Tipped a few there, a lifetime ago.

My son and his family are in the area now going to the different Xmas Markets, I think they are swinging thorough Munich on the way out. They were at Neuschwanstein a couple days ago, the Salt Mines and Salzburg yesterday.

Met my wife in Ukraine, 2009

 

 

Got married in 2010

 

 

1 hour ago, Gunny said:

Met my wife in Ukraine, 2009

 

 

Got married in 2010

 

 

Miles of smiles there!

I was over in Germany in 1980, end of August beginning of September. I was in the USAFR, and we went over in an exercise called REFORGER, Return of Forces to Germany. We were based out of an airbase called Ecterdinging if my memory serves. (Probably spelled incorrectly.) Got a chance to go to the Oktoberfest in Munich. Great time. I got home on September 7, and 6 days later on September 13 the Oktoberfest had a terrorist bomb explode. 11 killed if I’m remembering correctly. Blew my 20 year old mind away. It had been such a fun, peaceful event when I was there, never felt like there was any danger. Also got to go on an exercise flight as an ACM. According to the pilot we got within 10 miles of the East Germany border, and a MIG was on the border checking us out. I never saw anything. Had Vienersnitzel (?) there, it was GOOOOOD! 

The reason we were there on the exercise was because we had the C 123’s. These (alleged) planes were short field take off, and landing, aircraft. And the autobahn was built to serve as emergency operation runways during WWII, so someone thought it would be a good idea for us to bring planes that in theory could use the autobahn in emergencies. I found the people in Germany to be a little more reserved than here in the US, but a very friendly people. We spent a night in the Portuguese Azores on the way over, and back. Unbelievable beauty there. I still (somewhere) have the 1 liter stein I bought at the Oktoberfest. This trip, and the one to Panama, were the highlights on my military experience. On the other hand we did successfully keep the Springfield/Chicopee area of Massachusetts free from the communist threat from 1978-82. If I remember the name of the bar I frequented after sign out on Saturdays, was The Six Pence Lounge, maybe a 1/4 mile from the main gates of Westover. I would say the main lesson I learned in Germany was just how young a country we are. To see structures/buildings hundreds of years older than here was eye opening. And I grew up in one of the older sections of our country. Hope this post didn’t stray too far from the topic, you got me remembering things I hadn’t really thought of in years. 

19 hours ago, FrederickH said:

Munich is one of our favorite cities in Germany.

 

We did get to the Hofbraeuhaus, and the Biergarten am Viktualienmarkt and surrounding area.  Watched the Glockenspiel do its thing!

 

 

19 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Strong German heritage here. I've always wanted to travel to Germany.

 

Dave, my wife claims German heritage (maiden name = Freunscht).  The trip was on her bucket list and I am thankful we were able to do it while we can both move around on our own!  I will post up a few more pics after I get the better pics from our son.  He had the good camera and a good eye for pics.  Most of my pics were taken with a cell phone...  So that thread may be after the holidays.

It wasn't all fun and games - I came down with covid and spent five days isolated in a hotel near the airport in Frankfurt 

The Mrs., our son & DIL did not catch it and got to enjoy Frankfurt and surrounding area though.

 

And @FrederickH - I sure do apologize for having highjacked your thread

Edited November 26, 20223 yr by Cal

Thanks Artie, you get the Azores and we always got Goose Bay, Labrador for the two REFORGERs I was on.

Sign sanded and stained..... ready for a coat of exterior varnish and a rehang(Monday).

Thanks for the many photos! They bring back memories of our trips to Germany(and elsewheres) and I could share thousands of photos of our travels!

 

"I found the people in Germany to be a little more reserved than here in the US, but a very friendly people."

 

One thing that my wife would always do, when traveling, is to try to share a table with the locals. This would lead to them asking(in broken English) where we were from and we would try to answer in the local language. Eventually, everyone was on a first name basis. Dinners would often last 2-3 hours!

 

While in Berlin, for 7 days, we would walk and explore the city from 9AM to 5PM, go back to our Hotel for a break, and then head out for dinner and look for places to eat. It was there that we discovered German "street food"..... currywurst. Sausages cooked in a curry sauce. We always had this for our lunch when possible.  There is a "Beer Stube" in our town and I've stopped trying to get them to offer this on their menu.

 

ps. Gunny, your bride is an absolute stunner. You're a lucky man!

1 hour ago, frenchwwr said:

Thanks Artie, you get the Azores and we always got Goose Bay, Labrador for the two REFORGERs I was on.

The older guys frequently talked about Goose Bay. I have never been to Hawaii, but the Azores looked like where Jurassic Park could have been filmed to me.

Never got off the base, landed, mess hall opened late just for us, barracks, and an early departure. 

In 77 we came home in Oct, 84 we flew over in Jan and returned in Feb. We didn't want to leave the building.

The only movie they would filmed there would be a horror movie about people freezing their hands and feet off

Edited November 26, 20223 yr by frenchwwr

Sign is completed and rehung. It sits about 8 feet above the ground.

Edited November 27, 20223 yr by FrederickH
details.

7 hours ago, FrederickH said:

Sign is completed and rehung. It sits about 8 feet above the ground.

Very cool and creative idea. Looks good as new.

On 11/26/2022 at 8:15 AM, Cal said:

It wasn't all fun and games - I came down with covid and spent five days isolated in a hotel near the airport in Frankfurt 

Dang Cal. Sorry to hear that. COVID ain't fun when you're at home let alone in a foreign land. Good to know you've recovered. Take your time on sharing pics. Long winter ahead here. I don't plan on going anywhere.

"but the Azores looked like where Jurassic Park could have been filmed to me."

 

My wife and I spent 6 days in the Azores and loved every minute of it. I would love to fly back and spend 2-3 weeks driving on all of the Azores Islands. Here's some photos of our time on Madeira. The water photo shows the depth/color of the mid-Atlantic waters. You could go 50 meters from shore and have 4-5,000 ft. of water beneath you. The third photo shows how we(wife and I aren't in this photo) took the toboggan ride down the slopes. They slide on the asphalt roads to about mid-way down and controlled everything by dragging their feet on the road. We had taken gondola ,from the waterfront up to the upper reaches of the mountain, and then the toboggan ride back down

Beautiful views. Appreciate you sharing your life and journeys.