Saxony

exploring the German countryside with new friends

By Lauren di Matteo

WRITTEN BY NICOLE BRAVO

We’ve been traveling throughout Western Europe for weeks and are in need of a few days to relax and slow our pace a bit, so we take a train to the German countryside: Saxony. Our little Airbnb sits alongside the winding Elbe River with a view out to the small town of Pirna, nestled atop the hill. The location is perfect, as are our daily walks along the river.

One afternoon we notice a man wearing a mask, carving a large stone block in front of a historic home. We stand there amazed at the labor that goes into building a small retaining wall by hand. He doesn’t seem to mind us gawking at him though and finally waves hello. A short conversation ensues as he introduces himself as James Lehmann, master stonemason who has worked on new and historic buildings like this one all around town. He currently lives in Dresden, just a stone's throw away, but loves getting away to the countryside—after all, he grew up here. With a dreamy look in his eyes, he describes how peaceful it is in the country and what a delight it was to spend his childhood years here.

After telling him of our recent travels, he rattles off a slew of complex German words, asking us if we have come to see 'them.' We half-nod with blank stares, and he realizes we haven’t heard of the litany of famous sites and castles dotting the vicinity. Admitting that we know little of the area, we share our disappointment when our host responded to our questions about the region by dropping us off at the Tourist Office. At this, a look of near-devastation dramatically sweeps across his face as he considers that this amazing place won’t be fully explored and enjoyed to the extent that it deserves. His eyes search frantically for some sort of resolution, and he finds it by offering an invitation to join him and his girlfriend on a drive around the countryside in exactly one hour. When we hesitate in crashing his date, he insists, and of course, we delightfully accept.

As we bounce along in his minivan, we have the most entertaining conversations. He speaks little English and his girlfriend speaks even less, but she is fluent in Spanish. Neither Lauren nor I speak a word of German, but my Spanish—though rusty—is sufficient to get by. So James asks questions in German, she translates them for me into Spanish, I reply in Spanish, and then she relays the message onto James. All the while I’m also doing my best to interpret what is going on for Lauren in English (since her Spanish is a bit more rusty than mine). There is a lot of nodding and smiling, a lot of laughter, and a lot of staring out the window at the captivating countryside.

Our first stop is Festung Königstein, officially referred to as a fortress but for all intents and purposes, a magnificent castle. The place is swarming with tourists during the daytime, but we’ve arrived after hours. We’re not quite sure what’s happening as we’re ushered through the grand castle doors by a man who jokes with James like an old friend. He warns James that we’ll have little time and James takes off at a brisk pace showing us around the castle and serving as the best kind of tour guide, offering historical information and fun facts along with current insider information about the sorts of private parties that are thrown here and current residents. While the visit is rushed, we’re delighted to have the place all to ourselves for a short while.

The next stop is Pfaffenstein, a mountain with breathtaking hiking trails through the forest, including narrow passageways between giant rock formations. Peeking through the trees, we spy international climbers scaling the famous sandstone rocks towering at dangerous heights above the ground. Imagine our surprise when we finally make it to the mountaintop and are invited to seat ourselves on the patio of a restaurant overlooking the entire valley. James helps us order and even treats us to the meal, as guests in his country. We feel deeply indebted to him for such kindness and generosity, and consider that his many travels around the world have greatly shaped him into the person he is today--one who seeks to offer the same kind of hospitality he has experienced abroad so many times over.

With bellies full and thirst quenched, we hike down to a nearby lookout to watch the sunset. We talk a bit, but there is also much silence—all of us in awe of the incredible scene before us. We whisper in reverence before this glorious masterpiece. As the light begins to fade, we hike back down the hill as speedily as possible. There is more silence on the way back—all of us seeking to linger in the beauty of creation and of a budding friendship just a little while longer.

“The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us. Thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love.”