Celestial lighting emphasises a cloud that dominates the sky and landscape in the Weserbergland:
Kategorie-Archive: » Germany
At times my wonderful travel guide seems apprehensive about my happiness in my newly adopted old home country.
She’s worried that after a quarter of a century in a place as beautiful as New Zealand I might feel out of sorts, disconnected or amiss being back in Germany.
Quite the opposite is true.
The Germany I’m getting to know is fun, interesting and very livable.
I’ve met nice people, feel connected to my surroundings, enjoy a sense of belonging and appreciate the history and culture of this country.
As a bonus I don’t feel like an immigrant on a daily basis.
No one comments on my funny accent or asks me where I’m from.
I don’t even get to watch the ‚Python’s‘ goose stepping performance, which I’ve seen delivered to me in New Zealand by many friends, acquaintances and strangers.
In New Zealand – after being there for half my life – people still ask „Interesting accent, where’ya from? Traveling around?“.
People are showing interest I guess and that is nice.
But to answer the same questions for so many years is rather confusing and tedious at times.
I have been guessed to be swedish, dutch, south african, polish and even irish (come on you guys, where’s your region and accent awareness – me? irish?)
My standard reply these days is „Life’s a journey, mate.“ alternated with „We’re all from somewhere, bro.“ .
But these avoidance answers are not needed here.
After all this time I still belong.
I’m not sure what will happen, where I’ll be or how I’ll feel.
Good or bad, one thing’s certain, it’ll all be an adventure.
That is one of the wonderful things about this trip.
And at the end of the journey – in good old Kiwi fashion – she’ll be right, mate.
Goslar doesn’t have the grandeur of Paris, the night life of London or the attitude of New York. It also doesn’t have the size or crime rate of Mexico City.
What it does have is oodles of charm and plenty of history.
And if you’re this old, and look this great, you might as well flaunt it.
Walking along the streets of Goslar – a town I’ve never even heard of until recently – is like stepping into a time machine. You keep looking for the wormhole that connects you with the presence.
This is not a museum town.
The place was build on the wealth of silver and lead.
It’s a living and breathing town that is steeped in it’s own history and that of the region and beyond.
It has it’s own imperial palace dating back to 1024 AD, the Salian dynasty and the Holy Roman Emperor Henry III.
Heads of state still visit.
The streets are lined with houses that are interlinked and mostly date from the 1500’s and before.
There are modern people living in these houses and probably will be for centuries to come.
If walls could talk? sadly they can’t.
I love this Harz region.
It doesn’t fuss, doesn’t bluster with self-importance and has a sense of self-awareness and self-confidence that is quiet and assured.
It’s happy with itself and just gets on with being the Harz.
I’m not sure how many overseas tourists make it to this region, but I’m sure it’s a very worthy trip besides the Heidelburgs, Rothenburgs, Munichs and Neuschwansteins.
My wonderful travel guide points out a scene bathed in evening light during a recent trip to the Weserbergland in Germany:
Trees in an allee line a narrow road leading towards a ‚Gedenkwald‘ (a natural cemetery in a forest) and ‚Kunstpfad‘ (a track with installation art) in the small rural village of Holzhausen in northern Germany.
Installation art is an integral part of the ‚Kunstpfad‘ forest track. While the constructions are sculptural, many of the pieces can be used by trampers. The ‚Windwiege‘ (wind cradle) for example offers a comfortable sleep under the trees for weary walkers:
In the ‚Gedenkwald‘ (a natural cemetery in a forest) burial sites are next to specifically chosen trees.
Apart from a small open air chapel – with a simple cross and benches – the ‚Gedenkwald‘ preserves the natural environment of an uncultivated forest.
A plaque marks out a tree as a future burial site:
