Swimming Pool Adventures

Swimming is a popular German pastime, and practically every town has their own swimming facility with multiple pools. Perhaps it is a tradition from the Roman times. The German attitude about swimming goes beyond using it as sport and recreation. It is also used for wellness and relaxation.

We had been several times to one of the many public swimming pools throughout our first year of living here, but the extreme heat of this summer caused us to become more frequent visitors. As such, we became immersed in the German swimming pool culture, which is interesting. We've been to probably a dozen different pools now, and there are many notable similar features about them.

A crowded high-dive pool on a hot summer day.

When you arrive, you pay an entrance fee. It's usually only a few Euros. Some pools have you pay for a certain set number of hours; others it's just one price for the whole day. In our town, you have the option to buy 5-day discounted passes to use at any of the other area pools.

After you pay, you find the locker room, which is shared between men and women. Germans are not prude, but there are private stalls for changing. Lockers are €1 or €2 deposit with a key that's on a little bracelet. Some places provide tiny lockers for just your wallet. The men and women do have separate showers and toilets. 

 

Shared locker room with private changing stalls.

Before you exit the locker room, it is expected that you leave your street shoes in your locker and wear flip-flops or sandals instead. This helps to keep the wet floors from getting gross with dirt. You're also expected to shower before you exit the locker room. In the States, it's more of a suggestion. But here, you'll get looks (and risk getting scolded) if you don't.

After you have successfully navigated the maze of changing stalls and lockers and have found your way out, you are now ready to participate in the fun. Many facilities have indoor and outdoor pools with water slides. There is usually a separate lap pool and also a kid's water area. Other common features of the swimming facilities are sauna rooms and restaurants. Outside pools also have a playground and a large grassy area for people to spread out a blanket and lay in the sun. 

Slides, high dive, and a very crowded non-swimmers swimming pool.

 

Outdoor lap pool

Indoor lap pool

Grassy area where people like to spread out blankets and lay in the sun.

Playground for the kinder.

Most places in Germany allow you to bring your own picnic, but there is almost always a place for you to buy food. Typically bratwurst, currywurst, fries, beer, and popcicles.

Sounds great, right? There's one teensy little problem if you're like me and hate cold water. The water in the pools is freezing. It's typically set between 20° to 24° C (68° to 75° F). It is so cold that even in the 100°F temperatures my kids would have blue lips. I don't know why they keep the water so cold, especially because Germans like to bundle up with coats, scarves, and hats when the weather is that cold. But for some reason it's okay when they swim in water that cold? I don't get it!

Since one of my children could not swim, I endured many cold water plunges this past summer. However, I vowed to do whatever it took to ensure that both children would be able to swim independently as quickly as possible. In the future, I will be enjoying all of the benefits of the German pools  – from the side of the pool!

Rodelbahning in the Black Forest

The Black Forest. Home of the cuckoo clock, Black Forest cake, Black Forest ham, and the Sommerrodelbahn (yes, it's all one word because it's German - read about Germany's super long words). Located in Gutach, a small village in the Black Forest, the summerrodelbahn is listed as one of the top things to do on Trip Advisor. A Sommerrodelbahn is a summer toboggan run, and our recent trip to LEGOLAND proved that our small children were up to the adventure.

It's a reasonably priced attraction: €2.50 will buy you one trip down, or for €12 you can go 6 times. We purchased the 6-pack and got in line. There are no mountains of liability release forms to sign, for the German mentality is that you are mostly responsible for your own safety.

The "bobs" come along on a continually moving track. When you get to the front of the line, you hop on the next available bob and buckle up sitting upright with hands on the hand breaks. It feels more like a go kart than a toboggan.

After a quick explanation of the hand break (in German), we were off! A lift system pulls the bob up 300 meters to the top of the mountain.

 

The beginning of our ascent.

We're still going up; there's part of the downhill track on the right.

The downhill track took us through a varied descent with roundabouts, jumps, and tunnels on a 1,150-meter long track. Besides being something to grip onto with white knuckles, the hand break allows you to control your speed. The faster you go, the more you feel like you're going to fly off the track! I was a bit cautious at first, but grew more daring after each descent with the kids screaming, "Faster! Faster!".

One of the many corkscrew turns going down.

Six rides may have been a few too many, but it was a lot of fun, especially for the small children. They can't wait until they're old enough to ride by themselves!

There are dozens of other rodelbahns throughout Germany so I'm sure we'll be doing it again. If you're curious, you can Google Sommerrodelbahn Gutach and watch the youtube video.

Barefoot Park

Does slogging through mud, wading through creeks, stepping on stones, wiggling toes in the sand, balancing on logs, and walking on a variety of natural surfaces on a trail 2 miles long sound fun to you? Oh, did I mention you would be doing this barefoot?

Basically, the purpose of a barefoot park is to give visitors the enjoyment of barefoot life. But Germans also believe in the effects of reflexology as well as many other healthful benefits of walking barefoot. Some of the reasons include the regeneration of foot damage due to unsuitable footwear, preventing trouble with intervertebral discs, preventing varicose veins, preventing the common cold (huh!??), and preventing athletes foot.

At the beginning of the trail, shoes can be stored on shelves or in lockers. The trail takes visitors on a circular route through various foot obstacles intended to stimulate circulation and promote relaxation. At the end of the walk, foot-washing facilities are provided.

The first obstacle: wading through cold, muddy water.

Various natural surfaces: Rocks

Wood

Sand

A view of the trail.

Fording across the river. Safety ropes are provided!

Preparing to cross

Gravel

Stone

Logs

The small visitors enjoyed getting to swim in the river.



To complete the loop, the final obstacle is to cross a rope suspension bridge over the river.

Overall, I enjoyed the barefoot adventure. After a while the soles of my feet got tired of the sensations and I was ready for shoes again. The kids loved it, as they like to kick off their shoes as much as they can.

Sooo...shoes and socks off! Could you master the barefoot park?

Summer of Activity

It's been a little while since I've posted about what we've been up to. We've been busy going places, seeing things, and doing as much as we can to make the most of our time in Germany. Now that school is starting up, I should have a little more time to tell about our summer adventures.

Blogs to look forward to:
Barefoot Park
Rodelbahning in the Black Forest
Swimming Pool Adventures
The "Dead" Guy
Panoramic Portugal

Please, stay tuned...

3 Days in the Czech Republic - Part 2

The 8 a.m. train from Prague to Kutná Hora departed on time. We left the hotel a few minutes late and walked at a hurried pace to the train station. We had hoped to have more time to locate the ticket office, purchase tickets, and find our platform, however, after we got our tickets it was a mad dash to find platform 6 and hop on the train.

With 4 minutes to spare and still unsure that we had boarded the right train, we searched for clues that would identify that we were on the right train. After we gained confidence that we were on the right one, we settled back and enjoyed the 2-hour-long ride out into the countryside.

As Prague's stunning old city architecture faded into the distance, more Soviet-influenced building styles emerged on the horizon. Each stop felt more and more remote and slightly more adventurous. The countryside revealed a poorer quality of life - evidence of the Soviet rule. The train rambled past crumbling farm houses and graffitied, roofless buildings.

The train also passed beautiful fields of red flowers.

The train slowly squealed to a halt in front of the Kutná Hora train station. As we disembarked, a voice on a loud speaker sounding very Russian was making some  sort of announcement, accentuating the post-Soviet vibe. 

Kutná Hora train station

We found our connection, a one-car train that would take us to a stop close to the "bone church." The train left us at our stop, which was a bench with a roof. The only other person that disembarked with us was a local man dressed in a suit that was met by a woman, presumably his wife.

The train left us here.

After short walk toward town, we reached the "bone church" or the Sedlec Ossuary. A popular tourist attraction, frequented by tour busses, this 700-year old church houses up to 70,000 skeletons. The story behind the ossuary is in the 1200s a monk brought back some dirt from Golgotha and sprinkled it over the cemetery on this site. Because of his act, this cemetery became a desirable burial site. With wars and plagues, over 70,000 bodies had been buried here. Around 1400, a church was built in the center of the cemetery and the bodies were exhumed. The task of stacking the bones was given to a half-blind monk, who is said to have had his sight fully restored after completing the project.

Four enormous mounds of skulls, a chandelier of bones, and garlands of skulls drape the vault. It is said the bones are not put there to celebrate death, but to remind us that we all stand equal under the throne of God.

 

 

 

 

After our visit to the "bone church" we walked along a trail beside the train tracks into the main part of the town of Kutná Hora. Despite the crusty buildings and empty streets, we found a cheery tourist area with shops, restaurants, and a large cathedral.

We followed a trail by the train tracks.

Empty streets of Kutná Hora

Crusty buildings

Empty street

Cathedral on the hill overlooking the town

Since we had been eating mostly Italian and French cuisine on this trip, we decided to try out the local fare.

Beef medallions in a sauce, topped with cranberries and a dollop of whipped cream. Bread dumplings on the side. Very delicious (and heavy!).

Back in Prague, we had to try another Czech traditional treat: Trdelník.

Trdelník: a traditional Slovak rolled pastry baked over hot coals and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar

 Yum!!

 

3 Days in the Czech Republic - Part 1

Last month while the grandparents were visiting, Mr. Bloomsbury and I got to take a trip without the small children. It had been a long time since the two of us had a weekend away, and we were very appreciative. We left early in the morning and blasted off down the autobahn in our black beauty.

We didn't have much time invested in planning this trip, but at least I had a Lonely Planet guide and a hotel reservation. Our style for travel is mainly sightseeing during the day and a nice meal for dinner in the evening. Walking is our preferred mode of transportation, and Prague did not disappoint.

We left our car with the valet at the hotel, who promised our car would be safe. "So far, so good!" he told us. Um, not extremely reassuring, but what else are you going to do?

Our walk around town took us past the main touristy spots:

Streets of Prague

View of Prague from the Hradĉany Castle.

St. Vitus Cathedral within the castle

Another view of St. Vitus Cathedral

Castle guard

The cathedral within the castle

Charles Bridge over the Vltava River

Church of Our Lady before Tyn

Astronomical Clock

The next day, we decided we'd hire a tour guide to take us around and tell us about the city. The city is rich with history. I was so glad to have had this experience to enrich our visit.

We learned the Astronomical Clock was first installed in 1410. A clock older than America's discovery! The details are amazingly accurate showing the position of the sun and the moon in the sky and how much daylight there will be.

Next stop was the Charles Bridge, named after King Charles, their beloved king who commenced the construction of the bridge in 1357. The bridge connects Hradĉany Castle to the Old Town on the opposite side of the river. Now just a pedestrian bridge, it is a very popular place for tourists. The bridge is decorated with many statues, some of them with very interesting stories.

King Charles

Entrance to the Charles Bridge from the Old Town side

View of the castle on top of the hill

These three women were martyrs for the Christian faith.

This is Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary

Crucifix statue. The gold Hebrew letters were added in the 1600s as a punishment to a local Jew who was accused of blasphemy. He was ordered to raise funds form the Jewish Quarter to pay for the gold letters. The text reads, "Holy Holy Holy, Lord of Hosts."

Another view of the castle on the hill

Our tour guide also led us through the Jewish Quarter. It's no longer the cramped space of the ghetto it once was, but there are still remnants of the history of the community with several synagogues and an old cemetery.

A Clock with numbers in Hebrew

Our walking tour concluded at a café that was once frequented by Albert Einstein!

An old photo of Café Louvre

One of the fun, but touristy things to do is Prague is to visit a beer spa. A beer spa is where you basically take a bath in beer while drinking it. The hops and yeast are supposed to be good for your skin. We were unsuccessful in completing this mission because we hadn't made a reservation. Boo.

Prague is a beautiful city, said to be the Paris of central Europe. It's beauty is attributed to not having been completely destroyed during World War II. And the food was delicious. We ate mainly French and Italian. Aside from the crowds of people, tons of souvenir shops, and the street performers, we truly enjoyed our visit.

I've seen a lot of street performers, but never this!

One last shot of the castle during the sunset