Undated: Early Feb

 Dear Mom and Dad et al.,

           I am here for almost four days now and, as I think you guys are probably interested to know what it's like to live in a castle in a small village in Germany, I will tell you what my life is like here. The most prominent factor, since it is always present, is of course the cold. It's literally colder inside the castle than outside! This morning Jean Christof (the guy from Switzerland) and I went across the street to a farmer to fetch fresh squeezed milk for breakfast. It was very agreeable outside like a spring morning. And I was very surprised because it has seemed so cold from inside the castle. I was rather skeptical when for Frau Von Halem said I'd get used to the cold especially since 76 degrees is the perfect temperature for me. Remember I'm the one who so many times spent the night directly above the wood stove duct with yet a sheet draped over me! But I see it happening already! I find the cold air very refreshing and I didn't grow tired until it's that time of the night.

           Yesterday a girl came from near Dusseldorf, her name's Sylvia. She stays for three weeks to determine whether or not she wants to take a relatively permanent position here in the castle as “Hauswirtshchaftmeisterin.” That means she'd oversee the domestic needs of the castle, such as food, linens and other such hotel related needs. We had an immediate liking for one another. She's very sporty, about 5’2, has very bad acne, thick glasses, very smart, eats very healthy: somewhat of a geek like me. I think we'll get along well.

           Last night Frau and Herr Von Halem, Jean Christof, Sylvia and I drove to work Berg. The Von Halems went to a musical performance and we three youngsters went to the cinema. There was a French movie dubbed into German. The first movie I've dared to see only in German. I'm very happy to say that while I didn't understand every single word, I definitely knew what was going on the whole time. And that was upon Marina’s recommendation. She said to me it's better not to see movies in English with German subtitles or vice versa because then one always tries to translate it into his native language. Better to not understand every single word but at least think in German all the time. Upon reflection, she's right, I'm sure. I can't wait until that first dream in German. Several people have told me that when you begin to dream in that other language then you've reached the point of fluency. In a couple of weeks, or a month, I'll be there.

           The daily schedule goes as follows: up at 7:30 to prepare myself for breakfast at eight. I always take a few minutes to straighten up my room. I can imagine living here is really going to teach me the art of living neatly. Yes, I know it's almost impossible to imagine, but when I see the condition of the rest of the place, I feel obligated to be neat. From 9 ‘til 1 we work (cleaning rooms corridors cooking etc.) at one is lunch, the main course of the day. After lunch we clean up our lunch mess and then we have the rest of the day free. I find it's not so difficult to fill my free time as I'd imagined. There are always books to read the Von Halem’s have shelves upon shelves upon shelves of books. Lots of writing, studying German, running when I run now it's at least one hour. This afternoon Sylvia and Jean Christof and I drove to Gerolshofen (Silvia has a car) and went swimming. Then to the market to buy veggies for a dinner party tomorrow night, then to a pub to drink hot chocolate. Back to the castle at 7 to eat dinner. All three of us were starving after our swim. It feels so good to have exercised a lot and then sit around the big table eating good food and having good conversation! In a castle! You can't imagine how good it feels to be here!

           Here's a funny thing: just outside of my window across the street is a Gasthaus a small family-owned hostel with a room downstairs to order small meals and drinks. It's called Gasthaus Zur Sonne direct translation Gasthaus to the Sun anyway since I've been here I don't think I've seen the sun at all. So when I look outside my window I see rain, or at least a cloudy day, and in big letters Gasthaus Zur Sonne ironic huh? The three of us youngsters went there tonight to drink beer that's brewed 7 kilometres away in Volkach. The wirtin or owner the “in” means it's a she came to speak with us. Very friendly. Speaks very good English, as she has a sister who runs a German restaurant in Colorado. She read our palms, even. I will live to about 85 have one boy and one girl and one marriage (that last part I knew already but I don't think I want to live to 85.) All in all a very good day today. Of course!

           I find Frau Von Halem very agreeable. At first I was a little anxious because she reminded me of Mrs. Wagster, my 11th-grade trig teacher ugh, but she's in no position to grade me, etc. It's a completely different relationship. She's not doing this to make slaves out of us. We do some work although it's nothing strenuous or too trying, and she wants us to learn German. I find it's a wonderful exchange.

           Today is Thursday; Saturday I travel to Frankfurt by bus and by train. Overnight in Frankfurt at the youth hostel and then meet Scott early Sunday morning.

           My life right now is such that I look forward to every coming day because I learn so much and I feel very good. I'm doing something most people will never do in their lives. It's exciting, fulfilling; I just hope I can live the rest of my life with such feelings of fulfillment!

Wednesday 19 February

           Unfortunately, I can not much write tonight, but I must one thing that happened tonight record. For a couple of nights, a Japanese couple is staying here. This couple lived here for years (yes in Zeilitzheim) and have come for a visit. Tonight, they cooked a wonderful dinner that had many courses and lasted hours. Anyway, of course there was much conversation. At one point the Japanese man said something I don't remember exactly what and, for the first time, I think, I didn't try to translate it into my language. My brain was completely in the German mode and it all registered in German. Very exciting for me! Morgan I write more.

Sunday 23 February

           I think I could write books about my adventures here in Deutschland since I've last written! Where to start? I guess with my travel to Frankfurt on Saturday. Or actually the dinner party Friday night. The Van Halem’s had about 10 friends over for dinner. We (Jean Christof and Sylvia and I) cooked and prepared things all day. Around 8:30 we ate and all was very good and very formal and the people were fun to talk to. The dinner and dessert and conversation lasted until almost midnight. Wonderful!

Saturday, I traveled to Frankfurt, first by auto, then by bus, then by train. That's how remote Zeilitzheim is! It was a very long walk to the youth hostel but beautiful, as I walked along the river the main, and it was a relatively warm evening. I checked into the hostel and then went out to find some dinner. The hostel lies in Sachsen-Hausen, a well-known area of Frankfurt. It's an area comprising about four square blocks of restaurants, cafes and bars and it's completely traffic-free, the buildings are relatively old and the streets are cobblestone. Really a neat area. As this was Saturday evening it was full of people, had a great atmosphere and I was so happy to be there. After much seeking I found a characteristically German restaurant that was affordable and offered food (nothing dead) I could eat. Directly inside the door I met 4 Englanders who saw I was alone and immediately invited me to eat with them. The atmosphere inside was great! Great, long, wooden tables, very crowded, happy people, and live music. One man was playing synthesizer and accordion music and was singing traditional German songs. But he really didn't need to sing because the people inside knew the music and sang along boisterously. The five of us had a great dinner, drank German beers and had great fun speaking together. They were all around 25 to 30 and were in Frankfurt for some sort of designer furniture and appliance exhibition. Afterwards we walked around Sachsen-Hausen together and finally found a cafe with room to move. We talked some more, had fun together, and I made it back to the youth hostel at literally one minute to midnight, midnight being the curfew. I felt that I felt like Cinderella, on her night away from the castle. Of course, I received addresses in London so I have four more reasons to go to England! Early Sunday morning I got up early to go to the airport. I won't say much about my time with Scott because simply we are too different to get on really fantastically with one another. Don't get me wrong, it was nice to have someone visit me and someone to share things with and we really had fun with one another. But it's a nightmare when a traveler and a tourist travel together. I think you can imagine what I mean. He wanted to stay only in “nice” hotels. “Nice” for me means something very personal, provincial, etc. “Nice” for Scott is something expensive and sterile. But I let him choose because that's what made him happy same for restaurants we visited for the most part and I live here. Later I thought, I can do what I want. But I'm sure he's told you about our three days together. It was actually not bad because we saw a lot.

           Wednesday morning I saw him off around 6:00 AM and then back to work. During breakfast, Frau VonHalem said she was going to Munich for the weekend and said she could take two of us three with. Immediately Jean Christof said he didn't want to go so Sylvia and I said we would. So, Friday morning early we left and reached Munich at 1. We established ourselves at the apartment of a friend of Sylvia and then walked with her (her name's Elfrieda) through the inner city it was so great! I was so happy to be in Munich, there were many people out and about, the architecture was beautiful, and I was seeing every second something beautiful, and it was snowing! That evening we three of us went to see a play by Neil Simon in “Die Kleine Komodie.” I couldn't understand everything of course, but enough to laugh relatively much. Very enjoyable. Saturday back into the city with Silvia to buy a gift for Elfrieda. Beautiful sunny day. Afterwards went to a puppet exhibition and then back to Elfrieda's apartment because I wanted to go running. Ran to the Olympic Park and ran around the park, looking at the architecture fascinating architecture! etc. The run lasted 70 minutes! The amount I run increases every week! Such a good feeling! Then, as both Sylvia and I were hungry I wanted to find a cheap but good and interesting restaurant. We cook so much at the castle that we wanted to go out. The search began at seven. Shortly before nine we finally found an absolutely wonderful Greek restaurant. It was cheap, very comfortable, nice, full of Greeks and live Greek music! We had a wonderful dinner, received afterwards complimentary ouzo, had great conversation of course it's always so with Sylvia. I must later write more about her. We get along perfectly, made friends with our waiter he's Greek but born in Germany and all in all had a great time. Afterwards we wanted to go dancing and asked a few people on the street if there's anything in the area. They all seemed as if they were also visitors and knew nothing. We approached a couple obviously already well underway on their Saturday night partying if you understand what I mean. They invited us to go in a bar and have a drink with them. Of course, we accepted because they seemed very fun. We had much fun with one another afterwards they invited us to go to a party, a private party in a disco. Without them we couldn't have gotten in. Inside it was very full, with interesting people. Many Afrikaners and Turks. Somehow, I began talking to a Munichener, therefore a Bavarian. Not a German! The Bavarians are only Bavarians, not Germans! One must respect their pride for their land! I was amazed to find myself conversing freely with a Bavarian understanding his dialect and also him understanding me! You must try to imagine what a good feeling that is for me! We talked for probably two hours! His dialect was so cute. Bavarian sounds to me like children speaking German. It has a very agreeable sound. About 2:30 we realized the time Sylvia had been speaking with that Turk for about 2 hours or so. She has traveled to Turkey and the guy she spoke with was really a nice sort. A little overweight and shy but friendly. So, the Turkish guy brought us back to Elfrieda's and then straight to bed for us. Sunday, we met Werner at Neve Pinakotek at 1. Werner is the guy I met at the Gerst Haus with his friend and they both of them stayed in our house overnight. We walked around the NP or (Art Museum) for an hour or so and then went to a cafe for a coffee. It was so nice to see him again! We spoke only in German, and we were amazed I could understand all and speak so much! Then at four he brought us to our prearranged meeting place to meet with the Von Halem’s and said our goodbyes. As he was in Nashville we had very little time to talk and also that day in Munich but maybe he comes here for a visit to Zeilitzheim. More later.

Tuesday 25 February

The last two days we've been working very hard as tomorrow 14 guests are coming. I think they will be interesting. It's some sort of therapeutic getaway and they've requested carpets for their seminar room instead of tables and chairs because they will be meditating. They stay til Sunday and we must prepare three meals a day. So, it will be a lot of work for us. I don't see how Frau Von Halem can operate the castle in the way she does. I mean, she doesn't have any full-time help. She only relies on us young people and we are not contracted for any set length of time. In fact, it was only two days ago, after I've been here two weeks, that she asked how long I planned to stay! I'm not a worrier, so I understand her, but when there are guests and seminars here, she can't possibly do everything alone! She's got people relying on her!

           Last night we went to a reading from Hesse’s Steppenwolf. It was so powerful for me, finally to be able to understand Hesse in his native language. The entire time I was just absolutely enthralled. I was sitting next to Frau Von Halem. Afterwards she said she thought there at the end she dozed off for a few minutes At that moment, I pitied her for what she missed. Interesting item- the book I told you to try to find about Baron von Richtoven, well BVR is better known as the red Baron immortalized by snoopy! Marina's relationship to him is quite distant though.

           The reason I didn't visit Andreas when I was in Munich is because 1) he was ill and 2) there's so many things to see in Munich and during all the time I spent in Tutzing I really didn't see much of Munich. It was nice to talk to him on the phone, though. I think both of us are more comfortable with things the way they are now. But just because we're not madly in love with each other we still want to see one another. He is a very important person in my life! I wouldn't be here now if not for Andreas. He told me sometime in March he'll come visit me in Zeilitzheim.          

I'll close now as I want to mail this today. The post office here in Zeilitzheim is open for a whole one hour per day from 4 to 5, so I don't have much choice.

Till next time

Julie

Couple more things

1 I hope there was no mail in with the cookies you tried to send because they were confiscated. I blame Scott for that. He's an airline captain, for Christ sakes!? He should know that they're gonna look for things like that!

2 what happened to my sleeping bag?

3 I'd asked Scott to bring along some wines from California, as they are expensive and hard to find here and would make great gifts for people I stay with. He didn't have them, I asked why and he said he forgot. It simply just slipped my mind. Now you wonder why I have to live my life alone and not depend on anyone.

This picture is Sylvia, Herr Von Halem, Frau Von Halem, Julie and I believe Jean Christof. I don't know who took the photograph.