Knowing we would be in Germany for Halloween, I assumed celebrations and the need for costumes would not arise. However, when we were invited to not only one, but two Halloween parties, I realized I was quite mistaken. Halloween is a somewhat recent occurrence here, only popping up within the last few years and only a limited number of people choose to partake. Well, we were without any costumes and, having packed only essentials for our international months, I did not bring enough to DIY us a couple of costumes. We had to get creative.
While grocery shopping Halloween morning, I headed for the holiday section of the store only to see an employee rolling out their only rack of Halloween costumes and decor. Determined to not miss out on them, I stealthily followed him through the yogurt and eggs section. He finally dropped the nearly empty display rack next to the tofu selection, and I pounced. It was slim pickings, being able to chose from either a bizarre nonsensical wig or a witch hat. I went with the hat, and after receiving a judgmental look from the checkout lady (she did not like my hat), I was on my way home to figure out the rest of our ensembles.
I wore all black and wrapped an orange scarf around me as a skirt to really amplify the Halloween colors. Tom brought his construction hat abroad, so that was an easy one. He donned my most attractive jorts, put a hammer through the loop, and was a construction worker. Thankfully, he also wore sweat pants to walk to and from the parties!
The evening worked out perfectly, each party was twenty minutes from us, albeit in opposite directions. Although with some swift walking and a train between the two, we succeeding in making our rounds. Everyone we met was very friendly and, bonus points, they spoke English as well. The only down side of celebrating Halloween in another country is there were people dressed up as pop culture figures or characters from German television shows, which was rather lost on us.
Saturday afternoon, we recovered by walking through the nearby Berg Park. We had yet to do much exploring in our own area, and although we've seen the park benches and trees many times from the train stop, we had yet to venture over.
I hear the weather back home has been cold and unpleasant, even snowing on Halloween. We have been very fortunate as of yet and outside of passing cool rain, the temperatures have made for ideal fall days.
There were numerous well paved paths going in each direction, one of which lead to the local zoo, which was on our agenda for the next day. Koi fish swam in one of the creeks and ducks lined the grassy waterfronts. Families were out for a walk, many pushing their children in strollers and others were biking through the grounds. We found a spot off the beaten path where there appeared to be a cafe at one time. If I find myself in need of a retirement plan, I am coming back here and opening a new cafe in that spot, because the park was breathtaking.
Satisfied with scouting out our path for the zoo the following afternoon, we walked the ten minutes home. I love where we live. It's quiet, I feel safe, and it's a very family friendly area. But, I never realized such a tranquil, expansive park was just across the road from us. It really does pay to know and explore your neighborhood.
