Tuesday, 5 September 2023

A Day Out

At the end of my previous post I have mentioned a family outing on Saturday. Back in August, my sister and I gave our Mum a birthday present: A trip on a pleasure boat on the river Neckar.

Such river cruises were more common for us when I was younger. As a child, I remember boat trips with my parents and grandparents as well as with my class at school when I was 9 or 10 years old. I always enjoyed those cruises; watching the landscape slowly change from vineyards to villages and towns and back to vineyards and meadows, seeing other boats, waving to people walking along the river or on those other boats, and so on.

My Mum had the choice of various lengths of trips (one way or a round trip), of the direction of travel (north or south) and of the people she wanted to come with her.

On Saturday, five of us met at the pier down by the Neckar in Hoheneck, a suburb of Ludwigsburg (and many centuries older than the city itself) at 10:30 in the morning: My Mum, my sister and I, O.K. and Mum's friend R.

Our boat was the "Weinkönigin" - Wine Queen - and it was chock full of people! The five of us just about managed to find a table on board; not outside but in (which was just as well in view of the sun and the possibility of wasps, but not ideal in terms of noise).


Of course nearly everyone was talking, chatting, laughing or asking questions at the same time - the level of noise was not far away from what it's like at "my" Irish Pub on quiz nights.

Never mind - we were here to have fun, and fun we had! We ordered snacks and drinks and did what everybody else did: Watch the landscape outside, listen to the occasional commentary provided, and talk.

Three hours, several stops and locks later, we arrived at Besigheim, famous for its wines.

We had a stroll around the picturesque old town before settling for a restaurant where we had a late but delicious lunch. Another short stroll took us past a café where some of us bought ice creams to take away.

As you can see from the photos, the day couldn't have been more beautiful: Blue sky, fluffy white clouds, not too hot - just really gorgeous.



We stopped at a church for a while, listening to organ practice and admiring the carved altar (which had its 500th birthday in 2020).




The garlands were strung in preparation for Besigheim's wine fest next week.



 
View of the old town from across the bridge. The river here is the Enz, not the Neckar (on which we came).



Oddly shaped old houses were everywhere.



Who's scaling the wall here?

Click to enlarge for this panoramic view from the top of the old city wall.


Shortly after 5:00 pm, we boarded a packed train back to Ludwigsburg. The train ride took only 15 minutes as opposed to the 3 hours the boat would have taken.

Somehow we were not quite ready to split up and go home yet, and so we remained for another couple of hours or so at the open-air bar at the train station, listening to the music, people-watching and enjoying a few drinks.

In between, something like a fashion show took place: Women in Burkina Faso, as part of a project organised by volunteers from Ludwigsburg, had been working on skirts, bags and other accessories made from colourful traditional fabrics, and were now presenting the items (which were all for sale, with the proceeds going to the project).



It was dark by the time we left; a pleasant end to a good day out.

20 comments:

  1. Besigheim looks like a very attractive town with interesting architecture. It must have been a good trip for you all although I would guess you would be tired by the time you returned home in the evening. A lovely present for your mother.

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    1. We were tired, and had a quiet Sunday until the evening when we met a couple of friends at the pub (which was a lot less noisy than the boat!).

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  2. That all looks like fun, especially the boat tour! It looks like you had good weather for it, too.

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    1. The weather was perfect! We waited until two days before with booking our tickets for the boat, as the weather had been so unsettled for much of the week.

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  3. A good day out, with lots to look at. I am always impressed by how tidy towns look in Germany, and the distinctive architecture.

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    1. Besigheim was indeed rather clean and tidy. You can't say the same about my hometown anymore. Ludwigsburg has become quite scruffy. Even my cousin remarked on it last year when he was here for my Dad's funeral; he remembers Ludwigsburg in better shape from our youth, when he was visiting more frequently.

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  4. I love how your Mom's purse, earrings and top all match in that pretty green! What a wonderful day and the perfect gift for your Mom!

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    1. Her jacket (not pictured) was matching, too, and usually, she would have been wearing matching shoes as well - but for this trip, she had wisely chosen comfort over looks (and still looked dashing in her New Balance trainers).

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  5. Super post Meike - you and Mum look awesome together in that photo!
    Your great photos of the timbered houses/buildings along the river reminded me so much of our riverboat trip from Budapest to Amsterdam, passing slowly through the beautiful German countryside. When we reached ports I loved exploring the towns, churches, cathedrals, shops, etc. The riverbanks were always so interesting and people often waved to us. I want to come back and see more.
    As for changing appearances of our towns and cities, it's becoming worldwide.
    When I return to my English seaside hometown (going again soon) I know that once again I will be sad to see how the upkeep of the downtown, seafront etc. has probably gone downhill. It will never be as it was when I was growing up there and that really hurts my heart in many ways.
    Fall is on the way they say!!!!! Here today it will be another 96F day, no rain, and very uncomfortable. I will stay inside and be grateful for air conditioning. . . . . . .as I pull my sweaters out of storage and plan for cooler days ahead.
    Take care - Mary x

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    1. I suppose the river cruise you describe was on the Danube, Mary?
      Your upcoming trip to your hometown will be a mix of nostalgia, happiness at seeing your friends and family, tinged with sadness about places and people no longer there, and things that have changed not for the better. Still, I hope enjoyment will prevail.

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  6. Glad you got a lovely day for your trip. Love those 'Fachwerkhäuser'! :)

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    1. It's very picturesque, isn't it; rather typical for the old towns in my area, complete with Stadtmauer, towers, churches and wells.

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  7. What a beautiful way to celebrate your mother's birthday! Besigheim looks marvellous - so old and atmospheric. If I was there with my camera I would go crazy!
    P.S. I wonder who wI is? I guess it's top secret.

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    1. I could have taken tons of photos, but limited myself to the ones you see here; some of them are courtesy of O.K. (mainly the panoramic one).
      Now I could make up a wild story about wI, but he/she is no other than my fat fingers on the computer keyboard. Error noted and amended.

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  8. Oh how I wish I could have been with you!! Still, I feel as if I got to enjoy it all with you even if just seeing your lovely photos and perfect descriptions. So glad your Mum had such a wonderful day with you.

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    1. Oh! And tell your Mom that I wear New Balance shoes too!!😊

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    2. She'll read your comment no doubt, Kay :-) My Mum, my sister and I were "Team New Balance" that day. I've started wearing that particular brand and model some years ago and have never looked back. They are good for everyday, even accepted at the office now, and sturdy enough for hikes and walks as long as the ground is not too rocky or otherwise difficult; for "proper" hikes in the mountains or the Black Forest, I have my hiking boots.

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    3. I have worn New Balance for years! Unfortunately, I notice that the brand is "trendy" now which is bad news for me because that means they will cost more and be harder to find. Coco Gauff won the US Open yesterday and she wears New Balance!

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  9. I have just spent a whole coffee reading the post and absorbing your pictures. Sigh.

    From my very first visit to Heidelberg I decided that I would love to go on a cruise on the Neckar (or the Rhine or Danube even). Unfortunately it is one of those things that I will never be able to achieve. So your posts are the next best reminder.

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    1. River cruises are, I gather, quite popular especially for US-American tourists who come to Germany. Some have nostalgic reasons for their visit, because they or their parents were stationed here, others merely want to see much of the country in a comfortable way, without having to change hotels, unpack and re-pack all the time.

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