Packed to the rafters - with summer and winter clothes, because we don't know where our journey is taking us - we roll onto the motorway. We want to make some distance first.
Gerd looks at me and casually asks if I could imagine surprising our daughter. I nod. He has already planned everything. Our son-in-law is in on it, nobody else knows about his plan.
What we have observed from afar for years and never understood is that the parents-in-law use the Advent season to visit all the Christmas markets in Germany. This weekend it's supposed to be Bad Wimpfen. This is not at all on our route towards Turkey and the Arabian Peninsula. When I mention this in passing, my husband beams and says: "Yes, I know. But so what?"
With this in mind, I dig out our proper winter clothes (good thing I packed the thick woollen gloves, hats and long men) and leave the summer clothes rolled up in the back cupboards. When we arrive in Bad Wimpfen, we actually find a parking space just a few metres from the hotel entrance.
Now it's time to wait. Waiting for the family. And hope that our son-in-law has kept his mouth shut. We are sitting in the hotel lobby, next to wooden elks and Christmas trees. When our daughter gets out of the lift, she simply looks past us. Max, our granddog, somehow seems to sense that there is someone he knows.
My heart is pounding with excitement. At some point she finally looks at us and recognises us! A short cry of joy (we hope), a quick glance at her husband (did you know that?) and we're already in each other's arms. And the tears start to fall.
We spend a wonderful Advent weekend together. We stroll through the truly magical Christmas market, freeze like idiots on these bitterly cold days, sit for hours in the warm hotel bar, and really enjoy family and the Christmas season once again.
And we realise that we - mother and daughter - are always drawn to the same stalls: Wood carvings, lángos with sour cream and chocolate grapes on a skewer.
After two and a half days together, it's time to say goodbye: we head south (hopefully, let's see what else hubby has planned), the children and parents-in-law return to their respective homes.
To summarise, Gerd doesn't often shine with travel ideas, but when he does, they work! Thank you, dear travel partner, for this little detour on our journey south!
Merci for "travelling with us
We are thinking about taking another break from travelling in the summer and visiting our families in Germany and Switzerland. One of the ideas is to organise a Lecture about our long journey to the Persian Gulf to prepare. If you would like to, what would interest you the most? We will also tell stories here that don't find a place here on the blog. We're thinking of the Bern and Berlin area - simply because we have family there. But other places are also conceivable. Feel free to write to us.
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What a lovely surprise!
Well done Gerd ! 👍🥰
You guys are great!
All !
LG from Bavaria, which is now soaking wet.