Tuesday, May 7
Hello from Tutzing (still!)! It was last night that I
talked to you on the phone again, being in a much better state than before. I've
been here almost a week now and I know I should be moving on, but it's really
hard. I woke up this morning to a cold, damp, and dreary day and come up, believe it or not, I was happy! It gave me an excuse to stay longer. I could
really use my Patagonia coat right now, as Bavaria doesn't seem to realize that
it's May. Thursday is supposed to be nice (maybe even tomorrow will be) so I
should be gone in a couple of days. Even though I don't want to leave Andreas,
I will go nuts if I stay here. He started another semester yesterday and he's
not around during the day and I don't much like feeling like a lady in waiting.
Not my style. I think I'll head north to Regensburg via Dachau (Concentration
camp). after that, either check Czechoslovakia or Berlin hopefully.
I have to ask you to treat my last letter with a little
more discretion than the others, as it was more like a diary than a letter. I
almost felt bad sending it to you for Andreas' sake, because I didn't know if
he would want me to tell you all that I did. He's a very private person, I'm
sure you can tell. But he can't blame me for wanting to tell my parents that
their little girl has fallen for him. It's the kind of thing parents like to
know (I think), and the kind of thing I like to tell.
One thing I can't forget to mention is Andreas’ mother. She
is really an amazing woman. She's always doing something, and it seems it's
always for the family, not for herself. Every evening there's a gourmet meal,
for the preparation of which she accepts no help. Believe me, I've tried, But
to no avail. Sometimes she doesn't even eat with us, I guess because she ate as
she was cooking or something. Dunno. but she always serves everything, clears
the table, serves dessert, and washes all the dishes. I try every night to help
her clean up, but she always says, “I have time tonight.” After all that, it
seems like she should rest, but no. She usually sews in the evening. Andreas
had given me a shirt to wear which I wore to the dinner table. She told me “I
have also soon (sewn) that shirt.” I began inspecting it and was totally
amazed. The workmanship was impeccable. And what I couldn't understand was why
she made it. It was an unattractive wool checkered shirt that I'm sure you
could find in the store for an inexpensive price. But to look at the shirt
closely you'd think she poured her heart into making it. And then if she's not
cooking or sewing, she's tending to her garden or at work, where she goes to
someone's home and cares for two small children. Every evening at 6:30 she
takes the car and waits for her husband at the train station. She seems to do
all of this unquestioningly, as a matter of course and expects nothing in
return. When I first got here and watched her (in amazement) I found myself
wishing I could be like her. As I see her every day doing the same thing, I
realize there's no way I could be like her. I wouldn't be happy. I guess I'm
too selfish to be so devoted to other people. It's interesting to see how her
husband and her two sons act with this treatment. Since they've always been
given this kind of care, they don't seem to think twice about it or realize
that they should be appreciative. So, even though Andreas has not been spoiled
by money, he has been spoiled by love and attention. She's really had a
profound effect on me and I wish I could tell her but she doesn't speak English
very well. I'm not sure she would understand exactly what I was trying to say.
I've tried to express my feelings about her to Andreas, but he doesn't seem to
understand why I feel the way I do. He's been to America and, being an
intelligent guy, can see the sad state of the American family. But he still
doesn't seem to understand how fortunate he is. Let's let him visit our house
and he can really understand how lucky he is! Just kidding.
Wednesday the 8th
I retract my statement about the weather. Maybe Germany is
finally realizing that it's May. This morning I awoke to discover that the day
was cold but clear. As the day wore on it became increasingly hazy but also
increasingly warm. This is fortunate because I had pretty much decided that I
was going to leave Tutzing regardless of the weather. I rode north from Tutzing
and rode around Munich to the west so as not to have to negotiate the traffic. I
was trying to head for Dachau, where there is a memorial to the Nazi
concentration camp that was there. I had a very difficult time getting there, though,
because the roads aren't marked very well and people’s directions were quite
useless. I ended up going as far west as Olching, and from there went to
Dachau. when I first began researching things to do in Germany I ran across a mention
of Dachau, and the mere mention of the city gave me the creeps because I knew
of its role in the Nazi Holocaust. So today when I was riding into the city it
was a strange feeling to actually be there. I went to the camp and looked at
the barracks and the crematorium. After such a silvering experience I was in a
reflective mood for the 22-kilometer ride to Freising.
Got two Freising and tried to call the Servas host listed in the book. But her
phone number was no longer valid, and information had no record of her. So, I
decided to go to the address listed in the book. It was at Dombery 16. Dombery
Is a neighborhood situated around a Still leading up to the really beautiful
cathedral (dom means cathedral and berg means hill). All of the buildings are old,
and the streets are cobblestoned and narrow, and it was really fascinating just
to walk around. I didn't find my host, so I decided to go hunt down some food
at a cafe. Got a great spaghetti dinner at a student hangout. I was soon joined
by a man looking for a seat, since in Germany if you can't find a free table,
you can just join someone else. His name was Joachim, from Passau. We talked
for a while and then I asked him if he knew any way I could find my Servas
host. Perhaps a student directory, as she is a student. He said it looked
pretty unlikely. Then he said he was working in the dorm for agriculture
students, which has 200 beds, 107 of which are vacant since they're on
vacation. Presto! A place to stay! We picked up my bike (after I called Andreas--you
know, it's been so long since we've seen each other!) And he brought me back to
the dorm to take a shower. Then we went out to a local pub for a beer and had a good conversation. I think, while traveling this way may be a little risky,
it's so interesting because I meet so many people. If worse came to worse
tonight I could have gotten a room at a zimmer (hotel) Or something, but I didn't
want to do that. Now for the sake of money, but because that's the boring way
to travel. I guess I could have gone a little outside of town and found a place
to camp, but I didn't want to leave the city, as I found it very beautiful. It
seems like there are two major categories of cities in Germany: those destroyed
by the war and those not. Freising is a not. Many old buildings and old steep
windy streets through town. And so I was lucky to meet this generous
interesting fellow willing to put me up for the night.
Thursday the 9th
I neglected to mention how nice my ride was yesterday. It
was a beautiful day, and I was happy to be cycling again. Plus, my experience
in Tutzing what's good and it just made me feel like I'm welcome in Germany.
When I'm cycling, my psychological disposition makes a world of difference. If
I don't feel like cycling, it's difficult to do even 50 kilometers. Yesterday I
did 115, more than I've done yet on this trip on any one day. Today I covered
90 kilometers, the last 15 of which were really impossible (I'll explain why
later), and made it to Regensburg at about 9.
This morning I was able to see how beautiful Freising really
is. I was going to leave immediately but Joachim wanted to take me to get
breakfast; how could I resist? We went to an outdoor cafe and had an enjoyable
time, not so much because of the food but because it was a beautiful day and I
enjoyed watching the Father's Day revelers. (It's Father's Day today.) There's
the tradition that on Father's Day the fathers go out together and ride from house
to house in the back of a pickup truck. They obtain beer at each house, which
is the reason they ride in the back of the truck (so they don't have to drive).
The breakfast was good but quite insufficient. Since we didn't eat until about
noon, I had had time to work up a really voracious appetite. When you're
cycling 100 kilometers a day your appetite can be almost inhuman and my
spaghetti dinner the night before had also seemed a little sparse. But I
figured I'd just go buy some food at a grocery store. I didn't realize until I
got on the road (about 1:30) that since today is a holiday (it’s also a religious
holiday-Ascension Day (not sure how religious people in America refer to it)) everything’s
closed. That's the way all of Europe seems to be-- when there's any reason to
close businesses, they do. So, I left Freising hungry and not knowing how I’d obtain
more food. 25 kilometers to the north of Freisins In a small town called
Rudelhausen I discovered a local carnival. I went into the tent and found it
packed with masses of people and large beer maids running around everywhere, at
the far end, at 16-piece band of men (also drinking beer) playing what I have
to assume was German music. There was a definite celebratory mood in the air.
I've discovered that the Germans know how to work very hard; they also know how
to play hard. I managed to find a 250 DM and worth every penny. Pretzel,
listened to the band for a while, wish I knew German so I could talk to the
people, and then went on my way. The pretzel really hadn't even begun to fill
me up so I was still quite famished since I've gotten such a late start and
still had 65 kilometers to go I knew I'd have to go the rest of the way with
virtually no rest. With 20 kilometers left I felt like I just couldn't go
anymore, and a few kilometers later I began breaking into a cold sweat. With about
12 kilometers left I stopped in Bad Abbach (bad = bath) to try to find a Servas
host that could pick me up. The last thing I wanted to do was get back on that
bicycle. In addition to my other problems, I've got bad saddle soreness. Kai
gave me a pair of cycling shorts, but I think they're too big because with all
that extra room there's lots of opportunities for them to move around and make
painful problems for me. Wasn't successful in finding anyone to pick me up but
I did find someone to take me for the night. Before I could go anymore though,
I had to get something to eat. So, I went to a restaurant and had a piece of
apple pie and a cup of coffee. Had that because it didn't have to be cooked, an unnecessary feature of whatever I chose as I was quickly losing daylight. Went
on my way and had a difficult time making it to the city but was comforted by
the fact that I had a definite place to stay and by the small morsel of food in
my stomach. When I got to the Poeppel’s Flat it was dark. Fritz showed me my
sleeping quarters and offered me food. Guess it's obvious what kind of
reception that offer got! Over my snack, we talked, and I asked him where he learned
his English, as it sounds very British. He laughed and said, in what seemed to
be a joking manner, “Nashville Tennessee.” I immediately began to retrace our
conversation in an attempt to remember if I'd mentioned where I'm from, asked
Fritz as much, and he said no. So, he was very surprised when I told him that
that's where I'm from. He spent the 1971/72 school year teaching German at
Vanderbilt! Now he's a German and English teacher at a gymnasium (high school) in
Regensburg. His wife, Hanne, is also a German teacher, but I don't know what
level. And guess what? They have a Yugoslavian au pair who went to college at
Belmont!! I haven't yet met her, but I really look forward to it!
Tomorrow, I plan to either sightsee around Regensburg or
take a side trip in the area on my bike. At any rate, I want to stay at least
the weekend because on Sundays at the very famous (or so it seems) cathedral of
Saint Peter, the boys' choir sings. And I think you know I love to hear boys’
choirs! In addition, Nick, Scott's best friend, won't be here until Sunday night.
Scott Mosley, Jason Parker's friend that I met in Aix-en-Provence, also goes to
the university here. I left a message at his dorm for him to call me here at
the Poeppel’s. After Regensburg, Nuremberg. After that, either I go to Passau for
the music festival, or I go climbing with Andreas close to a tiny village of
100 people called Aicha. Don't look for it on the map. It's just 15 or so kilometers
west of Ingolstadt, which is about 70 kilometers north of Munich. It's
difficult to decide what to do. I'd really like to see Christian and Katrin, the
strange-looking Berliners I met in Barcelona, again. They have a booth at the
festival. The festival itself seems like it would be, at the least,
interesting. I asked Joachim About it, and he called it a freak show of sorts.
I should have guessed it since the likes of the Winters Are involved. And
Joachim said I can stay with him if need be. Sleeping would be no problem in
Passau, though, because there is a youth hostel, 5 Servas hosts, and a special
camping area set up just for the festival. The last option seems the most
appealing to me because I'd probably run into some interesting types. Now that
I think about it, it seems like I should choose the festival over climbing (notice
I didn't say over Andreas) because I have many more chances to see Andreas.
Speaking of Andreas, he told me something which sent me
into a tailspin of thinking. I had thought, for some reason, that he has only
two weeks or so off of school in August. But he doesn't return to school until
the middle of October. Of course, we both want me to stay the whole time. And I
think I may do it. It would give me an opportunity to get a job and to learn
German. And he will have his motorcycle back together by then and we're already
making plans to ride around the Alps and who knows where else. I could stay until
Oktoberfest and then return for Sara’s big day. So, she better not have it
early.
I have to apologize for not noticing that the one address
grandma gave me in her letter was Magnus’. She probably thinks I'm the one
who's senile! I plan to go to Sweden for the Midsummer celebrations at the end
of June. They say the best place for this is in the Dalarna province. Sundsvall,
where Magnus’ family lives, is north of here, on the coast. I will write to
Magnus and see if I could visit him in June or July.
Joachim Ask me a question this morning which has gotten me
thinking and has gone so far as to disturb me. Through a long conversational
chain, the question came up as to the things in life that I love, or that are
really important to me. I couldn't answer him. Viewing art and architecture
seemed like a silly answer because it seems like that should be more of a
pastime, although I do find it very inspirational. I do love to meet people and
I guess that's one of the reasons I took this trip. But another major reason
for this trip was my inability to decide on what to pursue as far as my
education. I can't seem to find anything I think I'd really want to study. It
seems like everyone else has his things that he holds dear. Andreas has his
architecture and his motorcycle and his climbing (and now me!). for Keith it
was cycling. For Joachim, it is his plants. It made me think about what I'm
living for. Don't worry- I'm not getting suicidal- just pensive. Maybe I hit upon
something when I mentioned my love for people. I seem to have incredibly acute
instincts about people, as well as a great ability to “read” them. the day I
got robbed, I could just feel something strange. I knew something was going to
happen. And then the day I was in Darmstadt, nearly penniless, and the guy at
the bank told me that obtaining money would be very difficult, but I wasn't
affected in the least. I just had the feeling something would come up. And not
even 5 minutes later Martin gave me 100DM! And this whole situation with
Andreas, well, I knew when I met him that something very special happened and
remained totally confident that, even if he didn't feel it as strongly as I
did, there was some undefinable bond between us. We talked for a mere two hours
or so in California but even during the seven-month separation I just felt that
when I saw him again I would likely fall head over heels for him (again). And I
couldn't conceive that it would only be one-sided. And I was right! And Joachim
warned me about the danger of doing things like staying with complete
strangers, as I did with him. But I could tell from the start that he was
harmless. I could see it in his smile. Maybe I'm just psychic. If so, I could
become very wealthy duping (I think that's the word) people out of their money!
Friday the 10th
I think, on a trip like this, I meet these types of people:
those who have little effect on me, those who change my travel plans, and those
who change my life. I think my Servas host I'm staying with tonight is the
third type. The wife is from Nebraska and her husband is German. The first clue
I had of the wife's distinctive personality was when she mentioned that years ago,
she had envisioned the house they are living in now in a dream. They built the
house together and she didn't realize until it was finished that it was the
house she had seen. She got her master’s degree in psychology, so I decided to
ask her about what I wrote about in yesterday's entry; that is, my heightened instinctiveness that I seem to have in many situations. When hearing of my experiences,
she said that I'm a very sensitive person, sensitive meaning that I can quickly
size up situations and people. And she said I should develop this, as I'm young
and have lots of potential. Thinking about this I became excited about the possibilities
before me. The rest of the evening she kept saying things which forced me to look at them differently than before. For example, the romantic vision of the perfect
long-term relationship is one in which you fall in love and your heart remains
true to that one and only for the rest of your life. Mary, however, felt she
had to test her feelings for her present husband by falling in love with
someone else and seeing how she felt about it. I never even thought of doing
that.
Going back to the extra century experiences I've had; Mary
feels I can develop them through Transcendental Meditation. This is not the
first time someone has tried to convince me of the benefits of Transcendental
Meditation. There was the employee of the zoo I went to in Montpelier, who
didn't know much English, but knew how to say that he sleeps only four hours
per day so that he can work two jobs and he is able to do it because he
practices “meditation transcendental.” Of course, my desire to do it wouldn't
be so I could sleep less and work more; it would be to become more in touch
with myself. I think I need something which could help me do that.
Saturday
Wanted to write more last night but was very tired. last
night was the first night of the Dult Festival in Regensburg, a two-week
celebration (like a carnival), the purpose of which is simply to bring people
together. It's about 5 kilometers from the Fliederweg’s home. we were trying to
decide whether or not to go see the fireworks which were to go off at 10 and I
couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to go. So, Fritz (the father) asked
Angela what she thought (she's 11) and she said she'd want to go if we rode the
bikes but not if in the car. I had had the exact same feeling and it was so
neat to see an 11-year-old with that type of mentality. So myself, Fritz,
Angela (pronounced An-gay-la) and Michael went to the carnival. It was a
beautiful ride, a nice warm evening, and the entire ride was right along the
Danube (Donau in German). the carnival was just like one I could see at home,
with the exception of the huge beer tents. This is one reason I can't bring
myself to live the life of a typical tourist. When you go to all the
attractions and the festivals you meet people exactly like you and I'm not
interested in that. I was so happy to be there with a German family.
Yesterday
morning at the Poeppel’s their au pair Diana (pronounced dee-ah-na), who is 24
and very outgoing and laughs a lot, which I like. She told me all about her
experiences working with families. She was an au-pair in London with a Jewish
family who were like stereotypical Jews and were terrible to her, Treating her
like a slave. They took a month-long vacation to Florida, where Diana
befriended an older couple who saw that she was unhappy and who later sponsored
her in her trip to Nashville. The man is the guy who owns Comdata, don't
remember his name. Diana and I spent the day together walking around town, not
really visiting the sites but just walking and talking. It was so strange being
in Regensburg talking about Nashville with a girl from Yugoslavia! She told me
I wasn't like the girls she met at Belmont (imagine that!) because none of them
would ever do what I'm doing. In fact, she said I'm not like any of the
Americans she met when she was there. We went grocery shopping, as I had told
Fritz and Hanna that I wanted to cook dinner for them. We return to the Poeppel’s,
and Diana showed me her room, which is in the attic and I think it's great
because there's a large attic area and even though her room is off to the side
and isn't very large, she really has the whole place to herself. Then Fritz
told me he had forgotten that his aunt and uncle were coming that night for
dinner so that 86’d my plans. They told me it was okay for me to stay but I had
a feeling that they were just being polite so that's when I called the
Fleiderwegs to see if I could stay with them. I knew I'd liked Mary when she
called because she didn't mind that I hadn't given them any advance notice, but
she did want to make sure that I understood clearly that they are not doing
this Servas thing to be simply a hotel; if I came to stay with them I'd be
expected to spend time with them. She said so many people just come to them
because they've been sightseeing in Regensburg, and they need a place to stay
for the night. I told her not to worry, as I'm not that sort of traveler. I
found out later why she's so vehement on this issue. The founder of Servas came
to their house and stayed for two days. Since the organization is 50 years old,
he's quite old, and either getting senile or just dizzy by nature. She said it
was hard work having him stay because he was always losing things and couldn't
remember who he had just called on the phone, etc . . . He's about 5’2” and has
only three teeth left. He's an American. Anyway, Mary said she spent a great
deal of time ranting and raving about how people are abusing the organization
by just using it as a cheap means of travel and that's not why he started it.
He's very extreme about what he expects from people, though. He thinks the hosts
should pack the travelers in their car and take them to the slums of Germany (which
I have yet to see evidence of) and show them how the less fortunate live. He's
from New York or Pennsylvania (Mary can't remember exactly where). at any rate, he's from the north and he spent some time picking cotton in Georgia; in Africa, he did something in some remote village. In short, he likes to really become
familiar with distinct cultures and I think that's what he envisioned from his
organization. And like many great, idealistic ventures of this sort, the
original intentions of the founder(s) are not honored. It's unfortunate that this
has happened, but I don't think he can condemn me because I am sensitive to,
and agree with, the aims of the organization.
When I told Mary about the Nashville connection between
myself and Fritz and Diana, she said it shows that there is a connection
between us. She didn't want to go so far as to be cheesy and say that we were
destined to me but there must be a purpose to our meeting. I enjoyed meeting
them on Thursday and also enjoy Diane's company around town on Friday, but no
deep impression has been made on me. But--I have planned to return there
tonight to cook for them and also to stay for the night, as the opera is close
to their house (I will see the marriage of Figaro tonight) and it will let out
quite late. I look forward to getting to know them a little better and think
that some significant interaction will take place. And I can't wait to see the
opera!
Mary told me something that made me think a lot about
possibly staying in Germany. She said that if I want to study in Germany, it's
free. I couldn't understand why it would be free for me when neither I nor my
parents have ever paid taxes in Germany. I asked Brett why, and he smiled and
said, (because the Germans are so nice!) Later he said it's because Germans
don't have to pay, and it would be really rude to make foreigners pay. Plus, to
get an au-pair job I don't need a work permit. Almost any other job and I'd
need one but since you're working in someone's home it's not necessary. So, I
thought that maybe I could start looking for a job in August somewhere in the
vicinity of Tutzing. then I could go home for a few weeks in October for Sarah
and to get a driver’s license in wherever I decide to finish my education, and
maybe register to vote. Then the next semester begins in November and lasts
until February. By then I'd sure be fluent in German! however, in order to be
accepted into a university, I have to pass a test measuring my proficiency in
German. At this point, I really know none. But I think I could learn enough by
August to get by.
I still haven't told you as much about the family I'm
staying with as I'd like to. As I said, they built the house. The only parts
done by professionals were the foundation and electrical work. They call it a
bio house as there are no chemicals used. The walls are Adobe the floors and
cabinets have no varnish only oils. instead of fiberglass insulation, they use
cork. They use no cement because, Mary says, cement takes all the harmful rays
from below and above and they met them into the home, and it repels all of the
good rays. I think it goes without saying that they're vegetarians and for
years they ate no sugar. Mary made everything only with the most healthy
ingredients. But now she has three children, the youngest being eight months
old and she says it's really hard to do that all the time. they are deeply into
the esoteric philosophy and way of life which, if you are not familiar with it,
is difficult to explain. I'll try. In general, everything is connected to everything
else. Everything is the same whether on a macroscopic or microscopic level. For
example, I was telling Mary about my difficulty in finding good friends in
America and that one of the many reasons I came here was to find a different
way of thinking. I told her I haven't even been able to find people who seem to
have the type of very serious yet carefree life that I think is the ideal way
to live. No one seems to care about the things that I think are important- not
careers or cars or things but finding my personal place in this universe. And
I'm not saying that everyone should think this way. Not at all, it's just that
that's the kind of mentality I want around me. Anyway, Mary thinks that
Americans don't know as well as Europeans how to establish really deep
relationships because America is such a young country, and it hasn't had to
suffer as much as other countries. And she says that the American family
reflects this difference. That's what I mean about the microcosmic/macrocosmic idea:
the youth and subsequent lack of depth of suffering of modern America is
reflected in the family and even in the individual. The individual subsequently
has not the depth of emotions that the European has. I don't know yet if I
agree with this, but I do know that there is something wrong, really wrong with
America whether it be the president, feminism, the Ku Klux Klan or all of them
or none of them I don't know.
Sunday
I realized something after I had written that last entry.
Mary is right about the suffering issue! I think the main reason so many people
get divorced is because in America, society makes us believe that everything in
life will be so easy and so people don't want to work at relationships. I know
you, mom, have said that before about not wanting to work things out. Now I
realize why this is the case. People are afraid of pain and suffering because
they're not accustomed to it. But I've I think in a marriage, it's working
through and surviving the tough times which create a strong bond. Pain is good
because it means you're feeling. I realized something when I was in Tutzing that
has gotten me almost worried. Maybe just concerned. I realized that I'm
emotionally capable of feeling real, deep pain but not the soaring happiness
found at the opposite end of the spectrum. I finally meet and mutually fall in
love with the man I feel could possibly be the man of my dreams, and I'm not
experiencing the real joy that should accompany such an event. Of course, I
feel happy, and I really anticipate seeing him again, but it's almost like I
knew it was going to happen, and I've known it for so long that I've gotten
used to the idea. Maybe I'm just being idealistic about the relationship since
I wanted it so bad. we really haven't spent that much time together and so
there's no telling what will happen when we do get to know each other really
well. But then there's another part of me that says you can know all you need
to know about another person in two hours. It doesn't necessitate months or
years of being acquainted. I don't want you to misunderstand me and think that
I'm trying to tell you that I'm not happy. It's not that at all. It's just that
I feel there's a certain higher happiness that I can't experience right now. When
(not if) I do obtain this happiness, it will mean that I'm at peace with
myself. And right now, I'm too spiritually immature to achieve that. I've
learned so much about myself and changed so much just since I left three months
ago that there's no telling who I will be the next time you see me. I mean,
I'll still be the same person. I'm not going to shave my head and change my
name to Babaramguru or anything like that, but I will be different. I am
different.
I've been telling you so much about my thoughts and, in Tutzing,
my emotional roller coaster, that I've neglected to tell you what I've been
doing. Back in Tutzing last Saturday was when Andreas made his epiphany, or
whatever, and finally came around. So, Saturday night we went and saw a live
band playing soul music. It was in a small town a little larger than Tutzing (but
still small) 15 kilometers southwest of Tutzing, Weilheim. a few of his friends
were there, the music was good, and Andreas is a great dancer, so we had a
great time. we stayed until the very end and when we went outside it was
snowing quite heavily. But we were okay because he was driving his brother's
Jeep. I really like that Jeep because it's 20 years old and riding it is a
great adventure every time. it's not like riding in a normal vehicle. Andreas
gets to use it a lot because he is the mechanic who keeps it working. Sunday
Andreas got all dressed up in his authentic Bavarian outfit (lederhosen and all)
and we drove (in the Jeep!) to Andechs (northwest of Tutzing close to the Ammersee)
where there is a monastery famous for its church and for its strong beer and
its huge pretzels. It was quite touristy, and the beer hall was really crowded
but you could tell a lot of the people were locals. We sat at a table with some
people who seemed like they'd already been there for a while if you know what
I mean. One of the particularly sloshed men seemed to take a liking to Andreas,
I think because of his clothes. So he bought us beer. He tried talking to
Andreas but was so drunk that Andreas couldn't understand him. Apparently, there
are a lot of locals who have the weekly ritual of going to this place and
meeting their friends and playing cards or whatever over a gallon or so of beer. To me, it seems really strange to have such things, the beer halls, and the
monasteries, together. But the Germans seem to think it's the most natural
thing since it's the monks who invented beer in the first place.
In the afternoon we returned to Andreas' house, and I
decided after about 5 minutes I couldn't do the typical thing and spend a lazy
Sunday afternoon doing nothing. So, I had Andreas take me swimming. It was
nice, but not so enjoyable because swimming, even in the winter, is quite
popular and there were too many people.
Monday Andreas had classes, but we arranged to meet in
Munich to run errands together such as finding the parts for my bike and
getting me more money. Never have I enjoyed running such boring errands so much!
Tuesday, I spent in Starnberg with Andreas’ mother. Actually, while she went to
see her mother I went about town. In the summer Starnberg is a resort town for
the wealthy. I went to the local History Museum and to the church. Nothing
spectacular but it was nice to get intimate with the small town. It was also
nice to be able to talk to Andreas’ mother and I think mine and Andreas’ happiness
was infectious everyone could feel it. Wednesday morning was also good. Andreas
went to school a few hours late in order to properly say goodbye to me. His
father hadn't gone to work because he was ill, so I got to spend the three
hours before I left with his father. We had coffee together and he was trying
to help me find a place to stay for the night. He didn't want me to leave
because we weren't able to find any possibilities, except that one girl in Friezing
who I tried to call but couldn't get in touch with. I could tell he wasn't
happy about that. But I couldn't stay. I've been there a week already and
finally I had nice weather, so I had to go. So, he gave me food and as I was
getting on my bike he handed out 50DM to me. I immediately and vehemently
refused as I could see no reason whatsoever why I should accept it. after all
they had been very nice to me and had fed me and put me out for a week. Plus, I
had my head in the clouds. When you're in love things like money don't matter.
But he wouldn't accept my refusal and made me take it. I had a great day of
writing which I had told you about. And then my night in Freizing I also told
you about.
Last night I was able to get a 5DM ticket to The Marriage of
Figaro. Soon after it began, I remembered how I'd felt when I went to see The
Barber of Seville. I enjoyed the music and being at the opera, but the story
didn't have any meaning for me whatsoever. Last night was the same. I didn't
even watch the performance really. I just sat in my seat and listened to the
music and remained deep in thought. So, when I left the theater, I had
absolutely no feelings for the actors and actresses but I'd had a really
enjoyable time simply being reflective.
Today Diana had a friend visit her. her friend is from
Dusseldorf. and guess where they met each other? You guessed it-Belmont! they
both know Meredith Maddox who graduated with me at Hume Fogg. Apparently,
there's some really juicy love story in which Meredith was a prominent figure.
Diana said she'd tell me about it later.
Fritz has a friend here at the University of Regensburg
whose title I'm not clear on but who used to be with the American study
program. Fritz says he can advise me on staying and working in Germany.
Tuesday
Still in Regensburg; I'm staying with Nick now. Been an
interesting past few days such as a radical change in plans which may affect
the course of my life. Enjoyed meeting Nick, too. I've got to go, as I want to
mail this letter before the post office closes.
-Julie
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