12 Sept
Altengeseke
"Arrived at Thomas' parents' house lat night. Meant to get caught up with writing on the train, but German trains are very unfriendly to baggage so I had to travel with my backpack on my lap.
Experienced German hospitatily last night at the home of one of Thomas' friends. We had a German style BBQ (grillen) with Wurst and pork loin steaks (beef steaks are a foreign concept here). This friend's parents had spent some time this past summer in Vancouver and Victoria because one of their sons was working at the Backpackers Inn hostel in Victoria - had a good conversation with them about Canada.
Went to the civic-portion of the wedding today at the townhall in a neighbouring community. Large group of people turned out, and as the party exited the townhall firecrackers were lit and glasses of Champagne handed out. I'm proving to be a good conversation piece, as Thomas or his brother Stefan can introduce me as 'that guy from Canada.' So far everyone has spoken to me in German, partly because many people here speak very limited English. Only one condescending fellow who translates things into English for my 'benefit'.
After the ceremony we went with the two families for a 'traditional' German meal of Schnitzel, Salat and Pommes.
Idyllic 'little' farmhouse here, just as I was expecting. Rolling fields in all directions, the horizon punctuated by the occasional grove of trees and churchspires, with tall windmills rising up or the occasional ghostly image of a cooling tower.
'Polterabend' party tonight for the wedding in the nearby village of Altengeseke."
In 1971 we lived in a flat over a barn in Altengeseke. They were the Schmidt family the son at the time was Theo with a sister called Rita. Was this the farm you stayed on? We wondered if your photos were of their farm.
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