Nürburgring, leaving Holzweiler

Today I woke up early to join Ludger and Caruso for a walk in the woods outside Holzweiler.  The trails near the house are very peaceful and the forest is beautiful in the early morning light.

Overlooking Holzweiler

Community picnic shelter

After another great breakfast (I am going to miss their breakfasts), Ludger took us and the boys out to Nürburgring for kart racing.

Before we left they all grabbed their own helmets for kart racing. This is what writers call "foreshadowing."

I don't know if you've ever been kart racing but I'll give you a tip: if you're going with someone who brings their own helmet(s) you are GOING TO LOSE.  It's like playing pool against the guy who brings his own pool cue.

 

Max and Ludger turned in VERY respectable times and I’m afraid I couldn’t hold a candle to either one of them.  The electric carts were quite responsive and fun to drive.  Max and Luis both won their rounds with the fastest overall laps (Max in the “big kart” category with the adults and Luis in the “small kart” category.  Both boys have very good reflexes and are great drivers.  Erin enjoyed her first time driving a kart but (sensibly) kept her speed under control the whole time.  It was the best time I’ve ever had losing ;-)

Spotted in the Nürburgring parking lot.

Erin and Luis getting a safety briefing

The German army came by.  Not sure if they took this TPz on the track or not.

Leaving the kart track, we drove up a side road to watch the real cars go around on the track.  Nürburgring itself is a great experience, the track having a well-deserved reputation of being very tricky to navigate.  We watched the cars for a while (listening to the engines rev and the tires squeal on this back corner is something you must experience in person).

We returned home and packed our bags and played a bit of soccer (foosball) in the street, then Ludger very kindly took us to the Frankfurt hotel to drop us off.

All three of us were a bit melancholy to be leaving Germany – Ludger and Steffi and the boys showed us just a portion of the Eifel region of Germany and we were all quite taken with it.  We very much appreciated their generosity and hospitality during our stay, and hope that some day we can reciprocate when they come to visit us in Washington.