Haltern am See, Germany

We left Bremen for someplace we have been wanting to go ever since moving to Europe - Haltern am See. I know, this doesn't make everyone's top ten list for vacation spots, but there is a reason for our desire to see it. Matt's ancestors immigrated from here. The farm they left is still in the family name and run by relatives who stayed behind.

Our first order of business was to find lunch. We found a great little roadside farmhouse named Peter's Bauernstube that was serving up some fantastic traditional fare. We ate like kings, then headed into town to poke around. We were looking to buy some much needed blankets and were happy to find some cheap ones at a discount shop. After spending the previous night wrestling over the one real sleeping bag we brought, it had to be done.

We cruised the strip surprised by how much bigger the town was then expected. The Tourist Information Office was actually some other type of government office with a secretary that doubled as a guide, but she gave us free postcards so we were happy.
We left the downtown area of Haltern am See and followed our GPS to the address of Matt's relatives. We drove between 5 and 10 minutes outside of town into what appeared to be a little village called Flaesheim, but the relative's city address is still for Haltern so we don't really know what the deal was. But we found it without trouble. We had made a couple of attempts prior to our arrival to contact the Althoff relatives without success. So, we decided to embrace the American in us and just show up. Matt spoke with the teenage son and younger sister but the parent's were not home. We got a look around at the barns and sheds by the house, then said goodbye and we were on our way.

It was getting late and we figured we better get somewhere to set up our tent. We drove another hour or so into the Netherlands and camped just outside of Arnhem. More about that tomorrow.

Matt at Peter's Bauernstube in Haltern am See

Peter's Bauernstube

A public fountain in front of St. Sixtus Church in Haltern am See

The main shopping street in Haltern am See

A look over Wesel-Datteln-Kanal, an important transport connection between the Lower Rhine and northern and eastern Germany. One of the six locks of this canal is located at Flaesheim and is located very near to the Althoff's.

We arrive! The entrance to the Althoff farm.

The driveway of our Althoff relatives

Althoff farm

Althoff farm