Castles with Katja

One of the major bonuses of living over here and that I live so close to some good friends. It makes being away from home that much easier. It is amazing to be able to take a break from the hectic work week and überstunden (overtime hours) and just let yourself relax and hang out with your friends. Appreciation, I'm telling you!

Weeks ago now, Katja and I went to Schloss Solitude. No wonder, given it's name, because this place was pretty serene. Perched up on a hill overlooking Stuttgart is this palace. In 1763 Duke Carl Eugen chose the site in the heights, southwest of Stuttgart, as the location for the palace. Hard-pressed by the Württemberg Diet and the "Reichshofkammer" (highest court) in Vienna and cut off from an increase in political importance, the Duke poured all his strength into the building of this palace, which he oversaw.

Fun fact that the tourguide told us: Duke Carl Eugen fathered, they think, more than 100 children. Uniquely enough he was a ginger (red head), and at that time and still today there aren't many gingers walking around Germany. So therefore, whenever a new baby is born in this area and has red hair, it is commonly joked that he/she is a descendant of Duke Carl Eugen. (So Ashley, you want to do a little more research? Maybe you have Germany roots...!!!)

A beautiful day for some fun in Stuttgart...love living next to a big city, and love being able to leave it at the end of the day.

Where's Waldo???