Laundry, Wild Animals and Easter Weekend

Laundry at Frankie's Place costs about 2 Euro per wash, 2 per dry, if you're lucky enough to use just one cycle to actually finish the job. Laundry generally takes over 3 hours for one small load. I decided that it would be more efficient and cost effective for me to fill up my personal bathroom sink with soap and water, soak my socks and other small laundry for a few minutes, rinse them out and hang them to dry, so this is what I did...24 hours later, my room smells of laundry detergent and I have a bathroom full of soggy socks. I think 3 days of lunch with friends will be worth the wait for clean socks (seeing as I get lunch for about 1.10/1.50 most days if I go out to eat)

Thursday I took a hike in the hills above Bad Mergentheim. Normally, while hiking and running, I keep my eyes open for deer and figure that somewhere in the woods little mammals silently watch me pass but will do me no real harm...my mind was changed. As I came over a hill last week I thought I saw in front of me eight little bears (I don't know if the small woods have bears where I live, but that's what it looked like 50 yards ahead). But no, these weren't bears, these were "wildschwein." Eight large, hairy wild hogs! I stopped quickly in my tracks and said aloud: Pigs. Wild pigs--are you kidding me?" I wish I had someone to share that moment with, watching a group of chubby brown pigs scamper farther down the hill at the sight of me on the path...needless to say I decided not to venture any farther forward and headed back the other direction. Google "wildschwein" and click on the German Wikipedia page to get some picks...they trully are pigs.

In an effort to find "family" for Easter this year, I packed my things and took a train to Aschaffenberg to stay with Birgit Schommer and family. Birgit's mother, Maria, knew my grandparents when they lived in Germany and knew my mother as a kindergartner (late 50's, early 60's). I took with me to Aschaffenberg the same backpack that my mom wore to Russia twenty years ago (if it works, why use another?) On Good Friday and the Monday following Easter, all shops are closed, no one goes to work and no students go to school :)

Birgit and her two children, Christian and Theresa, met me with all smiles and drove me to their home in Kahl. That afternoon we rode bikes to a ferry which took us across the River Main to a town called Seligenstadt. Here we got "Eis" and sat on the river bank.

In Frankfurt the next day I spoke only German for 5 straight hours. Birgit's sister, Martha, is a German-as-a-second-language teacher and would not have me speaking English.

We travelled to Monzelfeld on Easter. I saw the old air force base where my grandparents, mom and aunts lived. While visiting Maria and Rudi I tasted Bernkastel Reisling, watched a Monzelfeld music concert, ate too much food and caught up a little on sleep.

I can only do my weekend in Monzelfeld justice by explaining details in person, but the following are my favorite quotes from the weekend:



"Diane war dunkler" - My mom was darker (than me)

"Marka war like meine Schwester" --My grandma was like Maria's sister...remember, Maria speaks a crazy German/English mix, so I let that "Genglish" sentence stand

"Es ist gut. Es ist gut das du bist hier" - Maria (It is good, it is good that you are here). Every time she said that she grabbed both my hands and gave me a huge bear hug.

"Du musst schneller trinken" (you must drink more quickly)- Maria, after realizing I'd been nursing one glass of wine for an hour...not her style I guess.



If I determined one thing last weekend it was this: time is short. Make the most of the people and enjoy the places you visit. It all goes by so fast.

Having fun, but I miss you friends!