Back in the old Country

Heidi, Johannes (my cousin) and daughter Lara invited us to stay at their house for the time we are here in Freiburg, so we got settled in.  After talking late into the night, we made it into bed and had a good sleep. It was still very hot, but in the evening, it started to rain and cool down a bit.
After Heidi spoiled us with a great breakfast, like everything you can think of eating, she took Lara to the train to go to summer camp.
Now it was time to start visiting other relatives.  Emil, Johannes' father and husband to my mother's sister, Resi, was the first victim.
Emil still lives in the village where I grew up and where, for 70 years since age 15, he played the organ at the church and still plays on occasion. Emil invited us for lunch at the local restaurant, Weinberg, which serves the local fare - very good. We were joined by Johannes's daughter, Simone and her infant son Moritz.

To walk off the lunch, we strolled leisurely up the hill to the place where I grew up, just at the edge of the forest.

Johannes & Michael

Although our house is no longer there, old memories were awakened, especially when we visited the memorial site for my father, then the local ranger in the Black Forest.

Rupert Fischer Spring

A spring with my fathers name on it.

When we returned to Emil's place, he had coffee ready,

Ready for afternoon tea

and after a while, we talked him into taking us up to the church organ to play a bit for us.  Have you ever stood just below the pipes of the organ playing full blast?  An experience not soon forgotten.

Emil, 85, at his organ

Even though it had started to rain more heavily, Johannes was kind enough to drive us up into the forest to St. Otillien where my mother grew up with her parents who ran the restaurant.

Having a glass of wine with Heidi and Johannes

I have so many childhood memories and stories of 'working' at that restaurant and playing in the forest. We enjoyed a glass of wine and called it a very good day.

Tomorrow, Monday, Hildegard, my mother's other sister, invited us for lunch, and then in the afternoon, we will visit with my younger brother Hubert.
So many family to see, so we will have a BBQ on Saturday at Heidi and Johannes's place.