My mum was German and I spent every summer there as a child plus many Christmas holidays. My father was English and we lived in England, but mum said Germany must have been in my blood, because I always preferred being there. I spent every summer on a farm with my aunt and uncle who spoke no English – so I had to learn to speak. That is actually how I became so fluent in the spoken language – constant immersion every summer and winter, and then when I was in my early twenties I moved there and lived and worked there for about 10 years until I met my husband. After one year in the US we moved back to Germany spent another three years there and then 6 years in the UK before returning here. I love the way of life, the walking and hiking trails, the feeling of being safe in my home there. the food, the bicycle paths, the people and sites – I love it all – and both my husband and I consider our times in Germany to be the best and happiest in our lives and we would love to return to live there again one day. We were very involved with outdoor activities, swimming, hiking, biking and touring and visted many places in Germany while we were there, we actually got engaged in Berlin at the same time as the wall was coming down. My sister was not so keen, she was English through and through and still is – I was always hankering for Germany and I still do – funny that. Anyway, that is why I love it – I still have relatives there and friends. Linda
