We are a family of five, my husband (physics professor at Fachhochschule Esslingen), myself (clinical psychologist & also American) and our three children (ages 9 ½, 6 ½, 5 years old).

We live in a very picturesque part of Germany. Often when I drive somewhere, even after living here ten years, I think to myself, how lovely the area is with its lush rolling green hills, dense forests, mountains with castles perched atop and charming houses with red thatched roofs. It is very fairy-tale like and I often think about how lucky I am to live here. For a native Californian who loves the ocean, this is quite a compliment!!

We live in a very comfortable house (sleeps 6)in a small idyllic village at the base of the Schwäbisch Alb. Our house borders on a nature preserve with a beautiful view of fields and forest and it is so quiet and relaxing.. It is a lovely area for hiking and there are castle ruins perched on mountains, about 15-20 minutes drive away. There is a horse-back riding farm within a 10 minute walk. For hiking and walking, biking and horseback riding there are endless trails, one more peaceful
and beautiful than the next. The forest is just outside our garden gate.
It is very safe--I jog alone through it--and there are numerous lakes within easy driving distance for swimming, as well as recreational pool parks with wonderful amenities.

The Beuren Thermalbad is an extensive natural mineral bath spa that is very luxurious and only a ten-minute drive. A four-hour pass costs about $9 and it is a wonderful way to spend a morning or afternoon or the whole day.

There are several castles nearby (two within 15-20 minute drive and many within an hour) You can actually hike from our house to one that was built prior to 1000 and was destroyed by Napolean.

The medieval University town of Tübingen is about half an hour away and is very interesting as well as charming, set on the Neckar river and home to many well-know German philosophers. It also has many excellent restaurants.

Stuttgart is also about half an hour away with many cultural attractions, not the least of which is the world-renowned Stuttgart Ballet and the Stuttgart Opera, voted for the third year in a row, Best Opera House of Europe.

Esslingen where my husband teaches, is also a charming medieval city, with part of the city wall still existing set against the cascading vineyards.

We would be willing to exchange cars. We have a Honda Shuttle (a mini-van with 7 seats) and a Lexus Sedan that seats 5--we can even get all three child car seats in the back (i.e., there is plenty of room). Further, we have no pets (due to allergies) and we do not smoke.