Elisabeth & Teije's reis website

A visit to Tecklenburg


Home -> Europe -> Germany -> Travelogue Germany -> 01 May 2008

Thursday 01 May, a visit to Tecklenburg

Esmée wakes us at half past nine! We really get our sleep this holiday and she also. And we had been prepared to get up between half past 6 to half past 7, her normal waking uptimes. The biggest disadvantage is that we are quite late to go somewhere, but on the other hand, it is a holiday and we don't always have to be as busy as I sometimes plan it. Today we want to visit Tecklenburg, another nice mountain village in the neighbourhood. But first we drive to Holland to get some lpg and to nuy Dutch bread at a bakery (we don't really like the German bread, it feels so heavy on the stomach) But all shops are closed and we don't understand why. It is the first of may, Labour Day, but that shouldn't be a reason not to work, we think. Only when we are back home we realise today is Ascension Day, still a national holiday in some parts of Western Europe.
The center of Tecklenburg Tecklenburg is situated on a hill and the slopes are decorated with cottages, it is as if we are really in the mountains. The center is small but characteristic German with many half-timbered houses: nice white houses with tarred beams on the outside. Esmée is particularly charmed by the cobblestones and the narrow, sloping streets.
Eating in TecklenburgAfter a short walk we sit down on a terrace in the sun. We are lucky again with the nice weather! Soon we realize that we have to eat and we order a soup with a pizza and Esmée has got a healthy appetite from the outside air. However, we still have to teach her that she should not talk as loudly as we sit on a terrace. She loves attention (which child does not it?) and does not mind at all if she gets it from others by talking loudly. It is difficult to realize for her that others are not always happy about it.
View from Tecklenburg View from TecklenburgTecklenburg lies on the western foothills of the hills in the Teutoburg Forest and received city rights in 1388, although the houses in the center mainly date from the 16th to the 18th century. It is the most northerly mountain village in Germany at a height of more than 200 meters. The area has many walking and cycling routes, but today we limit ourselves to the town itself.
Climbing the hill, TecklenburgWe walk up along the edge of the center to the castle ruins, but it does not go very fast because Esmée is in a floral-smelling-and-picking mood. She is lying on the ground regularly to put her nose in the flowers and the dandelions are not safe for her so she quickly walks around with a whole collection. In the castle quarter is the largest open-air music theater in Germany but that is not so exciting.
Playing under the gate, TecklenburgShe likes the many gates in the town much better, and under one of them she is lying on the floor and to everyone's surprise does not want to get up. It takes a while before I realize that she is replaying Snow White. She is dead and I am the prince who must give her a kiss so that she can come back to life. Bystanders giggle, but I lift her from the ground and give her a big kiss. So, the princess is alive again!
House in TecklenburgThen we look for souvenirs. When we go on vacation, we always take a souvenir with us for the children and also for ourselves. So this time Esmée can pick something for mom and of course for herself. Eventually it becomes a set of princess jewelery: a necklace, earrings and a ring with sparkling stones. And after that she wants to go home quickly so she can put on her princess dress. But she still likes the town enough to stroll around for a while through those 'crazy' streets.
There is a medieval knight party in the Bad Bentheim castle and we promise Esmée that we will go there tomorrow morning and that she can wear her princess dress and new jewelry so she can walk like a real princess.
Esmée as princess Esmée as princessAnd there she is, our princess: very proud of her dress and we have to keep saying that she is the most beautiful princess in the whole world with her dress and jewelry. I also have to do that on behalf of all the animals that of course are completely surprised about their boss. But then it is bedtime, a little earlier than the last days because it looks like we have to set an alarm to not wake up too late.
Elisabeth and I pack as many things as possible so that we are ready for departure tomorrow. And when cleaning up we find a brochure saying that tomorrow is the only day that the medieval party in the castle does not start in the morning, but only at 5 o'clock and then we have to be home again. So that will be a small problem ..., how are we going to explain that after our promise?

 


© Teije & Elisabeth 2000 - 2023 To the top of the page