Our Time in Fürstenwalde

During our first weeks in Fürstenwalde, we first had to take care of several organizational matters in order to better plan the next steps and projects for our journey.
Once again, we tried - through an acquaintance - to establish contact with a Polish workshop to give our Felía a new paint job.
Unfortunately, we also had to realize that something seemed to be wrong with the clutch. Since we additionally wanted to relocate the external shore power connection so we could recharge electricity at a campsite if necessary, and also install a parking heater, we found a car repair shop experienced with older vehicles. However, we were told that repairs were currently not possible due to their heavy workload.
So we had to wait until it would be possible to have the car repaired.

We also wanted to work on some features for our website, such as enabling the comment function and writing additional posts. Frank designs and programs the website himself instead of using a website builder, as those are unfortunately very limited when it comes to adapting them to our wishes and ideas. Since he had no prior knowledge of programming or web design, he has had to teach himself everything, research, and experiment. As a result, this project took a bit longer.
On the other hand, this allowed us to give free rein to our creativity and tailor all elements exactly to our liking. Since Frank also discovered that he truly enjoys working on it, the process was significantly more time-consuming but also far more individual than using template systems (whose designs we don't particularly like anyway), which suited us perfectly.

On the side of the vehicle where the tall cabinet is located, we wanted to apply a sticker to the rear window (which is already covered by the cabinet) displaying our website details and social media platforms, including our logo, so that everyone could immediately see who “the World Enjoyers” are.
This led to the idea not only of revising our logo once again, but also of presenting our travel motto:

We only live once,
so we take every opportunity
to enjoy life.
And when we enjoy with all our senses,
the world is open to us.

For this project, we wanted to find a provider who could print our design onto adhesive film or alternatively onto a plastic panel.

At the same time, we secured our name “Die Weltgenießer” on several social media platforms, even though we haven't yet managed to publish any content there. But what hasn't happened yet can still happen-especially if we develop a liking for posting, editing videos, enhancing photos, and everything else that comes with it. So far, we don't yet know where this journey will lead, but at least the path toward presenting ourselves in this way has now been paved 😉.

Another project was also on our agenda: we decided to obtain a motorcycle license. For the theory classes we had already planned and registered for, we needed to study diligently. Even though the practical exams were not scheduled until July, there was still quite a bit to do beforehand.

Shortly before our journey was actually supposed to begin, the tall cabinet unfortunately developed some defects (an article about this will follow under “Bulli”), and something even broke. Therefore, we used our time in Fürstenwalde to carry out the necessary carpentry work. To avoid constantly removing and reinstalling the cabinet due to sawing, painting the furniture, and applying the logo sticker, we decided to complete the sticker planning and application before starting the woodworking.

And just like that, several weeks flew by. Even if it may have seemed to you that not much was happening, quite a lot was actually going on for us.

Whenever good weather appeared, we took the opportunity to explore the surrounding area. In Fürstenwalde itself, we walked along the River Spree and visited places from Frank's childhood. He noticed that quite a bit had changed. The riverside has been beautifully redesigned, making it more attractive for hikers, anglers, and campers who weren't there back in the day.
Rare birds like kingfishers have settled there, and several restaurants as well as a fitness trail have been added. The rowing route Frank knew from his childhood rowing club is still actively used today. Kayakers also enjoy paddling along the route to the former Große Tränke lock, where there is now a pleasant campsite.

Another excursion with our new bicycles (the old ones were even declared beyond repair by a bike workshop 😉) took us to the Stone Table, which Theodor Fontane once visited. Nearby are the Markgrafensteine, also known as the Rauener Stones - two enormous granite boulders located in the Rauener Hills. Part of the larger of the two was quarried in the early 19th century. From one section, the Stone Table including four benches was created. From another large piece weighing around 70-80 tons, a massive granite bowl was crafted, which can now be found on Berlin's Museum Island.
Originally, there was also a third glacial erratic. It was used to create the Peace Column at Belle-Alliance-Platz (today Mehringplatz), the Victory Column in Park Babelsberg, and the Eagle Column on the Lustgarten terrace of the Berlin Palace (source: Wikipedia).
The former ski jump no longer exists; only the steps and foundation remain. Instead, there is now an observation tower offering panoramic views over the entire surrounding area.

Since the cherries in Frank's parents' garden had ripened in the meantime, we climbed the tree several times to harvest bucketfuls. In addition to cherry juice, we preserved compote and baked “Kerschejockel” (Andrea's grandmother came from the Palatinate) following an old family recipe. Some cherries were also soaked in schnapps.

Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, another bike tour led us to the district of Trebus and its lake of the same name. Besides the main bathing area, the lake offers several small swimming spots and docks along a circular path that invite visitors to sunbathe.
At the shore, we discovered numerous tiny frogs that were just on their way into the water. Some of them were no bigger than a fingernail.
On the way back, we enjoyed delicious cake and extravagant coffee specialties.

Statistically speaking, most accidents happen during leisure time (sports, etc.), followed by household accidents.
Unfortunately, we had to experience firsthand how quickly something can happen.
Frank was helping his parents in the garden, cutting branches from trees that were hanging over the paths and extending too far over the roof of the rear building. In doing so, he overlooked one branch that struck him in the eye before he could close it in time. As a result, he suffered for quite a while afterward from the sensation of a foreign body in his eye, along with pain and heavy tearing.
Andrea became nervous because, due to her nearsightedness and severe astigmatism, both her optician and ophthalmologist had repeatedly emphasized how sensitive the cornea is. So we researched where we could find an emergency eye clinic nearby on a Sunday.
We realized that although we were close to Berlin, we were actually quite far out in the eastern outskirts, as we had to drive about 50 minutes to Berlin-Marzahn. Fortunately, we were able to use Frank's mother's car, since our Felía was still in the workshop.
Frank did not have to wait long, as there was only one other patient ahead of him in the waiting room. The doctor seemed competent and thorough. All our questions were answered satisfactorily - for example, where to find emergency pharmacies nearby. We were given a note listing the surrounding pharmacies.
We cannot understand why some people generally have something against “foreigners”. The doctor was dark-skinned and spoke somewhat broken German, but we understood everything she explained and told us. We were grateful that she was on duty that Sunday for Frank and all the other patients and that she took her time, even though more patients were already waiting.

We were told that there was no foreign body left in Frank's eye, but that the cornea was inflamed. So soothing eye drops were prescribed, and a follow-up visit with a local ophthalmologist was recommended.
The next day, we visited the local eye doctor, who immediately emphasized that it was a big exception that he was seeing us, as he was “fully booked” and not accepting new patients. In our opinion, this once again showed us how grateful we are for additional medical professionals from abroad.
The ophthalmologist examined the eye again and explained that the cornea was slightly damaged, similar to a graze or abrasion. He reassured us that the pain would likely subside within one to two days.
Once again, Frank had been luckier than wise. It could have turned out much worse.

Fortunately, the pain did subside quickly. Until then, however, “eye care” was the main priority using the prescribed drops and keeping the eye closed as much as possible.
Frank was therefore out of action for a while, while Andrea used the time to study for the motorcycle theory exam and lovingly took care of her patient.

Soon, Frank was able to return to working on the website, continuing to refine the comment function, while Andrea brainstormed ideas for future reports and categories - though for the time being, it remained mostly at the planning stage.

One of the highlights of this period was receiving our very first “tip” via PayPal from someone outside our family. Thank you again so much. We were truly delighted!

Andrea was also finally able to arrange a meeting with a dear friend who currently lives in Berlin with her partner, son, and dog, so that she could meet Frank.
We met for lunch in Berlin-Charlottenburg. Her partner was working in Düsseldorf at the time, and her son was at daycare. After lunch, she showed us “her” Charlottenburg, and in beautiful weather we enjoyed a delicious ice cream together at Lietzensee.
Unfortunately, she then had to say goodbye. We used the rest of the day to visit Madame Tussauds and then took a stroll along the River Spree before heading back to Fürstenwalde.

At Madame Tussauds, we got up close to stars and celebrities. Hugging Robbie Williams, becoming the fifth member of ABBA, clinking glasses with Leonardo DiCaprio, sitting in Günther Jauch's hot seat, proving ourselves on Heidi Klum's catwalk, or standing side by side with Obama. Where else can you experience all that in a single day?

With so much walking, hunger was inevitable. So we headed to the “Kartoffelhaus” at Alexanderplatz. In the rustic and lovingly decorated dining room, Andrea had liver with mashed potatoes, and Frank ordered “Bolte's platter” with meatball, currywurst, and schnitzel served with potato salad. The portions were very generous, so the leftovers were packed up and lasted for lunch the next day.

People in Fürstenwalde also know how to celebrate. The town festival from July 4-6, 2025, attracted us on Saturday evening with lively rock music, colorful crowds, and delicious food and drink stalls. We enjoyed crêpes, garlic bread, cherry beer, and, in the medieval-themed area, fir-tree mead and a feta pastry.

The next day, we planned to return to try more culinary delights. The star of the day was Annemarie Eilfeld, who rocked the stage and had no hesitation interacting closely with the audience. During the Schlager song “Ein Festival der Liebe” she encouraged the crowd to form a polonaise across the marketplace. We may not have broken a world record, but it's the effort that counts.
Unfortunately, we then discovered that all the stalls had already closed after the live act at 6 p.m., so we had to head home hungry. What a pity! We had been looking forward to venison ragout and wild goulash.

How quickly time flies. The town festival is already two weeks behind us. What have we been doing since then?
Once again, studying for the motorcycle license was on the agenda. The theory is very dry and demands a lot from us. Hopefully, we will soon be ready for the exam, because without passing the theory test, we cannot take the practical exam. So it's back to studying, practicing, and reviewing.
In addition, the website's comment function needed further adjustments and refinements. As part of that process, we created an admin area to make moderating the website easier.
Starting on July 14, 2025, we finally got on a motorcycle for the first time with ARLITT. But more about that in a separate post.