»A life without celebrations is like a long walk without retreat.«
Demokrit, Greek natural philosopher, 460 - 370 b. Chr.
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pending a few precious days with the family - with parents and children, with the siblings and their partners. A round birthday or anniversary is a welcome occasion.
But where do you get together? Home has got limited space, the hotel is too impersonal.
In the Eifel, not far from Germany's oldest cities and yet completely closed off from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, there is a house in the forest...
The gate to the courtyard would be a tribute to a ranch and indicates plenty of space, inside and outside. These include 2 kitchens, 3 bathrooms, 1 winter garden, 4 bedrooms, 2 living rooms with a large sofa bed, a folding bed for toddlers, and an extra bed.
Since 2019 there are 2 "Hobbit houses", comfortable wooden cabins with a total of 4 single cabins, only a stone's throw away from the winter garden. Now up to 16 guests can be hosted on the Wackerberg.
The apartment on 3 levels has 2 entrances at the front and 2 exits to the terrace and meadow. Right next to the driveway there are 7 parking spaces for the guests' cars, some of them in a carport. By the way, traffic wardens have never before been seen on Wackerberg.
Back in the good old days with no CDs and especially no "streaming audio", but long-playing records and singles instead, the song on the back of the album, the "B-Side", was not believed to be very promising.
The rear side of the Waldquartier Wackerberg is laid out as an 80 sqm wooden terrace, directly accessible with a small staircase from the holiday apartment - a perfect invitation to coffee or tea in the countryside and rather a second "A-Side".
From the 1940s onwards, empty halls and storehouses were converted into living quarters in New York City and London without significantly altering the fabric impression of the structure.
At this time, the Waldquartier Wackerberg had already experienced an eventful history, starting in the 1920s as a hunting and forestry lodge for a Düsseldorf industrialist who received his business friends and, of course, the local dignitaries.
The spacious upper floor of the house with its wide panoramic windows at the height of the treetops invites you to a relaxed chat, for a cosy game or reading lesson, but also for a TV evening in front of the large-screen monitor (satellite TV).
An ideal retreat, situated only a few steps away from the kitchen and dining room, with a view over the terrace and its own exit to the meadow, is waiting for you after a meal or family celebration.
Sitting together at one table with the whole family - where can you do that?
Sure, in a restaurant, but waiters and sometimes other guests may be a nuisance.
It is not necessary to use biblical symbolism to describe the special atmosphere that arises when several generations cook, dine and celebrate under one roof.
The open kitchen is integrated into the spacious dining area and is fully equipped: In addition to the oven with 4 ceramic hobs, there is a microwave, 2 coffee machines (for filter coffee and pads) and a tea maker, not to mention various small appliances.
And what´s about the dishes?
The dishwasher does the job afterwards - quite uncommunicatively.
A country house can be expected to have more rustic furnishings: natural building materials, walls insulated with lime plaster, floors covered with cotto tiles and wooden planks.
The furniture is carefully selected, creating a healthy room climate and supporting restful sleep.
Two of the bedrooms have their own bathroom and, together with the adjoining living room or studio, form an apartment within the apartment.
Sometimes a little privacy is very pleasant - even within a family....
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