Our stay in Frankfurt has been made very comfortable and inexpensive due to the nature of our accommodation. On our arrival in Germany we expected to be staying in our tent, but were pleasantly surprised to be told we could stay in my friend’s caravan.
The area my friend lives, known as the “The Site” sits on the outskirts of Frankfurt. It’s home to about forty people whom for one reason or another have chosen to live a life which is both economical and environmentally respectful. Many different buses, trucks and baur wagons of varying ages sit dotted around “The Site” which nestles against a wooded area full of cycle paths and lakes. From the moment you walk on and close the gate behind you there’s a feeling of calm as the sound of the main road filters out. The term “one mans rubbish is another mans treasure” certainly rings true here. Proof of this can be found all around you from the bar area which comes complete with table top football, music, lights, bar stools and a dance floor to the cinema room that’s decked out with a huge screen, projector and thirty cinema seats acquired from an old movie theatre. Both of these communal areas have been made with the resident’s ingenuity.
The ingenuity doesn’t stop here though as the many vehicles spaced out over the roughly 20 acres of land are home to the residents who’ve spent lots of energy transforming them into comfortable residencies complete with beds, kitchens with running water and gas, to other conveniences normally found in regular housing. None of these homes are plugged into the grid or sewage system so instead they make use of wind power, solar energy, rain water for showers, home grown vegetables and home composting to make living more economical, but to also contribute their part to help the environment. It is incredible to think how much cheaper it is to live this way. Perhaps less is the new more.
Local retailers make a free food delivery to the site about once a week with the food being placed in a food wagon for the residents to then pick up. The sites organizers made an agreement with the food retailers to ensure they first offer the food to homeless and less fortunate people before bringing the remaining food to the site.
In the caravan we are staying we have running water, gas cooker and I’m writing this using the internet available on the site via the internet mast next to us. It’s very nice to have some mod cons whilst still living amongst the trees in a peaceful place that costs a fraction of what it usually does.
Some more photos of The Site
Have you ever lived or thought of living in a similar place? Leave us your thoughts about alternative living below…
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