Travelog for: Djali

Hello mum,

the last days of host mum had a lot to do, so we have taken much.

Host mum and her friend are doing the fishing license. Today was practice course on the lake. After the course was over, we went for a walk by the lake. Today was a beautiful, sunny day.
Above all it looks amazing how color the leaves.
Then we drove back home.

Tonight we will have a party. Pettersson will celebrate his farewell party! Then I slip into my jacket and travel further.

Greetings
Djali

Hello mum,

Last night we celebrated our farewell. Pettersson also travels further.
We drank, ate, listened to music and looked at pictures of us. We have seen quite a lot here at zauberaeffle.

It was really a very nice time!

On the one hand we are sad that we go, on the other hand we are looking forward to what lies ahead.

We have been decorated our envelopes. Before we slipped into the envelopes, we all hugged tight.

Maybe we'll meet again!
Bär Schär and MadBird were very sad, because we go.

I hope I do not have too long to be in my dark jacket.

Lots of love
Djali

Hi Mom,
today I arrived at my new host. I was happy to get out of my envelope. The other TVs gave me a warm welcome and invited me to come with them, as they were about to leave home for a trip.
So we all spent the afternoon together at the "Schwenninger Moos" which is a
nature conservation area.

At the "Schwenninger Moos" the river Neckar is born.

It's a beautiful landscape with some seldom plants and animals. As it shall recover to its former habitant
poeple don't interfer. When a plant is rotten or have gone stale, it will not be removed. It will stay there
and become a part in the circle of life.

I like those tiny little flowers. I asked my host whether she know what kind of bush this is, but she
doesn't know either.

Every now and then there are plates telling interesting facts, like this one.


See all the water? Allthough the water is brown it's a healthy enviroment.

Here are some fish, can you find them?
Every now and then you hear a blubb, when a fish is catching a fly.

Once a hawk came all of a sudden out of the bushes and catched a fish. I was a bit afraid it could come
back hungry and catch me.



The "Schwenninger Moos" is a hill moor. Only a few yaers ago, the moor was in critcal condition to dry up.
The the community did something and the waterlevel encreased. Hostmom said, when she was a kid
she could stand at this sign with dry shoes. Nowadays there is a platform, so you can come close to
the sign, but you can't reach it.


Oh those moss-covered tiny hills look so cosy, but it's not allowed to step aside the path nor to let dogs
off the leash. Because you never now, if there is water underneath or ground.

Look we found some mushrooms, but hostmum said these were poisonous.

See how large these treese are? Unfortunately most old trees are damaged by the bark beetle "Borkenkäfer".

Hi Mom,

as it was a warm sunny day, we went for a sightseeing trip to Ludwigsburg.

This is a church on an old marketplace. Some people were making music. Funny, the clock in the
right tower is teo minutes earlier than the one in the left tower. So the bells ring twice. Once when
the right clock strikes the full hour, plus once when the left one does.


In Ludwigsburg is a Castle area, which is called "Blühendes Barock" (Blooming Barock). The area is famous
for the flowers in the former garden of the castle.











There were two bridal couples, taking pictures.
I think they will have nice memory pictures of their weddings.


At the moment there is the annual pumpkin exhibition. This year the motto is: "Switzerland".
All the exhibits show typical things of Switzerland and even the Alpes.



There were tiny pumpkins

and huge pumpkins


Even the food was made of pumpkins....
pumpkin soup, vegetarian pumpkin swabian pockets (Maultaschen), pumpkin burger, roasted pumpkin seed
and even pumpkin french fries!

Hi Mom,

yesterday we celebrated a farewell party as Butch Flunky and Bjoern were ready to leave the next day. I was so sad and I cried a lot because I like them so much. My eyes were red, so I didn't want to be on the party-pictures.

Today Betzi arrived.
He was right in time for the first snow in this autumn. We built a funny snowman.


When we came back home, I said goodbye to my dear Bjoern and Butch Flunky and grabbed me some handkerchiefs. I hope we meet once again.

Hi Mom,

bad weather days need a good and interesting place to go although one wants
to stay at the cosy home.

Hostmom said she wants to show us her favourite place. She said it's a very peaceful and
contemplativ place. I wondered what'll make this place so special. It doesn't look special at first sight.


When we came closer, Hostmom told us, the place is called "Elsenau" a pilgrimage chapel
like Lourdes. She isn't very religious, but this place seems to touch here deep inside.
Usually there are always new candles burning and fresh flowers, but as there is a construction site where the street
meets the sidewalk, it's not easy to get there for elder people. So only a few flowers.

As there was nobody else we could take some pictures.






Someone brought this angel instead of flowers.

I think its kitsch and doesn't belong here, just my 2 cents.

Hi Mom,

we had very foggy days. So all the other pictures which were taken don't come clearly so I can't show you more than this one.

This was taken between Sankt Georgen and Peterzell. In Peterzell is a shop where fruit and vegetables sold. These are grown at the Isle of Reichenau in the Lake Bodensee.

Hi Mom,

although it was very cold we made a trip to a romantik medieval city. Well only the old city of Fridingen is medieval but these old houses are still in use.


Behind these historic walls you can still hear pigs oink, this was and still is a farmhouse (in the middle of the town!)




On this wall you can see a painting of the Fridinger Narr, which is a traditional carnival clothing.



Although the weather was sunny, we had a lot of shadow. That's beause of the early sunset, which came soon after we took these pictures.

Hi Mom,

I was at a very interesting sightseeing point at the Donau Valley. The point is called "Knopfmacherfelsen" (Buttonmakerrock)






There is a small and stony path to a point located on the outskirts.
From there you have a very good view on a Donau curve.


on the leftside in the valley you can get a glimpse on the Beuron monastery




this picture doesn't show how difficult these stairs are. Lots of roots and stones all over the path.


On the way down the hill we got a nice view ob the monastery.

Hi,

as my host had a really bad time since a good friend died on 1. December, we didn't made a lot of things to take pictures of. I think it wasn't the right place and time.

But then we went for a walk in the snow.



Although it was a bright day, the picture came out very dark.



Now I'm leaving towards the United States. I'm looking forward to all the adventures waiting there for me.
Bye Black Forest.

Hi mum! 


I made it to the United States and already I have made a few furry friends.


The Orange one is named Tom and the white one's name is Yogi and he is a pretty mellow cat, but he purrs really loud!

I checked out my Host Mum's house and found some interesting dragons. 



This big Tiger is Dhiren's Dad his name is Alagan. He's pretty soft.



Today we just went for a short trip to Mcdonalds and I hung out at the play place for a while.


I also got to see a really neat gadget there! My host mum's friend came to visit and she was reading on her Braillenote. She let me check it out. I thought it was really cool, but couldn't really understand what she was reading since I can't read Braille. She says it was a good book though

Hey Mum!

Today my host mom took me to see a cool place in her hometown.

Guess what it was a castle!

It was smaller than I imagined  Host mom said that's because it was built as a house for a famous author. They call it Curwood Castle. They even have a festival named after it in June called Curwood Festival!


He wrote a lot of books and there are even a few inside. Unfortunately it wasn't open today so we just took some pics outside.



Next to the castle was a very old cabin that was preserved from the 1800's. It is called Comstock Cabin.








We also hung out at the bridge










Goodnight Mum!!

Hey Mum! I had a blast this weekend  Not only did I get to welcome a new Toyvoyager, but I got to experience the Snowfest in a city called Frankentmuth.

The visiting toyvoyager's name is Alex. Here we are hanging out on the bench during the Snowfest.



According to my host mum the Snowfest has been host to one of the top snow sculpting events in North America for the past 22 years!

I got some pics of me and the beautiful sculptures both the snow and ice ones:









It was really cold out so we stopped to rest and warm up at a nearby restaurant/Hotel:


















Aren't they cool 

I also got my picture taken in one of the booths:



and here I am hanging out with Alex again:






I hope you are doing well mum, Goodnight!

Hi Mum! I had a great Valentines Day back at Frankenmuth again. This time we went to a Soaring Eagle Casino Hotel.

Here I am on the ride there admiring the scenery 




The room was the Eagle Suite and had some beautiful decorations. The bunkbeds had their own room that was built to look like a nest.





I totally called the remote 




Here I am hanging out in the surprisingly comfortable chairs (they look like leaves/branches up close.



Another neat thing about the room was that are key was this armband.

Check out the bed



I thought the Eagle picture was a nice touch



Here is me and Alex!



I hope you had a great Valentine's Day as well!!(:

Hello Mum, 

I arrived in Sülfeld. Dicker Kumpel gave me a warm welcome.



Then he introduced me to his other guests.



I showed my card and the chocolate I brought with me.



Although I was not here at the St Nicholas' Day, I got something.



Dicker Kumpel got this great Christmas Crib. Everybody loves to play with it.



I met a sheepherder and from this moment I felt safe!





Love
Djali