In which we spread some sunshine.

 

Instead of going to the US for a family reunion this summer, Tom and I stayed closer to home and spent some time exploring the Sächsische Schweiz, or "Saxon Switzerland" in eastern Germany. Covid cases were low, masks were packed, and we were ready to get out of the city and go hiking in beautiful, mostly lonely nature, including a few days with a couple good friends staying nearby. 

All we had to do was pack our bags and hop on a train straight to our destination in Vacationdorf. Krippen is a sweet little down on the Elbe and hosted us in a lovely apartment and garden on a babbling brook for a few days. 

The first day we did the Caspar-David-Friedrich-Weg, from Krippen over Reinhardtsdorf and Wolfsberg to Schöna and the Kaiserkrone near the Czech boarder and back along the Elbe. Lush forest, buzzing sunflowers, quiet fields, dramatic sandstone.

The next day we were more touristy and hiked among the Schrammsteine with our friends in the national park.

 

Note the mini rock climbers on the big rock!

For our next adventure we took the train to Rathen and walked through the beautiful, green, mossy, hushed Polenztal and up the Hockstein and back.

For our last day we went from Krippen to the Papststein via some neat ice caves.

Fawns of all sizes and all sweetnesses.

One of my favorite parts was when we hid from a downpour on a bench under some tees and watched the rain come down with this backdrop for a good long time.

The second part of the trip we spent closer to Dresden, first exploring the town of Pirna, where we had lunch at an outdoor Biergarten with a view of the city and I had chocolate ice cream with crushed mint leaves downtown.

Then we moved along to Pillnitz, a mini-suburb with a beautiful Schloss and a backyard full of vineyards and hiking trails.

Appropriate but unfortunate fountain shape in Dresden.

Dresden BW.

It almost felt like a "normal" summer vacation, and something I am increasingly grateful for as we enter the third month of Germany's winter lockdown. It won't be forever, and the memories will keep me going until things get better.