As the end of May approached, having little to do besides track coronavirus data and read news all day, I started to realize that the virus numbers, weather, and desire to rejuvenate the EU economy might enable a little bit of travel outside of the parks & playgrounds we’d been exploring all over the Frankfurt region. I knew at that point our trip to the USA was off (a continued sadness that none of us are completely over), and we’d already scrapped our spring & summer plans involving cheap flights out of Frankfurt to farther-flung European destinations. However, looking ahead to summer break, across Germany and into Switzerland, hotel rates were cheap, cancellation policies were generous, and I was desperate. On a wing and a prayer and with very little hope, I booked several potential vacations within 5 hours by car or train, hoping we’d get to do just one of them. Miraculously, we did them all.

Summer 2020 ended up being one for the books – not only did we get to vacation with the Germans in Germany, we got to add a couple of new countries to our list. We had so much fun, probably all the more so because of how grateful we continue to be for everything, and how much we want to take advantage of anything we get to do, while we get to do it. I’m not going to overwhelm you with pictures (well, I might, but I’m going to try not to), but here are some highlights:

June – Playmobil FunPark, Legoland, and Bodensee/Lake Constance

I already posted about this in a previous entry, but I have to include it as part of our Summer 2020 diary. Here are some new pics:

July – Anne Marie Solo Berlin Trip, Switzerland & Liechtenstein

Once we got back from Lake Constance, Matt suggested I take a solo trip to Berlin. I’d been talking about Berlin for the last year, but wasn’t sure how exciting it would be for the whole family, so we’d held off. We do our share of marveling at churches, soaking in the ambiance of an Old Town stroll, and learning about the history of the places we visit, but I do want the kids to continue to want to travel, and if I don’t see a clear win-win, it’s not happening.

“Seriously, Anne Marie, you’re the one of us who has been stuck at home this entire time – you should go.” (Matt is the kindest person I know)

“Well, if you’re sure…” I made a few feeble protests – before hopping on a train to Berlin with an N95 mask, new books on my Kindle, and plans to see everything in Berlin less than 48 hours. It was so much fun to be out exploring a new city. My favorite neighborhood was Hackesche Höfe, a community built by and for the Jewish residents of Berlin in the 1700’s. Over the years, this neighborhood grew into a series of interconnected courtyards & high-rise residences not visible to the streets outside. Every courtyard was distinct, with a series of art studios, shopping boutiques, green spaces, restaurants, and a vibrant club scene. It was so fun to step off of the streets of Berlin and into an area that was so historic and yet so modern.

Of course, Berlin is full of can’t-miss East German sites and monuments to the survivors of the Holocaust. I continue to be impressed with how much responsibility the Germans take for the events leading up to and including World War II – it is clear that they do not memorialize the leaders of Nazi Germany (the site of Hitler’s death is a parking lot with weeds growing up through the cracks), choosing instead to highlight the victims, the learnings, and how we can be different going forward. On a lighter note, I also saw the balcony where Michael Jackson dangled his kid for all the photographers below, and the cross created by the sun shining on the TV Tower (Germans like to joke that this sun-lit cross is ‘the Pope’s revenge’ for East German atheism).

Switzerland with the whole family was even more fun. I’d never been, and had heard from German friends only that “it is expensive. Go to Austria instead.” But we loved it – the people were so nice and friendly, the food was great, the air was fresh, and the sound of cowbells echoing off the mountains never got old. We spent most of the time riding chairlifts up and down mountains, hiking along ridges and through valleys, and visiting some pretty awesome museums, like the Swiss Science Center and the FIFA Museum. I hope we get to go back!

Zürich, Swiss Science Center, Musical Trail Hike, Lake Alpsee Hike, Liechtenstein:

Coolest invention ever – fresh popcorn vending machine that pops while you wait. Delicious!

Lucerne – really beautiful city with excellent fondue and a Mirror Maze

Epic Mt. Pilatus Day – Ferry to the mountain’s base, World’s Steepest Cogwheel Train ride up, World’s Scariest Cable Car down, Ropes Course, Alpine Horns, Gondolas to the other side of Mt. Pilatus, back to Lucern by bus.

Lauterbrunnen, a really beautiful Alpine Valley with the Eiger mountain as a backdrop. There were over 70 waterfalls, making for really beautiful hiking!

August – Cara & Anne Marie Girls’ Trip to Hamburg & the Baltic Sea

With Matt working and Rowan in a full-day soccer camp for a week, I decided it was time for a girls’ trip. Cara and I went by train to Hamburg, Germany’s second largest city behind Berlin. Like many other ‘Second Cities’, there’s a lot of Hamburg community pride in being a hub for business, the arts, and for being one of the largest ports in Europe (the largest container ships in the world dock here!). It reminded me of Chicago in that all of the Germans seemed to know everything about it, even as tourists, but as an outsider, the stories weren’t familiar to me, if that makes sense. Like, it seems like many Americans know the Chicago Cubs, Michigan Avenue, all the great Chicago museums, and the Willis Tower, even if they never lived there, while tourists from overseas may not be as familiar with all of the Chicago lore (unless they’ve seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, of course). Nevertheless, Cara’s such a fun traveling companion that we had a ton of fun just hanging out and enjoying what Hamburg had to offer.

We also made it to a sandy beach! Surprisingly, Germany has great beaches on the North and Baltic Seas, so we decided to try out the Baltic Sea for ourselves. We had great luck with warm weather, making the chilly water temperature a ‘refreshing’ break from the sun. The moon jellyfish swimming all around us were also a real treat, once we realized they were harmless!

While we wish we could have made it back to the US to see family & friends and just recharge a little, we’re really happy we’ve gotten to see and do so many local things within and around German that we may have skipped over, if it weren’t for the virus. Much to be thankful for!