Walks

One thing I've realized about myself in the past few years is that I need a regular dose of being out in nature to stay happy/sane.  Now that I'm not conveniently working in a park, that's a little more difficult.  However, one of the positive aspects about my school is that it's right on a hillside and above is all woods.  When I have a free period or two at school I try to either practice piano or take a walk.
Slowly I've been expanding my knowledge of the hillside.  In the fall I made it up to the top (really only about a 10 min walk,) and discovered the stone tower there for the first time.  It felt rather fairy-tale like, even if the tower really isn't that old.  However, supposedly there are traces of a medieval moat there.

In late winter I had enough time to walk over the hill and discovered a beautiful panorama of the countryside.

The other day I had time after school and it was sunny so I followed a different path and came down right by a little bench on a country street.
The next step is trying to learn more about the natural diversity in these woods aside from the obvious.  There are no chipmunks, but plenty of mice.  I tend to see a hawk each time I go out.  My knowledge of German birds is rather limited, but I do know the Amsel, the blackbird, which has a beautiful call.  Yesterday I got a plant and animal guide out of the library, so I'll have to put it to use!

When I'm not in Gehrden, I have some woods closer to me.  They're the perfect biking distance, but the problem is when I returned from break I found that a mysterious lock had been locked onto my (person I'm subletting from's) bike and I'm going a little stir-crazy not being able to ride.
When I lived in the Nordstadt, I would frequent the Georgengarten quite a lot, a nice English garden with a pond and pagoda.
There's also one of my favorite places in Hannover on a little sliver of land around the Leine river and a canal which is part of a whole little field and swamp area.  It feels like I'm miles away from the city there.

In general, Sundays are the days for walks in Germany.  Since not much else is opened, people just flock outside, which I think is a wonderful thing.  Easy access to the outdoors is one of Germany's strengths, and it's definitely taken advantage of.