Having a place in Italy makes it so much easier to visit friends in Europe. A very good Australian friend of mine moved to Germany 10 years ago and now we are practically neighbours. Last week I took the overnight train from Florence to Munich and changed to the local train for Erlangen where she was waiting to meet me.
the beautiful village of Marloffstein
My friend lives in Marloffstein, one of those beautiful fairytale villages that dot the countryside in southern Germany. From the window of the train you can see dozens of these perfectly laid out towns surrounded by manicures farm plots. I can imagine Hansel and Gretel or Little Red Riding Hood skipping out from behind a tree.
my guide Alkira by the old well
in the village of Marloffstein
The village is on a low hill and I think it remarkable that it is so rustic. The houses look like town houses, but there are working farms on the edge .of the town and many driveways sport a tractor. Most of the houses have a vegetable garden of some kind and several have goats or cows in residence.
a Marloffstein garden
They were just as interested in us
the path to Erlangen
harvest time
an honesty box in front of a house
drying the corn
food for the animals
room to play
home grown apples
an early morning sky
It is a wonderful place to live. The children have clean, safe open areas to play in and in winter the slopes turn into snowy slides for toboggan, and lucky me, I get to visit.
a pretty window in my friend’s house
What a pretty town! Now I understand why those childhood fairytale pictures resemble those villages. I love the flowers by the window and the interesting embroidered curtains.
By: Sandra H. on October 15, 2010
at 5:43 am
You know that your pretty much living my ideal life right? You tempting devil-ress you 😉
Wonderful to be able to live the best of all worlds huh.
By: Anna Johnston on October 15, 2010
at 9:00 am
what beautiful pictures of the countryside! I wish we were closer to things-we are so remote!
By: Lorraine Not Quite Nigella on October 15, 2010
at 11:24 am
We are distant but had so much natural beauty in our backyard that we seem to studiously ignore as it is destroyed in the name of $. This is a human built environment and yes, delightful to experience notwithstanding the penchant for planting up and down the hills. One thing I have noted in my travel in Europe is the paucity of bird life by comparison to Australia. However, we are assiduously working towards eliminating them.
But yes, great photos and an excellent blog.
By: Charles Hamilton on February 6, 2022
at 7:01 am
What a beautiful area of Germany Debra. Glad you had a good visit with your friends
By: Pamela Proctor on October 15, 2010
at 12:40 pm
Oh i so agree …. after spending 2 months in germany and many of its regions they do seem to live such an idilic life…. have a good visit..
By: realme07 on October 15, 2010
at 9:48 pm
This place looks great!
By: Moira Drexler on October 18, 2010
at 8:23 pm
Really lovely photos-what a beautiful place to visit. I love the photo of the garden with the cabbages.
By: paninigirl on October 20, 2010
at 2:23 pm
[…] took the overnight train from Florence to visit friends in beautiful Bavaria. the beautiful little castle in […]
By: My favourite places in 2010 « Debra & Liz's Bagni di Lucca Blog on December 30, 2010
at 10:28 am
[…] year I went to visit my friend in Marloffstein in southern Germany. I saw beautiful Erlangen and wonderful Wurzburg and had a day in Regensberg. […]
By: I forgot Regensburg « Bagni di Lucca and Beyond on July 2, 2011
at 8:05 am
[…] year I went to visit my friend in Marloffstein in southern Germany. I saw beautiful Erlangen and wonderful Wurzburg and had a day in Regensburg. […]
By: I forgot Regensburg | Bagni di Lucca and Beyond on January 12, 2022
at 6:46 pm
I come from Fürth in Bavaria, which is only a few kilometers away from Erlangen and Marloffstein and directly adjacent to Nuremberg. I know the whole area very well. My family has lived in Fürth for ages. With one exception:
My great-grandfather, who passed away before I was born, comes from the town of Bagni di Lucca. I spent a few hours in the Italian village as a child and have dreamed of visiting it again ever since.
08/ 2024 – after more than 50 years – I spent a week in Bagni di Lucca and found some of my ancestors there. It was a very impressive and emotional time for me and I was “shockingly in love” with Bagni di Lucca. My great-grandfather’s ruined family home still stands there and I think about returning to that part of my roots every day. I see the images before my eyes every day.
Maybe one day I’ll see you there in Bagni di Lucca or in Marloffdstein
😉
By: Harald Schiener on October 18, 2024
at 11:54 am