I used the same title twice almost exactly two years ago when we moved to Andernach because I got a job at a school near Koblenz. This time around it’s André‘s new job that requires us to move yet again. He handed in his diploma thesis yesterday and may now officially call himself a Diplom-Physiker (a diploma is equivalent to a master’s degree). In September he is going to start working on his PhD – in Mainz (Link zur deutschsprachigen Seite), the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate (dt.), about 100 km south of Koblenz on the Rhine.

As a civil servant I’m not allowed to transfer to another school right now, nor would I want to. I picked my school for lots of good reasons two years ago and want to stay there if possible. – Besides, it’s possible I’d have to transfer yet again once André’s finished with his PhD and gets a job elsewhere.

Of course it’s too far to drive to Mainz everyday from Andernach, so we have to move again. We looked for a place about halfway between my school and André’s new job and decided to move to the Hunsrück (dt.), the mountain range south of the Eifel (dt.) and the Moselle (dt.). We found a house to rent in a small village near Emmelshausen (dt.). This remote location has several advantages, however: It’s only a few minutes’ drive to the next Autobahn on-ramp, a great bike path (another converted railway, ideal for inline skating; Schinderhannes-Radweg) runs right behind our garden, and when we go down to the Rhine, we arrive right in the middle of the picturesque Upper Middle Rhine Valley (pick your language in the upper right corner after the intro) which has been inscripted a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2002.

We will be moving in less than two weeks on August 12th, but are not sure if the phone and DSL line (for internet access) will work right away. Also, we’ve got a lot of packing to do until then, so don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from me for a while.