My wife and kids have conspired to drag me away from my beloved vegetable garden. Dad, we’re going to the lake – they shouted, as if it were the trip of a lifetime and not an assassination attempt on my tomatoes.

This time, the target was Laacher See. Sounds like the name of a shaving cream, but it’s actually a volcanic lake formed after an eruption 13,000 years ago! Gas bubbles still rise from the bottom — proof that something is still cooking underground.

Of course, the kids were thrilled. It’s like a jacuzzi — my daughter said, right before falling into the water with a scream. My wife was taking pictures, and I was quietly missing my cucumbers.

Fun fact: if this volcano ever wakes up, the Rhine Valley will be blocked and southern Germany will flood like a bathtub. But don’t worry — it’s happened before. 13,000 years ago! So we still have a little time to plan the next family trip. Maybe next time to a place with no bubbles — and with tomatoes.