FAMILY
Here it comes again, another transition. This trip has been full of transitions. To Athens, then Naousa, then Athens again, then Aschaffenburg, then Winsen all with new and interesting people and old friends. Each dislocation brings something new. And so far no unresolvable problems.
Tomorrow I have 4-7 minutes between when my bus is supposed to arrive at the Bahnhof and when the train to Hannover airport leaves at 6:48 in the morning. So that might be my first test.
But before I transition, I had one more very good weekend because I was included in a Mangels family weekend gathering with Oma Elke, the matriarch of the family, and Opa Heinrich, the patriarch, presiding at the end of the big family table.
Sunday dinner centered on Opa‘s grunkohl, a mysterious green purée poured over boiled potatoes,
which everyone agreed was much better than restaurant grunkohl along with a gourmet discussion of the qualities of various kinds of wurst.
Each night‘s meal of small squares of bread topped with wurst and various kinds of cheese, was followed by playing Skipbo into the evening, the luck game which I was able to win one more time.
Germany was a family visit, Kathe‘s family and Elke‘s family, and that was the center of our German experience.
It was a chance to tighten family ties, even without Kathe being here. Kathe was the center of these family ties and still is.
In addition Susie and I were able to ride around north Germany and to get the feel of being in Germany again in places connected with Kathe or where we had been with her.
So the photographs today are all family photographs. It has been a really good time.
Torger
BILLYBABA’S WANDERING 