It's this time of year again: Walking back in time

This week my husband is in Washington State and on the weekend he is taking a trip to Mt. Rainier with some students. A hiking trip and I envy him.

Since we came back from Scotland ( pics coming soon) I have the itch to walk. We did a lot of driving there, but walking was also part of it and I wish I could continue with it. Unfortunately, the heat and humidity in the valley is not my friend, and besides, even after nine years of living in the States, I feel weird about driving to a place just to take a walk.

Anyway, thinking of walking, and browsing through my folders of old photos (what a coincident), I came across some pictures of the area I grew up in. Instantly I was taken back, reminiscing about how I grew up and that I could share a little.
I do not remember much of my childhood anymore but something has stuck with me: We did A LOT of walking. I still remember some of the places as you can see here ( for a better view go to satellite and activate photos).

View Looking back in a larger map
 
Every weekend my mother and grandmother would "drag" me outside. First in a stroller and then, when I could walk, we would take longer walks. Living in a village made the whole situation easy, you would just go to the next village or small town and back. Most places were close by, no more than 3 or 4 miles at most (with some exceptions) and the reward was always ice cream or something sweet on the way. We would pass forests, fields, feed ducks in a pond, say Hi! to cows or pick wildflowers on the roadside. It might explain why I love walking and nature so much.

 

 

When I was a teenager, I would rather ride my bike, but still combing through the same areas. Another thing I miss.

fields, the "Kaliberg" I could see it much closer from our window (potash mining) and a view towards my hometown - some areas are similar to the surrounding Brownsville area

Even when I started working I often used my bicycle to get to work or, if I happened to have half a day off, I took the bus to work in the morning and walked home in the afternoon (a little over three miles one way). The bus came by five times a day.  I walked, rode my bike or took the bus everywhere I went. Feels like an eternity away now.

When we visit our hometowns, I rarely find the time to take a long walk anymore, but if I can reach a location by bike or foot easily, I prefer to do it rather than taking the car. Of course, a lot has changed since then.

The village I grew up in is now at least three times the population and the towns have grown closer to each other, meaning there is less farmland and livestock, most farmers sold their land for new development. However, it still is a nice area for a walk or riding a bike. One of my favorite spots is this old villa. Unfortunately, the property is not accessible. I remember a creek close to the property and feeding ducks there. I am not sure if the creek still exists, but the property is now surrounded by new development.

Villa Nordstern. I love the original building built in 1892 (?) and named after the owner's horse that allegedly was buried in the garden.

courtesy of vebidoo.de

At some point it became a home for children, closed in 1990 and changed hands again. The villa is in need of extensive renovation, but it would cost millions, supposedly, and so the once beautiful building has fallen victim to vandalism and into disrepair. Too bad ...  I still can image that it was a beauty and I always wanted to live there, across from a small forest, next to fields and surrounded by a park. A girl may dream :)

And then there is another reason why I am thinking of walking and our hometown right now: It is the time of year where we celebrate our Schützenfest. Of course we would go there. My mom always took me to the ones nearby. If you have been to Germany you probably know what I am talking about. If not, you will in a second. Just imagine a fair, or a tiny version of the October Fest in Bavaria ;)

Wiki says:
"A Schützenfest (German "marksmen's festival") is a traditional festival or fair featuring a target shooting competition in the cultures of both Germany and Switzerland.
At a Schützenfest, contestants compete based on their shooting abilities, for example by shooting at a wooden representation of an eagle. The winner of the competition becomes the 'Schützenkönig' ("king of marksmen") until the next year's competition."

This weekend it takes place in my husband's hometown. I am sure he will miss it, still being a passive member in the marching band, in the shooting club and all. I never was a member, but in my hometown it takes place around my birthday, so it is a special thing for me too. In my imagination the marching band played for me too if it happened to be on my birthday. I remember waking up by the first sound of music, on a Sunday before 6 am, jumping out of bed, waking up my mom and begging her to watch the march with me. Boy, was I excited! We had two band members living in the same flat we lived in, so they would always pass through our street.
In the afternoon was the big parade, also something I wouldn't miss. The whole village lined up the streets to see the bands from all the nearby towns. We would wait until the parade had passed and then, following them, walk to the fairground. It meant quite a bit of exercise too.

upper left: My husband last year at the Schützenfest in his hometown
big picture: even though he hadn't played in years, they handed him a trumped and invited him to join
lower left: fun at the fairground
Summertime was dominated by Schützenfest (usually between May and September if I remember correctly) and there was a Schützenfest anywhere every weekend.

The members of the marching band

I bet on Sunday evening they are glad that all the marching is over - no walking until next weekend ;)

So, now I will go and get the newspaper and then go and get a coffee and a decent breakfast.
Of course I will need my car for it ;)