Week 4: Tübingen and Lake Konstanz

It’s already been four weeks since I arrived in Germany. I have been missing the family so much but have been so busy at work that time has been going by relatively quickly. I’ve been trying to keep busy on the weekends too so I don’t mope around the hotel.

Hotel living is actually not that bad. I say that with caution because I realize I am just one person and not a family here with pets. Breakfast is free and ready as soon as you are hungry, every day. Coffee and water are also free all day. Laundry is free and I only have to wash clothes once a week! I pretty much grab every other meal at the food court so there is no cooking. They come and dump my trash twice a week and clean my room once a week. It’s kind of like a vacation. Only thing missing is Matt and the kids.

Last weekend, we went to Brauhaus Schonbuch in Böblingen to send off my work sponsor, who was returning to the states.

We’ll be able to walk here once we move into our house. Can’t wait to go back with the family and to bring visitors here!

Sunday, I drove to Tübingen, about 30 minutes south of Stuttgart. It’s a medieval city that avoided being bombed during WW2, so is still pretty well-preserved.

It ended up being such a gorgeous day. It has stayed in the high 50s and pretty windy since I got here. This was the first day it was over 60F so everyone was out and about despite it being Sunday.

The Neckar river flows through the town and there are gondolas that can give rides up and down that part of the river. Lots of people were also out paddle boarding.

I had breakfast in the square and walked around the Old Town.

Monday was Memorial Day and the Coleman’s invited me to come along on their road trip to Lake Konstanz.

The lake borders Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. We got so lucky with another gorgeous day. The water was so clear and the town was so pretty.

The German schools are on their Spring Break this week so the town was packed with lots of vacationers. Tourism only became “legal” again a few weeks ago since the COVID lockdown so you can tell the Germans are really getting after it!

There is so much to do around Lake Konstanz. Not to mention, the lake itself is huge so we will definitely spend at least a weekend here, once the family arrives.

I am so lucky to have met friends already who were willing to adopt me and let me be their third wheel for the time being!