Saturday, November 29, 2008

Journey back in time

Approximately 40 years ago, this was me (Susan) on a little street in Kreuz-Wertheim, Germany. FYI - I still have that baby buggy and have pic's of the girls in it. Last week, my dad and I on that same street.
Below - The old fortress above Wertheim. A place I had heard about since I was a little girl and finally had the opportunity to visit. My dad was stationed here during Vietnam with the Army. The US was still very active on bases in Europe in the 60's - there was still the "Cold War." My mom flew over with me when I was about 3 weeks old and I spent the first year of my life there. Really wish I had retained more German! Ha Ha.

Wertheim is a very pretty village. Very "old" German feeling. Plenty of old towers and turrets to keep the camera busy. I can just imagine that my mom, as a 20 year old from CA with a new baby, had plenty to keep her amused and busy.
I've often said that my comfort in moving to a European country was in the fact that my parents never gave a negative impression about their (our) experiences overseas - my dad's experiences were, of course, mostly confined to the base - my mom always had a lot of interesting stories.
I actually have a Steiff bear on wheels which they splurged on for my first Christmas. Apparently it cost them about $35 - can't touch that now.

Dad in front of his old base - Peden Barracks. The Army turned the property back over to the City quite a long time ago and while the buildings are still there, some are unused, some converted to private housing and a large part used as facilities for the Wurzburg Police Academy.
It was a bit melancholy for Dad - it was a bustling military base and now it is quiet and not a sign of it's former inhabitants except for......
this street sign. A lasting reminder that the American's were, in fact, in Wertheim, Germany.
Another view of Wertheim coming down from Peden Barracks - towards Kreuz-Wertheim. I'll leave off with a last look at Heidelberg. A city worth a stop if you are cruising through Germany - a day trip though, it's not very big.
My cold, after a week, seems to finally be nearing an end. I think the cold weather (stayed at freezing for most of the time) has not helped me AT ALL. It's hard feeling crummy when you have guests - but my dad has been great and we've really enjoyed having him here. It's hard to believe his visit is nearly at an end.
I'll have to post more of what we've been up to now that I'm feeling better. We had a lovely Thanksgiving and hope you all did too. Christmas tree went up today and we are on to another season! Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow........

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Loved the pictures and you were a cute little baby...all the Germans downtown admired your dark hair!

Sarah said...

Haven't been on your blog for far too many days! Not good! I let out an "Awwww!" about the picture of you on the same street as when you were a baby. That is so cool, Susan!!!