Travelog for: Zhia

Hi Mommy,

I arrived in Remscheid today! Claire Tamias and I came here really hungry, so first we plundered a package with peanuts



My first host Katja and the TVs Tigerlily and DottyCroc gave us a warm welcome.

Bye for now
Zhia

Hi Mommy,
today I took a first walk with my host Katja. We just strolled around the city and the surroundings for an hour or a bit more.

Remscheid is an old industrial city, you can find lots of older houses here, mostly built in late 19th or early 20th century. Due to the topographical situation the municipal area of Remscheid is torn apart into several districts, often surrounded by valleys and woodland areas, also rural areas.



First we went to the district Hasten, one of the historic districts. Here you can find plenty of those traditional houses. They are often covered with slate or they are half-timbered houes with green shutters.









We went through this alley with allotment gardens on both sides, behind the hedges.



We reached a very old housing area than, the houses standing close together.





We reached the bottom of Morsbach valley than.







You can find lots of industrial sites along the creek in this valley, some of them existing here for more than 200 years.









We had to walk uphill than for some time, leaving the valley and walking back to the city centre on top of a  hill.



Everywhere you can see the green surroundings!



There is park leading to the city centrek, on the left side of this street. It was extremely steep.



Here I found more allotment gardens. You can hire these gardens and plant fruits or vegetables.



This is where I am living at the moment, these dwellings behind the small park. We did not go home yet, but went to the city centre instead.





This is the city hall with its tower, 48 m tall.



From here we went home than. Katja told me that this was her daily walk to her work place.



This is a nearby playground with kids enjoying the fantastic weather.



Bye for today
Zhia

Hi Mummy,
we took a walk today in the outskirts of the district Lennep. Lennep itself is an historic district, but I could not see anything historical where we started our trip



Soon we left this housing area.



This dammed creek belongs to Wupper dam, a large water reservoir.







This dam was built in the 1980 years, here you can find an information board.



A track is following this old road, the track is not used any longer.







Years ago a lot of cloth mills were located here, I will show you a historic housing area which once belonged to one of those companies.





Most woodland areas are nature protection areas.



We walked through a rural area than, here we found a stable with a tiny pony, it's n ame is "Floh" which means "flea" ...



... and this rather dirty pony.









Too soon we came back to the car.



Bye
Zhia

Hi Mommy,
today we went to the neighbour city Solingen to visit the greenhouses in the Botanical Garden. These are usually closed during winter, but today they were open and guided tours were offered.



There are several greenhouses, one of them with desert plants, one with bromeliad plants, a tropical garden and orchids.

First we had a short look at the tropical garden.





Next stop was the desert

These golden barrel cacti, also called Mother-In-Law's-cushion, are well known.





This is a money tree, common as a houseplant worldwide.



An orchid ...



Next we went to the greenhouse showing bromelia, originally growing from Middle America down to South America.





Timer for lunch





Once m ore we went to the tropical garden. Here I sat under a fern roof.





Of course we also took a short walk in the Botanical Garden itself. You can find a lot of funny sculptures here, like this reading raven.







We found some spring flowers like snowdrops.



There is a giant butterfly sitting on the lawn, made of metal with glass mosaic.





In the meantime it started raining, so we hurried back to the car to get home.

Bye
Zhia

Hi Mommy,
today we took a walk, just strolling around for more than an hour. First we went to the nearby municipal park. Katja showed us the police headquarter with a small park in front of it.



There is an observatory located in the entrance area of the municipal park.





Here, at the steep slopes of the park, you can find more allotment areas.



We walked to one of the valleys than. In the background you can see the city centre with the tower of the city hall.





We reached a housing area than, one of those built in the 1960s and 1970s years.



But even in this district you can find those lovely old houses.



Before we went home we bought a few things in a supermarket.

Bye
Zhia

Hi Mommy,
today I met the pets, those cute but terrifying predators with sharp teeth. They look like they were cute toys, but they were eating raw meat. No cute toy will ever eat raw meat, only nuts.



Let's see if they will like me one day.

Bye
Zhia

Hi Mommy,
we had fantastic weather today, the sky was blue in the morning, so we could not wait to go out for a longer walk. Katja met a friend and we went to the neighbour city Solingen, to the historical district Unterburg where you can find picturesque houses.







We left this small district and went into the forest. In the background you COULD SEE Muengsten Brigde, Germany's highest railway bridge, if it would not melt with the surrounding landscape.



We followed a path which was following the valley of river Wupper towards Muengsten Bridge.



Here you can see Muengsten Brige, overspanning the valley of river Wupper. Repair works are going on here since several months and will go on until summer, so no trains were crossing this impressive structure.





We almost reached the bridge.



All the walking paths are covered with porch roofs to prevent people and travelling toys from being battered to death by dopped tools or construction elements.



On a nearby playground we found rocking sheep.



We went downhill until we reached the bottom of the valley and the leisure park underneath the bridge.

In the leisure park you can find lawns and benches for relaxing, a crazy golf course, playgrounds for kids and restaurants. The bridgte is 107 m tall and about 480 m wide. It was opened in 1897.




We walked back to the car, finding rocks with engraved lyrics or pictures, like these hands.





Finally we reached Unterburg. (Katja's smartphone app told me that our walk was more than 11 km long!!!).



Bye
Zhia

Hi Mum,
we took a walk today in the municpal park and as well in the historic district Hasten. First we went to the park where Katja showed us a pond. She told us that ducks and (probably abandonded) turtles were living here.





Someone has stolen a local celebrity, the Stinthengst, a legendary creature from waterbodies in Masuria, around Mikołajki (formally East Prussia, which belonged to Germany from 13th century until World War II), which is one of Remscheid's twin towns. The fish was stolen because this pond is an extremely soiled and fusty pond, smelling not so great in summer. The local newspaper is telling about this story several times a week.



We strolled around the park and found th is interesting bush, it is Witch-hazel.





In this perennial garden the first leaves are sprouting.



From here you have a good overview to the green outskirts of Remscheid. In the background you can see the outskirts of the neighbour city Wuppertal. My host will start a new job there on Monday



We went downhill than to the district Hasten, one of the historical districts of Remscheid. You can find lots of lovely old traditional houses here, also shops, restaurants, bars and museums.





A museum is situated in this Patrician villa, built in late 18th century.





It has the traditional doorknocker, showing the heraldic animal of Remscheid, the lion.



The "German Tool Museum" is situated on the the same estate. There are also outdoor facilities, some historic workshops and different machines.Thankfully this rusty machine did not collapse while we were sitting here for this picture





That's all for now

Bye
Zhia

Hi Mommy,
today Katja had her first day at her new work place. Because they are having carnival in Germany, she only had to work until the usual lunch break and came home than. Napoleon and Katja were baking bread rolls for breakfast, really exciting! I did not want to help, but ...

I had a closer look at the ingredients. There were nuts!



I tried to steal the whole bag, but Napoleon recognized this.



Yummy! Cashew nut, walnut, hazelnut, para nut ...





Than Napoleon was taking good care of this baking ingredients



Bye
Zhia

Hi Mommy,

we made a trip today to the Westerwald area, we visited a place called Gackenback in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Westerwald is a low mountain range n the right bank of the River Rhine.

Gackenbach is located in a lovely area, consisting of both rural areas and woodland areas. Here we took a longer walk. Because a lot of singing birds, especially chaffinch, are living the the forests, this area was named "Buchfinkenland".



First we walked through a village.





Soon we decided to take a lunch break.



Later, in the forest, we found an oak tree which is about 900 years old - at least what remained of this tree.







Next we drove to a city with an historical city core, Montabaur.

Now reporting from Montabaur!

Katja told me that the historical city core was located beyond this wall. How should I get over it?



In Montabaur's old town you can find the loveliest timber-frame houses, mostly built in 16th and 17th century, also a beautiful city hall and parts of the medieval town wall are preserved.



This large building with the balcony is the city hall.



Katja told me that we would visit a castle, we had to walk uphill to get there.









Soon we reached the castle.





This castle is the town's landmark. The castle's history is going back to 10th century. Today's appearance is going back to late 17th century. Today a conference centre and a hotel are situated in the buildings.







The surrounding wall is a great place for an overlook across the town.









Back in the city we strolled around.



Here you can see remains of the medieval city wall.



This is wulf tower, once belonging to the city wall.



After taking a last look to the castle we had to drive home.



We also took a zoomed photo.



Bye
Zhia

Hi Mommy,

we took a long walk today along the so called "Obstweg Leichlingen" (translated it must be something like "Route of Fruit"  ). Leichlingen is a small town, halfway between Remscheid and Cologne.

The walk is following a route through traditional orchard meadows, along homesteads and through rural hamlets. It is about 9 km long. My chipmunk friend Claire Tamias accompanied us.

We had to follow the marking showing an apple.



You can find information boards along the walk, telling you interesting facts about local fauna and flora, about the region itself, about fruit-growing and special sorts of apples, peas and other fruits.



It was raining a little bit, the path was rather muddy.















You can find blooming fuit trees everywhere, even in the forest.





We met a flock of sheep, having cute little lambs.





In the gardens also lots of flowers are blooming. Leichlingen is closer to the river Rhine than Remscheid, so the climate is milder.



















This magnolia was also blooming.











This is also a kind of magnolia.













We had to walk along a street for a while.









Here you can see the city centre of Leichlingen in the valley.



Bye for today
(I'm sure in Alaska there is not springtime yet)
Zhia