Mainz, Jan 2nd

I feel like I left a part of my heart in Göttingen. For two weeks I have been included in a remarkable family, cared for, accepted, and treated unbelievably generously. Being with Stefan’s family brought back the very best of memories of Christmas times from childhood throughout my life. What an incredible gift I have been given in this, my 63rd year of life.

I have staked out a seat here in the dining car on the train to Frankfurt. This is where people unable to make reservations try to find a seat. We pass through tunnels and small towns. A wonderful thing is that most people look a bit disheveled. I guess in winter it is difficult to look otherwise. The seats are red velvet with small grey patterns sprinkled in. In this bistro section, there are five two men and five boys or young men seated across from me. At my table a man with character, thin, grey, bearded and longish hair under an olive cap. He wears a wool sweater in purples pinks white greys browns black and drinks a huge bottle of apfel juice. A man and his two sons stand eating at a table near the counter. He drinking beer, they Pepsi. The eleven or twelve year old wears an Avatar t-shirt. Across from me a Frenchman and son (the son part African?) watch and listen to something on the computer. A young man in blue with fashionably bleached black jeans sits on his red duffle bag and talks on his cell phone.

We have left most of the sunshine behind and I look out on snow-covered fields, rolling hills, villages, church towers, interspersed with bare deciduous tree.

You can buy 6 Nürnberger Rostbratwürstchen mit Brot fur 4.90 euro or mit Kartoffelsalat fur 7.10 euro.

It is a little strange to be riding through a frozen German countryside while intermittently reading “Culture Shock: Morocco”. It is totally weird to think that in a couple of days, should all go well, that I will be in northern Africa…Melisa, Zach and babies, in Hawaii, Tianna in New York. How strange life is becoming. I would never have dreamed these things possible as a child, or teenage, young adult, or even when in my 30s. I wonder what other adventures await? Lots with ups and downs I am sure.

I ate so many wonderful breads and meats in Göttingen. I think it has been years since I have eaten and drank so much and such a marvelous variety of things as in the past two weeks. Many kinds of würst and Schinken und Brot -- not to mention soja pudding.

I realized, being around Stefan and Sandra and family, how lovely their generally positive attitude is.


I am back at the Wischmann Haus after going up and down unnecessary stairs with all my luggage in the Frankfurt train station, getting off one stop too soon before Mainz and having to wait a half hour on the platform for the next train, and then, in Mainz, having the taxi driver misunderstand my directions and take me to near Grohnheim (sp) before I got him to turn around : ) He was very nice about it. I think I need to pack extremely light for Marrakech.