Germany 🇩🇪
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, December 4, 2024 🇩🇪
In Grafschaft, we visit the Haribo Outlet Store and are looking forward to trying lots of different Haribo candies… but no such luck—they’re only available pre-packaged. Tons of bears are grinning at us and want to come along. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough room in our Joey, so we have to leave many disappointed bears behind. If only they’d known that we’d be eating a good portion of their colleagues on our very first evening…
Afterward, we head to Ahrweiler to the parking spot. A really lovely town—or rather, a small town—with a pre-Christmas atmosphere. The town had gained notoriety due to the major flood disaster in the summer of ’21. There’s no sign of that terrible disaster anymore, and we only learn about it afterward.
Mutterstadt, December 9, 2024 🇩🇪
We’ve been in Mutterstadt since December 5, looking after Maya the cat. Her owners, Martina and Uli, are on vacation for a few days, and we’re taking care of the farm and the animals. Maya is a cat who craves affection—she purrs just from being looked at. We have until December 16 to explore the area and pamper ourselves a bit in a warm environment with plenty of space. Mutterstadt doesn’t have much to offer, but that’s just fine, because we just want a little peace and quiet after all our traveling.
Heidelberg, December 11, 2024 🇩🇪
Of course, a trip to Heidelberg is a must. We set off early by bus and train, and a word of advice to anyone following in our footsteps… cash still counts for something in Germany. On the bus, we’re already the talk of the town for the first time, because the nice driver won’t accept our card… and it won’t be the last time today… We find our way to Heidelberg without any trouble; public transportation works perfectly, and after about an hour, we arrive in Heidelberg. The city is truly worth the trip; we could stroll through the alleys for much longer, explore the surrounding hills, or simply enjoy the pre-Christmas atmosphere. Later in the afternoon, we head back to Mutterstadt—Maya is surely already waiting for us.
Speyer, December 13, 2024 🇩🇪
With temperatures hovering around 0 degrees, we’re biking to Speyer today. About 18 km each way isn’t exactly far, but in this cold, we’re glad to make our first stop in front of the imposing St. Mary and St. Stephen Cathedral. And the cathedral is definitely the highlight of our trip. It’s considered the largest surviving Romanesque church in Europe—serving as a bishop’s cathedral, parish church, and place of pilgrimage. Construction of the cathedral began between 1024 and 1030. By 1061, the largest church building in the world at that time was completed, and the cathedral was consecrated. In 1981, the Romanesque cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Afterward, we head into the city center, where we’re greeted by a truly wonderful Christmas atmosphere. Following a city tour and a culinary treat, we head back to Mutterstadt.
On the way home, Adriana finds… who else but a young hedgehog. He should be hibernating by now! And just like that, he’s in our backpack. In Martina and Uli’s garden, he gets a new home and some cat food…and the backpack goes in the wash. At least my back was very warm with the hedgehog in the backpack.
Freiburg im Breisgau, December 19, 2024 🇩🇪
And yet another visit to one of Germany’s beautiful cities in the Christmas spirit. This time it’s Freiburg im Breisgau. We’ve found a spot right next to the SC Freiburg stadium, and the old town is within easy walking distance. It’s our last evening before we head back to Switzerland. After nearly 150 days and well over 12,000 km, this fascinating journey is also coming to an end. Enriched by countless experiences and in stark contrast to our trip along the Incense Route, this time will remain a unique memory for us. Now we’re heading back to spend the holidays with family and friends—we’re especially looking forward to that and to seeing so many dear people again. And… after a trip is always before a trip…
Switzerland 🇨🇭
Back with family and friends 🇨🇭
After more than 20 wonderful days with our families and friends, we’re heading south again tomorrow. Switzerland has shown us many different sides of itself—from sunshine to rain, from snowstorms to seas of fog, and from warm to biting cold—we’ve experienced it all. There were many things we missed—especially our dear families and friends—but there were other things we could easily do without. From Aarburg to Willisau to Stans and back to Lucerne and Zofingen, then on to Zug and Hergiswil—it was truly wonderful to soak up the festive atmosphere. So tomorrow we’re hitting the road again, and we’re looking forward to having all of you with us once more when it’s time to say: “Toward the sun…”
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