Intro to Deutschland via Oldenburg

by: Gretyl

As soon as we left Oldenburg and I had Internet access, I emailed my boyfriend and told him to get his passport in order.

“I have to come back,” I said.

I did not expect this to happen.

On our second day in Oldenburg, over meals of smoked eel, white asparagus and brats, our esteemed and now beloved host Herr Doktor Michael Schulz of the Oldenburg Rotary Club asked us about our expectations for our trip and for Germany.

Most of us said we didn’t have any, and the good teacher that he is, he challenged us.

One always has expectations, he told us.

So, as not to be too polite, here is my truth.

I expected I would enjoy my trip to Germany, but not necessarily want to return.  I expected to be greeted by a country gray and stern, and found quite the opposite.

From the moment we were greeted in Bremen Airport by a large group of Rotarians, including our host families, with coffee and chocolate, they made us feel as if we were friends, not strangers.

And THIS is what makes for a good adventure. 

The next five days are hard to put into words.  The city of Oldenburg is just beautiful, and very historic, as it is one of few places in Germany not to have been destroyed during the World Wars.

Oldenburg Castle

Karen and I stayed with Stefanie and Gerd Reiners in their beautiful home in the “new” part of the city, which is also where Gerd (81) was born.    On our first day, they took us for a walk, we enjoyed some coffee, and then went back to their home for dinner and rest. 

My view in Oldenburg.

On Monday, Michael and two former university professors provided us with an overview of Europe, Germany and Lower Saxony, which has proved more than helpful as our adventures have continued in northern Germany.

Michael, ever the teacher.

He then led us on a fascinating and fun tour of the city.

On Tuesday, I spent my vocational day at Nord-West Zeitung, the main newspaper in Oldenburg. 

I visited with editors in the newsroom, sat in on their news conference, which used video equipment that allowed nine reporters spread throughout greater Oldenburg to participate and I liked seeing this coming together of news staff for a short discussion each morning, no matter their location.

The paper’s general manager, Ulrich Gathmann, and the owner (whose name escapes me at the moment) treated me to some fine dining at a local restaurant.  It was the first of many meals so far to feature Spargel, white asparagus, which is in season until mid-June here in Germany. We had a vibrant discussion about the newspaper business as a whole, and how things are changing.

Things are not so different in Germany as they are in the United States thanks to the World Wide Web, but as a media house, Nord-West Zeitung is helped by also having associated radio stations and a television studio.

They also gave me a tour of their printing presses, which was a fine example of German efficiency.

Me with Herr Gathmann at the NWZ printing presses.

It was a very informative day, but the highlight was also the capstone, when Herr Gathmann took me for my first real ride on the Autobahn in a very nice, very new BMW.  On the Autobahn to Wilhelmshaven we hit the maximum speed of 250 km/hour, which was as exciting as it sounds.

The next three days in Oldenburg were no less amazing and leaving was bittersweet, just like a traditional cup of tea, as we left for the next leg of our journey.

Farewell from our new friends in Oldenburg.  From left, Michael and Silke Schulz and Stefanie and Gerd Reiners.

In my humble opinion, we could not have asked for a better introduction to Germany.