We woke up to our last day in the southern Black Forrest. We spent a good part of the morning packing our things – amazing how messy our “house” can get in just a few days! After Erik’s now familiar game of Tetris with the bags, we were off to explore the Park Mit Allen Sinnen (Park for all of the Senses). This was such a unique experience. Arriving at the park we paid our fee and then took our shoes off to place in a locker. We then headed out on the trail – barefoot. We walked on grass, wood chips, small and medium rocks, dirt pathways, mud, and more! Along the way were small huts were we could experience different stations. Some stations were touch, some sound, and some smell. We even found wild strawberries and cherries to taste. This activity really stretched our ability to be comfortable with sensory input (some were challenged more than others!). The OT in me was fascinated by this experience and kept thinking “How can I replicate this back home!?” Along the way Katie even picked up a special friend – but more on that later!

Following our sensory hike we had a lovely picnic by a stream. It was so picturesque I couldn’t believe we were experiencing it! We are all amazed that only 2 weeks ago the kids were just getting out of school! The picnic was delicious (more Black Forest Ham, cheese, fruit, and chips!). The kids played an impromtu game of soccer with an empty bottle 🙂 We loaded up in the car and headed through the forest to our next destination – Gaggenau.

I have to be honest here – I was nervous for this next stay. Erik had found the stay on Airbnb and I just wasn’t as familiar with the listing. We found out that in order to use the towels and sheets we would have to pay 10 euro per person. Then I searched the guide book for Gaggenau and it wasn’t even listed! But we were booked, so we put the address in the car GPS and off we went! We weaved through the forest and came to a small village outside Gaggenau called Sulzbach. We pulled up to the house and found ourselves looking into a very old garage. Both Juliette and I expressed concern looking into the garage thinking that was our new home. Boy we were wrong! This was the most lovely home! It is owned by a gentleman named Manual, who lives next door with his Grandmother Inge. Manual was the greatest host! He shared the history of the house – originally built in 1757. His great-grandparents had purchased the home in 1902. He showed us some historical details that were just amazing! For example – he renovated the outside of the home a few years ago only to find a door he never knew existed. When he opened the door he found a small bathroom complete with posters from the late 1960s! Then in the basement he found a canning cupboard with a jar of pears that had been canned by his great-grandmother! The most fascinating story of all was the history of his grandparents.

Inge and Leopold

In the town of Sulzach is a quarry where they mine red sandstone. In WWII prisoners were marched through the town of Sulzach to the quarry to work each day, right past Inge’s house. Inge was a young girl but had a heart for the prisoners so she would secretly give food to them as they march past her home. She became attached to one prisoner in particular and started to slip him small pieces of paper with notes on them. One day she gave him a piece of paper instructing him that she would leave a potato sack in the front of the house. As he marched past he was to hide himself in the potato sack. Then Inge’s family brought him into their home and hid him until the end of the war. Although the neighbors knew they did not turn the family into the Nazis, but they were definitely not pleased with the hidden prisoner. However Inge fell in love with the young man and they married. The young man was Manual’s grandfather. Manual shared that even today the neighbors (most of them older) are not pleased with the family. Unfortunately Inge has alzheimer’s so we were not able to meet her but I feel so honored to have stayed in Inge’s home!

We had only one more day in Sulzbach and we decided to take it easy – or so we thought! We spend the morning doing laundry, playing video games, reading books, and napping. You can decide who did what! The day was cloudy and overcast so we decided to search for an indoor pool. We found an amazing place that had both indoor AND outdoor pools! We changed clothes, grabbed our towels and were off! The pool was awesome! There were very few people there – probably less than 10 others. The kids had a blast swimming and they even had a water slide with WARM water. We swam in each of the pools and went down the waterslide numerous times until…..

Katie, “Mom, I feel like there is something on my back”

Liz “Let me take a look….”

Liz “ Uhh, Erik – Katie has a tick sticking out of her back”

Having next to no knowledge about ticks (where was Fran when you need her?) we asked the Life Guard for some tweezers. And then I made a mistake. I attempted to remove the tick and you guessed it – the head broke off into her back. The manager of the pool noticed us and informed us we must take Katie to the clinic in Baden-Baden.

So off we went in our swimsuits to the German Krankenhaus (Emergency Room). We headed in and got registered. While Katie and Erik waited, the rest of us went to the Bakery for a snack. I must say that although there are a lot of things that need changed in our healthcare system I think adding a German bakery in each one might be a good start! We enjoyed some lovely treats while the Dr. treated Katie. We weren’t sure what to expect but the Dr. cleaned it up, did a quick needle search for the bug and sent us on our way. We just need to keep an eye on it and return it there are any problems. And how much is a trip to the ER for a tick? Only 53 euro! What a deal! Although she probably would have been ok without the trip to the hospital Erik and I agreed 53 euro is a small price to pay for piece of mind! Plus Erik learned some new words and how to navigate a new social situation in Germany! A win-win 😊

After that excitement we needed a quick dinner and ended up at, yep! McDonald’s. It was a good choice at the end of a stressful event. We enjoyed our treat, laughed about our adventures, and discussed our next stretch of our journey – Heidelberg and Frankfurt.