— Freudenstadt ~ June 5-July 7, 1957
Poor dad wasn’t feeling so good in the morning. He’d woken up at 4:50 and couldn’t fall back to sleep even though he was feeling tired. It was quite light at the time so he just sat at the window, enjoying the view watching the boats and barges sailing up and down the Neckar.
Left Heidelberg before 9 the next morning and got onto the No 3 road to Freudenstadt, which took us through nice scenery but dad got a bit lost at one junction, having turned the wrong way and we ended up surrounded by fields!
By this time my poor father was feeling really off-colour so mom took over the driving. The weather had turned dark and rain was falling when mom stopped at Oberkirch for us to have a drink. Once the oldies had their tea and Lindy and I had our soft drinks, we got back in the car and as we headed up the mountain, the going was slow and the Schwartzwald enveloped us.
Like in 1953, mom had to drive up the steep pass, 5400 ft high, but this time the clouds didn’t envelope us and we had a fabulous view below, until we hit the summit and then it was cloudy! By the time we got to Freudenstadt it was pouring and we had to find our way to Landhausstraße 22, our lodgings for the time we were going to be in the city. (I think dad was feeling so ill because he was apprehensive about whether or not his sister, Valia, and daughter Helga would be able to leave Stralsund (which was in East [Communist] Germany) to spend a month with us as they’d planned!)
Apparently the house, owned by the Dürr family, exceeded all my parents’ expectations being spotlessly clean and appeared so comfortable. It was another AirBnB type place – a big house with lots of rooms, bathrooms, etc, to fit the owners and lodgers.
We brought our luggage into the rooms and then headed out again to get some food. Poor dad was feeling awful so after the meal, mom and Lindy went shopping while dad and I went back to the house for him to lie down and sleep ?
Had a very quiet morning and I felt that dad was slowly unwinding, as he felt much better than yesterday. When we went down for breakfast there was a huge pile of mail for us. The weather was cool, the sky was bright, the scenery was lovely and dad said he felt like it was like a balm on his nerves!! He wandered off to get his hair cut and Lindy and I decided we’d wash the car.
When dad got back, he and mom went shopping and while wandering around the town’s centre, they discovered an amazing story about the city’s history …
On April 16, 1945, just three weeks before WWII ended, Freudenstadt was unexpectedly attacked by troops of General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, who commanded the 1st French Army.
Apparently because Hitler visited Freudenstadt and Tannenberg in 1940 after the French campaign and the story was captured on news reels, poor old Freudenstadt had become a symbol of the Nazi regime as well as the French defeat, so the French Army was out for payback ?
The bombing and shelling of the city caused widespread destruction, after 16 hours Freudenstadt fell to the French ☹️ There were fires burning all over and, because previous US air strikes had destroyed the main water pipes and the French shelling had destroyed the fire trucks, there was nothing they could do to quell the fires!
95% of the entire city was destroyed, several dozen civilians were killed, 600 buildings were burned down and 1,400 families were left homeless during the night of 16-17 April. When the French advanced into the city centre, many Moroccan soldiers went wild and more than 600 German women were raped ?
The initial clean up was very slow and it was only four years later, in 1949, when the reconstruction of Freudenstadt started to take place and the city was finally back to normal in 1954!
The poor people of Freudenstadt ? However the authorities were keen to make the town look like it did before the war so all the houses were rebuilt like they were ❤️
Enough about the sad stories, dad mentioned that the cakes they came across were fantastic! Strawberries and cream, light as a feather, and dad told us he could eat those cakes all day, every day, they were so delicious ?
Frau Dürr was a very nice lady and the oldies felt we would have a lovely time staying at her place! For dinner she gave us a huge plate of sausages, bread, buns, fruit and milk! YUM! We went to bed feeling fat and very happy ?
The next day, Friday June 7, saw us pile into the car and dad took us to Tübingen after breakfast. He intended to follow the #28 road but inadvertently turned onto a secondary road, #14, which we had travelled on 4 years earlier.
It was a very pleasant drive through areas of fields, woods and small villages with narrow lanes. We saw people working in the fields, as well as those riding on tractors and on motorcycles with pitchforks slung on their shoulders. We got to Tübingen around noon and parked the car at Wilhelmstrasse.
Had lunch at some restaurant opposite the Deutsches Haus and Der Wirt (the host) sat with us and regaled us with stories about the students, which was fun ?
After lunch we made our way to the Harms’ place, arriving at 1:20pm and Mrs Harms asked us to return at 3:30 for coffee. We got back into the car and drove all the way to Stuttgart, through lovely wooded countryside.
Got back to the Harms’ house on the dot of 3:30 and were warmly received by the family. Had tea with them, chatting about what happened over the past 4 years since we saw them last, then dad collected the suitcases he had forwarded to their house from England and we drove back to Freudenstadt. Had the usual sausage and milk dinner and after showering, we all crashed.
The next day dad took the car for a service and after we picked it up, we did some shopping then had lunch before returning to Landhausstraße. When we went in, Peter Dürr, the eldest son who was a couple of years older than me, brought a cable which had been delivered for daddy from Valia. In it she said that she was feeling ill and the trip to Freudenstadt might have to be cancelled ?
Lindy started to cry and then the weather turned foul, rain and lightning, which made our mood even more somber! We left Lindy at the house and the folks and I went to the GPO so that dad could reply to the cable and he also telephoned the Harms’ house to tell them the news. I’m not sure why but dad hired a bike so he picked it up and brought it back in the car.
The rain was coming down hard when we returned to the house so we all sat around the table and played Canasta. Fortunately the rain stopped while we had dinner so we invited Peter to join us for a walk. Stopped at a café for ice cream and daddy said it was funny to listen to Lindy and me, speaking to Peter in a mixture of English, French and German! ?
We all had a fun time and it took the parentals’ mood off the cable, and when we returned, we started another game of Canasta. While playing, Frau Dürr brought us a plate of buttered Schwäbische Brezels, sprinkled with salt.
The next day, a Sunday, dad was woken up at 7am by the “Telegram träger” (telegram delivery man) with another cable from Valia. She said that she had been diagnosed with angina, was feeling better having had pills and hoped to be with us by Friday!
Everyone felt a lot happier that she sounded so positive and, as the weather was fine, dad decided we should all visit Bad Wilbad, a spa resort in a valley between two mountains. When we got there we found a beautiful spring full of trout, swimming through it.
We went up by funicular to the Sommerberg Plateau (324m / 1,063ft high) then walked down through the woods before finding a restaurant for lunch. Dad ordered the blue trout, which he said was absolutely delicious, while we girls had chicken.
After we finished, we wandered around the town and had a look at the hot baths, which were in an elaborate building built in an oriental style. My father remarked that it was “very interesting”! Talk about an understatement ☺️
Driving back there was a heavy thunderstorm which burst upon us and we saw trees and fields covered with patches of hail, which Lindy and I thought was fabulous!!
Mom bought some blood sausages for dinner, which no one wanted to eat, the bread that we had was stale and the milk was sour so dining in our rooms was not a success! Dad treated us to tea and cakes at a nearby café and we all trudged home afterwards feeling slightly less hungry ?
The next day, Monday June 10, was Whitsun and everything was closed so we decided to go to the Tower and Peter joined us. In the afternoon it started to rain so we played Canasta and in the evening we went downstairs and joined the Dürr family until about 11:30pm.
It rained all night and was still raining in the morning so dad decided we should go to Tübingen for lunch and take Peter along with us. Had a very nice Germanic meal then walked around sightseeing before piling into the car and driving back.
We got dropped off at the house and mom and dad went into the city centre to do some shopping. They came home and we played Canasta then had the usual sausage and milk dinner. Dad was grumbling about the weather being lousy which meant whoever he hired the bike for couldn’t ride it so it was a total waste of money, having cost DM 2 per day ?
This map shows some of the places we went to over the 4 weeks we stayed in Freudenstadt so hopefully it gives a good idea of distances and where exactly the towns we went to are situated!
June 12 and the weather was really cold and overcast, just 8°C!! Dad took the bike back, did some shopping then came back in time to take us to Café zur Linde for lunch. Came back, played Canasta and dad was feeling very sorry for himself as he felt a cold coming on so mom gave him tea with Asbach Uralt, a local aromatic brandy. He had a hot bath and retired, as did we.
Another cold morning dawned so the folks went shopping then we all went to Café zur Linde for lunch then got in the car and headed to Kniebis. Drove past the place, stopped and we had a walk in the woods, collecting flowers before driving home. The weather was getting warmer and warmer so dad ditched his cap and scarf, and he and mom went shopping.
When they returned, there was another cable from Valia which said «Kommen Freitag 15.56» (Coming Friday 15.56 [3.56pm]).
Lindy went with dad to the train station to make sure there was a train which was arriving at that time, and there was! They came back and for dinner we had the usual sausages but this time with tea, not milk!
Friday, June 14, dawned bright and warm! A good omen! Freudenstadt had lots of flags up for the beginning of the 3 Ausstellung (Exhibition) week. Dad was okay until around 2pm, then he felt SO NERVOUS about meeting his sister and niece after a 20-odd year absence, the last time being in China!
We got to the Hauptbanhof (Central Station) at 3:20 and sat on the platform bench, waiting for the train to arrive. It did arrive at 3.56 sharp and Valia and Helga were the only passengers on it, while we were the only ones waiting on the platform ?
Dad said Valia and Helga were just as he imagined them and he felt Baba Manya was smiling down on them for getting together again, after such a long time and so many miles for each of our homes!
Poor things had nothing to eat since yesterday so we took them to Café zur Linde for teas and cakes and everyone just sat and talked in between mouthfuls ? Cakes and tea turned into dinner and after we’d all eaten, we got back to the house and daddy and Valia talked and talked and talked until 10.30pm. Dad said to us that he hoped both Valia and Helga would get some colour into their cheeks and gain some weight while they are with us as they looked so grey and thin ?
Saturday dawned fine and warm, thank goodness, so after breakfast mom got some provisions for a picnic and we all bundled into the car and drove on the #294 en route to Freiburg. We passed Alpirsbach and pared off the main road in the woods. Had our picnic, yakked then at 3.40pm, we packed up, got in the car and dad drove to Hotel Rappen where we had drinks.
Click to enlarge
We had dinner at zur Linde and after dinner, we girls and mom decided to head back to the house but Valia and dad walked home slowly, past the Kurhaus then sat on a bench to talk some more before continuing their way back. We were all getting worried about what happened to them when they finally showed up! Phew! ?
The next day the whole of Freudenstadt seemed to be in a holiday mood! It was a bright and hot day but all the inhabitants got dressed up to the nines. The banners were flapping in the breeze, a band was playing at Marketplatz and there were crowds everywhere!
Mom and dad went to the Exhibition but decided against wandering around inside the halls as they were so stuffy, they were afraid they might faint! We had lunch at zur Linde then went back to the house. Mom and dad rested but we girls went with Peter to the Central Cinema.
Once we got back, we went to zur Linde for dinner but without mom, as she wasn’t feeling that well. Dad got a bit testy with the slow service but otherwise it was fun! There was a terrific storm over the town when we got back home, and it continued into Monday so we just stayed at home and let the elements break over our roof!
Drove to Tübingen for lunch then had a drive around to show Helga and Valia the town before going to the Harms’ house. They were warmly welcomed and we had tea with the family then went to say hello to the Androsch family. where we had an ice cream while we talked until we left at 7:30pm.
Dad drove straight to the Kaiserhof, where we had dinner, and coming back home afterwards we bumped into Corky, a KGV friend of Lindy’s, and Jürgen, the Dürrs’ eldest son, who were coming back from our place. I think Corky was Dutch as his name was Cornelius but he was called by his nickname.
On Wednesday, June 19, Corky came over at 10 and when it was time to eat, we all had lunch together. After lunch, mom, dad and Valia sat on a bench near Hotel Rappen and surveyed the wonderful panorama before getting a strawberry cake to bring home for our afternoon tea.
After tea, the folks went for a walk with Helga and Valia to shake down all the food, and when they returned home, dad helped Corky get a room at the Gasthof Kaiser.
We all had sandwiches for dinner then mom and dad pushed Corky, Lindy, Valia and Helga into Valia’s room, as they wanted to stay up and talk, while they had time on their own and I headed to bed as I had pains in my stomach (probably from too much strawberry cake!).
The next day Lindy and Corky went off to do their own thing while the rest of us got into the car and headed towards Baden Baden. The road took us along the ridge of a mountain and the scenery was absolutely spectacular! The height of the mountain must have been over 1,000m and the road went up and down like a roller coaster.
We arrived in Baden Baden an hour and a half later and the first thing we saw was a beautiful old Russian church. We drove into the centre of the city and it looked lovely and old but full of classy shops. Unfortunately it was a holiday (June 20) and everything was closed so we just went to a restaurant for lunch then meandered along the streets window shopping.
Mom, Valia, Helga and me at a drinking fountain in Baden Baden (Click to enlarge)
We drove back via Forbach and although the scenery was nothing like the road we took to Baden Baden, it was a much quicker journey. When we got back mom, dad and Valia went for a walk and then we all went to the Kaiser for dinner. Corky, Lindy and Helga left after eating and the rest of us went for a walk, stopping for a cup of coffee on the way home.
The next day we weren’t very energetic so I went with the oldies and Valia to the Kurhaus to listen to a 14 piano salon orchestra while we sat in the sunshine, then we met up with Lindy and Helga at the Kaiser, where we had lunch. Headed back to the house for a siesta then at 5pm I joined mom and dad for a walk and then met up with the others at Hotel Rappen before heading back to the house for a dinner of sandwiches and milk.
 Enjoying a meal at Zur Kaiser (Click to enlarge) |
 Sitting outside at Hotel Rappen (Click to enlarge) |
It turned cool, overcast and showery the next day, a Saturday, so we all stayed home. Some of us played Canasta then in the afternoon, we girls went to the Lichtspiel (the cinema) at the Kurhaus then met the oldies for dinner at zur Kaiser. Came home and crashed.
Us standing outside the ROC in Baden Baden (Click to enlarge)
Sunday, June 23, saw us all pile into the car and head to Baden Baden – this time making it in one hour. We went into the Russian Orthodox Church and stayed there for the whole service. Daddy was speaking to one of the ladies who told him that it was built in the 1880s by a prince who married a noble Russian lady and the fund he left supported the church up to the 1950s.
Photo Credit : Salviati Mosaics Blogspot (Click to enlarge)
The Salviati mosaic of The Transfiguration above the entrance (see photo on the left) was ordered by Baroness Plessen, a close relative of Tsar Nicholas II, and may have been designed by Russian painter Grigor Gagarin.
There were three priests in attendance and my father’s nostrils flared when he heard Alexius’ name mentioned.
The reason for this was because Patriarch Alexius I was the 13th Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) between 1945 and 1970. We didn’t follow the ROC as it was communist-led. We followed the ROCOR, which stood for the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, or Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, ROCA, historically also referred to as Karlovatsky Synod.
Our whole family were virulently anti-communist, as you can imagine, but we had to be careful not to upset Valia and Helga who had lived under Communist rule in East Germany since 1945 and appeared to enjoy living there, even though it was such an oppressive regime ?
After the service we went for a walk and visited the old Roman baths near Augustusbad and Friedrichsbad before stopping for a lovely lunch then went to a café for coffee and torte (German cake which was really sumptuous)!
Pictures with Valia and Helga in Baden Baden (Click to enlarge)
The rain was coming down steadily so we made our way to the car and headed back to Freudenstadt. Getting back into the house, we had a light dinner and all of us crashed in our beds!
Another day with lousy weather and poor old dad broke his tooth so he had to see a dentist in the afternoon. We had lunch at the Kaiser then mom, dad and Valia played Canasta while I went with Frau Dürr and Peter to the Ausstellung (Exhibition) and when we came back, Reinhardt, Peter’s little brother, wouldn’t leave me alone, calling for me all the time! Too weird! ?
Had dinner at the Kaiser but poor dad was feeling a cold coming on so we all went home and mom made him some chicken soup.
The next day I joined mom, dad and Valia and we walked down to the bank then mom and dad split from us. Valia and I went walking down the hill behind Hotel Rappen while mom and dad did some shopping, then we all met up at the Kaiser for lunch.
Immediately after eating, we all got into the car and drove to Triberg to see the waterfall (Triberg Wasserfälle). It was a nice and easy drive, only 39 miles away, and the town is situated on a high hill. It’s one of Germany’s highest waterfall and plunges 163m down into the river Gutach.
After seeing the sights we went to a café then drove back to Freudenstadt. Dad and I stayed home while the others went to the Kaiser for dinner. I had cornflakes in bed (!?) while dad had medicinal tea, compliments of Frau Dürr.
The next day mom and dad went to the Stadtbahnhof (railway station) to find out the price of sending some suitcases to Genova (it was quoted to be DM 40-50) then came back and after lunch took us for a drive on the “high road” to Baden Baden and when he got to the top, he turned left to head back to Freudenstadt and it was a new, wide road. He stopped at the summit of a 1,022m mountain and then drove on to Kniebis and back to Freudenstadt.
We were all having coffee and cake at dad’s favourite konditorei when Peter suddenly appeared and said there was a message from Mr Boos (pronounced Bose) of Karachi! We all went home and at 7:30, Mr & Mrs Boos came! What a surprise!! ?
We met the Booses on the Asia during our homeward trip in 1953. The parents took us to a beach where there were camels we could ride and I made mud pies with their daughter in the wet sand ?
We all went to the Kaiser for dinner and afterwards we girls headed home while the oldies stayed on talking and drinking until 1am! Walking back home they all shivered as it was so cold and when they finally arrived home, they found Lindy in tears and Helga also looking worried as the girls didn’t know what happened for them to be so late!!
Incredibly the ladies had a late supper while dad fell asleep in the chair!
The next morning, Thursday, dad woke with a pain in his neck. Not surprising after sleeping upright! Everyone slept late and when we went down for breakfast, Mrs Boos joined us as her husband was feeling hung over after all that drinking!
We just sat around talking till lunchtime, then meandered along to the Kaiser. Dad and I had boiled chicken while the others had pork chops with blood sausage and spätzle!
Headed home, dad had a haircut and when he got home, Mr & Mrs Boos suggested a walk before they left Freudenstadt. They had an enjoyable walk in the woods then headed to their favourite konditorei for a cup of schokolade before the Booses packed up their car and said goodbye to us all.
Dad and I went to pick up a projector he’d hired and he showed one movie he took when we were in Bombay and all points until we got to London. It was such a hit he showed it twice to his audience!
The next day, June 28, was lovely and warm so mom and dad got me and Valia to go with them into the woods past Hotel Rappen to feed the friendly squirrels, which were called “Hansele“! One even climbed up dad’s slacks and made him feel very awkward but he got used to the feeling after a while! LOL! ?
 Me feeding a little “Hansele” (Click to enlarge) |
 Mom and I feeding a little squirrel (Click to enlarge) |
Had lunch and then went back home and mom, dad, Valia and I played Canasta while Lindy cleaned the car. Dinner at Kaiser and mom didn’t feel too good after having schinken spaghetti (spaghetti with German ham) so we all went to a café to have ice cream and coffees before heading back home.
I had managed to get a hard lump growing just by my inner right eye and it was bothering me. Mom and dad had spoken about it to Prof Harms and he’d said he’d be happy to remove it for me so on Saturday, June 29, we got in the car and drove to Tübingen to see him at the Augenklinic (Eye Clinic), arriving for our appointment at 9:30.
Prof Harms had us all waiting for an hour before finally seeing me and telling my folks that he’d be removing the cyst then and there. It was decided that Valia would come with me and hold my hand during the operation so in we went to the surgery.
I remember lying down flat on a chair which was similar to a dentist’s chair, my head back and squeezing Valia’s hand in fear. Prof Harms gave me a local anaesthetic around the cyst and once it started to work, he set about cutting it out. The sounds were pretty ghastly and my grip on Valia’s hand got tighter and tighter until suddenly he stopped! He put a long plaster across my face, holding some soft gauze in place where the wound was, I sat up and out we came. I remember the look of relief when mom and dad saw me ?
After my operation (Click to enlarge)
Dad drove Elsa, Valia and Helga to the Harms’ house then came back to pick us up. We had a sumptuous lunch at the Deutsche Haus before heading back to Freudenstadt.
At 6pm we went to look for the squirrels but they must have all been sleeping as the day had been quite hot so went to Kaiser for dinner slightly disappointed. After dinner daddy took us to the woods behind Posterholungsheim and then we all came home dead tired!
Had a lazy day on Sunday and after lunch, we took Peter with us to see the squirrels. There was only one around but boy, was he a greedy little pig ? When we finished up all the food, we went back in the car and dad decided to explore some narrow road heading towards Wolfach which took us on a steep decent into a valley but when the road got really narrow, dad got cold feet and turned the car around. Stopped for a lunch of Weiner schnitzel at some gasthaus and it was really tasty – apparently they cooked it in coconut oil!
Frau Dürr took the tape off my face when we got home and when I went to lie down, daddy dragged mom and Lindy into the car for a drive down into the valley behind Hotel Rappen. When they got down there they saw lakes full of trout!
When they got home, they found Valia and Helga had returned from staying with the Harmses in Tübingen so we were a sixsome for dinner again.
The next day, July 1, was stifling hot so dad got us all in the car and decided we should go to a spring we found in the woods so that we could cool off. Mom had bought a zwiebelkuchen (onion pie) for us to munch on while there.
HAH! We got out of the car and went to paddle our feet in the cool water when we were attacked by a squadron of horseflies!
OMG, how those little buggers could bite! We were not happy and Lindy started to cry so dad told us to get back into the car and he drove to another spot which was horsefly-free! That was not a good experience for any of us!
After sitting around the slope, we went home, played Canasta then headed to the Kaiser for a special chicken dinner.
The next morning mom and dad took me to find new shoes and sandals to wear – nice wooden very Germanic Scholl-lookalike sandals ?
You can see how I needed new shoes desperately here – showing how my sole had separated from my shoe ?
Me and my holey loafer with Peter and Rheinhardt (Click to enlarge)
When we got home, Valia said that she and Helga had had a row and that Helga was leaving but Helga seemed content to stay when we saw her. Dad got Valia and mom to go for a walk to let Helga cool off, so they went to the bench past the Posterholungsheim and sat and chatted for a while.
Came back and we all went to Kaiser for dinner – we girls had hamburgers with mashed potatoes and salad, while the oldies had herring with boiled potatoes. Everybody enjoyed the different menu and we girls toddled off home while the adults were still eating. When they finished, they went to a café opposite Hotel Rappen and had coffee and chocolate, which made the evening complete!
The next day, a Wednesday, Valia, mom, dad and I got into the car and mom drove us to the Augenklinic where dad came with me to get my stitches out of the corner of my eye. Waited for an hour before Prof Harms appeared. He beckoned us in, took my stitches out and we thanked him and said our goodbyes.
We then piled back into the car and headed to Stuttgart to the Bahnhof and they whisked the two suitcases mom had packed away and marked for Genova. It all went incredibly smoothly to dad’s eternal relief!
Hurried back to Freudenstadt and headed straight to mom and dad’s favourite konditorei and the proprietor asked mom and dad to write in his guestbook, so dad said “We leave with regret, but know we’ll be back as it’s hard to forget your Schwartzwalder kirschtorte!”
I was up and dressed before 6am on July 4, ready to go out and get presents for mom and dad’s 22nd anniversary. Was waiting impatiently for Lindy to get up and dressed but, of course, that was a bit silly of me as the shops didn’t open at the crack of dawn! ?
We got napkin rings, egg cups, a silver pin and a loofah for them and were very pleased when they expressed their delight at our gifts ?
Hotel Alexanderschanze (Click to enlarge)
Dad got everyone into the car and we went for a drive to Kniebis and stopped at the Hotel Alexanderschanze, a modern hotel at the top of the pass, for lunch. It turned out to be a lovely meal, enjoyed by all!
Came back to the house and played Canasta then at 5pm, Frau Dürr invited us to a special tea where she served homemade cake and dad said they tasted better than the ones they had eaten at their konditorei!!
Jürgen and a friend invited Lindy and Helga to a dance at the Kurhaus so they were all a-dither with excitement! We had kohlrouladen (galuptsi / cabbage roles) for dinner then the girls went off to their dance and we went to a café for drinks.
Came back home and I staggered off to bed while the oldies played Canasta, waiting up for Helga and Lindy to return home!
Friday was a stinking hot day so no one felt like doing much. Went to the Kaiser for our last meal with Helga and Valia and we had fried chicken and blumenkohl (cauliflower) and when we went back, Helga got stuck into doing the packing while the oldies played Canasta.
At 5pm we went to the konditorei for drinks then went back to Landhausstraße and the Kreys said goodbye to the Dürr family before we all got into the car. Drove them to the Hauptbanhof and they boarded their train and it slowly pulled out of the station at 6.29pm.
We all felt a bit flat seeing them go after spending a month together but, as dad said, at least they had a good time with us.
Daddy was disappointed that he couldn’t persuade Valia to come over to the west – she said she had a good job as a midwife in the hospital at Stralsund and Helga was studying free of charge at the university there, so it would have been a big upheaval for them to leave. However I think mom was relieved as she didn’t really have much in common with Valia!!
We drove home then walked to Hotel Rappen and as there was no service, we went across the road to the café for coffee and cake, then walked home.
Lindy and daddy went shopping the next morning and poor old mom had the unenvious job of packing our suitcases after the month-long hiatus in Freudenstadt! When Frau Schmidt (Frau Dürr’s mother) walked in and saw mom packing, she shed a tear, saying “Ah, schon auf reise!” (Ah, already on the road!).
The heat was terrific and only I had any appetite for lunch, wolfing down a Wiener schnitzel while the rest of the family had soup. Mom and dad went shopping afterwards and stopped at a place owned by Herr Haab, where they’d visited before, and told them that one of the waitresses would be 18 tomorrow. Mom and dad wished her well and told her to give them her address so that they could send a souvenir from Hong Kong when they got back.
When they got back dad went to wash the car and despite wearing a long sleeved shirt and slacks, he was being attacked by the horseflies again, much to his unhappiness!
Lindy went off with Jürgen to the Kurhaus and mom, dad and I waked to Café Schmidt for Schwartzwalder Eisbacher – an ice cream piled high with cherries – then when we got home, dad got the bright idea to drive to the Hotel Alexanderschanze and back!
The night was cool and we could smell the pine trees, it was such a relief after the sweltering hot day. The sky was clear with a bright moon shining down on us – so lovely! When we got home I staggered to my bed and crashed, without saying my prayers, I was so exhausted!
Sunday, July 7, was our last full day in Freudenstadt and it was another very hot one ☹️
Peter came with us to Mummelsee and the place was heaving with holidaymakers ? We walked around the lake then went to Hotel Stube for a lunch of frankfurters and drinks before heading back via Kneibis.
 Mom, Peter, me and Lindy at Mummelsee (Click to enlarge) |
 Mom & Frau Durr at the back, Frau Schmidt, me with Rheinhardt and Lindy in front (Click to enlarge) |
Lindy cleaned and polished the car and mom got busy with packing the suitcases again. What a job – packing four people’s clothes and having to make sure they were placed in order to make for easy access!
Had our last fried chicken dinner at Kaiser then came back. Dad played some jazzy tunes for Jürgen on the piano then said he was retiring at 10. Lindy asked if she could just stay up a bit longer to chat to Jürgen and dad said okay, but she stayed downstairs until 12.20am so mom and dad were livid with her for making them wait up!
Daddy couldn’t get to sleep easily and heard a “gewitter” (thunderstorm) rumbling in the distance as he tossed and turned ☹️ Poor guy was probably not looking forward to driving around the Continent for another couple of months!
Lindy woke dad up at 6:30 and the poor guy was feeling awful after his lousy night’s sleep. Peter knocked on the door at 7 and so dad woke me up to say “auf wiedersehen” (goodbye) to him then half-an-hour later the “gewitter” seemed to land right on top of Landhausstraße 22! ?
There were fearsome flashes of lightning followed by loud cracks of thunder which actually shook the house! Then the heavens opened and the rain came down like a curtain! We females weren’t feeling at all happy at the thought of driving in such weather and Frau Schmidt suggested that perhaps we should stay with them for another day. Dad was just resting on the bed through all of this, feeling so exhausted from lack of sleep.
Then, like a switch had been pulled, the thunderstorm stopped and it cleared up almost immediately. Blue sky and no rain! Amazing!!
We said goodbye to the Dürrs and piled into the car and by 10:15 we were on the road, stopping only to buy some bread rolls then headed down the pass en route to Kehl, on the border with France.
Auf wiedersehen, Deutschland!!
****
The story of our travels continue here …
The Continent ~ May 27 – Sept 29, 1957
1957 ~ Freudenstadt - June 5 to July 7
Pio-Ulski.com claims no credit for any images posted on the site, unless explicitly stated.
All copyright goes to their respective owners.
Leave a Reply