After the end of the Language and Cultural Program, it is difficult to come off a “high” from having made several new friends in a short time span. While others were packing their bags and moving home or elsewhere today, I decided to stay behind another day to savor a town I have called “home” for the past two weeks.
A morning walk refreshed my first senses of this sweet little town. A river runs through it, where people can still fish from it. Walks are everywhere that meander along the river and trace the town’s history. A community that cares about its environment and each other. And specialty local produce and products are made with purpose and don’t cost an arm and a leg.
Here are a few recordings of my walk this morning:
The Saturday Market was just getting ready for a big weekend celebration.
Our class mascot, “Goethle” with specialty products Bratwurst, Bio-Blutwurst, and Schaschlik Guwürzsalz.
Our last two days were a little sad as friends got together for dinner and said our good-byes. While we didn’t exactly master the German language, we made some good friends, shared and learned alot from each other, and thoroughly enjoyed a successful two-week stay in Schwabisch Hall.
Travels with Myself and Others 
What a lovely post,Vickie. I love the pictures. It doesn’t get any better, does it? Good food, good friends, and the experience you can only really share with each other. Still so nice we can get a glimpse of it through your eyes, thank you. Wish I could say the same for Brazzaville! Two weeks down, two to go!
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Thanks Muriel. I’m sure this is a big contrast to Brazzaville where you are staying. I was wondering if there are any German speakers there, or is it primarily French-speaking. Looks like you are going to be there for a month, right? So maybe it’s not too long before you will look back and wish you were still there!
I’m very sad today and am missing my new friends. Hopefully NY will help m move forward again.
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Beautiful post, Vickie. And… (of course) beautiful pictures. It is as if we all walked together with you on the same path this morning. Talking about “present moments”: I think you captured so many of very powerful present moments that it is a joy to follow them with you through your posts.
It seems that you had a great time at Schwabisch and hope that you can come back to it again next year.
When you look back at your past 57 days, I wonder which ones of the great experiences you had really challenged you and which ones fascinated you. :)?
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Despite my travels around the world in search of the curious, I think the moments I have shared in a conversation with someone is the most memorable. The German word for memory, “Erinnen” seems to capture that feeling best. When the kids were little, we took them on many trips a abroad. Yet they remember the moments that were ordinary rather than extraordinary, like running through a sprinkler in the Tuileries. And for Julianne she now recalls the friends she met rather than the places she visited when she lived in Beijing for a year.
I’m sharing a wonderful video that our teacher shared with us on the last day of class. It filled me with emotion as I looked back on my stay here in Schwãbisch Hall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0yM3VQ5hNI. The words here: http://www.songtexte.com/songtext/hildegard-knef/fur-mich-solls-rote-rosen-regnen-3bcfc094.html
and translated: FOR ME THE HECK RED ROSES RAIN LYRICS (unedited)
At 16, I silently said,
I want to,
wants to be great, want to
win. Wants to be happy, never lie
with 16, I silently said,
I want,
want it all or nothing. For me the hell raining red roses, I should all wonder encounter, the world should be transformed and keep their concerns to themselves. And later, still I said I’d understand, see much, learn, preserve. And later, still I said I’d like. do not be alone and yet be free For me the hell raining red roses, I shall all wonders encounter, happiness should behave gently, it is my fate, with love. And today, I silently say: I shall add me begnügnen, I can not resign myself, I can not begnügnen: still wants to win. wants all or nothing. For me the hell raining red roses, I should encounter completely new wonders, new unfold me away from the old, from what expected, keeping most of it. I want, I want
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Another delightful post!
Sent from my iPhone
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It’s great to hear from you, Debra, and thanks for following. Are you catching my sadness that I am leaving?
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