Fall in Europe is absolutely breathtaking. It might be that I especially go crazy for Autumn because in Texas, this season doesn't really exist. Fall in Texas means a temperature drop from 90 degrees to 75 (if we're lucky) and leaves turning from green straight to brown and then falling on the ground. The past four years living in Europe, it's been so amazing to see the bright shades of golds, coppers and cinnamon hues that the leaves become. The temperature drop allows for a whole new set of clothes that I never knew existed before to transition between summer and winter. It's Fall in Europe and I am loving it!
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| Badenweiler |
Although our home in Sittard is putting on quite an Autumn show with gorgeous sunny days and beautiful-changing trees, the places that really showcase the best of Fall are those with the most trees. The best forest around is the Schwarzwald, or Black Forest, in the southwest corner of Germany. I had visited here twice before in early October and the scenery was amazing with rolling green hills and thick trees everywhere. It was time for yet another Baylor visit to my favorite international school, the Black Forest Academy, however this year I would be going in November, over Jon's birthday. I convinced him to take two days off work and join me on the 5-hour road trip south so we could make a two-day getaway out of the occasion, staying in the resort thermal bath town of Badenweiler.
While I was giving presentations and attending the school fair at BFA, Jon would be able to spend his birthday running around the woods, swimming in our hotel pool and enjoying the beauty of the Black Forest. Unfortunately, the Black Forest didn't exactly want to cooperate with us and was completely shrouded in clouds and a dense fog, which limited visibility beyond 100 yards in front of you. We still made the most of our time and after my day at the school, we enjoyed a great night on the town for Jon's birthday, celebrating his 32 years of awesomeness.
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| Birthday Dinner - Goulasch! |
The following day, it was yet again foggy, but the visibility was better so we started the morning with a trail run through the woods. Nothing, not even dense fog, could block the brilliant hues of the trees in the forest and it was so surreal to run on paths covered in patches of bright yellow, orange and red leaves. Afterward, we made our way to the thermal bath where we soaked in the numerous pools indoor and outdoor. This is something I greatly miss from living in Wiesbaden, as I would go to the baths at least once a month.
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| Cassiopeia Thermal Bath |
After feeling rejuvenated and refreshed from the thermal water, we walked around the numerous parks of Badenweiler and up to the castle ruins atop a hill above town. Although I had hoped to get pictures of the beautiful trees with blue skies as the background, the scenery was still incredible.
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| Badenweiler |
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| Badenweiler |
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| Castle ruins of Badenweiler |
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| View from atop the castle ruins |
The best part about the trip was being able to spend time with my one-of-a-kind husband on his birthday. Fog and all, I will always have special memories of this getaway to the Black Forest and the chance to celebrate yet another milestone together in the adventures of The Captain and Frau Clough. Happy 32nd, Juan!
1 comment:
Happy 32 birthday, Jon! Nick will be 32 in February, at least we can still hang on to our 20's for a few more months, right? ;) What a lovely trip! Miss you all! Any travel plans of the US kind any time soon?
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