Oh gosh, Staufen and Bad Krozingen, where to start. I was so excited to see my Dad again! Even though we planned to head to a Campground about 20min away from his Haus in Bad Krozingen, already on the way I decided to stop at his home. I could not wait!
It was so nice to give him a big bear hug and knowing, that we could see each other again for a while. Mats loves the apartment, there are toys for him to play and he enjoys the bathtub so much. There is also a playground just a block away.
There is this huge property with fruit trees, flowers, vegetables and always a lot to do, especially in summer. My Dad loves to work there and now the Captain could get to know it as well. The neighbors have lots of deer in there yard which peeks through the fence sometimes.
The sunset that day was very pretty.
My Dad always has lots of ideas and every day holds an adventure. It was rainy this day and he wanted to drive with us to take the Gondola up the Belchen. When I mentioned that this might be a better idea for a sunnier day, he just shook his head and said: ” Oh no, by the time we are there, it will have stopped raining.
Well, it was not quite the case, it was actually pouring, so we found shelter in the restaurant and warmed up drinking tea, coffee and ate a yummy cake. Not so bad either.
When we thought it had gotten better, we left the restaurant and started our walk. Well, there weren’t many possibilities to take out the camera, as it continued to be very wet, but we enjoyed this adventure nonetheless :-).
Since we were all in soccer worldcup fever, on the way home my Dad detoured to the little town where the German soccer coach is from, Schoenau . There was another good soccer match about to start and we were certain, that in a town like that, we must find a place to watch it. But we did not have any luck.
Having in mind to stop at my Dad’s house to watch it, or the Campground, which was still a ways away, we continued our drive home. My Dad stopped at this restaurant to try his luck and his charm convinced the owners to turn on a rather old TV in a dated meeting room and serve us some beers. That’s all we needed and we did not miss any of the game. Of course the match went into overtime and the owners were not too happy, we think. But they did not kick us out.
Two guests of the Hotel played these instruments half way up the mountain, which was really cool. I did record it and will add it here soon.
On another hot day when we were about to start a sightseeing tour, we dropped those plans and rather went to a manmade lake to cool off. Good decision, even though a thunder storm was grumbling over our tops, but the clouds moved on and made room for the sun. With some Captains knowledge we managed to pump up the Kayaks and had fun on the lake. Mats wanted to be in the smallest Kayak together with Opa!
It was another fantastic day which we finished with a BBQ back at the Campground Belchenblick. The Campground is very nice and we have fond memories. Free access to the public pool right across and also free public transport to Freiburg and surroundings. They showed all the soccer matches on a big screen TV, while it was possible to order Schnitzel etc and buy beers at the store next to it. Staying there was about the closest we could feel to a family stay, without staying at my Dad’s. 🙂 Thanks Belchenblick and thanks for your generosity and your great tours and company, dear Dad!
This was also the place, where Mats learned to bike!
Another “first time” happened on a rainy day. We went into a movie theater and Mats watched his first ever and the Captain his first German movie. We watched: Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivfuehrer (Jim Button and Luke the engine driver). It was really cool.
Afterwards we met up with my good friend Christine and her husband in Lahr and talked, talked, talked as much as we could in the short time we had. It was great seeing her and meeting her husband. 🙂
We left Colmar and planned a visit to Eguisheim, before leaving France. The cute little towns of France have there charm and this one was no exception. I was always surprised how lovely the people arranged there front doors, so much detail and love and no fear of vandalism. It was a pleasure just strolling through little alleys and enjoying some yummy breakfast.
On the main plaza once again we were surprised about all those storks who had build there nests on the roofs. It was a good year for them!
I remember well, having a special moment with Mats inside the church. We sat down quietly and I explained him why people light candles in here and why they get together and pray. He was just sitting there quietly and did not want to leave. There was an Opera with a women’s voice singing and I should probably know, what it was exactly. Mats said, the music is so nice, I would like to listen to it some more. I though, that was so adorable and we sat a little longer, just being in the moment. 🙂
Another beautiful place to visit is Colmar. It is smaller than Strasbourg, also has a Campground right in town. The River Ill is also running through Colmar, which gives the town a Venice like flair. This time, we did not do a river tour, although the boats looked way more romantic than the way bigger tour boats in Strasbourg.
We were very happy about the cool affordable Campground. They had a huge field right next to the River Ill, to pick your favorable spot. Shade was limited, so the first ones taken were the ones close to trees or bushes. We were lucky to find a spot like that, which also happened to be close to a power supply and “private”. Just like Strasbourg, every time we woke up, we decided to just stay one more day. Gosh, it was priceless to have that time and luxury to just do that! 🙂 Our year “Off” ! Let’s keep it in mind again and again. Who knows what tomorrow brings, right?
Several visits to the pool gave us the option to cool down on those hot days and Mats time to enjoy what he loves so much. Swim and play.
And even though the German Team was out, we continued enjoying watching soccer matches and picked new favorable Teams, Iceland was mine, the Captain rooted for England.
After we visited Strasbourg with the impressive Cathedral, we felt like visiting a castle. We spend a night in a Campground at Gerardmer, which turned out to be very windy and cold. Chatting with my Dad who knows the area well, he recommended the Chateau de Haut/Koenigsbourg and even though we had to backtrack a bit, we decided for it, before making our way to Colmar. The Chateau was absolutely worth the visit.
It was up on a mountain and after a climb with our van and additional good walk from the parking, we arrived. Mats enjoyed discovering it as much as we did.
After finishing our visit of the castle and a well deserved ice cream, we found a Campground, which had a spot available right next to there playground. All of a sudden we saw this stork and soon noticed, that they seem to be regular guests at the Campground. It was wild.
On our way towards the south of Germany, to spend some more time with my Dad and also return his cool Campervan, we detoured one more time via Cologne to see my brother and family, which was super nice, than continued to France.
I think we were mostly excited to see Strasbourg. They have a Campground in town, which also had a pool. We were able to walk into town in about 30 minutes. Happy that we had Mats stroller, it was possible to walk longer distances. With the world cup schedule in mind, we timed our visits to be able to either watch a soccer match in town in combination with some sightseeing, or we watched back at the Campground in the Game room in the evenings.
Same look on the face:
The Cathidral of Notre Dame downtown Strasbourg was indeed impressive and I stared at it and had to take many pictures. What a building!
Strasbourg is gorgeous! The river Ill is flowing through the city and we did a fun boats tour to learn more about the city. Mats was having the longest flirt with a cute girl sitting in the row in front of him and even though the sun was burning down on us, he was captivated with her. It was fun to watch.
The last picture was taken when I was still all smiles about the German Team playing. Little did I know, that this was the last time I would see them in the world cup 2018! 😦 Did the Captain have an idea, as he happily wore the French colors the bartender had given to us? Throughout the game, every time the bartender passed our table, he shook his head and said: ” It doesn’t look good… ” ARGH, he was right.
We stayed about 3 days before we continued our journey.
Is only about 45 minutes from Enger. The Captain’s aunt and uncle live there, so of course we had to go see them.
We met at the Hannover Tennis club, even Evan’s cousin managed to stop by. We had some lunch and enjoyed being together. Mats had a good time at the playground and we than followed the great suggestion to visit the Hannover Zoo, which has a great reputation.
Mmh…. similarities?
Again, the Captain did seem to make some friends here…
We have been spoiled during our visit from our generous families. Reina, Horst and their kids were no exceptions. We felt so fortunate and hope we can give back, if they manage to come see us! Hannover Zoo was so much fun. The polar Baer playing with a ball underwater, the Nilpferd, the little boat tour, the goats which almost destroyed my silk pants with there horns, when they tried to get some food I had pulled out of a machine to treat them.
After a last beer at the playground, Reina and Horst said there good bye’s and we soon headed back to Enger.
After my nephews birthday, we drove to the place I was raised – Enger.
I took a break of taking photo’s and just dived into a world of memories, basically lived in the attic for days just sorting threw things of my past. My dear Mom meanwhile kept Mats busy and those two became very close.
Even though going through things I had postponed on short visits over the past 18 years was a lot of work and also hot up in the attic , it was enjoyable and I had the feeling that I had found myself. Reading old letters, realizing, I hadn’t changed and still acted certain ways 30 years later. Gosh, did I never grow up?
My uncle stopped by, he is a great character. Photography, biking, meditation, he is a Pro in all and much more. It was a pleasure watching him tune a strider bike, I had just scored for 5 Euros at a flea market for Mats. He also gave me helpful advise on using my camera and I am thankful for that. Maybe I am going to pick up some meditation because I like his mellow and thoughtful approach. I wish I had more of that in me. It’s always fun and entertaining being around him.
I was able to see friends I grew up with and who know me just too well. They don’t hesitate to ask the right questions (Inamaus) and you catch yourself pooring out words which were held inside for way too long and one or two tears came along with them.
A week later, the Captain had made his way to Enger as well. Still much in my thoughts about my life than and how it is now, he entered into the world of my childhood with a jetlag and the stress which came from the strenuous boat passage from Cabo to Los Angeles with a weather window, which was less than perfect. You can read about the interesting passage in the previous post!
It took a while for us to get used to each other again. My Mom’s 75th Birthday arrived and my brother visited from cologne with the family. We had a super fun time at a Spa with the coolest water slide I have ever experienced. In the afternoon my Mom had reserved some seats for us to watch another German World Cup match at a Beer Garden (Jever Deel). It was crowded and we were not able to see well, but nice to be in a crowd and with each other. And also running into childhood friends.
After the match (again lost on the German front) we went for an ice cream at the legendary “Degrassi ” Italien ice cream Place in Enger, before we had to see my brother and his family off.
On my Mom’s real Birthday day, we drove to the Dümmer See and met with her best friend “twin” Hannelore. They are born within a few days in June. We had a long walk and got a bit wet at the end. But that did not matter. The captain enjoyed this place with all the boats too. And Mats flew his kite and we found a playground for him.
It was very hard for me to leave Enger and I had a heavy heart. Friends and my Mom so dear to me! Sorry I don’t have pics of all, but you know who you are! Love you! And sorry Mom, again!
The last 3 pics show a beach club “The Tikibar” in Bünde, which was introduced to us by my dear friend Claudia. 🙂 They opened a lot of those fun spots throughout Germany.
As we enjoy the awesomeness of Emerald Bay at Catalina Island, and having just returned from a great trip “ Bulli “ camping and visiting family in Europe, I have some time to reflect on the “ Baja Bash “. First, a little background. My wife Tanja, dog Noah, and four year old son Mats spent the winter cruising Mexico (you can follow our adventures at tosailornottobe.com), but when it came time to head back north to San Francisco Bay we had decided that Tanja and Mats would skip the portion from Cabo to San Diego. So off they went by plane, and I was joined by my new crew.
I met Reiner (no offshore sailing experience) for the first time in Cabo after he responded to a post I put up on a sailing forum. We had spoken only briefly and he asked few questions, so I liked his style – and being German, he was a shoe-in in Tanja’s book. Matt (very little sailing experience) soon followed, after a quick stop in SF on his way home from college. His hard-as-nails, all around badass Mom had committed him to the trip, and I don’t think he knew what he was in for.
We provisioned, prepped ‘ Alsager ‘ (my 50 year old Dutch built steel sloop) and waited patiently for five days in Cabo while hoping for a break in the weather, as having made the trip in Alsager some years prior and on numerous delivery gigs I knew how critical it is when northbound. After days of 25+, the wind was forecast to stay below 25 and we were tired of waiting, so despite the long term outlook being far from ideal (and after seriously considering heading to Hawaii instead), we decided to go for it…but were mentally prepared to turn tale if necessary. There are a few factors that can make this a tough trip, and account for the fact that a large portion of boats that cruise south never turn around. One is almost certain to have headwinds and adverse currents the entire way, there are long stretches without a safe anchorage (let alone any services), and the sea state can be be very tough due to boxy, short period swell, occasionally from multiple directions. The overwhelming tactic is to wait for a benign weather window, load up with extra diesel, and motor like hell, but this has never been my game. I like sailing and own a boat meant for that. However, experience has taught me that a bit of calm weather allows for time for repairs, and some rest, so I did truly hope for that.
We set out around 6pm after watching the breeze trend down significantly from prior days, with hopes that we would not get hammered rounding Falso at sunset. Departing calm, sunny Cabo in t-shirts had us tempting fate, as soon we were pulling on foulies and plowing into a solid 20+ while motor sailing deep-reefed. We were taking a ton of green water over the boat and did give some thought to turning around, but were making good progress, and I knew that if we pushed through it and made northing quickly we would come out the other side of it and enjoy a reasonably calm night. My rookie crew were not phased, and neither were seasick! It paid off as after a few hours the conditions abated, and we were on our way.
Come the next morning, the breeze built quickly. We killed the engine and thus started a pattern that we would more or less stick to for the duration of the trip. Sail by day, and motorsail by night and around critical headlands when getting past them before late afternoon saved us the worst of local effects – clutch for making the bash as quick and painless as possible. Alsager and her crew held up well, but it was very wet and cold, despite being mid-May with the sun shining. More of a submarine than a boat, we were continuously doused in the cockpit and the only reasonably dry spot was tucked in behind the dodger, where Noah took up residence. I wore two sets of foulies with multiple underlayers, and the offwatch spent most time below decks. We battled for 48 hours, and pulled into Mag Bay for a much needed rest and drying out. Alsager is normally dry below, but the forepeak was soaked due to a leaking hatch we thought we had dealt with in Cabo, and also through another hatch over the galley. Fortunately were were able to sort both sufficiently, thanks to clearing clogged drains, plumber’s wax, duct tape and sticky-backed Dacron! We had hoped for a restaurant meal but were unsuccessful, but a bonus was topping up our diesel tank at $5/gallon vs the $8/gallon we would later pay in Turtle Bay. It was Reiner’s first stop at an off-the-beaten path, non-gringofied Baja village and he was not impressed…
We checked weather and left around 6pm at night, again hoping for a bit of a calm night, which was not to be. It blew hard and the sea state was big and messy (there was also a large long period south swell in the mix). It was the next day that things were at their worst. We were deep reefed and sailing fast, but we were taking so much water over the boat and into the cockpit that it was pretty uncomfortable and I wondered how long it would be before we had some kind of equipment failure due to salt water ingress somewhere…and just when I was debating heaving to for a while the decision was made for me. An exceptionally large wave hit us hard and broke over the boat, and in that instead the autopilot alarmed and we rounded up. Fortunately I was in the cockpit and was able to grab the wheel, but I was getting fire-hosed VOR style back there and got cold very quickly. With nightfall coming we needed to sort things out, as we still had another 80 miles or so to go until San Juanico (aka Scorpion Bay). I called the guys up, explained heaving to, and we did it. Wow, what a saving grace! No more water over the boat, a dry cockpit, and some time to think.
The thought of hand steering for the remainder of the trip was horrible given the conditions, but I had a feeling I could fix the autopilot once we reached the anchorage (we tried quick fixes while hove-to without success). I rigged the tiller, which gave us two big advantages over the wheel. It allowed one to hide behind the dodger and stay dryish, and it was much easier to rig lines and get Alsager to steer herself efficiently to weather. In fact, this worked so well that even once we later fixed the autopilot, we continued to use this setup under the right conditions. She was much smoother steering to the breeze rather than to a compass course, and it saved batteries so we didn’t need to run the engine just for charging purposes. It was on this night that Matt really came through, learning to hand steer to a compass course on a very black night when we could no longer “ tiller pilot “ due to the fading breeze, and I had reached the point where I could no longer physically keep my eyes open.
We made San Juanico in about 36 hours, and I was very happy to anchor near the catamaran “ Nibi “, aboard which were fellow Canadiens (Quebecois, in fact). This family was intending to spend the entire summer on the West coast of Baja, surfing and windsurfing their favorite spots. Quite new to sailing, they are fearless and commented on how few boats ventured north, or turned their engines off going anywhere for that matter – “ lots of sailboats, not many sailors. “ We had a great night onboard Nibi, sharing some wine, laughs and pizza. This was a real treat for us as these two can really cook, and was a harsh comparison to Spam and eggs, ramen, and pasta onboard Alsager. Reiner commented that he may mutiny and stick with Nibi!
We spent a few days in San Juanico, as going north immediately did not make any sense. The breeze was forecast at 25+, and we needed to rest and get the autopilot working. We cleaned up, enjoyed the warm, calm mornings, and I even managed to get some waves at one of my favourite breaks again. Matt and Reiner spent their days playing cards, Backgammon, and reading, and Matt managed to take in the Warriors games via the AM radio we had on board. This was HUGE for him, as he is a sports fanatic and plans to make a career out of it post college. I had the foresight to carry a spare junction box onboard, and after an hour or so cursing tiny wires and failing eyesight, we were all very happy to have a working autopilot again. Nibi waved us farewell, and I said “ bonn chance “ to a great family living out of the box and out of the “ system “. I hope we meet again one day, and look forward to hearing of their south pacific tales.
The next leg took us to Punta Abreojos, and it was another windy one, but by this point it was becoming pretty routine. We debated carrying on to Asuncion as it was early in the day and we had only been sailing about 36 hours, but I knew the breeze was going to build significantly that afternoon, so we made a tough call and dropped the hook. The surf was large so rather than try a dinghy landing, we rested onboard and watched the breeze. It cranked up to 25 late afternoon, so I was really glad about our choice. The plan was to depart at night when it showed signs of fading, which we did. It was a little unnerving since we had seen a lot of fishing gear in the water on arrival, but luckily we stayed clear. The next afternoon was the first of the trip that I would describe as “ nice “ sailing. Still reefed down and in foulies (with the exception of Reiner who sported his standard “ speedo weather “ attire), but the cockpit was mostly dry as the sea state had mellowed out. We pulled in Turtle Bay, had some dinner, and went to bed.
The next morning we went ashore. We walked the town, and I was struck yet again at how rough it really is there. Being a world away from all of the California money that has impacted a large part of Baja, it is quite a sight, and despite the fun that can be had there during the Haha (we didn’t partake but happened to be there at the same time the previous fall), it is not a place I would choose to spend my time. Reiner mentioned that he should become mayor and clean the place up. We had a really bad meal (the only time in six months in Mexico), and paid way too much for cold showers and diesel, but we did rest up, clean the hull, and put together a plan for the second half of the trip. At this point we were about two weeks into things on account of the weather delays, but it looked like we may finally get a break, as it appeared that starting in about three days the breeze would lay down to less than 15 knots and we could make a straight shot to Ensenada, or perhaps even San Diego. So after three days in lovely Turtle Bay we pushed on, with what had now become our standardized sunset departure. I was a bit apprehensive as the safe bet would been to have waited another 24 hours, but we were keen to leave and I was worried that if we did not, we may not be able to make Ensenada before the window closed again. It was a windy, rough night, and although we experienced less than 15 knots the next day, it was tough, slow going due to large, boxy waves from two directions. Every once in a while one would surprise us and dump into the cockpit, and we were very happy to lose sight of Cedros as things were much better 30 miles north of there. In fact, the sky turned grey and with the exception of a few hours here and there and some wind overnight off of San Carlos, it was very mellow from there on. We shook the reef out for the first time, and even had to motor a lot. We checked our fuel and in theory we had enough to squeak into San Diego, so rolled the dice and bypassed Ensenda. Just when I was starting to sweat a little and redo my math, low and behold, a nice southwesterly filled in and we were able to reach along the rhumbline for almost 50 miles. We arrived in San Diego and tied up at the customs dock with almost 20 gallons in the tank!
We checked in after dark without issue, and slept like dead men until the Harbor Police woke us after repeated attempts and kindly “ asked “ us to move into a slip. I work up dazed, and it took me a few minutes to work out where I was and what I was meant to do. After moving Alsager, back to bed it was, comforted by the fact that it was job done and I was on easy street, at least until it came time for Point Conception in a couple of months! It took us about two and half weeks to complete the trip, in contrast to the eight days it took me in Alsager the first time. I was really lucky with my awesome crew, having gambled bigtime on inexperienced strangers – I guess that I can say my intuition paid off. I’m disappointed that the trip wasn’t more of a cruise for them, but I did the best I could have given the conditions and with what the West coast of Baja has to offer in the spring – and that we didn’t land a single fish! We said our farewells, and I spent two days desalting and drying out Alsager, having only a single repair to make after all that rough ocean sailing – changing a bulb in the bow light. From there, Noah and I double handed in beautiful SoCal sailing conditions to LA, where I put the tough old girl to bed for 6 weeks and went to meet my family in Germany.
Forget the worldcup – THIS was an exciting soccer match of my nephew Nr. 11
The next morning after our return from Holland, my nephew had the last soccer match of the season. We took a cab to not miss anything. And we just got there in time.
I have to say, this match was way more exciting than the first match of the soccer world cup Germany versus Mexico! My nephew kicked ass, I was so proud. The start of taking photos could not show enough, so after a while I made little video clips and combined it in the clip below.
Those 14-15 year old boys showed a great soccer match. They finished 3rd in there league after beating this team. Really glad I was able to watch it. Keep it up boys! 🙂
At 6am on a holiday, Mats and myself started our drive to Holland. My brother had invited us to join them on a camping trip. Thanks again, Bruderherz!
I was hoping to avoid at least part of the traffic. The first 3 hours were a breeze, Mats was sleeping in his car seat. By Antwerp we got into a 20k traffic jam. When we finally arrived in Vrouwenpolder, sun was greeting us. We met my brother at the beach and we got to meet the new addition to his family. What a cute girl! It was a great time, even though it rained a lot that weekend.
The beach in Vrouwenpolder was endless! A playground with a half sunken pirate boat gave the cousins plenty of fun time. Mats enjoyed the time with Bela, who is closest to his age, a ton.
We watched the first match of Germany playing in the World Cup 2018 together and were a bit shocked about there performance and loss that day.
After the match we drove convoy style back to cologne, where my brother and family lives.
I got to meet some of my older nephews friends and soccer companions and enjoyed watching there seasons last match in cologne the next morning. Since it was a very impressive game, I will tell more about it another time.
A few days later my Mom took the train to meet us in cologne. So good to see her.
We celebrated Henri’s 15th birthday together. He is a cool kid! Just like my bro.
Legends in the Family: “Gentleman” and Ann-Kathrin. ⬆️
To Sail or Not To Be 