Ready for Frühling (Spring)!

We moved to Würzburg, Germany in January of 1996 (and lived there for 3 years).  After the wet-cold and sometimes snowy days of winter, by March, we were ready for SPRING!

The pink cherry blossoms lined the walkways around the Residenz, coloring the recently barren trees, a first sign of the spring season.

The flower beds bloomed with carefully planted tulips and other spring flowers.

Landscaping around all the castle gardens in Germany is so fascinating.  You can just imagine how many hours and how much planning the beautiful patterns and groupings of flowers and greenery takes!

We also ventured up to the Festung (Fortress) Marienberg, which overlooks and protected Würzburg and the Main River.

Its flower garden showed potential, which would soon bloom.

Another favorite place we visited near Würzburg was Werneck, a small town a little north of Würzburg.

The town also has a baroque-style palace, designed by Balthasar Neuman, who also designed the Residenz, both commissioned by the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg.

The palace was turned into a psychiatric hospital between 1853-55.  It is one of the oldest psychiatric institutions in Germany.  Perhaps the lovely gardens were part of the therapy for many a troubled patient?!

Germans sure do love their flowers, florists, and gardens!

And I do too!

My husband and I lived in a little town just north of Würzburg called Estenfeld.  This little village had charm and history of its own, which I hope to post about another time.

We spent many happy hours walking through and around our little town.  It was a farming community, and springtime was heralded by the smell of Jauche.  Jauche is liquid manure that is spread on the fields as fertilizer, of course. 

Our town was surrounded by fields of yellow rapeseed, a member of the mustard family, used mainly for making canola oil.  But also, sunflowers:

I'm ready for springtime.  How about you?

As a favorite children's song of mine ("Kuckuck, Kuckuck") states:

Frühling!  Frühling!  wird es nun bald.

Spring!  Spring!  will soon be here.