"...Field Trip..." Blog Post 4

Three Days in Germany

Don't ask me why, but we always get turned around in the Frankfurt airport.  The first time we were there, we stood in the luggage hall wondering why our German daughter, Claudia, was not standing there to meet us...even after the luggage hall cleared out and we were the only stupid Americans standing there.  Turns out you have to go through the doors to exit the hall.

Monday night, we followed the Ausgang signs (I learned that Ausgang is exit for pedestrian traffic, Ausfahrt for motor traffic) and turned ourselves around a couple times, even after talking to the waiting Claudia on the phone who gave us very good directions.

We made it out of the airport.  Dumb American tourists.  Which was good because otherwise we would not have experienced three beyond wonderful, love filled days in Germany.

I'm not sure I've previously written about our role in the Rotary International Exchange Program.  The short and long of it is we have been the host family for 10 students, some of whom we enjoyed for the four months they were with us and a couple others who opened our family heart to be larger and deeper than we might have imagined.  Claudia is my daughter in just about every sense of the word, other than she doesn't bark at me the way my other daughters sometimes do.  

We visited a castle, because you just about trip over them everywhere in Germany.  We drank Bitburger beer, (Bitte ein Bit).  We went to the American cemetery in Luxembourg where General Patton is buried. (He is the only American general buried overseas, with his men.) I had Claudia play Jerry Goldsmith's rousing theme from Patton while we walked through the cemetery (because my phone didn't get the reception hers did). 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN7uEEiT43Q We went to a park where you walk in the tree tops.

We hung around her home in Sehlem, a town established in 1008.  Her parents live maybe 200 steps away and her mother made us dinner one night, where we put away a couple bottles of Reisling from the Mosel region, where they live.  One bottle was from her mother's cousin's vineyard.  The other was from her father's cousin's vineyard.  I'll call it a draw as to deliciousness.  

And every time one of her daughters, Olivia and Eleanor, said, "Grandma..." (they are 8 and 9 and speak fluent English), the family heart expanded even more.  In fact, it melted.

Here are a couple observations I'm going to share:
1. In both Italy and Germany, garbage is sorted out--in homes and in public places.  Organics.  Plastics.  Paper.  Aluminum.  Glass.  Trash.  And I'll be darned if people don't throw away their stuff according to this organized recycling system.  I've heard the argument this cannot be done in the United States because it is too difficult.  THERE ARE ENTIRE COUNTRIES THE CITIZENS ARE DOING THIS SUCCESSFULLY, PEOPLE!  GET WITH THE PROGRAM.
2.You perhaps have heard about this, but Europeans get a ton more vacation that most Americans.  GET WITH THE PROGRAM, AMERICA.
3. People are basically kind and good at heart, no matter where you go.

Olivia, Eleanor and Claudia (missing...their dad and Claudia's husband, Andy)

Olivia, Grandma, Eleanor

Olivia, Grandma, Grandpa, Eleanor

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What a Difference a Year Makes

Image
  A year ago, we had sold our Minnetonka home and were awaiting closing. We were wintering in Florida.  We were hoping to find a new home (single level living) before we returned to Minnesota. Alas, the hope was misplaced, given the lack of inventory.  During the past year, I learned that:    About 14 million mortgage borrowers refinanced their homes between 2020 and 2021. Rates were at all-time lows during the pandemic, sinking as low as 2.65%. Given that mortgage rates are now in the high 6 to high 7 percent, more owners, even those who had an interest in moving, were hesitant to give up their historically low (probably never to be seen again) rates.  To whit: lack of inventory. I've previously chronicled how emotionally difficult the move ended up being, far surpassing what I anticipated and hanging on longer than I bargained for. We moved into an apartment, and I'll admit that this past summer, it felt pretty good.  Our entire family, grandchildren...
Read more

Wrap It Up and Put A Bow On It

Image
  A few of the local trees are beginning to show the first inklings of fall, leaves fading from green to early shades of yellow.  And it smells like late summer--a distinctive smell I recall from childhood, a scent that followed me home from school on those first few weeks when you raced home in a hurry to change out of the Catholic School uniform into shorts because it was still warm and light enough to play outside until dinner.  The shadows on our deck are growing longer.  The squirrels scamper around with nuts tucked between their jaws.   Yep, it's time to wrap summer up and put a bow on it. We had such a blissful summer, leisurely hours spent with those we love, wedding celebrations for family and friends, reunions and reconnections, time spent on the road and in the air.  Primarily for myself, but also for your reading pleasure, I thought I'd recap May through August. Following our return drive from Florida April 28, we flew to Chicago for the we...
Read more

Cro-A-Ti-A Day 7

Image
                                                                             The Final Kastela Yesterday My Friend Jeanie, bonus grands Eleanor and MaggieRose, McB and John and I started at Kastel Gomilice, then headed out down what, for the other 6 Kastelas, is a seaside path to Kastel Sucurac. It was not meant to be. Turns out past Kastel Gomilice there is a large harbor area so that the path ends and it's up to the busy street to make your way to Sucurac.  A hot, not so shady, very unscenic busy street.   Proof that we found Sucurac. Bonus Grand Eleanor, me, My Friend Jeanie, Bonus Grand/Goddaughter MaggieRose We looked, in vain, for a street that would lead away from said street back to the seaside.  When we finally found what appeared t...
Read more