Fabulous Verden and Geburtstag Celebrations

by: Gretyl:  

The team is about to wrap up another fabulous week in the charming towns of Verden and Achim.

This evening, the RC Verden hosted a lovely farewell dinner for us, and the room was alight with much conversation between team members and local Rotarians, which, as I have said before, is the highlight of this exchange.

Rotary District 7870 team with RC Verden, Germany

Our Verden hosts have been no less gracious than our former hosts, and have continued to help us improve on our Deutsch language skills (ein bissen), our understanding of European history, and our appreciation for all that Northern Germany has to offer.

We spent Saturday in Hamburg, a vital trade city, walking around to see both modern and historic structures (of which there are few as a result of the wars), and enjoying the light breeze off the river on a ferry ride.

View of Hamburg from St. Michael's Cathedral.

On Sunday, we visited Fischude and the Otto Modersohn Museum (which I really enjoyed), had some lunch at "Caffe Crazy" in Worpswede, a famous community for artists, and enjoyed a peat boat ride.  Later in the evening, we were treated to a beautiful and delicious homemade dinner and more wonderful conversation at the home of Rotarian Herr Dupree and his wife, Barbara.

Monday was a public holiday in Germany and also meine Geburtstag, and I am so happy to have spent it with my host family, Ingrid and Klaus Kossow.  I arrived at my seat at the breakfast table to find a coffee cake encircling a candle wreathed in little flowers, which was a lovely way to start the morning.

Birthday Cake for Breakfast!  With Klaus and Ingrid.

Shortly thereafter, the Duprees phoned to sing me Happy Birthday and to wish me and my family good health and long lives, and I pretty much did not stop smiling for the rest of the day.

I also received messages and warm wishes from my two previous host families and other friends we have made along the way, which made my special day even more special (as cheesy at that sounds, I mean it sincerely.)

Jodi, Karen and I took a walk to the Achim Windmill with Ingrid and Klaus and enjoyed some jazz music in the afternoon, and then the rest of the team came over to enjoy a variety of cakes, both homemade by Ingrid (lemon cake, my favorite, and cheesecake) and rich, creamy cakes from the local bakery.

The team came together at the home of Ingrid and Klaus Kossow to celebrate my birthday on Monday, including "Iggy" another of our Rotary hosts in Verden.

It was really a perfect day and I think everyone on the team appreciated the relaxing holiday with no real schedule.

Today, Tuesday, we each had a vocational day, and I visited Verdenen Alle-Zeitung, a small and laidback newsroom in Verden, and especially enjoyed chatting with an editor named Reike, as we are the same age and share many of the same feelings about being journalists today.


We are already "Facebook friends" and I am hoping she will take me up on an invitation to come visit New Hampshire.  The hospitality we are greeted with here over and over again is humbling each time, and I look forward to returning it in future days.

For the second time so far this adventure, I will also be in a newspaper article instead of writing one.  I will post the link to the story when/if it becomes available tomorrow!  Nord-West Zeitung in Oldenburg also ran a short blip about the team's trip,with a picture of yours truly

A picture much like this one will appear in Verden's local daily on Wednesday.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, we head for Huemmling zu Soegel.  "Where is that?" you ask.  Well, no one really seems to know much about it, so we will be sure to post details and pictures in the coming week.  But we are all quite confident that the people we meet will be wonderful, and that is all that matters.

P.S.  Christine says "Hallo"  and hopes to post an update soon!

Until next time, Gute Nacht