Koln, Osnabruck, New Relatives

Hello from Frankfurt! We leave for home tomorrow morning, Aug. 10 at 10 a.m. and arrive in Chicago Aug. 10 at 10:30 a.m. We regain all the time we lost.

I tried to upload some pictures but got an error message so I am going to write this blog and then try to post some pictures on the next blog.

We got up early on Friday, Aug. 6, took the train for a two hour ride south along the Rhine River to Bingin. At Bingin we boarded a slow sailing river boat loaded with about 200-300 tourists, full bar and restaurant, and occasional explanations about the many castles along the river. We slowly road the boat north, back towards Cologne (the German version is Koln and there are two dots over the "o".) It was a bit windy and chilly on the observation deck but the view was spectactular. There were numerous castles on both sides of the river. What was amazing was the agriculture and vineyards that was on very steep hills. I cannot imagine how a farmer could possibly plow, plant, and cultivate on such steep hills. It reminded me of the hilly streets in San Francisco. I saw a large tractor driving on one of the farms and it sure looked like it should just roll down the hill.

In addition to the castles, there were many small towns and villages that looked just like postcard pictures. We rode the boat to the village of Koblenz and then had a long walk to the train station. I have never walked so much. I wish I would have been keeping track of steps. I feel like I should be up to at least 100,000 steps by now.

From Koblenz we road another train back to Koln. Then we boarded another train for Osnabruck. We arrived there about 9 p.m. So, in one day, we took four trips by train or boat which was all part of our Eurorail pass-we didn't pay any extra for all those trips. Yes, the Eurorail pass included the boat trip. Without the pass, it would have cost $28 euros. The exchange rate was about one euro equaling about $1.14 of our dollars. Basically, things cost more in Euros than in dollars. Not good for the American travelor right now.

I called to check on our hotel in Osnabruck, got someone on the phone who didn't speak English but was able to tell us we had been moved to another hotel because of an "accident." Did the hotel burn down, get robbed? When we checked in we were told that the bed had broken at the other hotel. Of course, my imagination went wild on that one. The new hotel was ok; it was kind of like a bed and breakfast. It was not spacious but clean.

Saturday morning we were picked up by Udo Hartwig, our second cousin. I have been emailing him for a couple months. We had exchanged pictures so we knew each other immediately. Udo is 44, owns his own kitchen installation business with a partner. It is very high end stuff. He took us on a tour of his showroom. We saw some really neat cabinets and lots of "extras" that I have never seen in America. I imagine these things exist but not on our budget. He showed us a sink that resists water-hard to explain-you'd have to see it. There were also some incredible dishwashers, appliances, etc. that I haven't seen either. Udo and his partner are very hard workers-and also very creative and excellent businessmen. They have monthly cooking events just for fun but it gets people into the showroom and generates lots of business just by word of mouth.

We next went to his brother Uwe's house and met Uwe and his wife Susanna who is originally from Sweden. I took pictures of their fire pit" and sauna. Again, nothing like I have ever seen in America. Susanna said it was like what they have in Sweden.

We then went to Udo's parents' house where we were overcome with kindness and effort made for our visit. They had an Indiana flag hanging out front, American flag banners and red, white, and blue baloons. They also decorated the garden with small American flags. In addition, they invited many relatives over for a huge cook out. It was absolutely fabulous. We met Udo's wife, two children, three brothers and their spouses or girlfriends, Otto Hartwig, who is Robert Hartwigs brother and also the son of Albert Hartwig. Albert was the brother of our grandmother, Julia Hartwig. What really stuck out for me was how much Robert reminded me of Julia. He had those crystal clear blue eyes, the same nose, simlar hardworking hands, and the nicest smile. We went to the back yard after lunch and were serenaded by Robert's wife who plays the accordian. She is the youngest lookihg 81 year old I have ever seen. She was a professional seamstress and quite the fashionable dresser.

Then we went back inside to the most fantastic dessert spread I have ever seen. I admit to drinking my share of wine and beer and of course, I had to try most of the different desserts.

On Sunday, we went to an outdoor museum where historic buildings from the area have been reassembled. It is similar to Conner Prairie in Indiana but the exhibits were much older. It was very impressive.

Finally, Robert took us all to dinner at the Road House. It is a restaurant that is themed after the American old west. It was outstanding. It was the first time since we have been in Europe that we were served very large portions. The three of us were kind of craving a good old hamburger but never expected to get a hamburger that had to be over half a pound of meat.

After dinner we had to say our good-byes. It was very hard to say good bye. Meeting our new relatives could not have been more perfect. We hope that we will be able to repay their hospitality in America some day. We talked about the four Harwig brothers coming to America and our husbands could take them to the Indy 500. These Hartwig brothers are daring, risk-takers, hard working, beer drinking guys who like to have a good time. On Aug. 6, two of them competed in a motorcross race and came in 2nd out of 40 teams. Olaf and his girlfriend arrived Sunday on his 1974 BMW motorcycle fully dressed from head to toe in black leather. What do you think about that, Wes?

That brings me to today. We were able to sleep in, took a taxi to the train station for a 4 hour trip to Frankfurt. As I was stepping off the train, my right foot slipped and I almost fell onto the tracks. Boy did my fall create a quick stir. The train was only making a quick stop so luckily, the only thing badly bruised was my pride. I do have a nice bruise on my left forearm. The train station is at the airport and our hotel is at the airport so all was convenient. For some reason, our luggage has expanded. So much so, that I had to get a cart to carry it all. On the train, we sat in the club car for the last part of the journey. Peggy dropped something which spilled her glass of beer all over my lap. So there we were in the airport trying to figure out how to get to our hotel. I smelled like a brewery and I am sure we looked a bit worn out. We were able to catch the shuttle to our hotel and met the nicest guy who was originally from Turkey. He has personality plus and was just the kind of pleasant person we needed at that moment. That kind of sums up this trip. We have met the kindest, most helpful people in every country. So many strangers have stepped up to help when we must have looked pathetic. We have had some really funny moments and I look forward to putting together a slide show and possibly some kind of book in hopes of capturing all the memories of this incredible journey.

I am going to quit writing, take a shower, and get ready to come home. I am ready! I have been gone 21 days! I miss Pat, Mick Jagger, and my bed! I miss my kids, my relatives, my friends. I miss being able to talk to people, white toilet paper, American money, Wendy's frosties, driving, and American TV! I have not seen any of my shows for 3 weeks. I don't even know what happened on the Bachelorette! So, this is it! The end of my blog! Sleep tight!

Sandy