Travelog for: Galen

Galen enjoyed exploring the great outdoors but he was also very interested in peeking through people’s windows. There was one house in particular that he came to watch every day. Many small animals lived there and their lives seemed very exciting.

One day Galen was spotted after his quick getaway was foiled when he was impaled in a painful place by the climbing rose he was swinging on. A bear with a very flat bottom and strange dungarees invited him in for tea. He was very generous with the fresh fruit but seemed a bit twitchy about sharing his big chocolate egg.

Travel Ted had told Galen all about Toy Voyaging and Galen thought it would be very fine to visit foreign countries and have big adventures. He wanted to get in practice right away so he went to explore the River Thames. While taking in the sites of Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast, Canary Wharf and the Millenium Dome, he thought about all the exciting journeys that had begun on the banks of the Thames.

Galen’s Toy Voyager training continued as he made his first long-distance trip to Norwich, where a rendezvous had been arranged with another highly experienced Voyager. He thought the train was a very civilised way to travel – much quicker and easier than swinging from tree to tree.

Travel guru Ivor took Galen and Travel Ted on a super outing to Wroxham in the Norfolk Broads, where he imparted some tips on the importance of health, safety, and wearing pants.

Galen had placed an advert on the message forum in the hope of finding exciting places to stay. Already he had two offers to visit Bruchsal and Munich in Germany, which was very pleasing.

He wasn't quite sure where Germany was so Travel Ted showed him a guidebook. Travel Ted hadn't been to Bruchsal but he did visit Munich once. He advised Galen to try go to the Deutsches Museum as there were lots of interesting things to see, including a working model of a brick factory which was especially good!

Galen visited London Zoo in the hope of finding out what kind of monkey he was. When the monkeys saw him they laughed because he had no tail and said that he wasn't a proper monkey at all, unless he was some kind of inbred mutant. This hurt Galen's feelings a great deal and caused him to cry his eyes out behind the reptile house when he thought no one was looking. Luckily some of the other animals were much nicer, but none of them could tell him what kind of creature he is.

All Galen's friends gathered round to wish him luck on his big journey to Germany. He hoped that it wouldn't take too long in case his bladder let him down.

Hurra, I'm here in Germany and guest what? It is raining!!!! But my hosts told me, that they are happy about it, because it was so dry during April. So I will wait for some better weather to get outside. At first I need some rest and again it was the daughter, who gave me a place in her room. She loves all toyvoyagers.

Today is Ascension Day, but most people call it Father's Day in Germany, but not my hosts, although they had some small gifts for him like a selfmade cake and a selfwritten story.
Then we had a very special meal for lunch: asparagus. Bruchsal is one of the biggest asparagus cultivation regions in Germany. I was really unhappy, that they forgot to take a photo with me eating asparagus, but the promissed me, that they will have some more, while I'm here.

Today my host showed me their garden behind the house. There are a lot roses and other flowers like peony. Waiki kiwi and elder blossoms. I also saw some gooseberries and my host told me, that she loves to eat gooseberry cakes. 

Then I sniffed at a flower and got all yellow in my face. Oh God, how it tickled in my nose!!!!!
But happily my host cleaned my face at once and so I feel much better again.

In the afternoon I met the four budgies, which still are in their cage in the kitchen. They told me, that they are looking forward to having a cage outside soon. Don't know, if I will see them there while I'm here.

In the late afternoon my host and her daughter took me on a walk "around" the house. Next to their house is a graveyard behind a beautiful baroque church. We all were happy to see, that the church door was open, so we could go inside too. I saw the baroque organ and altar and more. Later we walked through the graveyard and visited some graves of the family. I had a wonderful view over Bruchsal.
When we came out of the graveyard we went to a house, which is led by women of an order. It is called Sancta Maria and is now a school for kindergarten teachers. On the top of the front side of this building I could see pictures of all catholic and evangelic churches in Bruchsal.
On our way home we came through a street, were we took a photo too. It is the street, which goes along our house and it is one of the oldest parts of Bruchsal with some nice houses.

Today I was on a trip to Ladenburg, a city at the Neckar in the Rhine-Neckar district in Baden-Württemberg. It has a beautiful Late-Middle-Ages historic district. It is about 11 km from Heidelberg in the southwest and Mannheim in northwest.

The first settlement was between 3000  and 200 before Christ. First it was a Celtic settlement named Lokudunom ("sea castle", later the Roman city Lopodunum. In year 98 it got the rights of a city under imperator Trajan.
Later it was a Franconian royal court and residence of the bishops of Worms.
In the modern era it became less important between the new centres Heidelberg and Mannheim.

We saw the historic part of Ladenburg, but I'm sure, I would have liked to see the car museum of Carl Benz too. It is in the factory halls, which are about 100 years old.

My God, was the weather hot there. I was so happy, that we had an icecream between that walking around and later I was sitting with my host aunt - or how should I call her ??? - on a bank and watched the children play on the playground.


On the photos you see me with the water tower and with the Neckar.

Here are some photos of Ladenburg. You see some parts of the Roman Lopodunum and some parts of the late middle age city.