Thursday, November 20, 2008

Memory lane...

Or perhaps memory strasse- German for street...

I was blessed to live in Germany for about 3 years of my life, from the summer of 1997 until the summer of 2000 (from 19 years old until 22). I was an Army wife in a previous chapter of my life and was stationed there with my soldier. I had an amazing little apartment nestled in the town of Bad Kissingen- my first apartment.

I always get nostalgic and homesick for this amazing part of the world this time of year. Christmas is magical there. I've been thinking how wonderful it would have been to have had this blog back then or gosh, even a digital camera. Germany became a huge and special part of my life and it's time to share it I think. I hope you can indulge some future trips down memory lane with me. Thursdays around here might become an avenue for just that. What do you think?

Here is a sneak peak of my little town of Bad Kissingen. It is about an hour and half southwest of Frankfurt, in the Bavarian region of Germany. Picture rolling hills and lush forest and endless fields punctuated by ancient castles and charming towns. The pictures below are of the Marktplatz or marketplace in the center of town and the rose garden. Both were favorite places of mine and as I write this I long to open my door and throw on my coat and walk to these treasures as I did so many, many times. I ache for it.


I have lots of my own photos to scan and stories to tell. I also ventured to Holland, Switzerland, Austria, Macedonia and Greece. Oh my.

It is hard for me to believe it's been so long ago since I left there. Even better to visit it all again in my mind and heart and share it with you.

To be continued...

Photos courtesy of www.berel-am-ries.de

11 comments:

Yankee Ridge Primitives said...

Lucky girl! I CANT wait for more stories and pics. Ive always been fascinated with Germany, Holland and Switzerland. There is something magical about them and I have never been there.

Anonymous said...

how exciting!!! i would love to visit those parts. cant wait to see more!!

Big Hair Envy said...

I think that posting about Germany is a GREAT way to spend a Thursday!! Can't wait to hear more....I have never been. The pictures are beautiful. I hope you have some of Christmas there:)

Suzanne said...

I can tell that you're the type of person that blooms where they are planted. So many of the Army wives complained bitterly about being stationed overseas. It's too bad that they didn't see it as a grand adventure.

I am lucky in the fact that I only live about an hour & 15 minutes by train to Chicago. Each holiday season they have a large Kristkringlemart which is filled with German goodies and food. It's cold as heck but we brave it the best we can.

- Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife

Rechelle ~Walnuthaven Cottage~ said...

It looks beautiful! I would love to visit those parts of the world. Look forward to seeing more pictures and sharing a part of your memories.

Unknown said...

You were so lucky to have lived there. I've been twice. The most recent was about two years ago to Frankfurt. It was incredible! The architectural style there is just amazing to me. I have to admit that I also love the selection of beer and sausage dogs!! Yummers!

(Sometimes!) Serendipitous Girl said...

Biiiiiig siiiiiigh ... I want to travel again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is a SMALL chance I might be going to Germany in September--we'll see what happens. If I do? You are the first person I'm calling, I need some tips! Thank you for your sweet comment today!

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

You were so fortunate to have traveled and lived in Germany. I can only imagine what the Christmases were like. What a great idea to post about your life there every week.

If you have any pictures of your town at Christmas, I'd love to see them.

Thrifty Cents said...

Oh my goodness, how awesome to have been able to have that experience! I guess it's quite a difference from where you live now, but I know it's just as wonderful. I've never travelled over-seas and can't imagine being able to!
So, I read your post about thrifting! I've seemed to really slacked off too! I've been finding some great things at our dump though! ;o) Hopefully before I get elderly, I'll be able to show some pics of my "dump treasures"! Isn't it crazy...some of the prices at Goodwill now?!

Lys said...

Those are some gorgeous photos - I look forward to more "adventure memory lane" trips.

What a great attitude - I've also had friends of mine who were military wives that didn't look at an overseas posting as an adventure but more like an inconvenience.

Jan D-M said...

Oh, how lucky to live in Germany. My husband and I spent 17 wonderful days in the Bavarian region this past June to solve a long-sought mystery for my dad. We were so taken with the country and the people. It was all pristine and beautiful. I would return in a heartbeat. (We did solve the mystery for my dad and were fortunately able to email him our story. He died four days later. It was a bittersweet and wonderful journey. Germany will always own a piece of my heart.) I look forward to your sharing your stories about this wonderful place.

Jan