STETTIN HIMMELFAHRT SERVICE
Today Heinrich and Elke did had two very low key activities planned, the kind of things that happen everyday in Winsen but seem very special to a visitor. In Winsen these traditional celebrations are often hundreds of years old, in Swannanoa traditional events such as Bele Chere, a celebration of Asheville, last ten years and then vanish. The first activity was to go to the Acension Day, the ascension of Jesus into heaven after his crucifixion and resurrection which I think is celebrated more in Germany than the United States.
The service was led by a minister at the edge of a newly planted field of corn with the woods behind us on a clear, sunny morning. There were about 30 people in attendance, all older people, many of whom had ridden from nearby villages on their bicycles. I almost never see a person in their 70’s or 80’s riding a bicycle in Western North Carolina except for Irv, who rode his bicycle in Marshall and Tom Showalter in my Friday old man’s McDonalds group who often, early in the morning, rides his bicycle a dozen miles up toward Mount Mitchell on the Blue Ridge Parkway. But both men were doing something that no one else their age would dream of doing. Here in Winsen older people ride their bicycles on well defined bike paths to the bakery in the morning and to the grocery store and in this case to a church service.
The service was in German and I could understand most of it. The hymns were led by the Posnanen Chor of Winsen, a brass band of trumpets and trombones. It was a beautiful service, with birds tweeting all around us.
Then in the afternoon Elke drove Heinrich and me to Gut Sunder, a country hotel and cafe in the woods by several ponds not far from Winsen. Here we had bratwurst and potato salad and apple juice in an outdoor cafe under huge trees with every table taken as people from Celle came to relax and take walks in the wood.
BILLYBABA’S WANDERING 