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Our trip was suggested by Ray after he taught a couple of summer workshops and a summer session class last summer, although he had told a number of people that he had decided to give up teaching summer school in favor of travel. The income would go toward a winter trip. It was to be our Christmas present to each other. It was to be a very brief stay with Fritz and Wilma Bente in Westerkappeln, Germany. We would see Günter and Friedhelm Freese briefly. We hoped to visit the two German ladies, Sonja Jannaber and Claudia Raneberg, whom we hosted last October.
The remaining thirteen days would be spent on trains. We'd head for south Germany. We'd go south through Switzerland with a side trip into Liechtenstein. We'd move south into the Alps into reach northern Italy to reach Milan. We'd head eastward to reach Venice. Through Italy we would view the Italian Alps to the north. Moving into Austria we'd again travel into the Alps with a chance to tour Vienna. Finally, we'd travel west-northwest from Vienna back to Frankfurt through the Austrian Alps back into Germany. We'd arrive in Frankfurt, Germany.
We'd have the Alps in view from various distances for most of our trip. The Alp's wintry scene has been a treasured memory. There were snow capped and ice covered alpine ranges, spreading in various directions. Through southern Switzerland we saw ice covered pines at a much closer distance, as we traveled into the Alps. A low cloud cover made the icy scene almost fantasy-like draped in a sparkling crystal covering. Our nights in pensions (bed and breakfasts) or hotels were strategically located to get rest before moving on between 9:00 a.m. or 9:30 a.m. each morning.
The rural areas, the villages, the farmsteads, the church steeples, the homes and other buildings took on subtle yet significant changes.
West Germany, Switzerland and Austria had tidy landscapes even up close to the railroad tracks as a rule.
Although Italy had pockets of deliberate restoration and upkeep, there was general weather damage and layers of fuel residue which didn't suggest continuous upkeep.
Traveling from Milan to Venice, we traveled east along a huge flat plane just south of the Alps. They were almost constantly within view. On occasional stretches we were winding through mountain passes or tunnels as a range bent and fingered southward. A few places these places where a range fingered southward, it tapered down into hills which we found ourselves winding through.
We bought several books. One shows lovely views of areas in the Swiss Alps. Another book shows interesting picturesque aspects of life in Liechtenstein. Still another is a fascinating book about our tour of Vienna. We got a very informative and fascinating book about the Von Trapp family singers of "Sound of Music" fame.
It's pointless to labor on with repetitive details of our sightseeing from the train. We have an album of Ray's snapshots with captions describing them. A map on a wall at one of our hotels on which it showed each place we passed through, stopped at, to transfer trains or spend the night. We want to purchase the map. The only real chore we faced involved cold, windy and blustery weather. Otherwise, for adventurous folk we'd recommend the trip.
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We tend to like to arrive at the airport well ahead of time for flights out of St. Louis. Tim drove us from home dropping us off at a passenger unloading area. On this third trip to Europe, Ray didn't bring his stack of German flash cards.
At St. Louis Lambert Airport we checked in at the American Airlines counter to confirm our flight reservations on location. Our luggage was classified as "carry on" luggage, as we were prepared for daily train travel while in Europe. Traveling light is most helpful.
We soon put our soft luggage in a locker and walked through some shops. We knew that we would be sitting a very long time through our flight to Frankfurt, Germany. Lambert Airport has some really neat shops that cater to folks who enjoy cats.
The usual luncheon area had changed into a Burger King. We ordered a box with 9 chicken nuggets, a large order of fries and two waters. We wouldn't be getting a plain glass of water throughout most of our 15 day trip. Water isn't thought to be "safe" for drinking throughout Europe.
Walking around we noticed a number of the employees, personnel and even a few travelers wearing variations of the Santa Claus caps.
When we went through the security check point, Ray did set off the alarm. In fact, he repeatedly set it off. So a security guard held Ray's winter jacket, camera and pocket change for him, while he walked through. Our luggage and purse traveled on a belt through the x-ray procedure, too.
We were carrying two gift wrapped field picked ears of corn. We'd wondered about being subjected to questions about the corn, which was requested for by an acquaintance in Westerkappeln. We were carrying two small aerial photo albums with many views of our farm property for the Bente and Freese relatives.
Alice Molitor had finished her gift photo album for Fritz and Wilma Bente. It was loaded with pictures of their recent October 1992 week end visit to Missouri, U. S. A.
Alice had sent along velcro poinsettia sweater accessories for Wilma Bente, Ilse Redeker and Hedwig Thies. All worked into our luggage. It all wouldn't be with us after our arrival in Westerkappeln.
It's been our habit not to buy or carry bulky fragile souvenirs. It complicates packing. It's not helpful to mail things. It takes more time than travelers seem to have enroute. It can be hard in unfamiliar places. It isn't easy to mail a postcard. Buying proper postage is a chore. Mailing procedures are different in different countries.
Our plane was not booked solid to Chicago. Though, it was fuller than I could have imagined. Ray took the window seat with the idea of trying out our new camera that we had received at Christmas time from our son, Bill, his wife, Kathy and their year old son, Kyle.
A couple of brothers (perhaps first and sixth graders) sitting at the opposite end of our row became increasingly hostile. The bickering was heard by many. Their Dad, sitting a row behind them, wasn't experienced in dealing with his kids. We were glad to give them up as we deplaned in Chicago.
It was wet on the ground and as cold as it had been when we had left St. Louis 45 minutes earlier. We'd seen snow on the ground here and there flying north toward Chicago, although we weren't going to walk in any snow until we returned 15 days later.
The morning temperatures were to remain in the twenties part of each day of our trip. But we did see some warming on a few of those days.
Our wait in Chicago was brief. We got to the boarding gate and onto the plane in short order, after walking from one wing of the Y-shaped terminal building to another.
A stuck valve in some significant place on our aircraft needed fixing. So that found us waiting. Other airplanes were waiting in line to take off before we were cleared to do so.
This trip found us traveling due east. Our more familiar previous flight pattern had been that of arcing through the northernmost reaches. The arc pattern is easily felt as the plane turns to complete the other leg on the arc. On this flight we had to rely on messages from the cockpit as to what land features we were approaching.
A newborn baby was aboard the aircraft with his parents. They were moved from their seats near the smoking section. There were unoccupied seats at the front of our economy section.
A man seated several rows behind us with an orangish moustache and beard and a rather bald head put on a pair of fuzzy orange reindeer antlers of his identical hair color. He continued wearing them well into the flight.
Ray used his earphones much of the flight and even dozed a bit. I'm not able to nap sitting up. But I was relaxed throughout. There was nothing to see out the window because of overcast, haze and clouds. Then there was a long period of darkness.
After fruit juice and a small sack of pretzels, we were served a dinner featuring filet mignon, garden salad and cheese cake. I ordered hot tea. Ray got water "without gas" or in other words, not mineral water.
We were well into our flight to Frankfurt, Germany, when the movie, Sister Act, was presented starring Whoopi Goldberg. It was hard to stay awake by then. But the movie was enjoyable.
After a while we were given our choice of drinks. Then came breakfast treats.
We knew we were getting closer when we were handed hot rolled up wash clothes handed to us with a pair of tongs. A stewardesses came around one last time with candy mints or butterscotch candies. We spent another 45 minutes approaching and circling Frankfurt a number of times. The trip was about seven and a half hours with winds in our favor.
Our predawn darkness was due to the 7 to 8 hours of winter season daylight in that part of the hemisphere as the sun approaches at that latitude around 8:30 a.m. German time. In the final moments of predawn we found ourselves landing. This had to be taken into account as we scheduled our train travel time. Our primary intent was focusing on scenic routes. Hours of daylight were reckoned with throughout our trip.
Our trip out of Frankfurt, Germany, was familiar. This train ride to Westerkappeln was our second trip in that direction. We had traveled south along this route from Westerkappeln to Frankfurt twice before. It gave Ray opportunities to anticipate photo shots from the train.
We had bought some bottled water, juice, bread, cheese, ham slices, blueberry and banana yogurt, apples and bananas at the Frankfurt train station. So we ate our lunch on the train. After several more hours of travel, we approached Osnabrück around sunset.
Fritz Bente was walking toward us on the platform as we left the train. We walked toward the main station in a humid gusty wintry chill. We began a round of firm hand shakes. Then a crushing bear hug. A series of bone jarring pats on the back were followed by the vigorous circular back rub that goes several rounds and with cheek to cheek / chest to chest contact.
Friedhelm appeared after parking the car and we went through another round of identical greetings. All of us were wearing broad smiles. It was ice cold. Our heavy jackets with their attached hoods and our padded gloves were welcome wraps.
Friedhelm drove us all to the Bente farm. Then Friedhelm went down the road to get Günter, who had remained at home. When Günter came we went through the above mentioned greetings once more.
We were served coffee with milk before being called into the dining room.
I had already begun to nod off occasionally. I began to doze. I would be awaked by the conversations. Once in the dining room I was revived once again.
In this dining room is a fireplace into which Ray's great-great-grandfather had carved his initials. The long revered fireplace, recently remodeled, was an amazing work of art with the carved initials forever well preserved.
Claudia Raneberg and Sonja Jannaber arrived to eat at table with the gathered group. There were firm handshakes, cheery greetings and warm smiles. Our dinner of Toast Hawaii was toast upon which was a slice of ham topped with a peach half or a pineapple ring smothered with a layer of melted cheese.
We were offered more coffee with milk. For dessert we had cheese cake and coffee cake.
At the dinner table and later as we adjourned to a small corner sitting room, we continued a lively conversation. We were served white wine. The conversation included the Nazi's of World War II ; Germany's present politics and the refugees. It was an amazing scene. These folks discussed absolutely nothing for decades passed.
They were openly express themselves as if old friends. Family members didn't discuss things in fear for their lives for decades. The Freeses had a nodding acquaintance with the Bentes though they were cousins living nearby. Sonja and Claudia lived not far away and their paths never crossed.
So the Arrival of Americans at Westerkappeln has opened reasons to restore relationships and stimulate a socialness long repressed.
The small unheated room warmed with this gathering of good friends. Sonja and Claudia spoke with empathy toward the refugees. The problems were causing tensions in nearby towns. Others spoke of a darker side (the economic burden).
During conversation someone suggested, that in light of today's problems due to a neo-Nazi faction, Hitler should have left alone six million Jews and done away with six million S.P.D.
Günter jotted down Sonja and Claudia's names and addresses before the young ladies left.
We would be with Fritz and Wilma through the early morning hours the next day, Sunday morning. We would be with Claudia and Sonja through the middle of the day, Sunday. Toward late afternoon we would be with Günter and Friedhelm at their home until supper time. We would eat supper at Bente's. Günter and Friedhelm were invited.
I was nodding again. So Günter commanded me, " Celia, you go to bed ! " So I got up and let myself into an ice cold unheated room in which I was supposed to sleep the night.
I spent little time deciding to keep myself fully clothed (suit jacket and shoes included) and hop into bed. I curled up under a feather bed. It didn't fully cover the top surface of my bed. Ray and I discovered separately that we could see our breath. But fuel probably is too expensive to heat every room.
I don't get to sleep quickly. I'm used to sleeping about 5 hours. I managed to get about that much sleep. Ray stayed up longer talking with Fritz Bente. He was then able to sleep until 9 a. m.
Ray and I left the chilly bedroom quickly the next morning. We sat in a small interior waiting room that was warm enough. We thawed out. After a while we were called to the kitchen for breakfast.
I developed sniffles not related to an icy bedroom. I had an allergic reaction to the airborne pollutants in the attached cow barn. I'm allergic to damp rotted straw with mold and / or mildew spores kicked about by the cattle from their cow manure, after walking through their attached cow barn.
The barn entrance is the commonly used one. Wilma Bente and Günter Freese kept thinking that I had a cold the next day. But a couple of Sine Off tablets and a Vicks Inhaler settled it down until we left for Freiburg, Germany, on Monday. Ray is the one who got a cold.
I had few problems except in an occasional smoke-filled restaurant. My allergist says I must stay out of barns and old structures, I'm allergic to specific long standing dust spores. That's hardly going to work often in my favor on any trip to Europe, anyway !
Our breakfast Sunday morning was in a large modern German kitchen with dark brown stained wood floor and wall cabinets. The kitchen had counter top electric burners, a wall mounted oven, a fancy microwave with multiple features.
I'd like to side step with an attempted description of the brick exterior and typically rural attached barn/farm house conglomerate.
The kitchen was divided into two areas by a row of dark stained wall and base cabinets. They gave ample room left to walk through to the breakfast area.
There was a comfortable space for a breakfast area in the remaining half accommodating at least four people.
There was a dark stained wood grained antique floor to ceiling cupboard standing between two doorways. This beautiful cupboard had been refinished to bring out its wood grain. It had expensive antique replacement stained glass with lead work installed.
The doorway out of the kitchen to the left led to the interior cow barn door via a dark narrow hallway which was rarely lit or a few steps further on into a small alcove which took you upstairs into the living quarters built for a young couple who had at one time been considering taking over the farm work.
A door to the right in the breakfast area led into a barn related work room .
The doorway out of the breakfast area to the left put you further down the dark narrow hallway near the interior waiting room doorway as you turned left. As you entered the waiting room you'd notice its filled with decorations show off some horses they had owned. They raised and sold horses as well.
Off of this small interior waiting room one can move into a corner room which resembled a sun room (small parlor) with many plants. The windows on both outside walls suggested that the potted plants there depended on a daily dose of daylight.
Next to the sun room to its right was the door into a bedroom in which we slept.
If in the waiting room you'd turn twice to the right through a large dark stained ornately carved wooden doorway, you'd enter a long dining room. It had originally been the front entrance hall.
This front entrance was in the original portion of the dwelling. There has been extensive adding on and remodeling to suit those living within. Sonja and Claudia entered the house through the front door which led directly into the dining room.
If you walked into the dining room from the small waiting room and hugged the wall to your right, you'd find an ornamental blonde wood carved hand railing of modernistic design. The light grain wood stained stairwell lead to the upstairs living quarters.
There is a large modern bathroom off of the dining room to the right of an huge dark stained wooden floor to ceiling wardrobe. One crosses into the dining room from the waiting room and heads to the right of the wardrobe to enter the bathroom. It's left of the stairwell.
The downstairs bathroom was built underneath the narrow steps leading upstairs to the right of the coat hooks in the small alcove off the dark narrow hallway you first enter into the house from the interior cow barn door.
The narrow stairwell one encounters over the downstairs bathroom can be reached from an alcove where wraps are hung on hooks as you enter the house from the cow barn. If you step to the right at these coat hooks there's a narrow stairwell leading to the upstairs living quarters.
Though, off to the right one enters the first floor kitchen from the cow barn. This house entrance from the cow barn has a large doorway leading into a dark narrow and seldom lit hallway.
If, however, you choose to walk down this dark narrow hallway past two doors on your left in order to open the door straight ahead of you, then you'd walk right into the small interior waiting room.
I knew where I was headed even in my sleep interrupted state. Ray chose to draw a map of the house for himself in order to move around from room to room .
Our breakfast was fresh hard rolls, fresh baked bread, cheese, bologna, salami and home grown thick sliced bacon. Our plates were bread boards. More coffee was served with milk.
But I was given a glass of orange juice after breakfast, as Wilma thought I might be catching a cold.
After Fritz finished showing Ray around the barn lot area, he announced he'd call the veterinarian, as the hogs were sick.
Wilma took us for a ride to the area not far off where she grew up. She had been an only child. Her house was a large stone two story building. Her father had been the foreman of a construction crew. There are families renting her home place. There were icy blustery winds outside chilling us through as we walked around the yard, listening to Wilma reminisce.
Returning to the Bente's farm we met the veterinarian. Fritz took the driver's seat and we went to Claudia's place in Velpe.
Ray and I were able to remember some of the map search we'd had with Carl Brakensiek, as we poured over the Velpe area on a Westerkappeln map. The Hackmanns, hosts of Carl Brakensiek and his sister, Lucile Kidd, lived in Velpe. We spotted a railroad track and a row of houses which ran parallel to it as on the map. The Hackmanns and Ranebergs were close neighbors and acquainted.
We parked in front of a shoe shop's display window. Claudia and her mother appeared at the store front's door. We walked through the middle of a sales room and turned right through a door into a small apartment.
We sat down in a parlor looking onto a sun porch which had in its center a very elegant Christmas tree. The two rooms we saw were very compact. We sat and chatted until Sonja appeared.
Then we left with Claudia and Sonja's car leading us to a nearby restaurant. A side room was reserved. It was small. There was space for a table for four and our table for six.
Fritz Bente's name was on the center card, suggesting that he had called in the reservation. Claudia Raneberg had paid the bill.
The table chatter was most friendly. I ordered an omelette and hot tea. It was a curious mix of diced potatoes, small ham chunks, croutons, and pickle chunks. I didn't detect signs of egg in the mix. Wilma noticed I preferred tea. Ray ordered strips of roast duck and red cabbage which could have served all of us and milk. Everyone paid attention as Ray asked for milk.
We drove to Sonja's house after dinner. Her Dad was at home. Her mother was at a health resort for the holidays. The "creme" wine was like a light prune whip. We sat in a dark cramped dining room with seven people keeping the room temperature up with pleasant conversation.
Sonja's neighborhood was picturesque with groomed yards and rows of modest sized gingerbread dwellings. The Bente's then drove us to Günter and Friedhelm's to visit until supper. Then Günter, Friedhelm, Ray and I went to eat at the Bente's down the road.
We saw many changes in the Freese brother's home : brand new wood veneer flooring and ceiling tile veneer in several rooms, including the bedroom Alice Molitor and Bernice Hunt had shared in 1991. They remodeled their bathroom, kitchen and utility room downstairs. They painted and placed a bedroom set in a vacant upstairs room near the wide stairwell. They fixed up a sitting room next door to it with a table and chairs.
In their living room there was a new stereo system with fancy speakers ; a large T. V. ; a phonograph ; a tape player ; a C. D., a radio and V. C. R.
In the corner of their living room, where we'd seen Günter retrieve a large manilla envelope (in the summer of 1989) with letters from "Amerika" from a chest of drawers, there now stood a Christmas tree.
Günter proudly brought us his first attempted batch of sugar cookies made with a cookie press.
I don't believe I have ever seen three men so eagerly chatting together for a long time. This chance to get together brought tears into these three men's eyes.
Supper at Bentes was yet another opportunity to enjoy our visit gave Fritz and Wilma as well as Günter and Friedhelm. It was a reason to be together with their American cousin, Ray. We ate a pasta salad with ham and pineapple chunks in a whipped sweet sauce. I got hot tea and Ray was served milk that very evening.
After more conversation in the interior waiting room, the Bente's arranged for either Günter or Friedhelm to take us to Osnabrück to the train station the next morning after our breakfast.
For breakfast the next morning Ray drank milk and I drank hot tea. We had toast with 2 or 3 asparagus sticks wrapped in luncheon meat with melted cheese spread on it. There were fresh home made rolls and butter.
We said our goodbyes to the Bentes, when both Günter and Friedhelm showed up to take us to Osnabrück. Günter slipped me a couple of swiss chocolate bars for on the train. It was hard to say goodbye. The chilly winds gusted through the track platforms. It forced us to cluster together inside the train station a bit longer and we boarded our train with little time to spare.
We expect to see Fritz and Wilma visit us in America yet a couple of more times. We hope Günter and / or Friedhelm will get the courage up to make a visit to America.
We would be sticking to a schedule of boarding, riding, switching trains and leaving them for the night's lodging. We would glimpse at scenery we sought to enjoy. The Rhine River was a dismal gray. The winter look showed more details looking at rows with posts and lines strung throughout vineyards. Details of castles on their rocky heights were more clearly defined in the absence of lush green growth.
Going toward Freiburg from Mainz we concentrated more on scenery. We'd been occupied in conversation with others in our train compartment in 1989. It amazes me to see an enormous number of and rows of multi story apartment dwellings. It's hard to imagine the numbers of people who must live in cramped quarters.
The sights upon arriving in Freiburg were familiar. Our cab to the hotel seemed to be taking the long route. We watched the loud ticking electronic mileage meter record the fare.
Our hotel room was adequate. It was chilly outside, but comfortably warm in our room compared to at the Bente's.
Ray scouted around for a possible restaurant where we might eat supper. He'd missed his daily three mile walks, while the visited in Westerkappeln. We spotted a fruit stand on the way to a restaurant. But it was no longer open by the time we finished dinner.
The restaurant down the block and around the corner a couple of more blocks was like a pub and filled with smokers. We sat next to a lighted aquarium. I fixed my attention on an ugly scavenger fish. We heard music of the Beatles, some Blue Grass and Jazz. The walk home was chilly enough. It felt good to get back to our hotel room.
We began a routine of washing a few items of clothing out each night. The heat was on long enough to accommodate the needed drying at that Hotel Helene.
I was feeling very weary by this time with no real good chance to get enough sleep. Our breakfast fare the next morning was simple with hot chocolate, hot tea, hard rolls, cheese and meat.
Our ride in a cab that morning back to the train station seemed shorter. Heading toward Buchs we saw villages nestled in fascinating places. Houses or rows of apartment dwelling were in close groups. Rows of houses began to take on a layered look up hill sides. It's hard to imagine why some buildings were erected where they were.
Some villages nestled in layered circular or curved patterns accommodating the slope of the existing terrain. Some rows of unbecoming multi-level apartment dwellings seemed within easy reach of industrial sites, as if built for low paid workers.
The skies remained overcast. The landscape remained gray. In the chill of winter we saw feather beds hanging out of windows airing out.
We arrived in Buchs, Switzerland, and chose to walk to the hotel. It was a couple of hours before dusk. Our hotel had moved. The discovery took longer to figure out than anticipated. We spotted a bank still open across the street. We decided to seek help. They assisted us with a couple of phone calls. Our travel bureau agent, Herr Michels, in Westerkappeln, Germany, was unaware that this hotel had merged with a Health Club further on. We had more blocks to trek
Our attic dormer room was chilly until Ray figured how to turn on the room heaters. We were soon to learn that many of these places turn on the heat for a short time in the evening and once again briefly in early morning hours.
There was to be good eating in the hotel restaurant both nights we remained in Buchs. The breakfasts come with the hotel reservations and were delicious.
Our aim was to buy children's books for our grandsons in Buchs. We were able to accomplish it our second evening, walking back to our hotel after returning from our trip into Liechtenstein.
We caught the bus to Liechtenstein at dawn. It was a quaint, picturesque and neat diversion. I bought a pin representative of Liechtenstein. I was able to find nice pins except in Italy.
Lunch at Liechtenstein was crowded and hectic in a hotel restaurant. Waiters preferred serving their own guests instead of hordes of starving tourists. There was much smoking. My sinuses ached.
Our luggage got a bit heavier with items from Liechtenstein and Buchs. We felt lucky up to this point that so many Europeans are multilingual.
Ski boots were noisy. Skiers arrived in Buchs the morning of our departure. A tour guide and his group of skiers filled the restaurant to overflowing at breakfast. We had a cab called to take us to the train station. Skiers were in abundance there. It was wise to watch out for them to avoid getting knocked out by a ski pack.
The scenery near Lauterbrunnen lacked dwellings. There were just a few villages in quaint settings. The terrain became heavily forested. We followed streams. We saw the first dusting of snow. As we neared Lauterbrunnen streamlets and trickles of water that had trickled down from the high places were frozen in place. The stream flowing out of Lauterbrunnen was frozen to its banks, though force of its energetic water flowed on down midstream. It continued rumbling energetically on.
We arrived in Lauterbrunnen with a little over an hour of daylight. Ray walked around taking pictures. A glistening frozen spray of ice fanning downward onto the lower rock surfaces dominated the winter look of the Staubbach Falls.
The flash of Ray's camera reflected on the ice crystals. It didn't turn out clear. We bought a four seasons post card of the Staubbach Falls showing a side view of what we saw. The waterfall had limited volume with a short fall before freezing onto the craggy rocks below. It created the appearance of an open crystalline fan slanted somewhat forward as well as downward.
The Hotel Staubbach had closed their restaurant, because the proprietor's husband had a bad stroke. We went to a small smoke filled cafe for supper. The shops closed early with the evening dusk. We managed to buy groceries for lunch on the train for our next day.
The heated room was welcome at the Staubbach Hotel. New Years Eve revelers both inside and outside were a bit rowdy. Sleep was uneasy. At 8 o'clock p. m. Lauterbrunnen time the church bells rang a solid fifteen minutes to announce a village celebration of the New Year. We were too tired to take it in. At twelve midnight the church bells tolled for another solid fifteen minutes. Bits of noise was heard into the wee small hours close to dawn.
Breakfast was good at the Staubbach Hotel. I had muselix cereal, blueberry yogurt, a roll with cheese, hot tea and orange juice. We turned in our room key and walked to the train station.
Soon we were impressed by the by spectacular sights as we traveled for days along side or up into and / or through crisscrossing mountain passes. We went through tunnels and over rivers and gorges. We found ourselves beside huge clear lakes and along flat plains. Later we crisscrossed through hills and on into the flat plains. I'm delighted that Ray was inspired to plan a winter trip including an opportunity to view the magnificent Alps .
Our trip through the southern most reaches of Switzerland and on into northern Italy to Milan was reminiscent of a trip years ago on an antique 1880 train along a wilderness trail. There were those wide sweeping curves leaning outward away from the high mountain cliffs. There were long labored upgrade climbs, an opportunity to tip, lean, and pull us toward or hugging the mountain side. Our down hill thrust involved coasting without brakes around curves, leaning away from the mountain side. It all provided a panoramic view of an awesome valley floor far below.
We crossed several rickety wooden framed rail bridges high in the air across a series of awesome gorges. There were numerous mountain tunnels of various lengths. I'd label this leg of our journey a slow motion version of a roller coaster ride which had no lack of wilderness scenery. We passed small villages which were peppered about at various elevations.
Before leaving the mountain heights for Italy's plains below a group of young Italian men and women boarded the train to overflowing for a night on the town in Milan.
When we got off the train in Milan there were a lot of long length animal fur coats being worn in sight. A few chauffeurs waited on the platform to drive "La Senora" home.
A Burghy (Burger King) restaurant that evening was crowded with teen agers and young adult minorities. A bag lady entered and was shown to a seat away from the flow of traffic. The manager made himself quite visible. He seemed to be there to cut down on loitering.
The Centro Hotel ground floor room seemed like most large cities. Our restroom was located across the hall from our room. The street noises continued into the early morning hours. The people on the upper floor were having a loud party that lasted for hours. They left for a spell and returned to resume their party with a less hilarious uproar. It left me drowsy from lack of sleep.
On the train Ray and I found a compartment which had four reserved seats. We were able to use two of the six of them that were yet unreserved. It has been my experience that reserved seats are often not used everyday, anyway. We have been fortunate to find unoccupied seats on busy travel days.
After a while of traveling through more of the most pleasant lowland scenery with the Alps to the north and after a couple of stops along the way a teen aged girl took a seat in our compartment. She and Ray exchanged only a few words as she entered to claim a seat.
At our stop Ray grabbed his suit case and got mine down from the shelf. He grabbed a jacket and rushed out of the compartment to disembark. I got the remaining jacket with less of an energetic flair and found that my purse in the inside left vest pocket was missing. I stuck my head out of the compartment and Ray was eight people ahead of me. I yelled at him that my purse was gone. He said to go back and look. The girl was up and fumbling with her luggage. It looked suspicious. There was three minutes at a stop. I returned to hunt for it briefly. But I didn't find my purse. I had to leave the train.
We had a bit over an hour to wait for our next train. I had $1,000.00 in traveler cheques in my purse. We decided to report the loss or theft to the security police. We asked in the station and they directed us to a station doorway further east along the track. A police car was parked outside. As we entered the office we saw three men manning the post.
Ray explained the lost purse. He had translated their questions for me. I described the blue plaid cloth zippered purse. They had him fill out a claim form. They called a U. S. Army Base (the nearest travelers cheque office). We were advised to call again when we arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, the next day. We were asked if I'd looked in my jacket.
I'd looked in the left vest inside pocket of my jacket. We have look alike jackets. After an anxious, confused and stress filled struggle through this upsetting ordeal, we had about twenty minutes left before boarding the train that would get us into Frankfurt after dark.
As I reached in the outside left pocket to get my gloves on I pulled out Ray's glove. I was shocked to find his glove there. I asked Ray to look in his inside vest pocket. There was my purse. We had switched sides in the train compartment. He'd lost so much weight with his 3 mile walks in these last months, that my jacket had fit well enough to have not noticed that he'd grabbed my jacket. I was quite embarrassed but well relieved. The experience had been a good one. Ray trotted back quickly down a platform stairway, through an underground passage, up another stairway and along the track to go back to the security police office to report the find. It wasn't going to seem funny to me until much later. As I was extremely tired from the daily routine of train travel and quite exhausted emotionally from the loss of the cheques I was carrying.
Of course, it was a hilarious adventure. It had been positive and rewarding. We ponder on it with humor now. We'll both check our jackets from now on. My jacket is size 1X. Ray's jacket is size 2X.
I can wear his jacket anytime without noticing the switch. It had happened before. We must look at our labels. Ray has lost weight and can't tell mine is a bit shorter-waisted with slightly shorter sleeves. Those security police must have had their laugh for the day!
In the Mestre, Italy, train station a large smoke free waiting room was filled with travelers. It was a welcome retreat from the wintery chill.
There were all manner of folks seated within. Some folks found themselves stranded or hostages of some particular travel schedule foul up. An elderly Italian woman with a daughter (late twenties) were under some unfortunate stress. Her daughter slept in a wooden chair in an awkward heap as if put in a drug induced sleep. The old woman held a magnifying glass up to help herself read newspapers that travelers left behind.
When she'd sized us up she grappled her way up out of her seat to approach Ray. In rapid fire Italian I gleaned a bit about "It wasn't my fault" ("No me lo culpa !"). I felt they were stranded, misplaced persons, refugees or street people. She tried a young nun down our row who sat there staring at her. There were numerous security folks around for them to request help from. The old woman babbled. When the old woman tried to shake her daughter awake the young woman wouldn't allow herself to be disturbed.
By the time we'd boarded our train we'd decided to use our groceries for supper and eat our noon meal in the dining car. During our dining car meal Ray was sent back to our compartment to stay with our luggage as customs officials went through at the Italian / Austrian border.
It proved fruitless as border custom officials pay little attention to folks like us at border crossings. Officials moved through our train car and Ray never got one nod or even a glance. So Ray returned in time to pay for our meal.
During Ray's absences I was approached by the Italian head waiter, who wished me to take several pieces of fresh fruit from a tray. I had taken one huge red apple. A lady at another table asked me in broken English if I spoke another language. I told her that I spoke a bit of Spanish. So she told me that I should be sure and take the fruit that I needed. So I replied that I had taken enough."Tengo bastante. Es bastante !" I guess the meal included an " all you can eat " fresh fruit dessert course. The waiter then left me alone until Ray returned. The head waiter was a compulsive talking Italian, who spent much of his time in the dining car lambasting his trainee. These days in Italy gave rise to such scenarios which pointed to a temperamental people.
It was as we'd expected traveling northeast into the Austrian Alps. The buildings were still heavily influenced by Italian architecture. But the building exteriors were immaculate by comparison.
Farmsteads appeared similar to the Paul family farm we'd visited in the summer of 1991 with the ten Cappeln U.S.A. cousins the day we all went to Bleckenstedt, Germany, near Braunschweig. The huge rectangular stone three story structures contained a well defined group of multi-purpose work essential areas within the four walls. The main cow barn ; hay loft ; stables ; livery ; grain shed ; feeding stations ; separate livestock areas for different animals ; equipment rooms ; a carpentry corner ; a black smith shed ; an equipment repair stall ; the barn lot and main house. On big farm spreads there was an occasional temporary wooden shed which housed field and / or irrigation related equipment.
No matter where one looked every blade of grass was in place. Everything looked clean and tidy throughout Austria.
The Italian / Austrian border security kept busier than at other crossings. Senior security officials were accompanied by trainees. Or we'd see two trainees together feeling residual effects of authority they'd been entrusted with. There were repeated changes in security personal throughout that day. Even cleaning women boarded the train at one station and left their task at the next stop on rotating shifts. It was a busy and distracting ride.
As dusk approached our tracks seemed to travel through the lowlands. The hillsides on both sides seemed filled first with villages at intervals, then towns not so far apart and finally connecting suburbs. In these last hours I noted outdoor Christmas trees. I decided to occupy myself by scanning the scene and counting them. Only a scant few had colored lights. We eventually turned off our compartment lighting and settled into counting well over several dozen of these holiday trees along the route into Vienna. There were many train tunnels to travel through as we approached Vienna.
It was a dark bone-chilling wind swept dreary night in Vienna, Austria. We had taken a taxi from the train station and found ourselves standing before an imposing old gray stone structure from centuries passed called Hotel Residenz.
This large ancient University of Vienna-owned building was located at a corner in an old neighborhood. The street light at the corner was burned out. So it was a shadowy dark and deserted street.
Our cab with its driver, Ray and I were the only signs of life around. There was little in view to indicate we had found the right address. After a closer search around the huge wooden doorway entrance we found a push button bell in the wall with a plaque under it indicating that we must ring and leave a voice message.
After what seemed like a long anxious wait a faint metallic sounding male voice response through a small hidden speaker repeating back to us : " Ah, Freese is hier. "
It seemed another long wait in the bitter cold. We could hear footsteps coming down the last flight of stairs.
An elderly man appeared at the huge heavy wooden door. As it opened we noticed he carried a flashlight.
Entering a large open lobby we veered to the right and followed the man up a wide stairway. The stairs had a welcome solid sturdy wood and metal hand railing. The steps had been built many years ago with pockets of wear evident at each step. It was black around us except up ahead from the beam of the man's flashlight.
I trailed behind the men up the steps with Ray blocking the light. It was as ice cold inside that building on that damp, musty, dusty and draft swept stairs as it was waiting outside to be let in.
We reached our level where the pension area was located and made two left turns into a small hall where there was a sign-in station, which this man tended.
Being led to our room down a narrow carpetted hallway every step creaked of each one of us walking to our assigned room. It would be impossible for even a cat to walk in or out of the place without notice.
We were assigned a large room with two huge high windows and a very high ceiling. There was a narrow hallway which led to the bathroom within this suite. The bathroom was rather compact the only truly warm space with its hot water radiator heat. There were two large wardrobe cabinets; a double bed and matching bed tables on which were big lamps; a small table covered with cloth and four chairs; an upholstered chaise lounge; a small refrigerator sitting on the floor filled with drinks and a black and white television on top of it.
It had been a long day.
The drapes didn't close tightly and were made of a loose weave. I found myself in the corner between the two windows putting on several layers of bed clothes. The feather beds didn't cover the full width of the space we would occupy and the antique bed was not too comfortable with its mighty thin mattress.
On an upper floor of this old building there was less street noise surrounding us in this old neighborhood.
Every time I'd wake up during the nights on this trip, I would make it a point to turn the hand washed garments around or hang them elsewhere in order to hasten the drying. I am a light sleeper. I could assume that I might have woke up more often in order to keep track of the hand washed clothes. We didn't want to pack damp clothes. Some of the clothes would have been damp yet had I not got up and turned them over more than once through the night. But that's something that women tend to tune in to, anyway.
At breakfast a young man and woman worked around the breakfast area. Food was spread out carefully and counted out for a specific number of people. We were the only ones to eat at the early seating. We were constantly serenaded by the deep-throated cooing of a flock of roosting pigeons. The smell of the stairway kept coming back to haunt me at that breakfast. I believe the pigeons may have had access to it, also.
Vienna is very much in touch with its ancient history. This city celebrates and memorializes its history no matter what happens to be the resulting significance or sacrifice.
Austria is a Catholic country. Conquerors, occupiers as well as Vienna's beloved sons and daughters are honored in grand fashion. Streets, buildings and public parks are named after an endless parade of noteworthy notables out of its past.
There was an abundance of royalty in the region. Royal buildings throughout the city are covered with a mustard yellow coat of paint supposedly chosen to represent gold in order to distinguish them at a glance. Empress Maria Teresa out of the past gets a lion's share of attention with her unique lifestyle and a colorful reign. Each of the children, said to be born to Empress Maria Teresa, had been pox marked from small pox. All such blemishes had to be omitted from the two family portraits. Along with the birth of each child to the Empress Maria Teresa there was built an additional five rooms and five servants. These were given into the exclusive service of the brand new off-spring. Much of what's known about royalty of the past was craftily determined and shaped by the attending ministers and/or their personal advisors.
The sixteen children Empress Maria Teresa "supposedly gave birth to" were at times determined by a need to present "Her Highness" with a baby boy or a healthy living infant. Historical reality was determined by a clever but sometimes devoted and/or devious soul. Royalty of the region flourished with riches acquired from their control of gold and silver mines. France was the only European community at that time in history not to be controlled by royalty.
One of the largest statues I've ever seen was erected to honor the Russian soldier occupiers staying a while most recently in the region. It's to forever stand vigil there.
A recent law is in effect out of current economic need. Austria's present day politics recognizes an influx of unemployed foreigners. It states that only foreigners are allowed to sell newspapers. So no Austrian may sell the daily news sheets.
The layered approach to the chilling winds was appropriate clothing for our two nights stay. It was ice cold for the most part. Many folks wore coats made of woolen blanket material. Russian styled fur hats were popular on both men and women in Vienna. Young women from Milan to Venice and Vienna all looked trendy in their winter tights. They would wear mini-skirt length sweaters over them or what looked like a trendy tall man's sweat shirt that hit a similar hem length. Fashion boots of all descriptions were worn by women of all ages.
One fascinating thing about our bus tour of the summer palace of the Empress Maria Teresa on our three hour tour of Vienna was the bone chilling cold that followed us inside of the walls of that huge edifice. Only one or two interior rooms were less than ice cold !
Leaving the tour we found a grocery store and bought food for our supper as well as enough to carry along with us for lunch the next day on the train. We left with our groceries to find a taxi stand, as it was getting to be a bit colder than just bone chilling at that point. We spotted a taxi stand and crossed into a triangular median. As I stepped up the curb my orthopedic shoe didn't clear the curb. So I was propelled forward landing on the cobblestone median. My right gloved hand reached out and bent all four fingers backwards. It really hurt. I grabbed those fingers with my left hand and pushed them back into place. Ray helped me up and across the street. We entered a taxi not far away. My hand was mighty sore. I felt dizzy. Once in the cab I felt nauseous as the driver's smoke filled up all available space. There was barely enough air to breathe. We got to our pension and up the ice cold stairwell. I held tight to the railing with my left hand huffing and puffing all the way up to our floor. The damp chill of the building's stairway reaked of mildew. Our room's small refrigerator / freezer used for drinks to add to the bill helped Ray get me some ice cubes to wrap in a towel. I wore my glove to bed to hold my fingers stiff through the night. I woke with throbbing fingers several hours later. A couple of days later I borrowed Ray's glove to wear overnight as my hand was too swollen to fit in my own glove.
Our taxi ride from Pension Residenz was in our first smoke free cab. It was a most welcome plus with which to start our day.
The Austrian countryside is truly a continuum of awesome displays of natures beauty at its most elevated heights. The attractiveness of and / or the vastness of the tidy landscapes is a marvelous reality. Our planet earth still manages to preserve vast expanses of rare beauty with or without the existence of man.
Arriving in Salzburg our pension was located on the far distant outskirts . . . a rural area. Our huge bedroom windows over looked the Salzburg mountain, which one might have gazed upon at the movies. In the opening moments of the Sound of Music, Julie Andrews (the actress), dashes about singing full voiced joyfully in celebration of life. She sings while on the high plains of Salzburg Mountain. It was indeed an extraordinary, imposing and spectacular panoramic view out of our bedroom window.
Looking out of a small alcove window, near an upstairs landing by our bedroom at the front of the house, overlooking it at a far distance, was an enormously high impressively long rocky mesa jutting up from the wide valley floor. It had belonged to and been built upon by a most controversial arch bishop out of the distant past. We plan to go there for the day next summer in a rental car from an apartment in Munich to catch the 2 : 00 p.m. Sound of Music tour. We highly recommend to all the pension, the view and the lovely lady proprietor who treated us so graciously. Even the restaurant in a nearby village was exceptionally good eating.
As it was raining the next morning, we took a taxi back to the train station from the rural residence called Pension Oberdosen.
Our day on the train was met with droplets on the train compartment's window. We wondered how the snapshots would turn out. Most of the moister landed on the south side of our train as we traveled east northeast.
The Alpenblick Hotel in Fussen had a lovely view from its front entrance. Although we arrived in a dense fog near dusk. The hotel had a restaurant within which proved a welcome relief. We plan to go to Fussen also next summer to take in a special castle tour from which the Disney Castle trademark was originally sketched. I was just about totally "kaput". The conveniences at this hotel were a big plus for me.
At breakfast the next morning the beauty of the alpine setting was clearly discernible through the restaurant's large window facing south.
Leaving from the Alpenblick Hotel by taxi again, our driver still in hair curlers, drove us to the train station to catch the I.C.E. (InterCityExpress) train to Frankfurt. She drove a smoke free cab, too. We'd made train seat reservations to insure smoke free seating on this most modern and fastest of the rail system trains.
Upon boarding we found a business man to have already occupied our seats with his briefcase open ready to file some reports. Ray showed him our reservation document. The man couldn't produce any papers. Through further conversation we learned that this man's sister had married a fellow whose surname was Fries from the Fries Islands of Germany. So it is a small world after all ! Ray gave him a business card.
Though the rain increased to intermittent drizzle throughout the day, the I.C.E. train was a most comfortable one. Ray had ventured out into the morning drizzle from the train station at Fussen to buy our lunch supplies for on the train. He also purchased a cloth tote bag which pictured a frog and turtle in a pleasing relationship proclaiming to all who can read German, SCHUTZT UNSERE UMWELT (Protect Our Earth). Ray got me some hot tea from the dining car later. Even the lavitories were found to be nice and clean on this train.
It proved to be a long day. The Austrian look was still with us throughout most of our days travel. As we rode closer to Frankfurt coming from the east northeast, the ball domed Eastern Orthodox Church spires suddenly dropped out of sight. The last hour or so was in the midst of the industrial suburbs of Frankfurt. Arriving in Frankfurt in the dark of night, we left the platform and went down a many steps stairwell into a trash littered / graffiti covered hallway which proved otherwise deserted. We pressed through a broken down doorway into the street. About a half a block further on we entered the same hotel in which we stayed overnight at in '89 and '91.
The rooms must all look exactly alike in that part of the hotel where travelers are given lodging. There is an apartment rental portion to the Hotel as well. The rooms are compact with only the barest essentials. The only frill was a chocolate mint on each pillow. Being winter with its windows and doors shut the night emissions from nearby industrial pollution did not disturb my sleep. The large window at the exterior end of the room chilled out the meager amount of heat that was let into our room. The feather beds, as we often encountered, didn't cover the full top surface of the beds.
We were obliged to find a small restaurant on the same block by taking two left turns before entering at a corner. The place was mainly a tavern. But we had meatloaf, creamed thin sliced potatoes and green beans which were surprisingly good. The interior of the place would have turned us away even in the day time. But it was ice cold outside and the restaurant was open. It had crude signs around and the names of the drinks were vulgar. Their sign to the restroom read : Pee Pee Weg.
Since we were obliged to leave our hotel by 5:30 a.m. the next morning,we couldn't partake of the breakfast that comes with the night's lodging. We had been signed into the same room that some previous guest had occupied. We were the only travelers signed into the hotel that night.
We ate breakfast at a restaurant in the airport. We bought two double decks of playing cards and one German language Uno game. I bought a Germany pin before boarding a train to the Frankfurt Airport. Our trip to the Frankfurt Airport was confused by a lack of clearly marked and stated signs and departure information on their giant sized message boards. We did find a track at which trains left every twenty minutes. We went through security with long metal prods going up and down us at various angles as each person passed through into a waiting room.
In the waiting room there were a wide cross section of world wide travelers waiting to take the flight to Chicago. I felt fairly well spent and ready to break away from our routine of daily train travel.
The movie Far and Away was a highlight of the trip back to Chicago. It featured the story of a young immigrant couple, who found the need to leave their homeland and travel to a new life in America. The setting was in the earliest moments of history with settlers swarming to the new land.
Before landing an in flight video prepared us for the details of the expected routine of our customs security check procedures at the Chicago Airport. It was given in both English and German. Absolutely no part of the video proved to be true. There was no order to the chaos we encountered upon landing in Chicago. We landed amongst 300 to 400 other travelers within minutes of each other whom needed to be processed through.
On our trip home from Chicago to St. Louis there was an in plane phone service telephone staring at Ray attached to the back of the seat in front of him. One uses your own credit card to make the call. So he decided to make his first ever in flight call home. Tim was given the information concerning our expected arrival.
A light snow fall that the pilot advised us about was anticipated to be happening at the time of our landing. It turned into a blowing snow storm with ice glazing over our windshield by the time we'd reached the Foristell exit. Tim parked along the North Outer Road. Many other car had to stop because of glazed over windshields. Ray scraped off a bit of ice and drove the rest of the way from Highway T to Foristell Road and then down Freese Lane to our house. Home at last !
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