Wildpark Höfli, part 2

Waiting for the train and sharing a story

When I look back on this year, I'm certain this day will stand out as one of my favorites.  The weather, the kids' dispositions, the scenery: everything was all so incredibly agreeable, all day long.

Dennis, tempted by the 70-degrees-and-sunny forecast, wanted to go on a longer run today, so he plotted a 10-K course from our house up to Wildpark Höfli, which Joey and I had scouted on Friday. The kids and I left an hour later, taking the train up to the park and exiting to find a beaming, triumphant daddy.

And then we slowly worked our way uphill to the visitor's center.  We stopped at the frog pond for a while, but it was already too hot out, and the frogs were hiding deep in the shady mud.  Alex found a house cat, however, and made friends with it; after we left, he was bursting with pride: "I think I have a special talent with animals, Mom. I can make them calm and I think they love me."  

Playing with cattail fluff on our hike.  The kids brought
carefully packed bags: Alex had some books, binoculars,
granola bars and strawberries, a handkerchief, and his camera.
Ella only  needed her Captain Underpants and a box
"for holding anything useful that I find."

Ella has no time for cats, but she found some cattails from last fall and rediscovered how much fun it is to make them explode with fluff.  She waved them in the air, with little clouds of seeds trailing after her: nature's own magic fairy wand.

Since we left the stroller at home this time, we got to take a steeper, quicker trail.  The habitats at the Wildpark are beautifully enormous and rambling, and so there were several animals we never did get to see. But we were able to spy a pair of wolves from a watch tower before we reached the top of the hill and the visitor's center.

Taking a shortcut on a switchback. Ella went
first, bragging to Alex: "Watch this, Alex. I can
climb this cliff! There's nothing your sister
can't do if she puts her mind to it." And Alex
quietly, easily followed her up.

The cafeteria at the visitor's center was a happy surprise: it was just casual counter service, but the food was as delicious as anything I've eaten in months. The kids rekindled their love affair with chicken nuggets, but Dennis got some amazing, herby schnitzel, and I had flammenküche, an Alsatian dish that I've been meaning to try for a long time.  Basically a very thin-crusted, fire-roasted pizza, traditionally served with lardons, onions, and Swiss cheese, it was perfection.

Cheers, dears. Why can't all
playgrounds  come with beer?

Ella found us a large picnic table overlooking the playground, so after the kids gobbled their food and ice cream (score!) they scrambled around the playground for an hour.  Dennis and I spent a good long part of that, watching from our lookout perch, sharing some German beers.

The kids adored the playground, spending much of their time at a water play area that I hadn't even noticed on Thursday.  But all good playgrounds here have water to play with.  And, Dennis and I decided, all good water play areas should begin with an Archimedes screw pump.

Playing with water.  Joey quickly put himself in charge
of the Archimedes screw.

I guess this is what happens when
Mommy drinks a beer.  Taking my turn
on long rope swing that started three
feet off the ground. Seriously fun. 

Little scout Alex, looking for interesting
things to photograph.

And these were interesting: the bear enclosure was right
next to the visitor's center, and the bears were
celebrating the warm weather with a wrestling match
in the water.  Joey couldn't get enough of them: "Bears
so funny!"

I could have stayed all afternoon, but we still had a long hike back to the train station, so we eventually had to take the kids away from their fun and start back home.  Hiking with Joey is slow at best, but when he starts to get tired and silly, the pace becomes glacial.  This clip will give you a pretty fair idea of what it's like to hike with a two-year-old. (He's pretending to be a froggy.)

Taking our time going home.

Luckily, that didn't go on for two long; unluckily, he decided that only mommy's arms would do.  He quickly fell asleep, and so I carried him home. Which, I suppose, was preferable to carrying him up the hill, as Dennis had to do.

After a long afternoon of attention from mom and dad, the kids were feeling happy and self-sufficient, and they spent the rest of the pretty afternoon outside with their scooters, and then retired inside for some coloring.

See what I mean? It was a good, good day.

Hard at work