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