After a wild and on occasion wet weekend in Eastern Germany at the Fusion Festival my friends and I packed up our belongings for the grueling drive back to Frankfurt (about 10 hours with the caravan in tow). We left just after midday and to our disbelief we turned onto the freeway with little hassle or traffic. Dan the DJ munched on his gummy bears while my husband drove the first couple of hours. Hannah, Dan’s blue eyed freundin sat in the back passenger seat with me while I, unconsciously viewed the dry wheat fields sewn into endless green forests and indulged in a conversation of East Germany today and before the wall came down.
It was nearly five hours into the drive and by this time Hannah was driving, when she devised the most marvelous idea. Just a little bit out of the way, she explained we could stop at her family holiday home. Once I’d heard about the shower and bed followed by the mention of dinner I didn’t need any other details. It was agreed and the plans were arranged just in the nick of time to exit the freeway.
It was dark when we arrived, showered and made our way to the dinner table to meet some of Hannah’s family members; her animated mother with the same deep blue eyes as Hannah, charming Helmond and the Grandma, who had a good handle on English as she was once a translator for Americans during World War II. Was this not a true travelers dream when visiting a foreign land, to dine with the natives? It was mild outside, so we were happy to relax outdoors savoring a well earned bowl of pasta marinara accompanied by a glass of pinot grigio! All I can say is I fell weightlessly onto the bed that night in a dreamy state.
When dawn broke the next morning and the hot sun beamed down on us, it was decided we’d stay at least one more night. This was not long after a tasty German breakfast of, cured meats, fresh cumbers, tomatoes, fine cheese, hard boiled eggs and warm baked bread complemented with a fresh pot of coffee and homemade strawberry preserves, thanks to Hannah’s mom. We were in the Hesse Region (southwest center of Germany) only two hours from Frankfurt just inside the western border of Germany. Eschwege was the big village nearby, although our home for the night was in the small and ever so enchanting village of Freda. From the house we took an amble along a winding country lane that leads you up somewhat of an incline through apple orchards and ripening cherry trees. Here I could not resist a taste of a warm fresh cherry which was well worth the reach. From the top of the hill my eyes stumbled upon green valley views, mountainous hillsides jammed with glossy leafed trees.
After our morning walk to beat the heat we drove a short distance to neighboring Eschwege for a plunge in the Werratalsee, a lake filled to the brim with crystal clear inviting waters. The lake is about 2,000 meters long and 600 meters wide. From the hidden cove we laid our towels down and dove into the warm waters and relaxed into the afternoon.
Eschwege a town not to be missed can be overshadowed by the surrounding scenery and the presence of the old castle Landgrafen nestled into the lush hillside. Eschwege is a friendly village to walk around, with typical German architecture, pubs and a decadent Eis Café, not to be missed anywhere in Germany! This is where art comes alive at the seemingly regular ice cream parlor. Recreations of steak and eggs into a tasty ice cream treat of chocolate fantasy and creamed honey sweet milk or my favorite spaghetti Eis, picture pasta marinara and taste vanilla with rich strawberry sauce, this is a teaser to your taste buds and well worth the price (if you can only do it once)!!!
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