Spring Adventures

View of Saarbrücken

I’ve had quite the adventures since I last wrote. It’s amazing all that can happen in just a few weeks. Last I wrote, I had just made a visit to Luxembourg. I’ve been many places since the last post.

On April 1^st David arrived for a long visit. I greatly anticipated his arrival, thoroughly excited to share my European adventures. The first few days of April were fairly low key. The company of good friends was enjoyed with Thai food, evening walks and ice cream dates. There were walks in and around Saarbrücken, and frequent trips to the river, where we spread a fleecy blanket under the lovely spring sun, to talk, revel in life blooming around us and read The Wind and the Willows aloud.

Church in Maxdorf

The third of April marked a long anticipated excursion to Maxdorf, Germany. The very town the Marx ancestors called home. I have dreamed of visiting that town since I first learned of its name and significance role in my heritage. I remember being in German classes in high school, dreaming away about the day I would one day make a pilgrimage to my forefather’s homeland and hometown. Once in Maxdorf, David and I wandered for some time, weaving in and out of streets, peaking behind churches as we looked for cemeteries and a good picnic spot to sit down for lunch. After munching on our lunch, we set out again, determined to find a Marx headstone. Finally finding a town map, we scanned for cemeteries, making a pass through the ones we were able to find. We so sadly, never did find a Marx headstone. We found “Marks,” but no Marx. Hmph. Frustration. Disappointment. I will make a more thorough and hopefully successful search another time. We took time in the last cemetery to soak in the surroundings. Sitting on a bench, I jotted down thoughts in my little Moleskine: “I’ve finally arrived in a place I’ve dreamed of being for years – my ancestor’s home town. A fine, lovely, warm spring day. David and I road from Saarbrücken to Neustadt. From Neustadt to Bad Dürkheim and from Bad Dürkheim on to Maxdorf—through vineyards and fields—on the Straβbahn. We wandered the quite streets for a while then sat down to baguette sandwiches in the park in the city center. We’ve searched the cemeteries (we sit in one now) but have yet to find a “Marx” gravestone.”

The anticipated day of arrival for Libby, David’s sister came on April 4^th. What fun it was to have Libby on adventures. Days of goofing around, teasing, laughing, adventuring and enjoyable companionship ensued. We continued to make frequent riverside visits, sharing and finishing The Wind and the Willows with Libby. What excellent reading voices the Talbots have.

One night David’s friend Christoph took us on a hike to a tower on one of Saarbrücken’s many hills. From the top we had the best view to be had of Saarbrücken. By the time we ended up at the bottom of the hill, we were thoroughly famished. Christoph took us to a very German/Saarland restaurant. In Saarland there is a special grill, called a Schwenker. It is a tripod, from which a round grill is suspended with chains, the purpose being that the grill is continually moving in a circle, cooking the meat thoroughly and evenly. This restaurant served the special Saarland Schwenkers (the steaks). Christoph, Libby and I chose turkey Schwenkers and David chose a 300 gram pork steak (note: in Saarland they are okay serving pork still fairly pink). The food was excellent, served with delicious homemade bread and spreads and potatoes, and washed down with a tasty Franziskaner Weissbier.

We took a goofy adventure to France, which is just a two hour walk from Saarbrücken. We had quite atime finding it, but the company was enjoyable and there was no rush. We made a stop in a tiny local bakery to ask for directions and indulged in some fresh-baked-buttery goodness. The French border is marked by nothing more than a small, upright stone and a sign with a map. No border patrol here. We sprawled out on a French field, enjoying another chapter of our book. Then back to Germany, where a Straβbahn delivered us safely back in Saarbrücken, in just 10 minutes. Hey, adventures are about experiences, so who cares that the walk to France took hours? Plus, if we hadn’t walked, there would have been no reed-duel in which I soundly defeated David, and we wouldn’t have seen the man-runner in his short-shorts or the blushing and blooming Magnolia trees!

Strasbourg, France

When Heidi returned from her visit to Oxford, the four of us took a day trip to Strasbourg in France. I’m slowly learning how to be a good traveler and adventurer. One lesson learned on this day trip, was that when you do group adventures, it’s important to have at least a loose plan. When in Europe, it’s important to use time efficiently. You don’t want to miss important sights because you stood around trying to figure out where you’re going or what you want to see and experience. Although Strasbourg was beautiful and the trip enjoyable, I can’t help but think it would have been more successful if we had arrived knowing what the city had to offer visitors. Plus, it was a holiday weekend, so many shops were closed. Nevertheless, we enjoyed ambling down the streets, stopping in the Dom (cathedral), listening to a young group of musicians performing on the street and dipping our sun-drenched toes into the icy river.