Sight-seeing in Germany

I know, I know.  Long time, no post.  But I have realized now what a commitment blogs are.  So thank you, thank you, to those of you I read regularly.  I recognize now what a a great deal it is to keep up with it.  How did I think I would have MORE time in Europe, a place I have never been and am eager to explore??  And where I have had a basement flood and not been able to be settled and moved in still?  And I still have 2 kids in soccer Mon-Thurs, with games on Saturday, church on Sunday followed by AWANA's on Sunday evenings?  Exactly.  But I LOVE staying in touch with people this way, so I have to assume my 14 or so followers have been awaiting and update. 
 ;-)  Not to mention the eager grandparents (who haven't learned how to follow anyone unless we are driving or in a line).  


We spent a weekend in September exploring our tiny neck of the woods.  We live in Wittlaer-Einbrungen, which is part of Düsseldorf.  But the kids attend school in the next tiny annexed town, called Kaiserswerth.  This town is full of history, of which I only know a small part.  But it has exchanged hands many times, and is located on the Rhein.  Thus it has its own castle ruins.  From the 1100's.  Quite frankly, this is the oldest man-made building I have ever seen.  And I love history, so I really enjoyed reading about this town moving from Spanish occupation, to Prussian, to French, back to Prussian, etc. 

 The ruins of the Kaiserswerth Castle.

 Silas looks out over the Rhein

 Here is the Wiki link if you want to learn the history of the castle.  Look via Google Chrome so it will translate it for you.

 Cobblestone street to the castle - for cars, cyclists, walkers, etc.

Our touring for the weekend continued that evening with a typical Biergarten dinner and a trip to the castle just across the street from that.  We visited Schloss Kalkum (Schloss is the German word for palace, manorhouse, chateau).  We just happened upon this pink moated castle after dinner exploring.  The grounds were very nice, and people were fishing in the moat!  

 Playground at the Biergarten for the kids.  Love eating outdoors when the weather is nice.

 Typical meal - Kartoffel (potato) and salmon.  More typical would be sausage, but the kids had that.

 Zee had chicken nuggets!

 Schloss Kalkum - moated and people fishing in it!  

Another bonus to this Saturday night - the next day was Germany's Heritage day, and all the castles in the country were open to the public.  So we made a plan to come back the next day and explore some more after church and before AWANA's.  It was actually a really great event.  They had a tent with games for the kids, also activities where the kids molded the official town emblems used by Kaiserswerth through the years out of melted wax.  One of the things I really appreciated about the grounds were the statues and other art on the grounds.  That seems to be pretty common to castles and just the country in general - public art, I mean.  And I love that.  Bravo to free public art!!

We enjoyed exploring our little section of town as a family.  It is amazing that we could bike or even walk to all of these places.  But I think all of our little corners of the world have spots like this.  I think my daily prayer is that I don't walk through life with blinders on, that I truly see what God has given us, gifted us with - what blessings flow.  I also have to pray against the urge to pull on my cranky pants (coffee helps with this!)  When I quiet my anxious, fretting spirit before the Lord, and allow His Spirit to move, to breathe life into me, it is amazing the stores of patience I have with the kids, with my circumstances, with my husband :) - it is supernatural.  And right along with that comes the ability to appreciate, to even LOVE what is around me.  People, places, time, situation.   

This is the day the Lord has made;  I will rejoice and be glad in it.  

 The view from my bedroom window on a beautiful, sunny morning.