24 August 2006
The final two days of our vacation begin today as we leave the loving home of the Kenkels and travel north to visit the Royal Ironworks of Wasseralfingen where the great grandfather Christian Friedrich Laun and his father worked. We will also visit the gravesite of Christian Friedrich Laun 1720-1806 and his wife Barbara Maierin Laun 1718-1797. then we will stay in Crailsheim and have s little supper with Ruth and Romi, Lucas and Elena.
Yesterday was a beautiful day…the sky had cleared and we woke to the silvery waters of the Bodensee. We met the Kenkel family at the ferry and rode to Meersburg. We walked in the town and had lunch at the winery that overlooks the water. Then as Ursula, Peter and Josef took the children home for a nap, Gabi, Jeff, Amy and I toured the ruins of the old castle. Parts of this castle date back to the 600s and we enjoyed Gabi’s guided tour. We also visited the place where Annette von Droste-Hulshuff, a Westfalian poet, wrote many of her poems.
We returned on the ferry for a little nap and then went to Gabi’s at 6 for our final visit. Ah, we will really miss them all, but there is no question that Ramona will miss her Amy. Ursula explained to her that we must leave to go home and that Amy lives far away, farther than from Vechta to Konstantz. Her little eyes widened as she tried to understand…it broke our hearts…she is a little precious child and it will be hard to wait 5-6 years before we see her again. We hope that they will come to see us when the children are a little older.
Jeff prepared a little slide show of our trip and we enjoyed looking at Gabi’s album of all the cards from the Laun family to the Kenkel family. Then they presented some kindereggs for us to take home as well as several gifts...books on Konstanz, a keychain for Amy that Gabi picked out with a memorial beer stein ;-) and a wonderful keepsake from the old iron werkes. Gabi is so pleased that we want to visit and connect with this part of the Laun family history. The bronze statue she gave us was from the fairy tale of the Frog Prince. Peter reminded us of the story. It is a treasure that we will keep and give to Amy to pass down to the next generation. Big hugs and kisses…and near midnight we left for our pension. We will miss them all so much!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Wednesday in Konstanz
Yesterday it was raining so we decided to stay in the town and do some indoor shopping. We went to Lagos, a new shopping area...4 floors and many shops and restaurants...Amy bought a few things for school and we had lunch with Gabi, Josef, Ursula, Peter and the kids. Ramona is very attached to Amy and us as well. Thomas is so cute...in H and M, I looked over at Jeff and he was holding Thomas and Thomas had a driver's cap on...he looked like a little man...
Since Ursula and Peter just came from the Black Forest, we will stay here and go to Meersburg to visit the old castle. Tomorrow we leave for the mines where members of the Laun family worked many years ago...as well as visit the old gravesites. Romi will join us with her boyfriend...and Ruth wants to prepare dinner. Then Friday, we rise early and drive back to Paris 8 hours to prepare for our trip home on Saturday. We arrive Saturday night...
Gutentag!
Since Ursula and Peter just came from the Black Forest, we will stay here and go to Meersburg to visit the old castle. Tomorrow we leave for the mines where members of the Laun family worked many years ago...as well as visit the old gravesites. Romi will join us with her boyfriend...and Ruth wants to prepare dinner. Then Friday, we rise early and drive back to Paris 8 hours to prepare for our trip home on Saturday. We arrive Saturday night...
Gutentag!
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Tuesday in konstanz
22 August 2006
Today is Tuesday and it is raining and gloomy. It does not look like the sun will break through but who knows? Throughout our trip, we have only had rain on our traveling days. This may be a day for sightseeing in the car or perhaps shopping with Amy.
Last night I fell into bed exhausted. We spent the day walking all over Konstanz with Christian, Gabi and Josef. There is so much history in this little town that was spared from destruction during the war due to its close proximity to the Swiss border. In fact, Christian warned us that it is very easy to cross over to the Swiss side so we should carry our passports with us.
So many homes in Konstanz are historical landmarks and have the dates either painted or inscribed in stone with the family name. This city is rich in history, both historical and ecumenical. They are so proud that the Ecumenical council of 1414-1418 which was the only time a pope was elected in Germany…and it happened here. This is the land of Baroque art and we enjoyed visiting many historical sites and churches of Konstantz. My favorite is the church where Gabi made her first communion…It is a cathedral church with so many historical styles: Gothic spires, Baroque altars, Rococo ornamentation, a Renaissance entrance…but my favorite part was the areas under the altar where the original church from 900-1000 remains…pure, simple, awesome….St. Conrad was the first bishop of Konstanz and there is a beautiful shrine in his memory.
Jeff, Amy and Christian climbed the 240 steps up to the narrow observation area where they took pictures of the city. It was a beautiful day…
We had a late lunch and then headed to the Mainau Island (also called the flower island) where we walked around the 125 acres…the flowers and plants were beautiful in the late afternoon light. We tried hard to keep up the pace with Christian…he was so funny as our tour guide always on the lookout for a biergarten….He is very knowledegable about Konstanz history as well as European history….We loved his stories and his way of speaking…When Josef dropped us off in Konstanz and was driving away, Christian said: ”Ah father, it is not so wise to follow a policeman down a pedestrian walkway…” You had to be here to hear his droll, deep voice…Tomorrow, he said that we could look at just the ugly churches!
In the evening, Gabi insisted we return to have a little supper of bread and ham…and her little face indicated to Jeff “You do not want to come to us now?” I was ready to go home since I had trekked all over Konstanz in my sandals and my feet hurt…but we could not resist her sweet plea and we went back to their home. Ursula and Peter had arrived and we could visit with the kids a little before they went to bed. Ramona instantly bonded with Amy and she insisted that Amy take her to bed, change her nappie and put her to bed. She is adorable. Thomas had already been put to bed…
We sat around the table and while Gabi, Jeff and I had tea, Amy joined Christian, Peter and Ursula in a beer. They had fun laughing with Amy and teasing her with more beer. Amy loved it! We returned home and fell into bed, exhausted…but happy! Today we plan to go to Merrsburg….but who knows what today will bring, since the rain has moved in… http://www.gaestehaus-holzer.de/
Today is Tuesday and it is raining and gloomy. It does not look like the sun will break through but who knows? Throughout our trip, we have only had rain on our traveling days. This may be a day for sightseeing in the car or perhaps shopping with Amy.
Last night I fell into bed exhausted. We spent the day walking all over Konstanz with Christian, Gabi and Josef. There is so much history in this little town that was spared from destruction during the war due to its close proximity to the Swiss border. In fact, Christian warned us that it is very easy to cross over to the Swiss side so we should carry our passports with us.
So many homes in Konstanz are historical landmarks and have the dates either painted or inscribed in stone with the family name. This city is rich in history, both historical and ecumenical. They are so proud that the Ecumenical council of 1414-1418 which was the only time a pope was elected in Germany…and it happened here. This is the land of Baroque art and we enjoyed visiting many historical sites and churches of Konstantz. My favorite is the church where Gabi made her first communion…It is a cathedral church with so many historical styles: Gothic spires, Baroque altars, Rococo ornamentation, a Renaissance entrance…but my favorite part was the areas under the altar where the original church from 900-1000 remains…pure, simple, awesome….St. Conrad was the first bishop of Konstanz and there is a beautiful shrine in his memory.
Jeff, Amy and Christian climbed the 240 steps up to the narrow observation area where they took pictures of the city. It was a beautiful day…
We had a late lunch and then headed to the Mainau Island (also called the flower island) where we walked around the 125 acres…the flowers and plants were beautiful in the late afternoon light. We tried hard to keep up the pace with Christian…he was so funny as our tour guide always on the lookout for a biergarten….He is very knowledegable about Konstanz history as well as European history….We loved his stories and his way of speaking…When Josef dropped us off in Konstanz and was driving away, Christian said: ”Ah father, it is not so wise to follow a policeman down a pedestrian walkway…” You had to be here to hear his droll, deep voice…Tomorrow, he said that we could look at just the ugly churches!
In the evening, Gabi insisted we return to have a little supper of bread and ham…and her little face indicated to Jeff “You do not want to come to us now?” I was ready to go home since I had trekked all over Konstanz in my sandals and my feet hurt…but we could not resist her sweet plea and we went back to their home. Ursula and Peter had arrived and we could visit with the kids a little before they went to bed. Ramona instantly bonded with Amy and she insisted that Amy take her to bed, change her nappie and put her to bed. She is adorable. Thomas had already been put to bed…
We sat around the table and while Gabi, Jeff and I had tea, Amy joined Christian, Peter and Ursula in a beer. They had fun laughing with Amy and teasing her with more beer. Amy loved it! We returned home and fell into bed, exhausted…but happy! Today we plan to go to Merrsburg….but who knows what today will bring, since the rain has moved in… http://www.gaestehaus-holzer.de/
Konstanz...or Amy...do you want to see another church?
21 August 2006
Today is Monday and we are in Konstanz. It is now ten am and the bells are signaling that hour for all the residents of this town. We are staying at a pension called Gastenhaus Holzer…and it is clear that Gabi and Josepf personally picked out this room. It looks to the east and the morning sun on the lake was so beautiful…it took me by surprise when I arose at 7…
We were a little late arriving in Konstanz since the traffic was bad…but once we made our way to the ferry, it was easy…Gabi told us how Heidi had taken Wil and Marcia to the ferry and then because of the fireworks celebration, Heidi could not cross…so she called Gabi and Ursula and Peter were waiting on the other side to pick them up.
It has been unseasonably cool here so many people have left this resort…which is fine with us! I love the cooler weather after so many hot days on our trip. When we arrived, Gabi’s table was set with her beautiful blue and white Meissen china and she served us tea with a traditional summer cake with whole cherries. Josef also gave us the biggest hugs to welcome us. When we were eating our cake, Christian arrived and told us of his adventures with his college buddies in the west side of Constance. We got the maps out and he took us through his trip and then we showed them how close we were to them last Thursday night…as well as how off track we got. Josef was a geography professor so he loved the discussion as well…
Josef told us of his travels…this year, he and Gabi went to Ireland and Croatia…they have been all over the world. It is so interesting to me how much people travel here and how extensively. We in the United States are so insular….although it is true that generally they have many more vacation days that we earn…
We then left to check in at our hotel…there was some confusion when I was emailing Peter…so I regret that we did not pay for our own place ahead of time….normally you reserve it and leave no deposit….you just pay at the end… It probably would not have made any difference since we were told that although we made reservations for Crailsheim for this Thursday, that Ruth has already been there to “confirm it…” Ruth’s daughter’s and grandchildren laughed…and I anticipate that this will be a struggle to pay there as well....
Nevertheless, I spoke to Gabi about it and she made it very clear that there was no discussion and that we are her guests. When we went down for the breakfast here at the Pensione, the young woman laughed and said, it is all taken care of…there are not two bills…only one and it is done!
We have the best view in the Gastenhaus Holzer pensione, of course, as I am sure Gabi and Josef hand picked it. We think also that Josef called before we came and arranged for a personal priority parking space…we are not sure, but after we parked they pulled this little chain around our car….We feel a little like crown prince and princesses returned to the homeland after a long exile in the United States…
Last night we had a dinner of sausages and potato salad, “mouth pockets” (somewhat similar a firm ravioli) that Gabi remembered we loved last visit, and somehow I cannot remember what a low carb diet is…somehow it will come back to me…We then took a long walk along the seashore and saw the fishermen pretending to catch fish, while a rainbow graced the sky. I thanked Gabi for arranging that as well and she thought it was so funny ;-) !
Christian gave us a little history lesson while we walked and then we stopped at a biergarten where Amy and I shared a dark beer, while Gabi and Christan enjoyed theirs. Jeff had sparkling water…Everyone thinks it funny that Jeff does not drink beer…and of course, it does not phase him in the least….
As I sit here looking out at the Bodensee (only English call it Lake Constance, since it is not Konstanz’s lake alone but also shares it with the Swiss and Austrians). I feel the cool breeze…and the warmth that family connections bring. All is good…
Today is Monday and we are in Konstanz. It is now ten am and the bells are signaling that hour for all the residents of this town. We are staying at a pension called Gastenhaus Holzer…and it is clear that Gabi and Josepf personally picked out this room. It looks to the east and the morning sun on the lake was so beautiful…it took me by surprise when I arose at 7…
We were a little late arriving in Konstanz since the traffic was bad…but once we made our way to the ferry, it was easy…Gabi told us how Heidi had taken Wil and Marcia to the ferry and then because of the fireworks celebration, Heidi could not cross…so she called Gabi and Ursula and Peter were waiting on the other side to pick them up.
It has been unseasonably cool here so many people have left this resort…which is fine with us! I love the cooler weather after so many hot days on our trip. When we arrived, Gabi’s table was set with her beautiful blue and white Meissen china and she served us tea with a traditional summer cake with whole cherries. Josef also gave us the biggest hugs to welcome us. When we were eating our cake, Christian arrived and told us of his adventures with his college buddies in the west side of Constance. We got the maps out and he took us through his trip and then we showed them how close we were to them last Thursday night…as well as how off track we got. Josef was a geography professor so he loved the discussion as well…
Josef told us of his travels…this year, he and Gabi went to Ireland and Croatia…they have been all over the world. It is so interesting to me how much people travel here and how extensively. We in the United States are so insular….although it is true that generally they have many more vacation days that we earn…
We then left to check in at our hotel…there was some confusion when I was emailing Peter…so I regret that we did not pay for our own place ahead of time….normally you reserve it and leave no deposit….you just pay at the end… It probably would not have made any difference since we were told that although we made reservations for Crailsheim for this Thursday, that Ruth has already been there to “confirm it…” Ruth’s daughter’s and grandchildren laughed…and I anticipate that this will be a struggle to pay there as well....
Nevertheless, I spoke to Gabi about it and she made it very clear that there was no discussion and that we are her guests. When we went down for the breakfast here at the Pensione, the young woman laughed and said, it is all taken care of…there are not two bills…only one and it is done!
We have the best view in the Gastenhaus Holzer pensione, of course, as I am sure Gabi and Josef hand picked it. We think also that Josef called before we came and arranged for a personal priority parking space…we are not sure, but after we parked they pulled this little chain around our car….We feel a little like crown prince and princesses returned to the homeland after a long exile in the United States…
Last night we had a dinner of sausages and potato salad, “mouth pockets” (somewhat similar a firm ravioli) that Gabi remembered we loved last visit, and somehow I cannot remember what a low carb diet is…somehow it will come back to me…We then took a long walk along the seashore and saw the fishermen pretending to catch fish, while a rainbow graced the sky. I thanked Gabi for arranging that as well and she thought it was so funny ;-) !
Christian gave us a little history lesson while we walked and then we stopped at a biergarten where Amy and I shared a dark beer, while Gabi and Christan enjoyed theirs. Jeff had sparkling water…Everyone thinks it funny that Jeff does not drink beer…and of course, it does not phase him in the least….
As I sit here looking out at the Bodensee (only English call it Lake Constance, since it is not Konstanz’s lake alone but also shares it with the Swiss and Austrians). I feel the cool breeze…and the warmth that family connections bring. All is good…
Monday, August 21, 2006
Visit to Dachau
August 20th...Visit to Dachau…
On our way out of Munich, we saw the sign for Dachau and decided to visit this camp. Amy had read Elie Weisel’s Night a few years ago and we were interested in seeing this historical site. We found it easily and traveled along the perimeter until we entered the gated area…it is a powerful reminder of this horrible time in not only German history but alo in world history. People were filled with reverence as they walked along the paths of so many who died here and in other camps like this. We visited the religious memorials which are clustered at one end of the camp. The Jewish memorial is striking as is the Catholic Mortal Agony of Christ chapel. I slipped into the Carmelite chapel just as the Italian mass was beginning and stayed through the offertory. There was also a Protestant Church of Reconciliation as well as a Russian Orthodox chapel. The rain was starting to fall as Amy and I toured the crematorium area… We all found it so hard to believe that 200,000 people were here and that 43,000 died in this camp alone. We will never forget this….
On our way out of Munich, we saw the sign for Dachau and decided to visit this camp. Amy had read Elie Weisel’s Night a few years ago and we were interested in seeing this historical site. We found it easily and traveled along the perimeter until we entered the gated area…it is a powerful reminder of this horrible time in not only German history but alo in world history. People were filled with reverence as they walked along the paths of so many who died here and in other camps like this. We visited the religious memorials which are clustered at one end of the camp. The Jewish memorial is striking as is the Catholic Mortal Agony of Christ chapel. I slipped into the Carmelite chapel just as the Italian mass was beginning and stayed through the offertory. There was also a Protestant Church of Reconciliation as well as a Russian Orthodox chapel. The rain was starting to fall as Amy and I toured the crematorium area… We all found it so hard to believe that 200,000 people were here and that 43,000 died in this camp alone. We will never forget this….
Zorneding visit with Ruth and her family... Germany...
20th Aout 2006
It is a rather gloomy day as we leave Zorderling (just outside of Munich, in the farmlands) and the wonderful home of Heidi and Rainer. We are now traveling to see the Kenkel family on the Bodensee (Lake Constance). Like so many legs of our journey, this was another incredible one. We arrived on Friday, two hours late for the birthday brunch of Ruth. We got lost along the way and what we thought was a short backtrack back to the highway 1, was actually an hour’s journey out of our way. We thought we were on one highway n1, but it turns out, we were on highway 1. We took this “shortcut” through the beautiful farmland and rich countryside of northern Switzerland. It was so beautiful…verdant rich pastures with cows and sheep greeting us along the way. Finally near the beautiful town of Wil, we found the highway, called the Strack family and told Bernd that we would be late and not to wait for us. He told us that everyone was so excited for our visit. ;-)
When we arrived all of these wonderful faces came out to greet us and since I had been “testing” Jeff and Amy on the family history (who was who, and who their children were…) we easily knew the connections. Marcia had told me over the phone about the family…Heidi was the oldest and she was the mother of Bernd and Gabriele (also called Sam), Kurt Peter (whose daughters and granddaughters were not there), Tina who is married to Paulo. Tina is an actress and Paulo was a classical ballet dancer…he now is a choreographer). Romi is a teacher and her son Lucas was also there (he is Amy’s age). Gabriela, Bernd’s wife and their beautiful son Tristan also greeted us with joy!
But Ruth’s face as we arrived was glowing…with brightness and lightness. I will never forget it. We ate lunch together and Garbriela told us that Heidi had prepared traditional German foods for this celebration…and her beautiful Villeroy and Bock china called Summerday graced the lovely table.
Amy and I had a beer with the family and we all sat around the table talking and listening to German, English and Czech. We learned that Rainer was in the hospital after a triple bypass and would be in the hospital for three more weeks. Heidi did not speak too much English but we found that with what she alled “hand and foot” gestures, we could communicate fairly well. I wish I had studied more German. Tina, Gabriela, Bernd, and Gabriele spoke English well. Ruth’s English was very good as well! She told us how her grandmother Annella raised her since her mother died a few days after her birth. (Melinda, am I right about this? I may have to update ths information later…) Heidi brought out a picture of the grandmother, who would have been Amy’s great, great grandmother and Jeff took a picture of the picture. It will be nice for Annela to have a picture of her as well.
After our meal and much conversation, we took a long walk through the town of Zorneding with Tina, Paulo, Romi and Kurt. Tina told me the story of how she met Paulo and Kurt told me of his children Claudia and Pina and Claudia’s daughter, Leah. Zorneding was almost exclusively a potato farming town until 50 years ago when the farmers started selling their lands for home development. In the evening we went to a German beer garden where we celebrated Ruth’s birthday. At one point in the evening, Ruth looked at me and said “I feel like I am dreaming…” There was no mistaking her pleasure of having her children around her as well as representatives from the Laun family of Marcia and Wil.
We returned to Heidi’s home and after a little nightcap of French brandy, we went downstairs to our room where the blankets were so warm and heavy. When we turned out the lights, it was so very dark and quiet and we quickly feel asleep, happy that we had connected with this wonderful family.
In the morning, Jeff and I rose to a beautiful breakfast of coffee and juice and beautiful German breads. Jeff opted for his favorite croissants and we discussed the “making of the plans for the day." Bernd, Gabriela, and Gabriele (Sam) had a party the night before and did not sleep until 4…so we let Amy sleep till noon while we took off for a little chapel that Heidi had told us about. Heidi said it was a little similar to Lourdes…..
We traveled along the bike route that Heidi takes in the mornings through the forest and to the farmlands. We walked the path of the stations of the cross to a beautiful little chapel set in the forest, Maria of Altaman. Heidi and Romi told us that each station is maintained by a family in the village. We then returned to Heidi’s to get Amy up because we were going to take the obanhof (light rail) into Munich to meet the two Gabrielas as well as Tristan. Tina took us to the train and helped us buy an all day pass and off we went with her carefully written instructions and her handy (cellphone) in our pocket. We easily connected at Bernd and Gabriela’s apartment and we decided to skip the castle and do a walking tour through Munich.
We loved Munich…it is a large city with many beautiful sites and historical places but it is fairly quiet and civilized. We wandered the streets with Tristan in his pram while Gabriela told us of some of the landmarks. We met Garbriel’s mother who took Tristam for awhile since he was finished sightseeing… Sam also took off on her bicycle to meet her friends who had just come back from the US… We wandered some more through the English garden and downtown city area….there were many police since their had been a NeoNazi demonstration as well as an anti-Nazi counter demonstration. Gabriela talked of the dark shadow of the Nazi reign and how Neo-Nazi demonstrations are hated by her German people. Heidi had told us of the news of this demonstration in the morning and we had rearranged our plans to avoid it…
At the end of the day, Gabriela took us up to a high point in the city (about 300 steps) to look out… I stayed by the door…unwilling to go out on the catwalk while they walked all around. It was a wonderful day in the city with Gabriela, Gabriele and Tristan. We returned to Heidi’s and Tina and Paulo prepared a wonderful meal of eggplant, tomatoes, Czech cheeses and garlic. It was delicious! While we were eating, a thunder and lightning storm moved in and chased us indoors!
Tomorrow we leave for Lake Constance…the Bodensee…
It is a rather gloomy day as we leave Zorderling (just outside of Munich, in the farmlands) and the wonderful home of Heidi and Rainer. We are now traveling to see the Kenkel family on the Bodensee (Lake Constance). Like so many legs of our journey, this was another incredible one. We arrived on Friday, two hours late for the birthday brunch of Ruth. We got lost along the way and what we thought was a short backtrack back to the highway 1, was actually an hour’s journey out of our way. We thought we were on one highway n1, but it turns out, we were on highway 1. We took this “shortcut” through the beautiful farmland and rich countryside of northern Switzerland. It was so beautiful…verdant rich pastures with cows and sheep greeting us along the way. Finally near the beautiful town of Wil, we found the highway, called the Strack family and told Bernd that we would be late and not to wait for us. He told us that everyone was so excited for our visit. ;-)
When we arrived all of these wonderful faces came out to greet us and since I had been “testing” Jeff and Amy on the family history (who was who, and who their children were…) we easily knew the connections. Marcia had told me over the phone about the family…Heidi was the oldest and she was the mother of Bernd and Gabriele (also called Sam), Kurt Peter (whose daughters and granddaughters were not there), Tina who is married to Paulo. Tina is an actress and Paulo was a classical ballet dancer…he now is a choreographer). Romi is a teacher and her son Lucas was also there (he is Amy’s age). Gabriela, Bernd’s wife and their beautiful son Tristan also greeted us with joy!
But Ruth’s face as we arrived was glowing…with brightness and lightness. I will never forget it. We ate lunch together and Garbriela told us that Heidi had prepared traditional German foods for this celebration…and her beautiful Villeroy and Bock china called Summerday graced the lovely table.
Amy and I had a beer with the family and we all sat around the table talking and listening to German, English and Czech. We learned that Rainer was in the hospital after a triple bypass and would be in the hospital for three more weeks. Heidi did not speak too much English but we found that with what she alled “hand and foot” gestures, we could communicate fairly well. I wish I had studied more German. Tina, Gabriela, Bernd, and Gabriele spoke English well. Ruth’s English was very good as well! She told us how her grandmother Annella raised her since her mother died a few days after her birth. (Melinda, am I right about this? I may have to update ths information later…) Heidi brought out a picture of the grandmother, who would have been Amy’s great, great grandmother and Jeff took a picture of the picture. It will be nice for Annela to have a picture of her as well.
After our meal and much conversation, we took a long walk through the town of Zorneding with Tina, Paulo, Romi and Kurt. Tina told me the story of how she met Paulo and Kurt told me of his children Claudia and Pina and Claudia’s daughter, Leah. Zorneding was almost exclusively a potato farming town until 50 years ago when the farmers started selling their lands for home development. In the evening we went to a German beer garden where we celebrated Ruth’s birthday. At one point in the evening, Ruth looked at me and said “I feel like I am dreaming…” There was no mistaking her pleasure of having her children around her as well as representatives from the Laun family of Marcia and Wil.
We returned to Heidi’s home and after a little nightcap of French brandy, we went downstairs to our room where the blankets were so warm and heavy. When we turned out the lights, it was so very dark and quiet and we quickly feel asleep, happy that we had connected with this wonderful family.
In the morning, Jeff and I rose to a beautiful breakfast of coffee and juice and beautiful German breads. Jeff opted for his favorite croissants and we discussed the “making of the plans for the day." Bernd, Gabriela, and Gabriele (Sam) had a party the night before and did not sleep until 4…so we let Amy sleep till noon while we took off for a little chapel that Heidi had told us about. Heidi said it was a little similar to Lourdes…..
We traveled along the bike route that Heidi takes in the mornings through the forest and to the farmlands. We walked the path of the stations of the cross to a beautiful little chapel set in the forest, Maria of Altaman. Heidi and Romi told us that each station is maintained by a family in the village. We then returned to Heidi’s to get Amy up because we were going to take the obanhof (light rail) into Munich to meet the two Gabrielas as well as Tristan. Tina took us to the train and helped us buy an all day pass and off we went with her carefully written instructions and her handy (cellphone) in our pocket. We easily connected at Bernd and Gabriela’s apartment and we decided to skip the castle and do a walking tour through Munich.
We loved Munich…it is a large city with many beautiful sites and historical places but it is fairly quiet and civilized. We wandered the streets with Tristan in his pram while Gabriela told us of some of the landmarks. We met Garbriel’s mother who took Tristam for awhile since he was finished sightseeing… Sam also took off on her bicycle to meet her friends who had just come back from the US… We wandered some more through the English garden and downtown city area….there were many police since their had been a NeoNazi demonstration as well as an anti-Nazi counter demonstration. Gabriela talked of the dark shadow of the Nazi reign and how Neo-Nazi demonstrations are hated by her German people. Heidi had told us of the news of this demonstration in the morning and we had rearranged our plans to avoid it…
At the end of the day, Gabriela took us up to a high point in the city (about 300 steps) to look out… I stayed by the door…unwilling to go out on the catwalk while they walked all around. It was a wonderful day in the city with Gabriela, Gabriele and Tristan. We returned to Heidi’s and Tina and Paulo prepared a wonderful meal of eggplant, tomatoes, Czech cheeses and garlic. It was delicious! While we were eating, a thunder and lightning storm moved in and chased us indoors!
Tomorrow we leave for Lake Constance…the Bodensee…
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