Europe – Page 27 – John Wise

Going North – Closing Circles

April 13, 2013 JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

The view from a roadside toilet facility called Krachgarten on the autobahn in Germany

This being Germany, there’s no better place to start with a scatology reference. After leaving Frankfurt early this morning on autobahn A5 for areas north, it wasn’t long before Caroline needed a rest stop. How about the next one? Sure. We slow down from 100 mph to 30 mph in seconds before zipping into the roadside toilet or the rest area called Krachgarten. Caroline bursts into laughter as “Krach” is noise (think farting), but the word is also similar to “Kack,” which is politely known as poop. So stopping at the noise garden to make some noise yourself fits the play on words that this is a noisy crap stop. While she runs to the toilet hut, I point my camera into the distance to capture this idyllic village nestled in the rolling hills. Before I finished shooting the panorama, it was immediately evident that Caroline was skipping out on making noise or water, which was what she really needed to do. Someone or something exploded in the women’s room; the shit had hit the fan and was flung far and wide. It’s not often that my wife can’t handle a rather disgusting loo, so this must have been exceptional. I asked if she took a photo, and she said, “Oooh,” refusing to go back to snap a pic. She laughed through her gagging as we sped back onto the autobahn.

Caroline Wise in front of the house where Konrad Duden lived in Bad Hersfeld, Germany

We had left Frankfurt without eating a thing because we just wanted to get out of town and feel like we were going somewhere. By the time we are approaching Bad Hersfeld, our stomachs are growling in German for food. Just what kind of town is this? We can’t find a bakery to save us from starvation; the only thing left to do is to violate a rule of manhood; we’ll stop and ask someone. But is it rule-breaking if you send the wife in your stead? I stop the car in front of an open flower shop, and wouldn’t you know that I would pull the car over in front of a historic house. Caroline is impressed; it’s the Duden House. Konrad Duden is the creator of Germany’s dictionary; it is he who became the bane of many a German learner who first noted the orthography (rules) for how the German language would be written, punctuated, hyphenated, and otherwise be made nearly impossible to learn by those of us lacking in linguistic skills.

The Bad Hersfeld Rathaus (City Hall) - Germany

A lady at the flower shop directed Caroline to go to the end of the road and park, and it would be obvious where the bakeries were. No, it isn’t. We finally figured it out, we are supposed to walk into the fussgänger zone (pedestrian area; every self-respecting German town has one). Now, we have four bakeries to choose from. The first didn’t strike a chord, a good thing too, as the one we chose had Zwiebelbrot (onion bread), which is an old favorite, and the bread we shared on the very first German road trip we took together back in 1989. We walked around for a moment, eating our breakfast before spotting this really cool Rathaus (City Hall) to ogle. At the left corner of the building is the Ratskeller, which is not a rat cellar. Ratskeller is a restaurant that is in or very near the city hall and is found in the basement. Only 90 minutes out of Frankfurt, and I’m starting to feel like this is a vacation.

Die Wölbung der Hände (The Curvature of the Hands) is a monument that stands at the former West German / DDR border near Helmstedt

First, we saw the monument, and then we saw the border crossing. That didn’t do us a lot of good, as autobahns are notorious for not having very many exits. At the next off-ramp, we left the highway and decided to use backroads to find our way first to the monument and then to the border check. Signs would be helpful back here; guessing was not. Finally, we find our way back to the autobahn, and this time, we are prepared to exit. This is the monument titled “Die Wölbung der Hände” or The Curvature of the Hands. These entwined hands are supposed to represent the coming back together of the two sides of Germany that existed during the Cold War, on to the next exit.

The former East German check point where drivers were inspected before traveling to Berlin, Germany

This is part of the old East German checkpoint where travelers would be inspected as they drove to West Berlin, which was a part of West Germany. Back during my military days, it was the Russians that we American troops had to clear with. This was an intimidating event for us as we had to turn over our passport, military I.D., and travel authorization to some Russian soldiers who worked on the other side of a divider that we couldn’t see through. The situation was quickly defused as a voice from beyond the wooden panel shoved some Russian medals under the divide and asked for twenty dollars. They needed cash like the rest of us. I told the faceless voice that I didn’t have $20, and he said “$10.” I told him I had five sold. With my inspection over, I was “free” to travel eastward to Berlin. Today, the checkpoint is a quiet reminder of a time that feels far away.

A house in Magdeburg, Germany where Jutta Engelhardt lived as a little girl

We weren’t supposed to drive so far east, but the detour felt like an obligatory one, and so we took it. Magdeburg was our destination. It was the childhood home of Caroline’s mom, Frieda Louise Auguste Jutta Linenkohl. Jutta is her preferred name. This house is part of the Schlachthof (slaughteryard) which is where her father worked, who was a veterinarian. Jutta was born on 25 July 1935 to Wilhelm and Helene Linnenkohl. She was the second born; her brother, who died during the war, was ten years her senior. During the war, Jutta and her family evacuated themselves 16 miles west to the small village of Druxberge due to the danger of living in a city that was starting to get bombed. Ultimately, the family settled in Hanover, another 75 miles west.

A building ornament depicting pigs going to market in the schlacthof area of Magdeburg, Germany

Jutta has never been back to Magdeburg, though she would love to visit. The next best thing was for us to visit, hence the detour. Most of the buildings in the area are falling apart, though there is visible evidence that the city is trying to save some of the structures. One building, in particular, has been converted into a large grocery store, Kaufland. In front of the store, we stopped for a couple of grilled sausages, grabbed a basket, and went shopping. With our onion bread from earlier, we needed some things to put on top of it. Salami and cheese sounded good, and so did the strawberries and oranges. Sadly, we didn’t see any goats, sheep, cattle, or pigs being brought to market, as depicted in this ornament on the facade of one of the buildings.

The Magdeburg Dom (Cathedral) in Germany

This stop in Magdeburg, as I said, was not scheduled, so we had little time for sightseeing. Not wanting to just shop, look, and run, we decided we had time for one more stop. The Magdeburg Dom (Cathedral) was our next stop. It was easy to choose this building as it towers over every other building in the Magdeburg area. Many of the other churches in town are now gone, destroyed to make way for other buildings, as communism/socialism had little use for these historic relics. Dynamite was the preferred method for elimination. Fortunately, not all churches suffered such a fate, such as this thick-walled giant. This cathedral is so well insulated that as we walk in, the first thing we notice is our warm breath billowing in front of us; it’s that cold.

Inside the Magdeburg Dom (cathedral) in Magdeburg, Germany

While I’m not a religious person, I am happy that these old cathedrals are still standing. They are often opulent and nearly always striking in their grandeur. There is trouble on the horizon, though, for some of these artifacts from our past: maintenance for a building this size and age is expensive. At what point do communities decide they are too costly? In other areas of Europe, I’ve traveled on previous visits; former churches have been converted to concert halls, private residences, and office space, but what would a city do with a cathedral of this stature in a place not on most tourists’ itinerary?

Pulpit detail at the Magdeburg Dom (cathedral) in Germany

Within these houses of worship can be found some amazing art, sculptures, tapestries, and carvings. At the base of the pulpit was this beautiful piece of work; it is now part of our good fortune that it never came into contact with the destructive force of dynamite.

Queen Eadgyth, consort of Germany, entombed in Magdeburg, Germany

Update April 6, 2025: I added this poor quality photo of Queen Eadgyth, consort of Germany, entombed in the cathedral, as we just learned this day that following the examination of a lead casket below this tomb, it was discovered that it held the oldest remains of an English princess; Queen Edith as she was known in Germany. At the time of our visit to the cathedral, we knew nothing about this history, but upon reading the story, we wondered if we’d seen the monument; we had. Eadgyth died at 36 in 946, bearing at least two children with her husband, Otto the Great. Those descendants would go on to rule Germany until 1254.

Inside Magdeburg Dom (cathedral) in Germany

Jesus on the cross at the Magdeburg Dom (cathedral) in Germany

The colonade walkway (also known as the Cloister) of the Magdeburg Dom atrium in Germany

Sculpture from Magdeburg Dom (cathedral) in Germany

The Magdeburg Dom was built in 1209 atop an older church founded in 937, making it the oldest Gothic cathedral in Germany. Back in the early 1500s, Martin Luther preached here during the Protestant Reformation, and then in the 1800s, with the city under Napoleon’s rule, the church was used for storage, including pens for keeping livestock. Since the fall of communism behind the Iron Curtain, the people of Magdeburg have raised over $2 million to renovate this historically important icon on their skyline. Let’s hope future generations see the importance of maintaining our cultural history.

Detail from the pulpit in the Magdeburg Dom (cathedral) in Germany

It’s not easy walking through this cathedral so quickly, but we don’t have much time to give proper attention to the details on display. We can only look, register the memory in a moment, and move on. While my photos will give me something that allows me to linger for a time after getting home to Arizona, I’ll still have missed half of everything here that could have been collected by hungry eyes.

Outside looking up at the Magdeburg Dom (cathedral) in Germany

About to leave, the sky is looking a lot more inviting than when we arrived. If only we had a few more hours to hang out, set up a tripod, go on a docent-led tour, see the place lit up at night, or come back for a service when the organ is being played. Instead, we need to get back on the road for our long drive north to Lübeck.

Caroline Wise making onion bread and brie sandwiches on the road to Lübeck, Germany

Time to break out the Zwiebelbrot and brie; we’re hungry.

North German countryside

The north of Germany is a pretty flat area, making for some expansive vistas. With no time to stop for photos, I had to shoot this from the moving car. No worries, though; I slowed down to 80 mph.

Remnant of an old city gate in Stendal, Germany

Houses from the village of Stendal, Germany

Trying to drive around a village brought us right into the middle of town. Welcome to Stendal, Germany. This place dates from 1022 but didn’t really appear on the map until Albert the Bear granted the community “Market rights” in 1160. At that point, it quickly became an important member of the Hanseatic League. Back when I lived in Germany, I never recognized the “Hansa” designation or its importance. Only on this trip did Caroline ask if I knew the significance of a Hansa. The Hanseatic League was a confederation of merchant guilds that operated similarly to a union. The League provided protection and laws that governed merchants and the trade routes they operated in. In Lübeck back in 1159, the league was started by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony. Right in front of me, all these years have been a glaring example of the name at work to this day: Lufthansa!

Leaving Stendal in northern Germany

The broad sky, crepuscular rays, and dramatic clouds had us oohing and aahing in ways we didn’t 20 years ago while living over here. Maybe we were too jaded, or maybe too self-absorbed, but for whatever reason, today we have a greater appreciation for the beauty we are seeing out here on our first German road trip in nearly two decades.

The Elbe River during the late afternoon in the Wittenberge area of Germany

We were already on the bridge when we recognized that we needed to stop, but there was nowhere to stop on this part of the road. So we continue our drive. After about a mile, we figured out that our continuation wasn’t a great idea and turned around to get a better look. Just before the northern end of the bridge is a small parking area; we park and start the long walk to the middle of the bridge.

The wet lowlands of the Elbe River valley in the Wittenberge area of Germany

Looking east, we have a great view of the wetlands of the Elbe River valley. While it is still “winter” temperature-wise, it is a glorious day to be on the road.

Approaching the Ratzenburg area in Germany

Approaching Ratzeburg, we are short on time and nervous that the shop and sites we want to visit in Lübeck will be closed by the time we arrive. The only thing we can do is to take photos out of the windshield, and as we pass through Ratzeburg, we look on with dreams of our ultimate return. On that day we return, we’ll hopefully be on canoes rowing the Domsee, Kleinersee, and Ratzeburger See (lakes).

Caroline Wise in Lübeck, Germany riding a stone sheep

Lübeck, we have arrived. Hey John and Caroline Wise, we are closed. This is a bummer. The Niederegger shop is closed; they are the marzipan gods of Germany. The churches are closed. The Rathaus (city hall) is closed. Drats. At least this stone sheep can’t close or leave and so it will have to act as the main attraction.

Archway that is part of the Rathaus (city hall) in Lübeck, Germany

Just because the city is shutting down doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to do. There is plenty to see in nearly any European city while walking around. Above us is part of the Rathaus, and in the distance on the left is Niederegger. Pretty will have to suffice.

On the streets of Lübeck, Germany

Down one street, up another. We meander this way and then that way. If only we had a full day to explore Lübeck, or better yet, an entire weekend. Not far from where we parked, we spot a hotel and step in to learn the price. It’s too much for us; we’ll keep looking or head up the road. Hunger has returned, so we put the hunt for accommodations on hold and instead search for that special place that will sate our appetites.

Caroline Wise enjoying a beer at Im Alten Zolln in Lübeck, Germany

Right around the corner, we find the perfect place for dinner: Im Alten Zolln. Perfect because it’s right here, and our car is across the street and up the block a bit. As will be the routine for all meals while we are in Europe, Caroline starts her dining experience with a glass of beer or, when in Frankfurt, a glass of apple wine. I had something called Sauer Fleisch (sour meat) for dinner with roasted potatoes. Caroline ordered potato pancakes with smoked salmon. Full and energized, we decided against looking for a place in Lübeck and aimed the car towards Kiel. Driving further north better positions us for our goal of reaching and spending some quality time at Wattenmeer. You’ll have to read tomorrow’s entry to learn what the Wattenmeer is.

Sharing With Our Loved Ones

April 12, 2013 JWise Moments

We are all rendered helpless at least twice in our lives: birth and death. Yet, at birth, we are tenderly cared for with love, attention, and laws that attempt to ensure our successful transition into a functionally competent young adult who will be ready to contribute to our society. Approaching death, we are often alone without the love or the attention of our families or our friends, as they may already be gone, or they, too, are suffering the isolation that plagues our later years.

From the wealthy enclave of Santa Barbara, California, to Europe’s banking capital in Frankfurt, Germany, we all too often find the elderly are a burden and frustration while we have all benefited from these parents and workers who probably did the best they could while they were young and able. But in our impatience, we are quick to satisfy our own needs with an indulgence verging on the obscenely vulgar while at the same time seeing the needs of the elderly as unreasonable.

How do we justify ignoring these vigor-impaired people who were once so important to our very existence? How do others live with themselves as they reveal their anger or disdain in the way they treat these people nearing the ends of their lives, as though they are but nuisance obligations that no longer deserve respect?

The negligence we offer the elderly while lavishing doting care and affection on dogs and cats is an abomination of our broken social contract that allows us to merrily put on display our shallowness by only embracing the young and beautiful, in addition to the cute and furry. If it weren’t for the fact that most of us will suffer the pains of time, maybe then I could understand that a fringe was being sacrificed for the betterment of the whole, but these people who paved the way for us are our future, they are who we will be someday.

Alone and often depressed in their private lives, they bloom in smiles and laughter when once again they find themselves in a setting with their friends and family, even when enduring the pain and hardship of illness or loss that has brought them into the situation of being hospitalized or placed in hospice. Where were we when they needed us to help ensure they wouldn’t hurt themselves? What of the societal responsibility to protect them from inadvertent self-abuse through their own neglect?

For a moment, one can find hope in the despairing moments our elderly loved ones spend in hospitals and rehabilitation centers as we once again see their spirit and ability to fit in with those around them. But all too soon, they will find themselves returned to the lonely isolation that distanced them from our ideas of normal. They are not to blame, just as an infant cannot take responsibility for their own helplessness. Babies have not yet made friends, nor can they communicate very effectively in a complex world they have yet to comprehend. On the other hand, the elderly are trying to comprehend a world that has become faster and more advanced in the complexities that often exceed their abilities. Do we help these people or push them to the side?

Too often, our own sense of responsibility to ourselves leaves us with the easy and selfish choice of tossing these once productive and caring people to the curb of obscurity to die alone after suffering a growing sense of failure; why else are they now alone in a world that works best when we are laughing and sharing in our success?

My mother-in-law is a survivor of World War II and, as a young girl, had to deal with the hunger and destruction of the country she was born in, along with the death of her brother in battle and the subsequent abuse from a mother who suffered too with the incomprehensible loss. Now, after the war, she is at the mercy of those around her who try to find the time to share with her while she’s losing her sense of place and likely her home so others may care for her and her encroaching weakness.

During her early life, she studied medicine and gave life to two girls: my wife and her sister. She helped countless others who were in desperate need of life-saving services in her capacity while working for the local blood donor service. Not only are those who give blood of importance to the ill and critically hurt, but those who make it their life’s work to accept these donations enable the conduit between those who are in need and those who work tirelessly to save lives. And yet most of her days are now spent with a newspaper or television. Some of her friends have already passed. Guilt tells her that her needs are not important; one mustn’t burden those who are entangled with lives that surely have no time for someone becoming frail of mind and or body.

This sweet woman needs little more than a buttered bread and her family’s love. Other sweet old ladies have trouble getting either. Even on those occasions when my mother-in-law is, for a moment, the center of attention, I know this will be short-lived, not only because we will return to our “busy” lives but because she can no longer be in this life much longer.

I do not know with any precision how much longer she will be with us, but I do have to face that within weeks, she’ll again be alone. When she’s gone, we, too, will be a little more alone as the cycle of our own aging process moves us closer to the lonely door of death.

Frankfurt Day 10

April 12, 2013 JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

This is the train stop we use to get out of and back into Heddernheim, a suburb of Frankfurt where Klaus, Stephanie, and Katharina live. For €6.40 (about $8.00), I can buy a ticket that is good all day for as many stops as I want to make while traveling through the various communities of Frankfurt. With the difficulty in finding parking, paying for it, and the delays encountered during commute hours, it is a great deal and even greater convenience to ride the trains through this densely packed city. Those rumors of German efficiency are definitely true regarding train and bus service. We never wait more than seven or eight minutes for a train and maybe up to 15 minutes for a bus, but more often than not, we only wait about two minutes before the German mass transit system shows its punctual face and whisks us off to our destination.

We skipped the food cart at Hauptwache today, opting to go to a local Metzgerei (butcher) on Bergerstrasse. I’ve been enjoying pork-belly sandwiches for days now, but today I’m trying something new: grünkohl mit wurst (green cabbage with sausage). The cabbage is dark because it’s not the light green cabbage we are familiar with in America; it is a dark green cabbage and is more like something between spinach and chard. Cooked with juniper berries and who knows what else, it made for an interesting breakfast. While this is not my typical morning fare, I am using every opportunity to try all that I can before the end of our time in Germany.

From Bergerstrasse, we are quickly on Saalburgstrasse, the street Jutta lives on. We are also starting to sense the first hint of spring might be on the way, though the trees are still bare. It’s supposed to be a warm 12 Celsius today (53 Fahrenheit); from the look of the sky, we could be persuaded that the weatherman might be right. I don’t remember what we were doing at Jutta’s apartment today; seems like we’ve been stopping here every other day, though.

Every day, Jutta looks a little bit better, and also, on these visits, she seems to be walking better and better. So good, in fact, she thinks she doesn’t always need her walking braces; we are not impressed. But we are thoroughly happy with how good she looks and her great attitude in getting through this mobility setback. All of us involved in Jutta’s life, including her, believe she’s doing very well, in large part because of how thrilled she is that we are here visiting with her every day. For the next hours, until shortly before her dinner break, we spent the better part of the morning and afternoon chatting.

Part of the pleasure of being back in Frankfurt is that I’m now old enough to have put away food phobias and am far more interested in trying new old things such as I hope to find here at “Zum Lahmen Esel” which translates to ‘The Lame Ass.’

Frankfurt is well known for its drink of choice, apfelwein (apple wine). Every German restaurant we go to the first thing ordered is a glass of apfelwein for Caroline, an old favorite. She’s already had enough of them that she’s started wondering out loud if she’s turning into a lush. I reassure her that she’ll have to drink three or four of these a night if that’s her aspiration. After one, she smiles enough that her cheeks start to hurt; I guess one a day is enough.

Tonight, I’m here for a food challenge, though I’ll only dip my toe into these difficult waters. While I order schnitzel with green sauce and fried potatoes, Caroline goes for “heaven and earth.” This is the translated name for blutwurst (blood sausage) with roasted onions and mashed potatoes, with the idea that I will be trying this formerly unappealing dish that I would have never touched when I was in my 20s or early 30s. Turns out that this stuff is pretty good, but I only tried a tiny bite. Time to man up and get a chunk of blood sausage; nearly certain that with a mouth full, I’ll realize the yuck factor and determine that this stuff is not for me. I remain surprised that I do somehow enjoy this meal. While we don’t split our dishes 50/50, I’m sure I’ll try this again to see if other preparations are, dare I say, as yummy as this one at the Lame Ass was.

Caroline’s Father: Hanns Engelhardt

April 11, 2013 JWise Photo of the Day

Meet Caroline’s father, Hanns Christian Joachim Engelhardt. While Caroline’s mother has visited the states nearly a dozen times, Hanns, who is a retired Supreme Court Judge and is presently an Anglican Reverend of the Episcopal Church, has maintained a very busy life that seldom has allowed him long vacations. This is in part why we haven’t seen Hanns in the 18 years we’ve lived away from Germany, plus the fact that we hadn’t returned during all those years.

Today, Hanns lives in Karlsruhe not far from the court he served. This learned and friendly man is exuberant in his joy of life and where his passions have taken him. We only spent a few hours in Karlsruhe but had the time to share lunch and a few year’s worth of stories. At nearly 80 years old he is in the process of authoring a book about American ecclesiastical law; this is not his first foray into writing. Though what would one expect from a man sitting on a Supreme Court for the majority of his daughter’s life? Above is Hanns in his judge’s robes.

Frankfurt To Bad Soden

April 10, 2013 JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

The day starts like our previous ones, up early with a cold gray sky peeking through the windows; when does winter end here? This will be the second time we’ve used our rather expensive rental car, although it was the cheapest we could find. A bit of warning to travelers to Europe: be sure you bring proof of international insurance coverage, add it to your policy, or just take the trains because it will cost you about $600 when you show up to pick up the car. As has been our routine, we go to see Jutta, but we’ll only visit once this day as we have a dinner date later in the day.

Having been away for so long, we have lost our ability to judge distances, and our memories tell us that Bad Soden is quite far away. Turns out that it’s really close. So close, in fact, that we arrive in town more than an hour early. No problem for us, we’ll just take a tour of the city center. Driving around to look for a starting point, we pass the old Badehaus (Bath House), and Caroline nearly yells for me to stop. Great, there’s a parking place right here in front of the park. The baths themselves appear to be gone, having been replaced with galleries. I say apparently because that half of the building is undergoing renovation, the other side is a library now. No matter, the grounds and buildings are beautiful. Not so nice is a fountain that offers some of the famous waters noted for their life-affirming qualities. Maybe others have a taste for heavily sulfured water, but my brain was having nothing to do with this idea of swallowing my small handful. Instead, instinct kicked in, forcing my mouth to disgorge the fetid-smelling, wretched-tasting stuff. I required a concerted effort to describe this without relying on vulgarities.

As we walked around, we noticed a trail going up a hillside, hoping for a view overlooking the town or even Frankfurt in the distance; we started the short hike upwards. At the top, there is an old brick tower, not of much purpose other than as a kind of monument, but to what we couldn’t figure out. We are also surrounded by trees, so there is no view to be had. Back down the hill, we passed the Badehaus on our way to the downtown area.

We never made it downtown. On the way, Caroline spots a sign pointing to a small castle. Turns out not to be much of a castle at all, but more a large home, though not without bragging rights. A sign on the building lets us know that König Wilhelm I. Von Württenberg slept here in 1852; a König is a King. Not very impressed, as we’ve both seen real castles, we head back across the park. Along the way, nearly fully surrounded by trees, I spot a small monument with a soldier on top that notes the men who died during World War I and II who had come from Bad Soden. Having spent enough time wandering about, it was time to make our date.

On the way into town, we passed the street Helga lives on, and within just a few minutes, we’re back at that corner and parking the car. Caroline’s godmother lives on the fifth floor in a building without an elevator, and she’s in her early 70’s. I was surprised how, after the first 20 minutes the conversation and rapport started to work, and the time between visits started being erased. Helga is a fiercely independent, very interesting, strong-minded woman. Back when Caroline was 16 she had told her godmother how she never wanted to be a workaholic like Helga. Almost 30 years later Caroline can easily consider this woman as one of the single greatest influences on her own life. Helga never married, but that wasn’t due to a lack of interest in this successful woman, she was busy with her career and seeing the world, which she is currently still actively doing. Our meeting had to be sooner than later, as this weekend she is heading to Spain for a week away from it all, and then in July, she’s off to Rome. Over a fantastic dinner of roast duck breast with mixed veggies and potatoes, we toasted our reunion and talked until it was close to midnight. During the night, we learned much about Helga we didn’t know, such as her 40th birthday, where she rented an entire riverboat, invited 150 of her closest friends, hired a band, and cruised the Main River as she danced into the beginnings of her 40s. With recommendations of which art exhibits to pay attention to during our visit to Frankfurt and her request that we try and meet another time before we return to the States, we wished each other good night. Walking down the five flights of stairs, Caroline and I were all smiles as we felt that Helga could still be a great role model and mentor to not only her goddaughter but to me, too.

No Rest For The Determined

April 9, 2013 JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Jutta is on the move from hospital to rehabilitation – yeah. We left early to meet her at the hospital before she was transferred but missed her by minutes. Knowing she’d need time to get situated, Caroline and I headed over to Jutta’s apartment so Caroline could make some phone calls. First up, she called her father, who lives in Karlsruhe. Still a busy man, we managed to get a Thursday afternoon date with him. Next up was Caroline’s godmother, Helga. It took a while to get a hold of this sprightly 70-something-year-old woman; her line was busy for some time. Once on the phone, she, too has a full schedule, as she’ll be leaving for Spain shortly. Wednesday evening would work and so tomorrow night we are off to Bad Soden. While Caroline was on the phone, I took some photos of Jutta’s apartment as reminders for us and for a view of what an “average” German apartment looks like.

We had to take a series of trains to reach Jutta’s new home away from home. Her new place is just around the corner from the Blood Donors Service where she worked most of her life. The room she’s in is quite large, and she’s happily surprised at how nice the facility is. She’s especially happy that she’s in Frankfurt instead of a rehabilitation center somewhere outside the city she’s so comfortable in. We don’t get to stay long this afternoon as Caroline feels she is falling behind in her work obligations; plus, we are super tired after only four hours of sleep the night before and six last night. So it’s back onto the trains for the ride out to Stephanie and Klaus’s. Once at their place, Caroline squeaks through a couple of hours of work before needing a nap. An hour later, she’s back to work. A short pause for some Thai food delivered by a local restaurant, and the grindstone calls. Unsympathetically, I have to call it a night at 10:30; she’s right after me at 11:15.