Life in Germany

Since I visited Germany for the first time as an adult I had wanted to live there. Then I took my chance…

On 1 April 2014 I moved to Kempen in Niederrhein, along with Poppy my dog and my recumbent trike, Alfie. The plan was to stay for a year but I never went back. Over my time in Germany I made lots of friends, got a job, got divorced, got remarried (to a German who contacted me through this blog!) and generally enjoyed the German lifestyle which is cycling and cake.

I write a blog post at least once per month. The monthly ones are under the heading “Six Wheels in Germany”, but I also write other posts about special events, particularly bike tours.

I am updating this after nine years in Germany and the cycling has reduced a bit but the cake eating still continues.

If you want to read my most recent posts then look here.

Below is a list of all the key posts about living in Germany – I hope you enjoy reading!

Preparations for Life in Germany

Auntie Helen flees to the continent
Auntie Helen flees to the continent 2: I’ve arrived in Germany!!!

Life for a Brit in Germany

2014
April 2014: Six Wheels in Germany Month 1
A visit to SPEZI Radmesse (weird bike show!)
May 2014: Six Wheels in Germany Month 2
June 2014: Six Wheels In Germany Month 3
The Potato Peeling Championships
July 2014: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 4
Helping at the HBK Audax Control in Köln
August 2014: Six Wheels in Germany – Month 5
September 2014: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 6
October 2014: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 7
November 2014: Six Wheels in Germany – Month 8
December 2014: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 9

2015
January 2015: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 10
February 2015: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 11
March 2015: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 12
April 2015: Six Wheels in Germany Month 13
May 2015: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 14
June 2015: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 15
July 2015: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 16
August 2015: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 17
September 2015: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 18
October 2015: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 19
November 2015: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 19
December 2015: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 21

2016
January 2016: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 22
February 2016: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 23
March 2016: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 24
April 2016: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 25
May 2016: Six Wheels in Germany – Month 26
June 2016: Six Wheels in Germany – Month 27
July 2016: Six Wheels in Germany – Month 28
August 2016: Six Wheels in Germany – Month 29
September 2016: Six Wheels in Germany – Month 30
October 2016: Six Wheels in Germany – Month 31
November 2016: Six Wheels in Germany – Month 32
December 2016: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 33

2017
January 2017: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 34
February 2017: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 35
March 2017: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 36
April 2017: Six Wheels in Germany – Month 37
May 2017: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 38
June 2017: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 39
July 2017: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 40
August 2017: Six Wheels in Germany – Month 41
September 2017: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 42
October 2017: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 43
November 2017: Six Wheels In Germany – Month 44
December 2017: Six Wheels in Germany – Month 45

2018
January 2018: Six Wheels in Germany – Month 46
February 2018: Ten Wheels in Germany – Month 47
March 2018: Ten Wheels in Germany – Month 48
April 2018: Ten Wheels in Germany – Month 49
May 2018: Ten Wheels in Germany – Month 50
June 2018: Ten Wheels in Germany – Month 51
July 2018: Thirteen Wheels in Germany – Month 52
August 2018: Thirteen Wheels in Germany – Month 53
September 2018: Thirteen Wheels in Germany – Month 54
October 2018: Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 55
November 2018: Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 56
December 2018: Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 57

2019
January 2019: Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 58
February 2019: Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 59
March 2019: Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 60
April 2019: Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 61
May 2019: Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 62
June 2019 – Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 63
July 2019 – Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 64
August 2019 – Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 65
September 2019 – Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 66
October 2019 – Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 67
November 2019 – Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 68
December 2019 – Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 69

2020
January 2020 – Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 70
February 2020 – Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 71
March 2020 – Nine Wheels in Germany – Month 72
April 2020 – Nine Wheels in Germany, Month 73
May 2020 – Nine Wheels in Germany, Month 74
June 2020 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 75
July 2020 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 76
August 2020 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 77
September 2020 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 78
October 2020 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 79
November 2020 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 80
December 2020 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 81

2021
January 2021 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 82
February 2021 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 83
March 2021 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 84
April 2021 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 85
May 2021 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 86
June 2021 – Three Wheels in Austria, Month 87
July 2021 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 88
August 2021 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 89
September 2021 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 90
October 2021 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 91
November 2021 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 92
December 2021 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 93

2022
January 2022 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 94
February 2022 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 95
March 2022 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 96
April 2022 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 97
May 2022 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 98
Honeymoon Road Trip
June 2022 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 99
July 2022 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 100
August 2022 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 101
September 2022 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 102
October 2022 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 103
November 2022 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 104
December 2022 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 105

2023
January 2023 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 106
February 2023 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 107
March 2023 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 108
April 2023 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 109
May 2023 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 110
June 2023 – Six Wheels in Germany, Month 111
Scotland Road Trip – Part 1
Scotland Road Trip – Park 2
July 2023 – Life in Germany and a visit to Austria, Month 112
August 2023 – Life in Germany, Month 113
September 2023 – Life in Germany, Month 114
October 2023 – Life in Germany, Month 115
November 2023 – Life in Germany, Month 116
December 2023 – Life in Germany, Month 117

2024
The death of Helen’s Mum
January & February 2024 – Life in Germany, Months 118-119

Riding my bikes around the Niederrhein area

The journeys of Millie the Milan Velomobile, Penelope the Versatile Velomobile, Humphrey the Quattrovelo, Bertie the Versatile and Alfie the Recumbent Trike.

Penelope the Versatile Velomobile moves to Germany.
Penelope goes to Wachtendonk
Penelope goes to Schwalmtal
Penelope goes to Straelen
Penelope goes to the Rhine at Walsum-Orsoy
Penelope goes to Hinsbeck
Penelope goes to Venlo
Alfie goes to Xanten and Wesel
Penelope does the Tour des Monats im Kreis Viersen, May 2014
Trike Treffen 2014 – a weekend of riding Penelope and Alfie with various recumbents and velomobiles.
Alfie goes to Burg Linn, Krefeld
Alfie goes to the Maas River in the Netherlands
Alfie does the Tour des Monats in Kreis Viersen
4 Rides, 3 Countries, 400 Kilometres
Alfie does the Ruhrpott Tour 2014
Alfie rides the Vennbahnradweg
Alfie rides the Sauerlandradring
Penelope gets a makeover
A new Velomobile and a 201km ride
Auntie Helen buys Millie the Milan Velomobile
Fitting a Schlumpf Mountain Drive to a Milan Velomobile
Fitting an electric motor to my Milan – Millie goes electric
Oliebollentocht 2016 – a gathering of 209 Velomobiles in Dronten, NL
Oliebollentocht 2018 – a gathering of 155 velomobiles in Roermond, NL

Bike Tours since I lived in Germany

Cycle tour to SPEZI in Germersheim with some Brits and a German – SPEZI Rhine Tour 2015
Rhein-Maas Tour 2016
Kempen – Usedom – Berlin – Kempen in 2017
Touring the Netherlands by Velomobile in 2018 – Netherlands 2018
Rhein-Waal-Maas Tour 2018
Klaus’s Birthday Castle Tour – Birthday Castle Tour
A tour of castles in Münsterland: Schlössertour
The Grensland Tour in May/June 2019: Grensland Tour
Our Bodensee tour in 2019 – with the Velomobiles to Bodensee
A trike cycle tour with Klaus along the Kylltal and Moseltal during the Corona pandemic in 2020: Kylltal und Moseltal

And other important events

I married a German! Reader, I married him…

2 comments

  1. Hallo Helen,

    I read your fine monthly reports with great interest and joy.
    They motivated myself for further rides with my ICE Adventure HD.
    Thank you very much for this help.

    But now I am missing your reports Sinne july this year.

    I hope you and Klaus are well and all the readers of your blog may enjoy new stories of your now 12 wheels in Germany.

    Yours

    Andreas

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