Tag Black Forrest Germany

13 months in Baden Wurtemburg

Anna--The Adventurer

Whew!! 13 months here have really flown by and now it is time for the next chapter!! A review in photos of all the fun I have experienced living abroad here in Germany.

Make an Impression

Anna--The Adventurer

Make me an offer!!!

impressionismart

$700 or best offer, 20% of sale price benefits Humane Society of Boulder Valley, Colorado Click on image or link to purchase

Making a good impression …with beautiful, original art.

As seen in a January post I wrote,  I dream of selling an art piece of my very own, an adventure in eBay sales for sure!!!

The price is currently at $700–but this is negotiable for sure, so make me an offer!!

Van Gogh inspired, original  impressionistic oil painting of dreams and blooms during a raging storm. Original, signed 16×20 inch framed on stretched canvas, ready to hang. Oil painting, vivid brush strokes.

While this is a dream of mine to sell a piece of my artwork, 20% of the sale price also benefits the Human Society of Boulder Valley (located in beautiful, colorful Colorado)

Black Forrest National Forrest and a Village

Anna--The Adventurer

 

15 kilometers in one day makes a very happy woman, and very tired feet!!!

The adventure began with a tram ride to the North, and disembarking in Raumümzach–which only has one stop for the village (which also boasts a lovely place called ‘Hotel Waterfall’).

I packed my lunch, grabbed my rucksack and off I went exploring, the visual experience was stunning this autumn season but nothing compared to the scent filled fresh air that prevailed itself upon my senses.

I ate my brown bag lunch, overlooking the Murg River near Erbersbronn and a house in the country had chickens as i heard the rooster crow in midday.

Walking leisurely through the hills and valleys (both minor) of the area provided an over abundant wealth of beauty and excitement and a day filled with much peach, quiet and joy.

Directions Post, Erbersbronn, Germany

Directions Post, Erbersbronn, Germany

black-forrest-trail

Black Forrest National Park

black-forrest-river

The Murg River, near Erbersbronn, Germany

The Black Forrest National Park

The Black Forrest National Park

The Water Fall Hotel, Raumünzach

The Water Fall Hotel, Raumünzach

Raumünzach, a village in the Black Forrest

Raumünzach, a village in the Black Forrest

Giving a Schwarzwald tour

Anna--The Adventurer

Woohoo!! My Grandfather came to visit me….and I marked off another item on my dream-list. I gave a family member a tour!!! Yes, it is true and I found it fun and exciting.

My Grandfather visited from Sunday through Tuesday evening here in Southwest Germany and willingly adventured with me around the area. We had so much fun!! I enjoyed being a tour guide more than I had anticipated. Grandfather was a great companion and we had so much fun together–I found it super nice and enjoyable to experience new coffee places as well with him–while going to some of my favorite places.

We went to the Monastary Ruins in Bad Herrenalb, the Kloster ruins in Frauenalb, the Schloss in Karlruhe and Ratstatt, and enjoyed the lovel art and architecture in St. Alexanders on Marktplatz in Ratstatt. A lovely fountain, bridge, and river tour in Ettlingen also had taken place, with coffee and lunches intermixed in our ventures–we used the tram and sometimes the car, making transportation very versatitle and easy.

All the places we went to gave us the beautiful sites and scenes of the Black Forrest, also being able to see the changing of the leaves this autumn–all in all, quite an event.

Want to check out some of the hot places we dined and enjoyed coffee?? The links and references are below.

 

Golden Mann Cafe Am Schloss Ratstatt

Schwarzwald Stub (Restaurant) Bad Herrenalb, Germany (no website) Kurpromenade 5, 76332 Bad Herrenalb, Germany

DLounge (Coffee shop), Karlsruhe, Germany

Täglich (Restaurant), Ettlingen, Germany

s6

Drinking from a fountain, Karlsruhes Downtown

s1

The River Alb, Running through downtown Ettlingen

s4

Schloss Karlsruhe Statue Tours

s2

The River Alb, Frauenalb Germany

s7

We stopped at a local Bakery for snacks and coffee, a German classic

s3

Taking a break from touring the Black Forrest at the DLounge, Kronenplatz, Karlsruhe, Germany

s8

1000 year old ruins at Frrauenalb, Germany, in the heart of the Black Forrest

s9

My grandfather in Frauenalb, standing next to a very old, established trees by the ruins.

s10

Grandfather and I riding the trams to adventure together

The Verranda on Schloss Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe,

s11

The Crest of the Markgraf Wilhelm von Baden Baden, primary resident of the Schloss Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Baden Wurtemburg Germany

s13

Exquisite Cappucinos at the Cafe Am Schloss, Ratstatt, Germany http://www.goldener-mann-rastatt.de/kontakt/

s20

the Tour guide (me) outside of St. Martins Church, Ettlingen, Germany

s17

Grandfather crossings the Lockets of Love Bridge, Ettlingen, Germany

s15

The flood water marker on St. Alexanders Cathedral, Marktplatz, Ratstatt, Germany

s19

Wooden Pews and grandfather, St. Martins Church, Kirch platz, Ettlingen, Germany

s16

Roman Ruins, Bad Herrenalb, Germany

s25

Grandfather and I, Kloster Ruins, Bad Herrenalb, Germany

s28

Dropping postcards in the post for loved ones back in the States

s24

Roman Ruins near the Protestant Church (1650) Bad Herrenalb, Germany

s26

A tradtional German lunch at Schwarzwald Stub, Bad Herrenalb, Germany

 

The Legend of…St. George, the dragon slayer

Anna--The Adventurer

St. George, a top a fountain, slaying the dragon.

St. George, a top a fountain, slaying the dragon. Ettlingen, Germany

St. George, doing his slaying, Karlsruhe, Germany

St. George, doing his slaying, Karlsruhe, Germany

According to the Golden Legend, the narrative episode of Saint George and the Dragon took place somewhere he called “Silene”, in Libya; the Golden Legend is the first to place this story in Libya as a sufficiently exotic locale, where a dragon might be found. In the tenth-century Georgian narrative, the place is the fictional city of Lasia, and the idolatrous emperor who rules the city is called Selinus.[7]

The town had a small lake with a plague-bearing dragon living in it and poisoning the countryside. To appease the dragon, the people of Silene fed it two sheep every day. When they ran out of sheep they started feeding it their children, chosen by lottery. One time the lot fell on the king’s daughter.[8] The king, in his grief, told the people they could have all his gold and silver and half of his kingdom if his daughter were spared; the people refused. The daughter was sent out to the lake, dressed as a bride, to be fed to the dragon.[7]

Saint George by chance rode past the lake. The princess tried to send him away, but he vowed to remain. The dragon emerged from the lake while they were conversing. Saint George made the Sign of the Cross and charged it on horseback, seriously wounding it with his lance. He then called to the princess to throw him her girdle, and he put it around the dragon’s neck. When she did so, the dragon followed the girl like a meek beast on a leash. The princess and Saint George led the dragon back to the city of Silene, where it terrified the populace. Saint George offered to kill the dragon if they consented to become Christians and be baptised. Fifteen thousand men including the king of Silene converted to Christianity. George then killed the dragon, and the body was carted out of the city on four ox-carts. The king built a church to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint George on the site where the dragon died and a spring flowed from its altar with water that cured all disease

(text is from Wikipedia)

Hobbled by Cobbles, Freiberg, Germany

Anna--The Adventurer

Once upon a time…a long, long time ago, I dreamt of excitment, not tripping over uneven cobble stones, which is how I literally stumbled across some amazing things on the streets of Freiburg–I think, therefore I am not sure, that these were once markers of cities, trades or something that were once welcome into the markets of Freiburg, and there they remain.

Thomas and I stopped and had a ice-cream Sundaes and my cobbled legs got a rest….

Treasure hunting is so much fun–and it is helping to create great and awesome products on my eBay.

City Trade markers

City Trade markers

Annas Potthoffs 2788 Annas Potthoffs 2787

Kirch & Kloster (Ruins) and town of Bad Herrenalb

Anna--The Adventurer

Video Link

A fellow tourist summed it up perfect (excerpt from German Eagle)

The Cistercian monastery, origin of the town, was founded in 1149 by Berthold III von Eberstein and his wife Uta. It became economically successful, in the 14th and 15th century it prospered. However, the end came soon: In 1525 farmers plundered it, as a result of the Reformation it was closed down in 1534 and turned into a school. In the 30-years war the Swedish troops burned it almost completely down.

So, not much is left of the monastery buildings. The still existing choir of the former monastery church was incorporated in the construction of the ev. parish church. Best preserved is the so called “paradise”, the entrance hall of the former monastery church (pics 1 – 3). The “paradise” was built about the year 1200, in 1462 the beautiful gable in Gothic style was added. Portal and windows are still in Romanesque style. Inside are some old epitaphs.

The monastery grounds are still the heart of Bad Herrenalb. But nowadays you find things like the Kneipp bath (pic 4) and a monument (pic 5) on the grounds. Relics from the Cistercian era are also the parsonage and the adjoining house, some remains of the walls and a barn.

Access is free, always open. For the ev. church see separate tip.

Directions: Central location in town

Treasure hunting is so much fun–and it is helping to create great and awesome products on my eBay.
bad5

Inside the church.Photography by Anna Potthoff.

bad1

.Photography by Anna Potthoff.

The Porcelain Palace–

Anna--The Adventurer

Amazing day!! The chapel is not normally open to tourists-visitors but today, with special perimissin, Thomas and I not only got a tour of the private chapel on estate grounds but I also was given the opprotunity to cross something off my bucket list–our guide ENCOURAGED me, with full permission (without me even asking) to ring the bell in the chapel–all after an amazing, personal tour of the estate–including the private chambers of the Margravine Franziska Sibylla Augusta of Sachsen-Lauenburg.

A week after touring the estate, Thomas and I were invited to attend a classical concert at the estate–an amazing evening where the musicians dressed in period correct costumes.  Champagne and delights were served during intermission and oh, what fun!!!

History Courtesy Wik.

Schloss Favorite is a castle on the outskirts of Rastatt-Förch in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Built by Johann Michael Ludwig Rohrer between 1710 and 1730, it was a pleasure and hunting palace (French: Maison de plaisance) used by Margravine Franziska Sibylla Augusta of Sachsen-Lauenburg, widow of Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden (‘Türkenlouis’). It is the oldest of the German so-called ‘Porcelain Palaces’ and the only to survive intact to this day. The castle was only used for several weeks a year as a summer residence.

The castle houses a large collection of Chinese porcelain, black lacquerwork and Schwartz Porcelain.

Address: Am Schloß Favorite 5, 76437 Rastatt, Germany

Turning over a new leaf

Anna--The Adventurer

Hundreds of letters have been exchanged between us.

A long history of letters…and we wrote.

 

So, as our story continues on, Thomas and I have continued to write, sharing our lives and friendship through letters..and now we have been very dear, good sweet friends for almost 20 years. We continued to write when one day….

Thomas asked me to come to Germany, not for a vacation, but for something more, something special. Thomas wrote:

I hope you will come to Germany and stay for a long while. I would like to opportunity to date you, make a future with you, and get to know you even better than I already do.  Please, come and stay. ‘ (small excerpt).

 

Upon receiving, reading and re reading the letter, I discussed this with my sister and Acacia, asking their advice and thoughts on it–for the power of girlfriends and sisters is something very unique (but that is a discussion for another day).  They both hooped and hollered with joy, with the confidence and hope for all good things.

I wrote to Thomas asking him when he would like me to go, a very big decision for me..and we continued to write letters.

So, now comes the point, that I know I am moving to Germany, at least for a while, as Thomas wrote back and said when I can and am ready, that he wants to welcome me in his home when I am ready…now for preparations.

As we discuss what the future for us holds….we continue to write letters.

And suddenly you know.... its time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings: