Luedenscheid - Part 2 Blind Date

June 3rd,
It is nice being in the same place for a few days, leisurely enjoying breakfast and random conversations of places and people that are dear to us. But today we also want to visit the old and the new in downtown Luedenscheid. Two things to keep in mind: 1. There are only curvy streets, 2. There are no level streets, it is either up or down. That is what happens when the town is built into the valleys and ridges. Makes for beautiful views but I still can't find my way around the town.
What's with the Blind Date? Read on and be enlightened!

With windy, hilly roads, signs like this are a great help. Well, they would be if you can read old German.

This is the one photo in this whole blog that I did not take. It shows the Altstadt (old town). Imagine a town built in a circle that you can walk across in five minutes. Of course today the town spreads out over hill and dale but there was a time when the entire town was roughly this size.

While the new town center is packed with shops and people, the old town is quiet, with gentle houses, rough cobblestones, and the occasional tree, well manicured and neat.

And the occasional fountain.

And small shops, this one belonging to a butcher with a pig that does not want to be anybody's meal.

In the new down town is this statue of Onkel Willy. Everyone in Luedenscheid knows Onkel Willy and his little dog. For as long as most can remember he ran a tobacco and sweets shop. No one remembers Willy without a cigar in his hand. Magdelene remembered what a treat it was as a child to go to his shop with a fist full of coins to buy some sweets.

And now to the Blind Date. This cute little cafe, located in the old town, offers good food but that is not what makes it special. They also invite you to partake in a Blind Date.

The cafe is part of a program that provides work for people with disabilities.  And they invite you to enjoy a meal while blindfolded. Really a great idea to help the rest of us get a "glimpse" into what disabled people deal with every day. 

The broader program for the disabled includes living quarters, training and workshops where they create many things out of wood and cloth. Unfortunately the workshop and craft store associated with it were not open to the public during the week we were in Luedenscheid.

Leaving the town proper, we wind our way up to some friends home with this wonderful view of part of the city and the surrounding tree covered hills.

Friedrich-Wilhelm and Doris (Magdelene's sister) treated us to a very delicious strawberry torte and much reminiscing over times gone by. Blanka's family have known this family for more than 50 years so there was much to recall.

Warm sunshine and warmer fellowship made this a very memorable day!

Luedenscheid - part 1 Like home

June 1st.

We are not home yet, but arriving at Magdelene's home sure felt like coming home! First, she is like family, secondly we get to stay put for a week, thirdly we get to do our laundry! No small thing when on the road for three weeks.
If you look up Luedenscheid in most of the travel Europe websites nothing shows up. As you will see in the following couple blogs there is plenty of interesting things to do and see.

There is nothing flat about this region of Germany except the surface of the many lakes. After the rainy days at Rothenburg it was really fun to hike around this lake on a sunny day!

The reflections and textures of the trees and wildlife made this two hour hike a treat, always something new around each bend.

Ducks and turtles kept us company.

This lake, named Fuelbeckertalsperre, is one of the many lakes providing water for the surrounding towns.

What else do we do when visiting good friends? Yep, tea time in Magdelene's back yard.

A very yummy homemade pear torte!

And Blanka, very happy and maybe a bit sneaky!

Walk the wall

May 29th,

Rothenburg is a very famous tourist destination but during the 8 years we lived in Germany we never visited it. Maybe because it was such a tourist town. In any case we wanted to see it this trip. Yes, lots of tourists, especially bus loads of Japanese, but still worth it. Outer walls mostly still complete and the town itself as if it were 200 years in the past. Or it would be if it weren't for the cars and all us people with cameras. Rain and clouds not withstanding, it was a fun day and a half.

The walls surrounding Rothenburg gave us the opportunity to tour the town from a bird's eye view!

Gates and walls and towers define the town.

These are no little walls, up, up, up.

As you can see the wall curves around the town with towers every so often.

Any one for archery practice?

Three guesses as to what this tower is currently used for.
Women's toilet is on the bottom level, men's on top.
Probably the prettiest bathrooms we have ever encountered.
(But cold and drafty.)

From the wall - quiet backyards away from the tourists.

A peak into someone's little world.

At least while we walked the wall, we were out of the rain. But not the wind and cold. Guard duty couldn't have been much fun.

As you enter these gates you get the sense that you are entering another era.

Lots of gates. This one was the primary gate for commerce, where you had to pay to bring your goods into the town to sell.

Also gates and towers within the city in case the outer wall was breached.

The walls, gates and towers really make this town distinctive. Today we give little thought to defenses of our towns, just our own homes with locks and security alarms.

Cobble stone streets and sidewalks and proper German houses all in a row.

Not sure why but instead of moving the street, they just built the church right over it. Note rain drops on the camera lens!

Lots of little shops to keep Blanka busy.

The famous Christmas "town". Room after room of gifts and Christmas ornaments, displays, etc. Much of it hand made.

In the store were also some very nice displays like this. You might say this was teddy bear heaven. 

Cute little quilt shop with tons of different fabrics. This picture is for you, Michelle. 

Overlooking the river valley is the castle park and grounds where the castle once stood.

Rothenburg as viewed from the park walls.

The wall put to good use.

Walls and roofs - built to last.

We cut our visit short, not because there was nothing more to see but partly because it was wet and cold but mostly  we wanted to go home. And in this case home was in Luedenscheid with our dear friend Magdelene.