2026 August: From The Emergency Room To The Alps

From the emergency room to the Alps!

This month went from bad to good! 

And it keeps getting better.

After my wonderful visit to Frankfurt last month, I left so revived. I was once again reminded that I do have family here; my dear friend Marilou and her daughter, Alyiah. They are my German daughter and granddaughter, and I feel so fortunate we have been friends for twenty-five years.

I returned home to Wolfach ready to face the week and prepare for visiting Lutz in Rehab over the next weekend. We escaped from the Rehab and enjoyed a dinner out and an evening drink on the top of a hotel near his Rehab.

I stayed in a hotel around the block from his residence, and the next morning, we took off for a tour of Staufen. This is such a cool walled town with quaint restaurants.

Romanic allies leading to unique shops,

And a river that runs through it (Neu Magen = New Stomach, don’t ask!). We were fortunate to find a table at the Café Decker, which sits on the bridge over the river, with a local who didn’t mind us joining her. 

She was from France and came over often to enjoy the city. She spoke perfect English, and we got along very well. We got wrapped up in conversation from the minute we met and never exchanged names! Oh, and by the way, the cafe served the best Iced coffee I’ve had. Three scoops of vanilla ice cream with strong coffee and a bit of whipped cream. so refreshing in the 40 °C/100 F weather.

I tucked Lutz in bed, and the next day, Saturday, we enjoyed an early dinner with our dear friends Erich and Gaby, who live nearby. They reserved a table at Kläsles Restaurant on the Rhein outside under the trees. So great to see the river we spent ten years on with our boat, Virus. 

Lutz and I said our goodbyes, and I had planned to leave for home the next moonring since he had a day full of physical therapy (PT) and another week at the Rehab. I began to feel an upset stomach around 10:00 pm. By 10;30 pm, I was camping out in the bathroom until 2:30 am when I decided I had food poisoning and could not keep water down. For the first time in my life, I had to call 112 for an ambulance! Lutz had his phone off all night, and I finally reached him from the emergency room at 7:30 am. Even if I could reach him, there was nothing he could do.

Since Lutz was not supposed to drive, he asked Erich to take me home from the hospital, but Lutz escaped and drove the car back for me. Then he went back with Erich, another hour-and-a-half drive back to the Rehab. I tell you, for the following week, I was out of it. I felt like crap. So I had a week to recover, which I spent sleeping and drinking a ton of water. I was so dehydrated. But I did have enough energy to put together our new patio chair!

By the end of the week, I was feeling up to getting out of the house. My dear friend Julie and her friend hooked up for a visit to the Portuguese Fest in our town, Wolfach. It was a sight to see the different menus, and I learned that there is a Portuguese grocery store in town as well. I pooped out before the singing began and headed home to bed.

The following Monday was worth it all. I picked up Lutz, and we drove directly to Frankfurt Airport to pick up my best friend, whom I’ve known since we were 12. Jennifer and her husband, Steve, flew from Nebraska to visit us for six days of adventures. A German evening meal was on the menu! But first, a bit of relaxing on the balcony in the shade.

We gave them one day of rest and a quick tour of our downtown (two blocks long). Lutz had to drive them to the top of the mountain, where we look every evening from our balcony, to show them the bike trail! The view down to our home was gorgeous.

One day, we took off and went to the coolest museum in the Black Forest, I think! It’s Black Forest, National Park. The building itself is a masterpiece and hugs nature. 

It is well worth the trip when you are here. The tour is staggered to avoid large crowds, and it begins above ground, offering fantastic wildlife and vegetation. 

Then it goes underground to explore the life below the trees, the animals, and the ecosystem that thrives. The narration comes to you through speakers above if you stand in the right spot. A little blurry, but you get the idea! Those are roots.

Of course, there are stations for kids to learn more. Yes, we had to give it a go and see what we would look like as animals in the Black Forest. It is really something special.

We made it home for a nice grilled meal on the cool balcony!

One evening, we took them to dinner at Hornberg Castle. They were so impressed! Who isn’t impressed by eating in a castle?

We had to take them to Triberg to see the world’s largest clock. This is one of Germany’s biggest calling cards. I shared previously that the Largest clock is in Brazil, but it’s difficult to change traditions.

We even made a stop at the Triberg Black Forest Museum. It’s so fascinating. They share the history of clock-making, how they would build them in the winter and then, in the spring, carry them on their backs and sell them to the Netherlanders.

They also display a variety of music machines. With a drop of a euro, you can hear them play! To see more pictures of the inside, go to Google. Type in Schwarzwaldmuseum. There are several photos of the inside, including costumes, dolls, homes, and more.

The weather had cooled down for all of us, and it was perfect for a dip in the jacuzzi!

The next morning, it was time to take off for Lutz’s super two-day tour! First stop Meersburg.

Before we landed in Meersburg, we stopped at the Birnau Church. It has a fascinating history.

We enjoyed a picnic with a view! What a beautiful day.

We mosied into Meersburg to our hotel, the Weinstube Löwen, right in the center of the old town.

The only challenge at this point was the stairs. We were on the third floor and no elevator. All four of us suffer from knee or foot injuries!

We made the rounds and explored the Meersburg Castle, which I had not done before. 

It was fascinating, and the information says it is one of the few castles where a portion is restricted because the owners live there.

Lutz was being bossy, so we put him in the stocks. Just kidding, he really planned a great tour.

The views were so beautiful, and I wouldn’t blame the owners for wanting to keep a section for themselves. Just hope it’s been remodeled.

That night we ate at the best restaurant in town, See Sicht, really! I like reading reviews, so I was checking out several, and this place had a 4.9-star rating. 

It is owned and operated by a couple from Bulgaria, and he cooks, and she serves. The food is delicious. The first thing I noticed was the smell. I hate to enter a restaurant and smell old grease. The only thing I smelled was herbs and other delicious aromas wafting from the open kitchen. Look at this salad, fresh green lettuce, not iceberg. so yummy!

Then the fish was so good, I tried the combo fish plate. Each has a distinct taste. No French fries; fresh-sliced potatoes sautéed. I was so enthralled that I didn’t take any pictures of the other tasty meals. Trust me, this place deserves the stars!

The next day, we took the ferry across the Bodensee to start our travels through Switzerland. Jennifer had a wish to see the Alps. They were a bit far for a real close-up tour, but the ferry ride to the Swiss side of Bodensee was enough for now.

We made it to Zürich, and I was a little apprehensive about this town. I am not a fan of huge cities, but I was surprised to see it so open with outdoor relaxing spots and restaurants along the river. We treated ourselves to the cafe on the river behind Lutz’s head.

We had to take a pic of us at the opera house.

We left downtown and stopped on the shore of the Zürich See for a break and lunch. It lasted 30 minutes before a neighbor came and told us it wasn’t allowed to drive on the side road we took, and the fee would be over 350 euros! Ok, so it was a beautiful spot, but not worth 350 euros. OOPS!

We headed toward Zürich Airport, where we would spend the night at a nearby hotel and enjoy our last meal together this trip. Of course, we had to get Fondue! Trust me, Steve liked it. He was caught off guard by the picture. 

In the morning, Jennifer and Steve caught the airport shuttle, and we had a light breakfast, then headed home.

We enjoyed a delicious Cast Iron Grilled Saucy Shrimp meal on our cool balcony together and talked about how wonderful it was to have both Jennifer and Steve with us. We have to make this happen each year. For sure! So start planning and saving your pennies. We are thinking of a cruise from Croatia to Spain!

Later in the week, we attended a Lions meeting. This month, it was about the school for bees! Truly, it is an organization that trains beekeepers all over Germany. Crazy right? 

All the time I was there, I kept thinking of my mom, who is highly allergic to bees, and the thought of honey running down her neck freaks her out. I kept clear of the beetrainer as he removed the honeycomb and bees. Not my thing, but fascination. Thank you, Lutz, for the picture.

So, from a bad start this month with food poisoning, it only got better each day. The grand finale was sharing our world with dear friends and avoiding bees. Our month ended with so much gratitude and appreciation for all we have and for dear friends.

I hope you enjoyed this month’s letter and look forward to hearing your comments below! In the meantime, take a peek at this delicious Creamy Cauliflower Vegie Soup and my new resource.

New Fave Recipe: Creamy Cauliflower Vegie Soup

After a week of dealing with food poisoning, this was the best meal ever, ok, ok, well, not ever, but it felt like it.

New Fave Resource: Finland Figured It Out!

Did you know that Finland has one of the highest rates of emotional disorders like stress? Well, this resource is amazing. I practice it whenever stress prevents me from sleeping. It’s called Worry Time, and it’s not what you think.