Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme

Wiesbaden is famous for the thermal baths. So of course being here I had to visit one.

I get up in the morning and put on my bathing suit, got dress, had breakfast and walked to Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme, which are situated in the center in this beautiful old building. They have 3 hot springs pools with different temperatures,  3 saunas with different temperatures also, steam rooms, sudatorium rooms, relaxing rooms, cold rooms, hot rooms, I mean it’s incredible all they have.

They charge by the hours so at arrival I clock in and proceeded to the thermal pools to find out that I was the only one in a bathing suit, everybody was naked. So when in Rome….

I sat in the thermal pool for 20 minutes then I went to the sauna for 20 minutes, then I jumped in the cold water pool and then to the whirlpool for 15 minutes. After that a nice shower and a body and face scrub, and I felt great!!!

The feeling of clean and fresh after seating in the sauna it’s incomparable. I just love it.

I used to go to the sauna three times a week when I was home, now I just do it here and there and every time I tell myself that I have to do it more often, however, they are no saunas near every place I stay, so I just do them when I can get them.

Anyway, the place was great,

I had a fabulous time and I felt new and refresh all over.

Burg Frankenstein = Castle Frankenstein

South of Darmstadt, up in a hill, sits the ruins of Burg Frankenstein.

Here is where Mary Shelly had the inspiration for her novel. I still don’t know how looking at these ruins inspired somebody to write Frankenstein, but she did.

There is not much left of the 750 years old castle, only some walls and stairs and tower, howeve,r still standing is a little chapel where now a day many people gets marry. Actually the day I was there, there was a wedding. I think it’s very nice to be marry in such a place.

The road up the hill is through the woods and 

once there, the views of the country side around it are very pretty with their green pastures and grey skies; it rains a lot in Germany.

Every year the castle hosts one of the biggest hallowing parties in Europe which seems very apropos.

A few decades ago they built a restaurant in the castle, however, it looks new and the bricks they used don’t match the original stones. To me, it looks out of place.

Still, it was great to walk through those ruins while remembering scenes from the book and the many pictures I have seen.

Back in Germany!!!

There are many beautiful countries in this world, and Germany is one of them.

What a gorgeous place, with it green pastures in the north and mountains in the south and the many rivers crisscrossing the country. The people are so nice and friendly, every time I come to Germany I get the same welcoming feeling and it feels great.

When my daughter used to live here I use to love to come and visit her,

1.      I wanted to see her and my granddaughter (yes, my son in law too…)

and 

2.     because I love this country.

This time the first place I have been is:

Bensheim

After an overnight bus ride from Lyon and 1 hour on a train ride and a wait of 3 hours before my host picked me up at arrived at my new destination.

What a lovely family, the couple it’s great, words can no fully describe how genuinely nice, friendly and welcoming they are. They have two very nice boys and one very nice girl. The house is very nice in the outsides of town in Lautertal which is near Bensheim.

Bensheim is located south of Frankfurt and near Mains, Heidelberg, and Darmstadt, and it’ s a very nice little town. Actually I walked the town while I waited for my host and that was enough time to see it. It was a market while I was there, so it was nice and enjoyable.

I walked around Lautertal a few times when we had nice days(it rains a lot here right now) and the place is very pretty and tranquil and all green. Well, with all this rain it better be green!

I am just happy to be back in Germany.