A Transparent Eye: German Heartland.

From Hamburg, we caught another exquisitely scenic train-ride deeper into the German heartland to a small town called Schwebheim and the home of Hans and Ute, uncle and aunt to Samantha Jane. Schwebheim still has a small contingent of U.S forces that have occupied the area since the end of the second world war. Yet the town has long since forgotten the troubles of history and remains a quiet, sincere place where German families, young and old, adhere to a simpler existence characterized by weekends spent at the lake, bikes rides to neighbouring villages and daily trips to the local bakery. Hans has personally built his home adjacent to the home of his father-in-law, an elderly insightful man who still resides next door and who treated us to schnitzel and beer at the restaurant he has frequented each week for over two decades. Our time in Schwebheim was filled with an thrice daily indulgence of local breads, pastries, meats and hefeweizen beer; the likes of which we had never experienced before. Our only respite from Ute's feeding came in the form of bike rides through the countryside, wine tasting excursions and daily visits to castles, residences, monasteries, post-war restored towns and medieval villages. It was history lesson of German culture and we savoured it like the tourists we were.