<$BlogItemControl$>

Friday, August 05, 2005

 

Ten years ago today - From Germany to Austria

Ten years ago today, I was on a train headed east through Germany to Salzburg, Austria.

9:50 am, 5 August 1995
Passing through Stuttgart

On the rails again - "railing" as the lingo here goes. On my way from Heidelberg to Salzburg, with a change of trains at Munich.

I saw the most lovely sight this morning - a field of sunflowers. A whole crop of them! Of course, the way we eat sunflower seeds it makes sense that someone somewhere would be farming them. I just never thought of them as a cash crop before. And what a happy sight, these big, happy, floppy-headed sunflowers bobbing in the morning sun. Too bad I didn't have my camera ready.

I'm excited about today's trip - I should be able to see the Alps by the time I get into Munich. Mountains are cool!

I didn't tell you about the man I met on the train from Manheim to Heidelberg. He was 74, and I've got his business card with his name on it somewhere. He saw my Canadian flag and started talking to me in English. He told me about his sister in Toronto and brother in Washington. He told me briefly that he had been a radioman stationed in Russia during the war, and he told me about Heidelberg. We sat together for the 20 minute train ride from Manheim to Heidelberg and chatted. It was an altogether lovely chat! This Canadian flag - it does wonders!

Categories: