This month, I am taking part in a September blogging special organized and put together by Indiebizchicks, which will include daily blogging tips and prompts. I am doing it mainly to help her get back on her feet behind the wheel after a car accident last month, but also because it’ll be fun and… why not?! :) My participation was decided on a whim and I am already a day late (and I can’t even promise that I’ll be able to do all the prompts), but I’ll try to make this happen!
Today’s blogging prompt is ““What do you like best about your hometown?”
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As you may – or may not – know, I grew up in Grevenbroich [pronounced [ɡʁeːvənˈbʁoːx]), a small city in the (very!) Western part of Germany. As you can see on the map, it’s very close – about 55 km/35 miles – to the Dutch and Belgian border.
The city has its own “coat of arms”, like all or most cities in Germany.
What I liked most about growing up in my hometown was that it is relatively small and urban (population 65,000), but was only 30 minutes outside of two big cities, Köln (Cologne) and Düsseldorf.
I liked growing up having that small-town feel, and yet being able to hop on a train and go to a big city in no time.
My schools, both elementary school and Gymnasium (middle and high school), were within walking distance of my parents’ house and the city center was a 10 minute bike ride away. Most of my friends lived practically ‘around the corner’.
As kids, my sister and I were able to do everything by bike. There was no need for a car (or even public transportation) until much, much later. I loved being independent like that at a very early age.
Grevenbroich was small enough to make you feel like everything was really close, and at the same time it was big enough to provide everything for your daily needs: supermarkets, bakeries, shops, department stores, schools, etc.
I didn’t even have to go far away for college, because I attended university in Düsseldorf, which was 30 minutes away (by train that ran twice an hour).
I think Grevenbroich is a very typical small German city, tucked away between endless corn, potato and sugar beet fields and close to a giant strip mine and a power plant, which made Grevenbroich known as the “capital of energy”. The big bucket-wheel excavators are a especially impressive – and kind of pretty – at night!
(source unknown – please let me know if you know who deserves credit for this).
Here are some more impressions from my town:
This used to be a manor house, but it’s a museum these days.
This building belongs to a castle that was situated right in middle of town.
We have a beautiful monastery that runs a beer garden in the summer.
There is art in all kinds of places.
We have many open fields where I grew up (and wind farms, can you see it?)…
… and there are beautiful sunsets behind these fields.
In the fall, there are harvest festivals with little parades.
These days, I live about 6000 miles away from home, from my family and the people and places that I love. I am happy where I am, but I always get very excited to go back home!
justine
September 2, 2010 at 9:30 pmGosh, those pictures are so beautiful. And how amazing to be able to do everything by bike?
I wish!
kim
September 3, 2010 at 1:18 amone of my favorite things in grevenbroich is the “casa S.” because it’s one of the most comfortable places to stay at in all of germany (or the world perhaps even) and filled with laughter, love and hugs :) oh and lets not forget the famous “schuetzenfest” with it’s parade :)
.-= kim´s last blog ..Protected- how’s it going =-.
Maribeth
September 3, 2010 at 5:01 amOh San, it is beautiful, and easy to see why you miss it so much! Thanks for sharing!
.-= Maribeth´s last blog ..Random Dozen =-.
Marian
September 3, 2010 at 5:26 amaww I lived for one year & a half in Düsseldorf, Germany has completely stolen my heart! but not the language,it’s so difficult! xo
.-= Marian´s last blog ..Shopping cures depression =-.
Emily Jane
September 3, 2010 at 5:58 amWhat lovely pictures, I always enjoy reading about people’s home towns. I LOVE that sculpture – the thin, elongated one – it reminds me of a style of one of my favourite artists :)
.-= Emily Jane´s last blog ..The Emotional Spectrum =-.
rachel
September 3, 2010 at 7:26 amWow! What a beautiful hometown. I love any type of historic buildings and wish I could visit Europe again sometime soon.
Impossibly Alice
September 3, 2010 at 9:08 amWow that sounds so great! I grew up in a smaller neighbourhood in my city so I was able to get everywhere by bike when I was a kid as well. If we went further we would take the bus.
If I were that far away from my family I’d want to talk to them every day too!
.-= Impossibly Alice´s last blog ..I have FOs! =-.
Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks
September 3, 2010 at 10:23 amI love your little tour and description of your hometown. It sounds like an absolutely lovely place to grow up … no wonder you miss it dearly!
.-= Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks´s last blog ..Exercise =-.
Stefanie
September 3, 2010 at 2:30 pmYour town sounds and looks like that typical “West” German town to me: It has a little bit of everything but not too much. Lovely pictures!
.-= Stefanie´s last blog ..One last night =-.
Jen
September 3, 2010 at 9:14 pmWhat a charming place. It feels safe and wholesome. It must have great growing up there.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Being ungrateful- I guess =-.
Kyla Roma
September 4, 2010 at 7:54 amYour home sounds amazing, I wish you could give me a tour someday :)
.-= Kyla Roma´s last blog ..Friday Finds are back to school =-.
Karen
September 8, 2010 at 3:35 amIt looks so nice! I grew up in Munich so I was never used to living in a small town, and while we moved to a suburb when I was 12, I still went to middle & high school in Munich, so my life still happened in the city. As a result, after we moved I had no friends living right around the corner, but it’s something I got used to. Before we moved, my friends were all really close, we all lived in the same neighborhood we went to elementary school in.
.-= Karen´s last blog ..Days 31-60-365 =-.
Terra
September 8, 2010 at 6:19 amWhen I was in Germany (briefly, at Hohenfels & for a day in both Munich and Nuremberg), I was very impressed with the wind mills and all the hops growing on hillsides and how old everything is. Your city looks beautiful!
.-= Terra´s last blog ..Michigan- briefly =-.