Travelog for: Leopoldi

Hi Mummy,
today Virgo and I helped our host Katja to make a rhubarb cake. Yesterday, when Katja took a walk she picked some rhubarb in a friend's garden. Yesterday in the eveining she already cooked delicious jam with rhubarb and bananas.



For the cake we needed rhubarb of course , butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, flour, baking soda and eggs.



We cut the rhubarb into pieces while Katja prepared the cake dough. She put the dough onto baking tray and added the rhubarb.



While the cake was in the oven for about 25 minutes we prepared the meringue topping: beaten egg white and sugar.



The meringue had to be spread on the cake.



Another 15 minutes in the oven and the cake was ready.



Bye
Leopoldi

Hi Mummy,
we took a walk in one of the oldest districts of Remscheid today, in Hasten, close to a large woodland area.  You can find lots of traditional old houses here, also this church, embedded in a large garden.



You won't believe it, but we found a long lost ToyVoyager, Mini-Woof. In winter he was a bit too curious, taking an excursion on his own. Finally he found back to his host!



We walked downhill towards Morsbach valley.



I liked this house.



Katja told me that houses like this were probably built in late 18th century.



I heard someone calling "Leeeeoooooopoldiiiiii!!!"

????

"Hi, I'm heeeeeere!!!"



Herlinde! She is also taking excurses on her own, but in opposition to Mini-Woof she is at home  here and knows the city.



I am so happy that finally I found Herlinde.



Later, walking through the forest, we found rocks with engraved poems.





We also met a flock of sheep, waiting for their sheep-shearing.









What a lovely tiny house! It would be perfect for me and Herlinde to raise a family.



Another half-timbered house is restored at the moment.



Here in the valley you can find a lot of historic industrial sites. Along Morsbach valley industrialization began in middle ages.



From here we had to walk uphill for eternity (only 45 minutes like Katja told me).

Bye
Leopoldi

Hi Mummy,
today I took another long walk with Katja and her brother-in-law, this time in a valley in the South of Remscheid. Herlinde decided to stay at home, she was a bit lazy today.

On the parking lot we saw an historic car.



After climbing out of a valley (like ALWAYs) we reached a point with a great overview to the city centre of Remscheid.





Katja told me that we just climbed out of a valley to walk down to the next one. The topographical situation of Remscheid is sort of crazy



There are fish ponds in the valley.







Along this path you can find the remains of some historic industrial sites, partly only some walls. Some of them are older than 400 years!



The sun was narly going down when we went back to the car. In the background you can see one of the churches in the city centre, high above  on its hill.



Like often here, you can find dwellings and factories close together.



Bye
Leopoldi

Hi Mummy,

a new guest arrived today, Alberto from Spain.

We helped Katja to prepare elderflower wine cooler. This really sounds weird ...

There were already lots of elderflowers.



Katja showed us the ingredients we would need to prepare the wine cooler: elcerflowers, sugar, lemons, mint and water.



The lemons hat to be pressed, sugar and water were added, mint and elderflower were put into the liquid.







The mixture was covered with a plate, now it has to rest for 24 hours at room temperature.



Love
Leopoldi

Hi Mummy,
today we finished the elderbloom wine cooler. Katja' knitting friends would come in the evening, for knitting and enjoying the wine cooler.

Our mixture with blooms, lemon, mint and sugar was strained and poured into a special pot.



A bottle of each white wine and sparkling wine was added.





Cheers!

Leopoldi

Hi Mummy,
after having ugly rainy weather the whole week we took an excursion today. We visited Germany's highest railway bridge, Muengsten Bridge, connecting Remscheid and the neighbour city Solingen. This bridge is overspanning the valley of river Wupper.

A smaller creek is running into river Wupper here.



We found information signs on the path.



Herlinde came with me, we had a lot of fun together. We found a "puddle oracle" ... I asked the oracle if my love to Herlinde would come to an happy end. Unfortunately the oracle was in a bad mood and did not answer.



From an outlook pavilion we took a first look at the bridge. Muengsten Bridge is about 107 m high and about 490 m long. It was built in late 19th century, finished in 1897.



Following our walking path, we reached a place exactly under the bridge. It was made of steel with two tracks.



We reached river Wupper than, running through the lovely landscape.



Our path led us through the forest, always close to river Wupper.



There are rocks with engraved board games along the path, we rested on this Nine Men's Morris- board.



We found more information boards, this one is showing a map with hiking trails in this area.





We walked uphill and downhill along the steep slope of the valley.



A little creek is flowing down the slope, also crossing the walking path.



We reached Muengsten bridge than, on the Solingen side this time.





This is river Wupper under the bridge.



A leisure park was built under the bridge some years ago. They have a crazy golf course, lawns for relaxing, playgrounds for the kids, restaurants and you can also play in the usually shallow river.



This restaurant was opened about two years ago.



To get back to the car we had to walk under a road bridge.



Bye
Leopoldi

Hi Mummy,
today we a trip to the neighbour city Wuppetal. Herlinde did not come with us, what a pity!

One of the city’s greatest attractions is the suspended monorail (Schwebebahn), which was established in 1901. The tracks are 8 m above the streets and 12 m above the Wupper River. Here you can see one of 20 stations along the 13,3 km long route.









This is one of the stations.







Here you can see the historic city hall of Wuppertal. There is a daily farmers market in front of it.



We were really hungry than and went looking for pizza or anything else to eat.

Bye
Leopoldi

Hi Mummy,

after finishing breakfast we took a walk in the forest. We started our trip in a rural district in the West of the municipal area, we took our new guest Bzzzzz with us.



We walked in the valley along river Wupper. You could cross it here. I have been here with Herlinde last week.





We saw foxglove in the forest, lovely flowers, but extremely poisonous.



We took a group photo on this cartwheel.



We reached the historical district Unterburg in the neighbour city Solingen. This church was built in late 17th century.







This creek is flowing into river Wupper here.



This statue is showing a "Kiepenkerl", hard working men who carried all sorts of goods through the rangy landscape in their panniers.



Have a look at this beautiful house!



We still followed river Wupper until we reached this bridge. We crossed the river here and walked back on the other bank.



In the meantime a medieval castle came into sight, Schloss Burg. Unfortunatelay we did not come close enough for a better photo.



Our path led us uphill for some time, in the valley you can see Unterburg.



Here we saw more lovely houses with narrow lanes.



It started to rain than, so we all disappeared into Katja's bag  while she and her friend became wet, we still had to walk back to the car for an hour

Bye
Leopoldi

]Hi Mummy,

today we started to paint the walls in Katja's new apartement.

After protecting the edge of the ceiling and the  washboards we started to paint her favourite colour in the bedroom.



We even managed to paint the wall without getting terribly dirty



That's all for today, a load of work was waiting for us!

Bye
Leopoldi

Hi Mummy,
today we painted the kitchen walls.

First we tried to mix a suitable color. We put some blue paint into off-white paint ...



We did not like the result. When we addes some teal paint from the bedroom we liked the result.



Bye
Leopoldi

Hi Mummy,
because it is time to leave I had to talk to Herlinde. When we took a walk I asked her if she would marry me.



In case she should say "yes" I bought a heart charm for her. And indeed, she said "yes".



We are so happy - we are engaged now





Now I am ready to leave, I am sure Herlinde will wait for me until we will be able to marry.



Bye
Leopoldi

Hi Mummy,
I am on my way home now.

Love
Leopoldi

I have reached my home today.

In some days I will leave it together with 3*Euro for new adventures.

Hey mum!

today I finally arrived at my new host together with 3*Euro!



and then I met Parsifal, a little red dragon who lives at my host's house! he's a cool guy



tomorrow we will go to Mallorca, Parsifal will also come with us, I think we will have a great dragon-time

your Leopoldi

Mum!

today was the great day! we took our plane to Mallorca! Of course, all the TVs read the security instructions



we sat down and used the belt..



we looked outside the window.. sorry, you can't see it so well, it was too sunny outside



your Leopoldi