6 days in 3

Heya, everybody. Here it is again, late in the evening. I just got a second batch of pictures downloaded, so we'll see how far along in the entry we'll get. I want to at least try as already everything is blurring together.

I believe the last entry was Freiberg, Germany. The next day we went into Colmar, a smaller town in France just 30 mins from Ensisheim. It was another beautiful little town whose main claims to fame are being the home town of the sculptor who created the Statue of Liberty (France gave to the USA as a gift) and a section of town on a small river that is like a 'street' in Italy and therefore called 'le Petite Venise'. I won't go into great descriptors as I uploaded a picture of each, and took 2 movies for you to see later- for whatever reason I can't get the movies to upload on this site- sorry guys- my freaky streak of semi expertise with technology has reached its peak. I also, literally at the last minute (of our paid parking), discovered the coolest little clothing shop- may have time to go back there tomorrow.

Scott and Sharon are continually asking what I would like to see, and so when I saw a blurb in a tourist brochure about an artist who basically put Alsation wood inlaying on the map, I asked if we could go there. It was close to Colmar in a little town called St. Leonard, so we went there after our Colmar visit. Scott navigated us up several 'goat paths' (I took some teasing at my choice of local for sightseeing) to the home of the artist, Charles Spindler, where current pieces are on display. Spindler himself is deceased, but the art was continued by his son and now his grandson. His grandson was the one there at the room where the pieces are and was a very quiet and charming man. Nana, I wish you could have seen this work. The man paints with wood. You know how when you paint, say a woman standing, her one shoe would be a slightly different color from the other as the front shoe would be shadowing it, then there would be the shadow on the ground behind her to give the figure depth, and there would be all the differnt shades used to show the creases and folds of the skirt, etc. etc., right? Well, for every shade, every detail, another paper thin piece of wood of another color is cut out and laid in. I don't know how else to describe it- landscapes to portraits to still lifes of flowers and birds- all 'painted' using wood in incredible depth and detail. I don't know if there is a website showing some of his work- I imagine there would be- and I don' know if it will it work justice, but it'd be worth checking out. I was awed.

We had meant to go to Haute Koenigsbourg Castle, a localcastle high on a hill... was in the background of an earlier picture I sent-but on the way to St. Loenard Scott saw a sign for "Champ des Feu" or "Camp of Fire", a concentration camp from WW2. It was getting later and going back to the castle would have been rushed, so he asked if we wanted to go to the camp instead. I wasn't quite ready for a "heavy"- my mind's prepped for it in our last week, but wasn't ready for such a thing to be dropped in the middle of our 'fun day'- but felt it would be wrong to say no. It's not something you want to see, but I do think it's something everybody should see at least once, 'lest we forget'. So, I said yes, and up many more goat paths we went.

Struthoff, as that is the name of the camp itself, is well done, really. They've kept enough for you to definitely understand and see exactly what went on there without making a horror show out of it... which, of course, is exactly what it was. As I was looking at the horribly crowded bunk beds, the cremation furnaces, the 'experiment' and execution rooms, I was trying to imagine both what it would have been like to be the torturer (how could you justify doing what you did?) and the tortured (how did you find the will to go on? if you lived, how did you keep on living after such a nightmare?), but, ever so thankfully, I haven't anything in my brain that I can liken either to. It was weird, standing surrounded by beautiful, peaceful countryside knowing that under your very feet horrible, horrible things had been committed less than 50 years ago, and breathing in such pure mountain air knowing that at one point it was choked by ashes from the cremation furnaces. Thank-you again, my grandad, for your bravery.

Well, kids, I must go to bed. I will type about our 'day trip' (ha ha- hear that laughter laced with jaded irony) into Germany in the morning. ~K

...and we're back

So, the next morning Scott once again had us up and on the road by 7 a.m. To say that I was not happy would be an understatement, so I did my very best to say absolutely nothing (Thumper rules). I mostly slept about 2 of the 5 hour drive through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and back into Germany to get to Neuschwanstein Castle. The castle was quite a hike up (Scott was seeing deceased relatives guiding him up towards the light by the end), but what an amazing view, both of the castle and of the landscape below it. I did get a picture of the exterior of the castle and of the landscape, but couldn't take any pics on the castle interior itself- did buy a little book to show you later, though. The no pics is partially so they can make bucks off you later (NOTHING is free here in Europe- you'd be amazed what you can put a charge or fee on, right down to the toilettes)- and partially to preserve the paintings inside the castle. The King of Bavaria, Ludwig lll, who had the castle built, was a dreamer who wanted to live in his own little world where everything was beautiful and perfect- not unlike any of us, I guess, only he had the gold to "make it so". Every square inch of this castle is painted or carved, from the floors to the walls to the ceiling to the furniture to the objects to the tapestries. He dedicated the castle to the composer Vagner, so every room is depicting a scene from one opera or another. It was incredible. You have to view it via a tour, and my only complaint is that it didn't give you near enough time to soak everything in.

OK I'm taking another break now as I'm about ready to throuw this keyboard across the room. I always thought I was cheerful in the morning but, on this vacation, not so much. I'll be back later; ~K

Aug 21, 2007

Show all 20 photos