A week before our flight to Basel airport I still thought this trip would be to Switzerland.
I bought these cheap tickets from EasyJet 6 weeks in advance.
As usual, between traveling, working and family I didnโt have time to plan the trip.
Well, whatโs new there? Every trip it is the same, I got used to itโฆ I wasnโt worried. I learned to go with the flow and no plans. ๐
A week before taking off I went ahead to book accommodation for the first days and realized that Switzerland was above and beyond my budget.
I tried looking for creative solutions and turned to my Facebook friends for help.
They did not disappoint and helped me contact with two families that were prepared to have us for free. I was very touched by these offers, but it didnโt work out because of the distance and datesโฆ
I almost gave up, but suddenly noticed an idea on Facebook that saved the day.
โWhat do you say about changing direction and going to the Black Forest in Germany, itโs only an hourโs drive from the airportโฆ Staying in the Black Forest is very cheap.โ wrote me Shlomit Yefet-Bialick, an experienced traveler and the author of a series of travel books.
Shlomit, what a wonderful idea, thank you! Basel is on the border of Switzerland, Germany and France. You can easily reach the Black Forest from there.
And it is ways cheaper to stay!
In no time I found on airbnb a family that let us stay for 27โฌ a night in their home. And you wonโt believe what a stunning house we got!
I rented the car here from my usual website. The deal included border crossing in Europe.
Our German house is located in the small village of Ohlsbah, in the western side of the Black Forest. Itโs convenient to reach attractions in all three regions of the forest: south, center and north.
We landed in Basel with our sights to the north. Next time weโll find a way to travel Switzerland with our budget!
On the flight we met a new German friendย – Katrina. She asked to take a ride with us to the Offenburg train station.
Katrina made Shiraโs dream come true and pushed her through the airport on her suitcases. We travel with a single backpack, so usually Shira has to walk to the car envying the kids riding on their parents'ย suitcases next to us. ๐
We reached Offenburg. After six hours together we felt like family. It was hard saying goodbye, so we went to a Greek restaurant before parting ways.
And of course we made arrangements to meet again for a day during our week here.
At Ohlsbach we got not only a great house, but also a wonderful German family – Manfred and Doris turned out to be a warm and kind couple.
Eins, zwei, dreiโฆ
Every morning Shira and Manfred had a German-Hebrew lesson.
The little one didnโt give up until Manfred learned to write her name and count to 11 in Hebrew.
And Doris taught Shira a German song. ๐
We went for a walk around the village and were amazed by the beauty of autumn. There were apple trees wherever we turned. We surely wouldnโt have to buy fruits here. ๐
At the local market we met two women who told us about the area and treated us with… guess what?
Apples!
And when we returned home Doris surprised us with an apple pie. ๐
In the village of Wolfach there is a very special glass museum. They specialize in making Christmas decorations, and thereโs an exhibition all year round.
Shira had a go at glassblowing.
The place is wonderful for a family outing! Along with the glass workshop and display, we found here a childrenโs playground and a cafe.
The food was delicious and the German beer excellent!
Park of the Senses (Park mit Allen Sinnen) in the village of Gutach sounded at first like any other walking trail. What made it fun was a simple idea – take off your shoes at the beginning and walk it barefoot.
Shira enjoyed it so much. She jumped and splashed in the mud and puddles.
Along the way there were stops for the sense of smell, touch, sight and hearing. We enjoyed the games and the views.
I also had a natural shiatsu treatment from the small stones.;)
It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for a walk in a magical an autumn colored forest.
Tip: take the shoes with you rather than leaving them in the locker. While the walk you might want to put them on. ๐
Season of the pumpkin, apples and large Kinder chocolate eggs in the Black Forest. ๐
Today we meet Katrina in the northern part, in Gernsbach town.
From Gernsbach we went together to lake Mummelsee. We enjoyed a few hours of good weather and when it started raining we found shelter inside a restaurant with more sausages and beer.
Only on my blog will you find a recommendation for a fun day at a German kindergarten. ๐
You wouldnโt believe how much fun it could be for your children! Sometimes itโs worth straying away from the tourist path to get to know the local people.
Doris, our host, invited Shira and Maya to visit the kindergarten where she works as a kindergarten teacher.
My girls didnโt want to leave the place, they had such a good time with the local children (I was asked not to photograph them).
The short visit turned into a full day at the kindergarten. Shira and Maya even went for a ride around the village in a stroller-crib. ๐
Thereโs a free playground and animal park in the neighboring village of Gengenbach, where we spent the last day before the flight home.
I wanted to see the center of the village, but the girls were too tired and it was starting to rain in the afternoon.
We went straight home to some more apple pie that Doris made. ๐
I return home after falling in love with the Black Forest, its apples, pumpkins and autumn colorsโฆ
A big thank you to all our new friends, what a wonderful world we have! ๐
