Although I certainly miss the many months of sunshine in my homeland, one of my favourite things about living in Berlin is the way the city experiences all four seasons very vividly. In winter there’s extreme cold and snow, in spring the trees burst to life with blossoms and the air is filled with the fragrance of flowers; summer days are long and filled with visits to the lakes, and in autumn the trees turn glorious shades of gold, red, orange and pink, as if someone has come and painted them. Continue reading
Germany
A reminder of 25 years ago: the Berlin light wall
We were fortunate enough to be in Berlin during the November celebrations of the Fall of the Wall, a momentous occasion on the evening of 9th November 1989. An installation of almost 7000 light balloons was set up along a 15km section of the Mauerweg (path of the wall) across the inner city, Continue reading
About us
We are a South African and a Czech living in Berlin, Germany, and we love visiting new places, whether close to home or far away. We love the outdoors, and whenever we get the chance we head to the mountains, fields, forests, lakes, rivers, seas and oceans. I started this blog as a memoir of our experiences living in Germany, our outdoor adventures and our travels to the countries around us, and further afield. Some of them may be about places you have visited, and some of them may give you ideas for your own travels. On our outdoor page, you can search for posts specifically about sports such as cross-country skiing and hiking.
Why did we name this blog Middle Europe? In English, the term Middle Europe is rarely used – Central Europe is the usual term. However when visiting a friend in Finland I was curious to hear that up north that’s what they call us down here. And coming from the southern hemisphere, travelling through the countryside and forests of central Europe reminds me very much of scenes from Middle Earth in “Lord of the rings”. Whatever you choose to call it, this region basically refers to the countries in the middle or central region of Europe which share some common landscapes and history (although of course each country also has its own histories and culture). This includes countries such as Czech republic, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Hungary and Liechtenstein.
Central/Middle Europe
Of course, I will also share some stories from South Africa (my home) and about our travels to other regions beyond Middle Europe.
Enjoy!
