eggs that I had brought over. Hendrik gave me a chocolate bar named ‘Twisted’, which is a Cadbury’s Creme Egg in the form of a bar. Rather a strange name, and rather a strange shape for a creme egg.
Laura also came around in the evening and we three cooked a wok meal (Hot Spiced Beef curry p.79 – 8/10). Laura and I offered to do the shop which we were to regret since there appeared to be a shortage of beef in Uhingen on this day. Eventually we came up with the goods, even the turmeric, which you should be warned, has a name in German that bears no comparison with its English counterpart.
We rather enjoyed the sherry the other day, so I had bought us another bottle, which made for a very nice aperitif. Hendrik joined us for supper. We played a game of Wizard; I won! Laura and I said our parting farewells, as this was the last we should see of each other on this trip. It was a sad moment, as these partings always are. We had had such fun together over the last few days. Luckily Hendrik was there to comfort Laura and see her safely home.
Friday 13th April: Time to return to England
Helen was up early and had gone to the shops to buy some pretzels and some Berliners (I think that was the name), a kind of doughnut with jam filling. A very yummy breakfast, and very German, for my last meal in Germany. I quickly brush everything back into my holdall and I’m soon ready to be on my way. Helen and Can drive me to Stuttgart airport. There’s quite a queue at security, as they’re being very thorough. And sadly I had so say my farewells to Helen and Can. We’d had so much fun it seemed such a shame to have to leave.
Helen and Can
Laura and Hendrik
Thanks Helen and Can, Laura and Hendrik, and Christine too, for making my Easter holiday in Germany such an enjoyable time. It was great to see you all on your ‘home ground’.
