CTGT: My Germany trip + haul

Last Tuesday, I was lucky enough to fly to Dortmund with my parents and grandparents for a special holiday. Over 40 years ago, my grandparents lived in Gütersloh, a town about an hour away from Dortmund, so the short break was mainly them showing me where they used to live and where my mum and uncle grew up! This was such a lovely experience - it was one of my favourite ever holidays!  

Day 1

On Wednesday, we took a drive around Gütersloh and my Grandparents showed me where they used to live/work. The first photo was taken in the football stadium car park; we were allowed to quickly walk around the stadium and stand on the pitch. My Grandpa used to play for the SVA Gütersloh team so it was definitely a flash from the past for him. It was lovely to hear his football stories. After that, we found a park which was really pretty! There was a café in the botanical gardens. This is where the cake (pictured above) was bought from, and ordering it gave me an opportunity to practice my german. Although I don't have any photos to show, we then walked around the town and we popped into some shops. The day ended with a meal in an Italian restaurant - number 1 on Trip Advisor according to my dad - and it was great!

Day 2 

This was our busiest/longest day. To start the morning off, we travelled to the British Forces hospital in Rinteln where my mum was born. I don't have any photos of this but the memory will stay firm in my mind. It was somewhat emotional to see and I heard many more stories about it from my Grandparents. My Grandpa started talking to a nurse in the hospital and he really enjoyed learning about how it has changed and the plans for its future. I was certainly impressed with Grandpa's German skills! After visiting the hospital, we drove to Hamelin. I had, obviously, heard about the place through the 'Pied Piper of Hamelin' story but had never realised how beautiful the town was - above are a few photos that I took. Throughout our time there, my Grandma and Dad were joking with each other and it was very entertaining to watch - what a pair! Next, my Grandparents drove back to the hotel whereas we journeyed to a nearby town and did some more shopping! 

Day 3 

On our last full day, the weather was very kind to us - there were clear skies all day! We all got into the car again and travelled to the Möhne Dam (where the Dambusters bombed). The journey was relatively long so I was definitely glad to get out of the car! I took lots of photos and learned about the history of the Möhne Dam from my family. Then, we were on the homeward bound back to Gütersloh where we visited the house that my grandparents used to lived in. This was so special and they both had a photo in front of it! To end our Germany experience, we all went out to dinner that evening to a Greek restaurant nearby. The food was amazing (sorry I didn't take any photos) and I had a lovely conversation with my Mum and Grandma. I think, on trips like this, the conversations you have and the stories you hear are the most important bits - well, they certainly are to me! I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Germany and I would go back in a heart beat. 

Haul 

On the way to Dortmund, I looked in Duty free and this is always a bad idea because I was tempted by everything! There was a MAC in the airport so I bought an eyeshadow in Coppering that I had been lusting over for ages - I'm sure there will many posts to come on it! Also, my parents kindly bought me 'Girl meets Pearl' by Benefit which is stunning! 

In Gütersloh, there was a H&M so I popped in, actually looking for a black coat but I couldn't find one that I wanted. I ended up coming out with a gorgeous poncho which is my first poncho since being little; I'm excited to put some outfits together with it as the key piece. 

My parents were so generous and bought me a black coat from a shop in Bielefield. This will definitely last me many years and it is my first ever woollen coat. I absolutely adore it; it's so warm to wear! 

Lastly, I bought a necklace from H&M, on a different day to the poncho, and is very dainty and pretty. I have been looking for an everyday necklace and I can see myself wearing this a lot! 

I loved my time in Germany - it was such an amazing trip!! Have you ever been?

xox