Spreewald

6fartsinacart
Aug 25, 2017
3 min read

We've been off the radar for a little while. We are back and still some real exciting things to follow.

2 August 2017, Wednesday: While we are greeting Maria and her friend Emmy, Dad and Emile fill Merzy up with water and we are ready to go. Our next destination is Spreewald. The Spreewald Forest is a one-of-a-kind stretch of land in Germany. The Spree River at one point looks like and ordinary river, yet then it branches out into hundreds of smaller streams. Surrounded by a mosaic of woods, smaller meadows and fields, these streams make up a unique and mystical water-maze in central Europe. This is where the particular charm of the Spreewald lies in. We stop for lunch in Calau and once again make use of the sun, appearing every now and then, to update the blog. Dresden goes public. As it has become rather late we decide to stop at a parking at a lake near Vetschau in the Spreewald Reserve which Emile has found using Google Maps. What a beautiful spot. We pack out our camping chairs and the one fishing rod while braving the hordes of mosquitoes, and start catching fish (carp). The biggest one which Emile reels in is 59cm long (sorry, no scales... no weight). After getting named they get released (all but the BIG one). At 10pm even the bravest person, being Dad, cannot handle the mozzie onslaught. So he retreats into the safer haven of Merzy (so we think). Bedtime and lights out.

3 August 2017, Thursday: Needless to say, the battles continue throughout the night. At 2.50am a vehicle pulls up next to Merzy and the driver informs us that we have to leave as we are parked in a reserve. He suggests a parking place on the outskirts of Vetschau. So Dad has to drive approximately 500m to our new parking for the last half of the night. As we awake at 8am each one shares his/her horrible bloody battle with the mozzies. On our departure Dad tries to get a green eco disc from a local garage for us to drive legally through Berlin. Merzy's age proves to be a bit of a concern as only vehicles younger than 2006 are issued with these disks, enabling you to drive through green cities. We leave without a disc and stop in Lübben/Spreewald for lunch and a walk around thereafter. Dad doesn't want to become 'Spree' sick and opts to have a rest at Merzy while the rest of us go on a 2-hour boat ride through the canals. A very peaceful and relaxing experience. ZzzzzzzzZzzzzzzZzzzzz. Back at Merzy at 6pm we head out of town to a parking area in Schlepzig where Genève prepares some 59cm fish for tea (Granny's style). Yum!!! All goes down well. After some watermelon to finish it off we retire for the day.

Dad's the first to boast with a fish