- USA
- Ireland
- France
- Belgium
- Back in France
- May 30, 2005Mexican Princesses
- May 31, 2005Versaille
- June 1, 2005Last Day in Paris
- June 2, 2005Coast of Marseille
- May 3, 2005Callanques of Marseille
- June 4, 2005Leaving Marseille
- June 5, 2005Busted Ankle
- June 6, 2005Healing in St. Raphael
- June 7, 2005Bongos on the Beach
- June 8, 2005Goodbye, St. Raphael - Hello Cannes
- June 9, 2005Antibes Daytrip
- June 10, 2005Chilling in Cannes
- June 11, 2005To Nice with the Finns
- Monaco
- Switzerland
- Germany
- Austria
- Hungary
- Poland Fun
- June 29, 2005Zakopane
- June 30, 2005Hiking in the Tatry Mountains
- July 1, 2005Trail of Wooden Architecture
- July 2, 2005Krakow Jazz Festival
- July 3, 2005Kazimierz
- July 4, 2005Goral Burger
- July 5, 2005Ciupagi
- July 6, 2005Czestochowa
- July 7, 2005Trainhopping
- July 8, 2005Happy Birthday Mom!!!
- July 9, 2005Happy Birthday Jack
- July 10, 2005Banana Riding
- July 11, 2005First Russian Embassy Visit
- Poland Family
- July 12, 2005Family, at Last
- July 13, 2005Mom's Schoolfriends
- July 14, 2005Muddy Ponds
- July 15, 2005Partying in Poznan
- July 16, 2005A Relaxing Day
- July 17, 2005Sheeshah Bar
- July 18, 2005Five Souvereign Lands
- July 19, 2005The Good News
- July 20, 2005Another Family Function
- July 21, 2005Just Chilling
- July 22, 2005The Best Bike Ever
- July 23, 2005Looking for a Home by the Baltic Sea
- July 24, 2005Copernicus and the Boyscouts
- July 25, 2005Visas are Set to Go
- July 26, 2005Luxury
- July 27, 2005A Day at Work
- Russia
- July 28, 2005Back in St. P Looking for 1UP
- July 29, 2005Peter's Pimpin' Palace and the Neverending Nights
- July 30, 2005Big Bad Moscow
- July 31, 2005Beating Birches
- August 1, 2005Off to Siberia
- August 2, 2005Drinking with the Guards
- August 3, 2005Big, Rolling Trans-Siberian Party
- August 4, 2005Pack up, Only Six Hours Left
- August 5, 2005Irkutsk
- August 6, 2005Swimming in Lake Baikal
- August 7, 2005Drenched
- August 8, 2005Partying with Uzbeks
- August 9, 2005I Love You Omul, I Heart Baikal
- August 10, 2005Pushed out of Russia
- Mongolia
- China
- August 26, 2005Chasing Buses
- August 27, 2005Looking for the Opera
- August 28, 2005Sleeping on a Wall
- August 29, 2005Trying to Find the Opera Once Again
- August 30, 2005Forbidden City and Searching for the Opera
- August 31, 2005The Opera Sucks
- September 1, 2005Hutongs and Strange Food
- September 2, 2005The Peking Ducks Incident
- September 3, 2005Beijing Shopping
- September 4, 2005The Dirt Market and Tiger Penis Vodka
- September 5, 2005Temples, Temples, and More Temples
- September 6, 2005The Amazing Summer Palace
- September 7, 2005Goodbye Asia
- Back in the USA
World Trip
Oma Spuller
I got up early today and ate breakfast with the Schneiders. Elsbeth's mother just dropped off a load of strawberries so Elsbeth made a bunch of marmalade, which we enjoyed for breakfast. After breakfast Elsbeth and Kurt went to work, and that I could take the bike, but would need to change the inner tube first. By now I had plenty of experience changing bike tubes, so I was on the way in no time.
Today's ride was much shorter than from two days ago. The only problem was finding my way there. I had a map but would have had to ride around in a big circle if I were to follow the roads. So instead I cut across a forest up a hill to get to Grossvogenhof. Once again, this tiny little village did not change much. It looked pretty much the same way as I had it remembered. Next it was through a valley and up a huge hill to the neighboring village of Grub, to go and visit the Spuller family. When I lived there I went to school with one of the daughters, Nadine. Her grandmother invited some of us to come by once or twice a week to learn better German and have a nice dinner. This was a really nice thing she did back then and so I wanted to go and visit her one more time.
I found the house where they live and grandma Spuller was home. We sat in her back yard and talked for a few hours. She filled me in on what has happened with their family. Altogether it was a really good way to spend the afternoon. I thanked her one more time for everything she did for me back then. It was something she did completely out of her good will, unasked. It was good to realize how much that meant to me. It is something a child does not have the capacity to know. It also showed me that small things one does can make a difference, and not a small difference at that. It can make all the difference in another person's life, and to them, that is their world.
Eventually I got back to the Schneiders, ate dinner, and went to sleep early.
