Brush with history #4 (not really)

[rootbeer1]

I was four years old in 1965, living with my family in a second-floor apartment in a house in the small German village of Speicer, near the Luxembourg border. One day my dad showed me the cover of Time magazine, which pictured Walter Cronkite. "Look," he said," it's our downstairs neighbor!" and it's true, the German man downstairs did look quite a bit like newsman Walter Cronkite.

And so ... for years I believed that Walter Cronkite had been our downstairs neighbor in that small German village. It wasn't until I was ten or so that I even questioned why Cronkite would be living in Speicer, Germany, when he had the American news to report on CBS every night. Maybe he commuted?

Comments

[theotherqpc.livejournal.com]

you grew up in Germany? hunh.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

I'm having trouble finding that place on a map. Could it be the town of Speicher?

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

Yep, that's it. I can't help it; I was pre-literate when I lived there.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

What a cute little town! Or, sach ich liewer, wie sööt! The place seems littered with Roman ruins, medieval monuments, and other Sehenswürdigkeiten. Have you been back since you were wee? I often think of returning to Freiburg im Breisgau for a visit, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

I haven't been there since 1967, when I was six. I'd love to revisit, perhaps starting in Amsterdam, driving down the Rhine Valley, stopping by Cologne (for the bears) and then Speicher, and continuing on to Switzerland and then Italy. Maybe for qbear's 50th birthday coming up in 2005 . . .

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

I'd love to take a trip like that (though I need at least a month to include all those places). monshu hasn't really seen anything of Germany outside of Munich, but the only part of the Old World he's really interested in visiting is the Far East. My sis has suggested a trip in 2005. Her husband's way into genealogy, so this would likely include Swabia, where his people are from, which is next door to Baden and Freiburg. I really need to do a Baden-Württemberg trip (with lots of excursions into the Black Forest) and a separate Rheinland trip (with lots of excursions into the saunas of Köln--probably best done without family in tow).

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

If we coordinate our trips, would you be our guide to the saunas of Köln?

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

To do that, I'd have to spend some time in them myself first, nicht wahr?

I've visited saunas in Berlin and Vienna and been very impressed. One was on the street where many Nazi ministries were once located. Another was originally built by the Persian ambassador for Muslim women. I'd love to see what Cologne has to offer. My ex met his boyfriend in a sauna there.

[qbear.livejournal.com]

We have a picture of Steve and his brother in liederhosen.

[sftekbear.livejournal.com]

I MUST HAVE IT!!!!

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

That picture is TOP SECRET!!!!!!!!!!

[sftekbear.livejournal.com]

I'll do ANYTHING to see it.

And by "ANYTHING," I mean I'll clean your bathroom :)

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

ANYTHING?

Ok, get out your kneepads!



(You'll need them for cleaning the bathroom, too.)

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Me too! I must have a pair of the SINGING PANTS!

[sftekbear.livejournal.com]

This reminds me of when I realized that Santa Claus didn't exist. It dawned on me that a sleigh could not possibly hold enough presents for everyone in the world. Nerver mind the flying deer, one of which has a nose that lights up, and the impossible task of visiting each home across the globe in 24 hours.

[(Anonymous)]

...I realized Santa Claus didn't exist?
What do you mean? ;-)
Pascal