April 26, 1997
May 2, 1997
Weihnachten 1999
April 25, 1997
Nürtingen, Germany
I've been here 4 or 5 times, and each time I come I'm
struck by the beauty of this place as if it were the
first time I laid eyes on it. The view from Tante
Christel's balcony is gorgeous. A quiet valley, tree
tops as far as the eye can see - in every shade of
green possible. The house is on a steep hill, so
there's tree tops practically in front of your face.
And dozens of birds singing their hearts out at any
given moment.
And the smells! When I left Chicago, Spring
hadn't quite yet caught on. Here, as I stepped out
of the car in the driveway, I could smell the earth.
That pleasantly pungent smell that means life, dirt
and growth. And inside the house, the rooms are as
clear as the outside air. Except when there's
something cooking. Then you get
eau-de-fresh-baked-bread-&-great-coffee, making a
nose-dive for your appetite.
I love the design of this house. It's so open &
inviting. There's nothing oppressive about it.
Bright & airy. And a beautifully wild garden, like
one you'd see on the cover of a romance novel or
something.
Today after breakfast I took a walk in their
backyard. I went out the kitchen door, down some
steps, and walked down the steep incline. I passed
under an adolescent apple tree in full bloom, careful
not to step on the purple & white wildflowers that
pepper the grass. I just missed a snail making its
way through the blades of grass. Again, dozens of
birds twittered & sang. Off somewhere in the
distance I could hear a woodpecker at work. I made
my way down the hill to the steps that lead to the
pond. Circling the pond, I came to a woodpile and
continued along the bottom of the yard. On the
opposite end of the yard there's a small clearing, a
kind of patio area. Various plants encircle half of
it, the other half is enclosed by tall evergreens. I
climbed back up the hill, under another blooming
apple tree, and sat on the wooden patio/balcony in
the sun.
Oma, Opa & I took a walk along the Neckar.
That's a small river that runs through Nürtingen. It
was a real nice day - sunny & warm. You could see
the reflection of the beautiful antique buildings in
the river...We watched the male ducks fighting for
their mates. A graceful swan glided up to us for
crackers. It was such a peaceful day.
The flight over was miserable. Originally
scheduled for 4:20pm, it was first delayed to 10:30.
The flight didn't actually take off until just after
midnight. Then, as a result of the delay, I had to
wait several hours in the Zurich airport for the
flight to Stuttgart. Since I didn't get to Nürtingen
until after 8pm, I decided to wait until the next
morning to surprise Oma & Opa. I lost an entire day
due to Delta's "mechanical problems."
On Saturday morning, I woke up & opened the
shutters of the guest room to reveal a breathtaking
sight: The beautiful tree-filled valley was
blanketed with a thick layer of fresh snow. Every
twig, every roof, every thing not able to move about
of its own accord wore several inches of quiet white
flakes. I quickly loaded some film in my camera and
snapped a few shots, although they're sure to be a
sorry representation of the grandeur of that
moment.
When I finished with shower & breakfast, Benny
left to pick Oma & Opa up. I hid in Onkel Ände's den
while my grandparents shook off the cold & worked
their way to the living room, commenting on the new
jacket they saw in the closet. Thinking quickly,
Tante Christel said it was Benny's. After they
conversed for a few moments, Tante Christel & Benny
excused themselves & came to get me. We dragged a
large box into the foyer & I climbed in. They
covered it with a bit of wrapping paper & went to
tell Oma & Opa they had an early Christmas
surprise.
I heard Oma commenting on how large it was & how
were they to fit whatever it was into their small
apartment? I could hardly supress a giggle. Opa
delegated the job of opening it to Oma, and as she
peered in, I snapped a picture with a camera I had at
the ready. Oma, whose vision is poor, felt around at
my legs & said, "Es blitzed!" -- "It flashed!"
I figured Opa had already recognized me, so I
stood. But he hadn't, and when I rose both he & Oma
realized it was me at the same moment. The look of
surprise & pleasure on their faces was well worth
every inconvenience I had suffered at the hands of
Delta. After the surprise, we sat down to a
sumptuous meal prepared by my aunt: Roast pork with
dumplings & gravy. From time to time Opa or Oma
would look over at me & just laugh, Oma with her
little school-girl giggle and Opa with a full-belly
laugh and a tear in his eye. It was an afternoon I
hope will never fade from my memory - or even wear
away at the edges.
After eating, Tante Christel, Onkel Ände, Benny
& I took a walk through Oberensingen Höhe, a
collection of small gardens, patches of forest and a
farm just outside their neighborhood. I was
enchanted by the way the woods looked, like something
out of an arctic fairy tale. The snow stayed
beautiful until Christmas Day, when it slowly melted
away due to warmer weather.
For most of my visit I'd take the bus in late
morning into Nürtingen and have a short walk to the
Kroatenhof, where I'd spend the day with Oma & Opa.
First lunch, then cards, then either into the town
center with Oma for shopping or a game of Kniffel
(Yahtzee) while Opa napped. Most days someone picked
me up to go back to Hardt for the evening, but on
Wednesday, the Winter Solstice, I took the bus.
Tante Christel & I were to meet Onkel Ände, Benny and
his girlfriend Heike in Stuttgart for dinner. As I
reached Hardt & stepped off the bus, I was greeted by
the full moon. It was larger & brighter than I'd
ever seen it, and low to the ground - just nestled
exactly between two white lace patches of forest,
across the snowy fields of Oberensingen Höhe. I
later found out that because of the position of the
moon in relation to the earth & sun on that
particular day, it appeared 14% larger and 7%
brighter than usual.
As I walked down the steep street, I could see
over the rooftops & into the wintry valley. My back
now to the moon, I could see a band of deep orange
still on the opposite horizon as the day seeped out.
I smiled as I thought how Nature had so blessed my
Christmas vacation.
On Christmas Eve we decorated the tree with real
candles. For dinner we had fondue that was so
delicious we all stuffed ourselves until we could
barely move. After a few shots of schnapps from the
French Alps, we lit the candles on the tree, added
some sparklers & opened our presents.
I didn't think it possible, but the Christmas
Day meal topped all the others that week. Tante
Christel made a goose, whose skin was so crispy &
flavorful the only sound heard through dinner was the
clanking of silverware on dishes and the moans of
appetites being satisfied beyond imagination. No one
could stop eating - we were long full before we
polished off the goose.
Normally when I go to Germany the last day is
very heart-wrenching, for it's when I have to say
"Auf Wiedersehen" to Oma & Opa. But this trip was so
full of joy I managed to keep the tears at bay.
Every trip to Nürtingen is full of joy, but this one
was extra special. It was my first Christmas with Oma & Opa.
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