Settling in and getting out.

It is hard to believe that we have been living in Germany for nearly five months. Time has flown and we are getting accustomed to our new lifestyle, learning the local customs and finding our way around. Things that were new and sometimes scary, are now second nature. I now know where to pay bills, the best places to buy local produce, which train goes where. In a city where we knew not a soul a few short months ago, I can now bump into people I know at the shops or on my forest walks. 

It has been a tough transition, teenage girls starting at a new school, making friends and missing old friends, coming to grips with a new curriculum, homework, new customs and cultures. A husband working hard, travelling back and forth to the UK. Weekends come and I want to grab my little family and head out to discover more of this wonderful country together. It took me a few weeks to understand that my husband and girls wanted to chill out after a busy, sometimes chaotic week. Relax in our new home, unwind, recharge.

We came to an agreement, Sunday would be our family day, go for a walk, visit a new place, spend some time together before heading home to a Sunday Roast, a tradition we started in England. We have discovered the Rhine Trail/Rheinsteig, a gorgeous walk that follows the Rhine between Wiesbaden and Bonn. One gorgeous Sunday we headed to Lorch and walked through the town, up into the hills above.

Wild strawberries lined the walkway.

As we ascended, Lorch and the Rhine came into view.

A beautiful vista opened up before us.

We walked past vineyards and castles.

Signposts led the way.

A beautiful way to spend the morning with the family. Out in the fresh air

soaking up the gorgeous countryside.

We headed back to Lorch for a quick, refreshing drink before

heading home.

The Rhine Trail is in sections, with the railway running parallel. We plan on doing the walk in stages, parking our car, walking for one or two sections, between towns and villages, then catching the train back to the car so we don't have to backtrack. Lots of family adventures and time to explore, we are so lucky to have this on our doorstep!