28 Sep - Kloster Corvey

Here we are in the equipment barn with Karl-Heinz and the John Deere tractor.  Reinhard is taking the picture.  We are both feeling some better and our colds are a day older so we hope to be over them soon and certainly before we get on the plane for a  8 hr 40 min trip from Copenhagen to Washington DC.  Our ears have been popping.  It has been raining and cold since we got to northern Germany and tomorrow is supposed to be sunny but cool, and then the rain returns.  We have decided we will never again come to Germany in the fall.  Reinhard thinks we should come the end of May or June.  That is the best weather and the farm work is lighter then.

Today it almost stopped raining and we went to a nearby castle.  It was originally a monastery but was converted to a state administrative center.  The church remained on the west end.  There is a large library on the 3rd floor taking up 6 rooms.  Hoffman (writer--Tales of Hoffman) lived here and was buried here.

This is the front entrance.

Here is the castle with the church on the west end.  The church on the end is still used as a place of worship today; it contains a lot of Baroque.  The old part of the castle was built in 815.

Tomorrow we visit Reinhard at the Farmer's Market at Bad Pyrmont.  He will be selling eggs and honey, among other things.  We have been given 4 jars of honey--one white, one cornflowers, summer blossoms, and one spring flowers.  Then we go on to Hannover to visit Uwe and family--more cousins.

Reinhard had a John Deere hat for Walt when we arrived.  Then he decided Walt needed more JD hats.  So Reinhard called the local dealer and got them to open the store for us on Sunday morning and Walt picked out 2 more hats and they were given to us.  Reinhard bought the big JD 6600 from them and buys parts from them.

We forgot to tell you that we went to a McDonald's near Heidelberg.  Walt wanted to buy a beer at McDonald's.  It was not a McDonald's "special" beer.  It was a good Netherlands beer, which was served in a regular McDonald's paper cup.

We also forgot to tell you that at the Passion Play in Oberammergau there were 2 Paramedics.  One was near us and we watched him.  He was watching the audience but never had to use his knowledge.  Walt was particularly concerned about the men playing Christ and the 2 thieves, who were hanging on the crosses.  We couldn't figure out how they were attached to the crosses.  One was doing a very good job of agonic breathing--gasping for air.  Then they played dead and it took some time before they were brought down.  Everyone seemed to be o.k. in the end but we were worried, because the original crucifixion killed by asphyxiation.