Uthweiler - here we come!

On Sunday, November 13, 2022, the day finally arrived. Our "move" to Uthweiler was about to begin. Well, it wasn't really a move in the traditional sense, since we had cleared out our house and sold almost all of our belongings in the preceding months. For me, after more than sixty years, it will be my first move, but certainly not my last.

Some things we weren't sure we'd need in our new home – after all, we only knew our new Airbnb apartment from pictures – we had previously stored in a rented "Blue Box," a small container in Beuel. We also stored our good mountain bikes there, because we didn't know if there would be a suitable place to store them.

So we packed our belongings into the car on Saturday. Klaus, our host, had written to us that he still needed to clean the apartment and that we could move in from 2 pm onwards.

So we were able to have a leisurely breakfast, pack a few more things into the container, double-check that we had really cleared everything out of the house…and we were still too early. After dawdling and strolling around a bit, we slowly made our way to Oberpleis. Maybe we could still get something to eat there?

But as we already knew from Hangelar, it seemed to have become the norm here too that all the snack bars were closed on weekends. So we strolled through Oberpleis, where it felt like we couldn't walk a single meter on level ground, either uphill or downhill. A completely new experience for us flatland Rhinelanders – no, the Niederberg isn't really one of those.

During our exploration of Oberpleis, we naturally checked out the infrastructure:

Are there any shops?

Yes, REWE FICKEIS! We couldn't help but chuckle.

Is there a bakery? Yes, including the Gielgen bakery, which we already know well.

Is there a replacement for our polar bear?

And so on and so forth…

On Dollenforfer Street, we spotted what appeared to be an open pub called "Haus Bramkamp," as there were smokers gathered outside. We were hoping to find something to eat there, perhaps some soup? Potato salad? A light meal?

We were quite surprised when we were greeted by the friendly waiter in the bar area: "Let me see if I have a table for two."

He then led us to the back room, which was quite elegant and packed – something we had never expected to find there.

The well-designed menu quickly revealed that we had stumbled upon a Croatian restaurant. Since we had been to one the previous evening and only wanted a light meal, we both ordered a typical Croatian pan of fried potatoes with smoked sausage and a fried egg…

When the sizzling pans arrived at our table, we knew once again: one portion would have been enough. The potatoes were perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious. But even this couldn't tempt us to devour our portions completely.

With full stomachs, we glanced at the clock in surprise: it was already after 2 p.m. The innkeeper was waiting…

On the way to our new accommodation, the same old questions ran through our minds again:

What will the apartment be like? Is everything there? Will we feel comfortable? How will we get along with Klaus, our landlord? And so on and so forth.

If the apartment is bad: Why did we rent it for four months?

If the apartment is good: Why did we only rent it for four months?

We always said that if we expected the worst, it could only get better.

As we pulled up in front of the chic, modern, and relatively new house, we were warmly greeted by Klaus and his wife and shown to our "property," the rear building. Klaus declared the entire back area, with its huge, partially covered terrace and large garden, our domain.

The two of them showed us the spacious, stylish, modern, and well-maintained apartment, which lacked nothing. I don't think an apartment could be more fully equipped. We were very relieved and happy to have found such a great place. The cozy warmth of the underfloor heating was the icing on the cake.

So we quickly came to the conclusion that we wouldn't need much of what was in our container anymore.

We also have a feeling we'll get along well with Klaus and his wife, who live in the front building.

After unpacking our things, preparing for the next workday, showering, and enjoying a light nightcap, we were able to relax and unwind for the evening before falling asleep content and tired in our new bed…

Perhaps with a dream? Our dream of traveling the world...