There is a lot to report.
After ending up in Brussels we had a day off and a decent hotel. While there, looking down we noticed thousands of scouts, many singing or chanting on their way to the train station. There was a huge hole in the sidewalk where there was construction going on and it looked like the throng would force one of the scouts to fall in. So we went down and fixed the barricade, doing our good deed for the day. Tim heard somewhere there would be a 100,000 scouts at their camp and I think we saw most of them.
The train from Brussels to Köln (Cologne) was quiet, smooth and comfortable. Trains leave on time and mostly arrive on time, except Italy, where they seem much more relaxed about time.
It is such a bother changing trains for Tim. He has so many posters that it is always a challenge, getting the bags off, loading them on the trolley and then finding the next train, and reversing the process. But he has done it so many times it is just part of the deal.
Got to Mannheim late and went straight to the show. Tim warned me it might be the toughest place in terms of police and other sellers. He said it should be OK but he made me wonder if this might be a night where the authorities and I would have a chat.
He took off to try to find a place to stash the posters and I started looking for a ticket. It is so strange to go the arena, without a ticket, but almost always coming up with one. Tonight would be no exception.
After talking to a few people who wanted face value I turned and started walking towards the other entrance. In seconds I spotted a lady who was holding a ticket in her hand and she quickly spotted me and we started to speak. She told me her friend cancelled at the last minute and she wanted to sell a 70 euro ticket for 50.
My normal idea is to pay no more than 40, so I asked if it was a good ticket. She said yes, front row. I had a look and could not tell for sure but it did say the front row of section 101 so I thought it would at least be the front row of something.
I paid her 40 and said I would see her inside. Sure enough 101 was in the very front, on the floor, and I just kept walking until I was at the front row. I could not believe my good fortune. Sitting in the next seat, the lady I bought the ticket from, was Lis. We had a very nice conversation during the show. I was as interested in talking with her as the show but it was an incredible show. The front row is very nice and I can safely recommend it.
So I told her I needed to leave the show a bit early to sell posters but that I would like to buy her a drink. I thought it would be too late that night but she said no, it was a holiday the next day and tonight was very special, witches night.
She said she lived in Heidleburg and we could go there, climb a mountain with other people and have an interesting sight. Little did I know. Climbing the mountain sounded like a bad idea but I thought there was a chance for romance, not to mention a night without a hotel bill.
So Tim, Lis and I piled into her Volkswagon convertible and headed to Heidleburg. Lis explained that witches night is a 2000 year old tradition and Tim, who is a student of history, said it could not be 2000 years. So after a bit of discussion I suggested we agree to disagree and then got to Lis´s house.
It was a huge house that has her office on the ground floor, she is an attorney, and then her living area on the 2nd floor with another apartment for her neice on the 3rd. It was wild. Huge ceilings, porches, hardwood floors - maybe original and a feeling of elegance. She had an entire wall filled with books and I thought this is a lady who likes to read and is intelligent.
As she changed to her hiking boots I tried to learn a bit more about what was coming but all she said was that many people, especially the yooung, do this every April 30th and on the top of the mountain was a structure built by the Nazis. I never understood why it was built but at this point I was just trying to survive the climb.
She said it would take 30 minutes but I slowed us down. It was dark, very dark even though there was almost a full moon. The trees were so dense the light could not make it to our trail. I just tried to follow and not kill myself be going off the side or tripping and going head first into the ground. A heart attack was also a concern.
There were thousands of people. Some coming down, most going up. After a long, ardous climb we reached the top and my jaw dropped. On the other side of the Nazi building (Lis said there had been discussions about removing it but the decision was made to leave it) was a grass amphitheatre. It was filled with people, many torches, everyone drinking and having a very good time. Occasionally fireworks would go into the night and the crowd would roar its approval. There were people who pounded on drums giving an overall feeling of some sort of tribal happening. You could almost feel the spirits.
It was a sight unlike anything I had ever seen and I stood mesmerized. Also Lis and I were becoming more friendly and I thought this is really an amazing evening. We shared a bottle of wine and after an hour or so, started back down. There were people everywhere.
Different clumps of people would gather in different spots with a guitar trying to play by torch or candle. We stopped at one and I tried to make out what they were playing/singing. Then I recognized the song - Country Road by John Denver. I thought well that is perfect. A German mountain at 2 in the morning, on witches night and they are singing about West Virginia. Still can`t quite believe it.
After continuing down a bit Lis led us off the main path and onto a smaller one. She wanted us to see the old town of Heidleburg and the castle. It was a spectacular view and it seemed as though the mountain was alive. We finally made it back to the house and I thought how nice that the German and English person were talking about their history and leaving the US out of it. It can get very tiresome trying to explain our policies and actions. It was nice to hear about some older conflicts and not our current state of affairs.
We all collapsed and the next morning, Tim headed off to Leipzig - I thought. Liz made a great breakfast on her porch and then went to visit her 92 year old mother in Spreyer, the town where Lis was born. She showed me the cathedral where German emperors were crowned and then buried. It was quite impressive, especially since it was built in 30 years. Many of the other churches I have seen have taken centuries to build so 30 years is pretty quick.
We then went to her mothers home and had a very nice visit. She spoke some English and seemed very happy to see both Lis and me. After returning to Heidleburg we went to a charming little French restaurant where I had the best meal of my trip. Of couse most of the other meals have been sandwiches on trains so it isn´t saying that much, but it was very nice.
Even though it was late and we were both tired, Lis insisted we visit the castle. It was beautiful at night. Sitting on a hill overlooking the old town, but wrecked by the French several centuries ago.
She dropped me at the train station before returning to work and I thought how fortunate I have been. 1st to make the trip, then to see some amazing music and then all of the people I have met. It has been wonderful.
So I am on the train - Heidleburg to Mannheim - Mannheim to Frankfurt and I am trying to send a text to Tim so we can meet in Leipzig. I thought it had gone through but since I had about 30 minutes between trains I went to look for an internet cafe. Found one, checked my messages and then sent Tim an email.
Headed back into the station and started for the track to Leipzig. As I am walking I look to my right and guess who was there. Tim. We keep bumping into each other. He had stayed in Frankfurt intending to go over to Leipzig in the afternoon. He did not receive my text but got the email and was rushing over to meet me on the train. It is not that strange, I guess, but it kind of throws me to have people everywhere and by some chance, bumping into him again.
What a time - started in Brussels, on to Mannheim and then Heidleburg. It will be hard to forget these days.
On to Leipzig but that will have to wait. Heading to Berlin in a bit. Oh and Lis is coming to Berlin. Seems she cannot get enough of me. Go figure.
More later.....
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