Germany (and then some!) — What We Saw, What We Read

View of the Rhine from Basel, Swizterland.

Back when Yana was doing her Fulbright in Tanzania, she made a great friend named Valerie who also happened to be working nearby. For years Yana promised that she would make her way to Germany to visit Valerie and finally we had the opportunity! We flew into Basel, Switzerland where Valerie is working on her PhD and living nearby in Lörrach, Germany with her husband Philipp. We stayed with Valerie and Philipp for over a week, and for that time, had the chance to feel like we were at home (though our German was terrible). We explored beautiful Basel and Lörrach and then, for the first time in our travels, we decided it was time to rent a car and get a chance to see all the nearby sights. Within driving distance, we made it to Colmar and Strasbourg in France, Freiburg and Heidelberg, Germany and even a longer trip for the weekend.

So many colors in Colmar, France! — So many colors in Colmar, France!

We made full use of our rental car and so, with a few days left in Germany were able to fulfill an idea that we had been toying with for a couple of months. Before immigrating to the US, my (Pat) maternal ancestors lived in Korbach, a small town in Germany about five hours north of Lörrach. We weren’t sure what, if anything, we would find there but we decided that this was the best opportunity we would have to visit my ancestral home. We set off early on a Friday morning, optimistically hopeful that the long journey would be worth the drive. We drove expecting a quiet little town nestled in rolling hills but were surprised to discover a bustling fair filling the town’s beautiful streets.

As someone who has had little interest in genealogy in the past and always seems to forget even the most rudimentary details of family history, I found our trip to Korbach unexpectedly meaningful. I’m not sure if it was finding (many) mentions of the Trummel name in books at the public library and museum, visiting the well-preserved houses that my relatives lived in centuries ago, or walking the same streets as they must have walked during their lifetime, I felt a connection with my past that I had not anticipated. As with so many experiences we’ve had during our months of travel, I’ll forever be grateful of seizing this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Well, there used to be a house here that three generations of Pat's ancestors lived in. Now it's a parking lot.

On the road back from our weekend adventure, we stopped for a day in beautiful Heidelberg, where our friends Valerie and Philipp used to live and study. It was a hot sunny day, perfect for the views of Heidelberg castle and the surrounding hills. Can you imagine getting to study here?

A view of the Heidelberg Castle and Neckar River below.

This guy needs a tan! (Heidelberg Castle)