To-From Basel;

I have no idea what day of the trip this is: all I know is that we just yesterday said our good-byes to new friends, promises to try to keep in touch, visits, etc.. got the taxi to the Bahnhof, took the train up to Mannheim, met Margit Wingerter, got the rental car, and followed her to her home in Deidesheim. Jorg met us. What a time we had with them in their home! We had so many fun rememberences, read the scrap book entrees w newspaper clippings and photos (all in the local Kirchberg paper about the new tennis team..) and had a wonderful evening. Got up kind of late because all we,ve done lately it seems is drink more wine, and had a fun breakfast. Jorg and I walked about 200 yds to the local bakery, bought some fresh bread stuffs and vegetables, and walked back to their house. They have such a healthy lifestyle over here which is good because they are truly taxed to death!! Unbelievable what taxes they have to pay!
Anyway, what fun it was to see them again and have such a good time. We then headed up to Kirchberg and that is where we are now.
Kind of a tearful reunion w Gerlinde. We just hugged, and I told her in German how sorry I am that I am too late, and we shared some tears then and there. She is a really fun and great lady. We have become settled, had some coffee and torte, then went for a long walk. We went to Carsten and Gerlinde´s first house by the tennis courts, and then went to the house where Carsten´s mother Frau Koppke lives. She is 92 and her mind is sharp as ever. She remembers me well, remembers Inger and Ashlez and Erica, and we talked about the old days IN DETAIL! We remembers my 2 matches w Jorg, the one that I won and the one I lost, and we had a great time. For the life of me I do not know where my German speech is coming from, but we talked quite a while with Gerlinde as a helper now and then. She enjoyed meeting Susan, and it was quite an experience. She is a gracious elderlz lady, has a sharp memory about lots of things over the last 60 years or so, and she is quite interesting. A world traveler for sure.
Walked back to Gerlinde´s house, she cooked up a fantastic dinner, more wine, and now I´m struggling to type some blog stuff on an European computerö the keyboard is quite different in several respects..
But, now, to bed. Tomorrow another team mate from the olden days comes and we will tour the area. There is a completely new autobahn that connects the old Flugplatz Hahn with the Rhine autobahn, and it by-passes Simmern, Kirchberg, and even Beuchenbeuren. There are now wind turbines all over the landscape of the old Huhnsruck and of course I do not like it one bit. And there you go. I should have returned many years ago. love to all, DAD