Journal

Foreword

Wilcox Journals:

My Trip to Washington	William K. Wilcox, age 14	1922
Keewaydin Camps Expedition to England	William K. Wilcox	1927
A New England Pilgrimage	William K. Wilcox	1935
My England Journal and Letters	Margaret K. Wilcox	1936
With the Wilcoxes	Owen N. Wilcox	1936
Journey to Eva	Owen N. Wilcox	1942
Solo Adventure	Margaret K. Wilcox	1954
Travels Abroad	Ben & Wendy	1967

I have these eight prior writings by noble Wilcoxes who are no longer here to be offended by my paltry contribution to the stack.

I read in Owen’s England Journal:

“. . . I cannot help feeling, that if a person can have a spiritual home other than that of his birth, England is mine.”

For me, substitute Germany for England. I’ve always felt that I favored my mother’s side in many ways, and now that I’m approaching my grandfather’s lifespan, I think I look like him too.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

I took the RoadRunner shuttle to LAX and my Continental flight was on-time. That was good since I got up at o-dark-thirty to be picked up at 4:15 for a 7am flight. I had a two hour layover in Newark, New Jersey, and I went to McDonald’s to copy down certain prices and learn the entry level wage. I’ll explain the use of this information later.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

We left Newark with twilight astern, and arrived at Tegel in Berlin on-time in the morning light. The sun was going around the earth in one direction and we were going around in the other, so we met again after only eight hours. Plus, Germany is much further north so it has much more sunlight in the summer; I was to learn that it stayed twilight until 10:30pm.

At the airport, I bought a one-day pass for the public transportation system, and a Welcome to Berlin Card, which was good for three days, and discounts at major attractions. I took a bus from the airport about four minutes to the subway, and the subway about 11 minutes to my hotel in the Spandau section of Berlin.

The desk person at the Hotel Lindenufer was very friendly, and I was pleased to see a computer terminal on the counter, so I could do emails and get directions on the internet.

It was five flights of stairs (90 steps) from the street to my room which was very aerobic. I would soon learn that the huge German all-you-can-eat breakfasts demanded such exercise.

Since it was about 11am when I got situated, I went across the street to the Turkish restaurant Hasir for lunch – the waiter there, Meemo, became my first friend in Germany.

Since it was Germany, I had a beer with lunch. For supper, I had a waffle with ice cream and bananas.

The hotel was in Old Town Spandau, and all the street scenes looked as I had pictured old time Germany. I went shopping for bottled water and a wash cloth – none provided by any of the hotels I visited. Bought the washcloth at Woolworths; gone from the US but not Germany.

I found a second hand shop where I would later buy “German looking” pants and an ancient church where I bought postcards.

Early bedtime at 7pm.

Friday, May 16, 2008

I woke up at 5:30am due to the early dawn and the time change. My room faced a courtyard – no views but lots of birds singing. Breakfast was eggs, rolls, yogurt, cheeses. I learned the name of the friendly hotel hostess was Mrs. Wegand.

I went back to Tegel (TXL) to get some transit system maps which I forgot the first time through.

Then I took two subways U7 & U3 to check out the church of Lisa’s friend Amadeus; I planned to visit their service on Sunday and wanted to know where it was in advance. Had lunch at a nearby restaurant, Brentano’s, and it was sprinkling slightly.

Then I took the above ground transit on a ring clockwise around Berlin just to see what the area looked like. The ring also runs clockwise – it’s a fantastic system. I took the S75 transit to Spandau and visited McDonalds for a coke and local prices/wages.

Back at the hotel, I signed up for a phone card on the internet from a company called Pingo.

I bought the second-hand pants to look more German, and it worked because two old ladies later asked me for directions!

I struggle to get the Pingo card to work – no luck.

I called Sally the old-fashioned way, even though I had earlier sent an “eagle has landed” email.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

I planned to take a walking tour of Berlin with one of the best regarded tour companies according to my Germany for Dummies book. The tour began at the Zoo’ Garden Taxi Stand at 10am. I used my Welcome card to get a discount. We saw all of the major sites on foot, and ended in a major plaza with twin churches on each side and another major building on the third side. One of the churches had been converted into the Bundestag History Museum, which I toured.

I took the tour at the urging of Katia, a former exchange student whose English was very good, from her stay in Michigan. We talked about German politics, history, and the US presidential race. Even tho’ she has no intentions of coming back to the US, I gave her one of my “Uncle Glen” business cards. She was a “captivating darling.”

I picked up lots of literature for me and neighbor Michael, the international affairs professor at California Lutheran University.

I was back at the hotel by 5pm and had built great confidence in the BVG, the public transportation system.

Still no email response from Pingo about my difficulties.

Dinner of carbonara at Battista’s Italian restaurant. I learned that tipping as we know it is not practiced, but if you like, you can round up the tab to the next euro.

I found an Avis location in Spandau and planned to call there on Sunday to see if I could pick up my car there on Monday.

I wrote down some questions that I planned to ask the school kids in Holzendorf when I give them the flag of the California Republic:

1. What does the flag of the city of Berlin have in common with the flag of California? Both have the symbol of a bear (very big in Germany.)

2. What does the leader of Berlin have in common with the leader of California?

Both speak German, Schwartzenegger being Austrian.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Another “Thanksgiving” breakfast – lots of walking after to work it off.

I toured the nearby Zitadelle, an ancient fort, and took lots of pictures. The other one-time major attraction of Spandau was the prison of Hess, which was staffed alternately throughout the year by all four Allied forces. There is no trace of that prison – the Germans didn’t want to leave any trace of something that might someday become a shrine of sorts for some neo-Nazis.

I couldn’t reach Avis in Spandau by phone and a trip there by bus proved that they are closed on Sunday, as are nearly all businesses, by German law.

In the afternoon, I visited the DDR Museum, which detailed what life was like under communism in East Germany. That museum is near Hackescher Markt station.

Then on to Amadeus’ church, for the 4:15pm service. I only stayed for three and a half hours. I invited the band, Martin and Dorothea (Duerte) to call Onkel Glen when in LA – the same for Amadeus’ sister Susan, whose daughter is NOW in LA. Lots of pix, especially one to replace the ancient one on Lisa’s refrigerator. Their three daughters are charming.

The music during the service made me very emotional, realizing that even tho I didn’t know the words, the meaning was the same.

Off to dinner at 8:45! Turkish kabob, rice, salad, pudding, beer – walk it off.

Will call in the am to see if there is any possibility of a BMW plant tour on this Monday. The original plan is for a tour next Monday.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Lite breakfast; packed a goodie bag for lunch; made an ATM withdrawal at Deutsche Bank, cuz they’re in cahoots with B of A.

Got a new phone card (ComFi), since nothing seemed to work with Pingo. Leslie even called them from the States, and was exasperated.

The plan was to leave the hotel at 9am to pick up the car at Avis downtown Berlin. Then check out by noon and head north for the “main quest.” I negotiated the city streets of Berlin without incident.

I arrived in Holzendorf around 3pm – I had driven up using secondary roads to see the countryside. I will test the AutoBahn later. When I saw the sign for the town, I parked, took a picture, and kissed the sidewalk, explaining to a woman working in her garden that my grandfather was born in Holzendorf. She knew of no one with the names I mentioned.

I passed thru the city of Woldegk on the way to Holzendorf, and I missed the turn for my destination. I inquired of a local, and he said follow me; I’ll point out the road to you. That was the first of three times that Germans used their own cars to help me get where I wanted to go.

In the nearby town of Helpt, I met Herr Bahr having gotten his name from the internet. His website indicated he had rooms to let. But he was busy with a patient, and I went back to Woldegk and found a beautiful small hotel. Once I saw how nice it was, I changed my booking from one night to two.

Herr Bahr gave me the name and number of a local pastor, Kandler, who might be able to help with my search for descendants. I left a phone message for him.

Herr Kandler called me back and we made an appointment for the next day at 3pm.

I spent the evening writing postcards.

Tuesday May 20, 2008

Breakfast was “standard fare” – no menu – three rolls, cold cuts, and huge slabs of butter; thought it was cheese at first. Ate two sammies, and saved the third for lunch.

There are two schools in Holzendorf side by side; one for “special” kids and the other a regular elementary. I went to the newer, special, school and found out the director was a gal to whom I had sent an email before the trip. We concluded my purpose would best be served in the regular school.

I needed to wait until 11am when an assembly was over to meet Direktor Balloch (limited English) and teacher Frau Schultz (excellent English.) Schultz explained that the kids did not speak as much English as I expected, so she promised to explain to them at a later time about the two parallels between Berlin and California. We took some pix with the flag I presented to them and I left by 11:30.

Since I had time to kill before the 3pm appointment with Pastor Kandler, I visited a nearby general aviation airport that was co-located with a military airfield. I went into the tower on the civil side and had a good discussion with an English speaking ground controller. He said the military handles all flight control. There was virtually no activity, and we discussed how the high cost of fuel in Europe limits general aviation activity compared to the US.

I met with Kandler at 3pm and we had a good chat, but he had no leads on any of the names I was looking for: Ahrndt, Vogelsang, Zieburtz. I asked why the graveyards adjacent to the local churches had markers that were no older than 30-40 years. He explained that the graves are recycled after that length of time and that the markers are disposed of. Such a practice in the US surely would have crippled the likes of my grandfather Wilcox who wrote genealogical book after book.

I was back in the general store in Woldegk, a very friendly proprietor, and I bumped into Herr Bahr. Thus began a whirlwind tour of many people and places that left me feeling that I had exhausted all possibilities for finding cousins.

First we went to a nearby town, Kublenk, and visited Pastor Litzendorf and his wife. The pastor had a huge volume of a book, about 6 inches thick, about the history of the churches in the area. He let me photograph some pages about the church in Holzendorf. Then we went to an upstairs balcony where Frau Litzendorf served cookies and tea. Down below, we could see an itinerant sheep shearer giving the once over to the pastor’s black sheep. When finished, the sheep gave loud, continuous, protestations to the effect that “he wuz robbed.” Like Kandler, Litzendorf knew of no one in the area with the names I was seeking.

I had driven by the schloss in Gross Miltzow and couldn’t get close because it was posted “no trespassing.” But the all-knowing Herr Bahr was acquainted with the current occupants and drove us onto the property for photos. We encountered a boy, Paul, who lived there; he said he recognized me from the school earlier that day. Paul’s father is an army general who lives in a portion of the schloss that has been converted into modern living quarters. Herr Bahr then drove me to the other side of the schloss to view the rear, which faced a small lake surrounded by woods. Beautiful.

On the way to the next stop, we visited Bahr’s rehabbing project. It is a moderate sized house which he is updating with modern conveniences. He has a well for fresh water and a sewage system on the property so that he will not have to pay any public entity for the essentials. While on the property, his caretaker Andreas arrived on his bicycle, and accompanied us while we checked out the horse coral, and the four dogs.

On to another town nearby, Helpt, to visit Burgermeister Willi Posdzich. He was out hoeing his garden but stopped to hear our inquiry – he too had no leads.

One final stop – referred to by Herr Bahr as “The Baron.” His name is Karl-Heinrich von Bodenhausen, and we were able to converse in English. He is descended from the family which owned the huge farm and schloss from 1905 to 1945. So here am I, a descendant of the peasants who worked on the farm sitting down with someone my age, who looks like me, and is from the other side of the fence, so to speak. I joked that when my great-grandfather left in 1882, he was owed a sum for back wages, which, with interest, I had come to collect. The Baron reiterated that his family did not buy the property until more than twenty years after my ancestors left!

The Baron had written a book, in German, about the history of the parish, the churches in Helpt, Holzendorf, Kreckow, and Gross Daberkow from 1267 to 1961, and the farms and families in the area. The book included a map of Holzendorf as it was in 1794. His book was from the “ownership” perspective, so he immediately wanted a copy of my book about my grandfather, since it showed something from the peasant perspective.

When we left the Baron, I invited Herr Bahr for dinner at my hotel – he knows the owner – but Bahr insisted on a home cooked meal at his place. I met his daughter Anna, when we arrived, but she already had dinner. The worker, Andreas, did join us for the delicious dinner of hand made giant ravioli in soup, sausage, bread, and of course, beer. While Hans cooked, I used his phone to call Sally with the new calling card. It worked fine.

Over dinner, we had an extensive discussion on history and geography re: WW I and WW II. And even more heated discussion over Bush – we think alike. Hans thinks Monsanto could become public enemy number one. He asked me to just do “a little something” to help turn things around in the US. He said, “Your friends will wonder what happened to Glen in Germany.” I left at 10:30 – pretty late for me; couldn’t believe I wanted to shoot the breeze all that time.

Hans Herbert Franz Friedrich Bahr is one of the most impressive people I’ve met. He seemed to know everybody in the area and was very well regarded. Because of his help and friendship, I’ve dedicated my “Trip to Germany” documentation to him. Before I left Berlin, I mailed Anna some literature on Cal Lutheran, in the hopes that after “regime change,” she would be allowed to visit, and perhaps study, in the US.

With all that he had done for me, Hans still apologized for not being more forthcoming when we first met; he was visiting with a patient at the time, and had delivered a baby in Berlin around midnight the night before!

I had approached Herr Bahr about the prospect of a room to rent - instead, he:

* introduced me to Pastor Kandlor

* introduced me to Pastor Litzendorf

* introduced me to Burgermeister Willi Posdzich

* introduced me to Baron Karl-Heinrich von Bodenhausen

* gave me a tour of the Schloss

* gave me a tour of his own estate under renovation

* introduced me to his daughter Anna & employee Andreas

* invited me to his home for dinner with Andreas

In short, he was the KEY TO MY SUCCESS!!!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

My original plan for today was to head for Stralsund. I felt I had exhausted all resources in Holzendorf and vicinity. I revised the plan to include a stop in Neustrelitz, where the tourist office is. The lady in that office had helped me with literature before the trip, and I wanted to stop in and say thanks. But it was her day off, so I just signed the guest book, left her a note, and went on my way.

I headed for Gruenhof, the town from whence the Gertz family came. But no trace of that name in that area any more. There was also no trace of Vogelsangs in the town of Vogelsang, which was near Gruenhof.

So I got on the autobahn and headed for Stralsund. I missed the exit I needed and that mistake cost 100km to recover.

When I got to Stralsund, I got off the highway and went to a Burger King right at the exit. I thought I would find an internet café to search for a hotel. I asked a motley crew of about five young guys if they knew of an internet café. They knew, and also knew I couldn’t find it on my own, so they said follow us, we’ll take you there. That was the second time locals went to that extent to help me to my destination.

Once in the café, I found a suitable hotel, made the reservation, wrote down the address, and went out to the car to search for it. Street numbers in Germany go down one side of the street, then cross the street, and come back to the origin. So I went up and down the street, only to discover that the hotel was in the same building as the internet café!

After getting squared away in the hotel I went out to find the address of Frau Jeschke. This lady is the 82-year-old aunt of my German friend in Oak Park. I was taking her some photos of her niece whom she’s not seen in over 50 years. I also toured the “old town” of Stralsund and the wharf.

Back at the hotel, I called Sally and the card ran out!

There was a “big” soccer game on that night – two British teams playing in Moscow. Watched the game with one eye while I wrote these notes.

My only “marginal” experience with a native occurred in Stralsund. The desk person told me garage parking was 12 euros ($20) without mentioning the lot across the street which was free until morning. She said breakfast was 12 euros, without mentioning other alternatives (for 2 or 3 euros) in the building. When I stayed an extra night, the hotel bumped the rate ten euros for the second night. Goodbye Stralsund.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

I had breakfast in a coffee shop in the adjacent train station – much less than $20.

Then I called Frau Jeschke to see what time would be good for a visit. She speaks zero English, but she got across that 5pm would be good.

Stralsund is a major city on the Baltic Coast, and directly northeast there is Ruegen Island, connected by a bridge. Exploring that would be a good way spend the time until 5pm.

The first attraction I saw on the island was labeled “U-Boat” which I took to mean “German U-Boat.” But after I paid my money, I realized it was not German, but British – H.M.S. Otus – bummer. So much for not being real careful about the language. To Germans, U-Boat means submarine; to anyone outside Germany, it means German submarine.

The boat experience left a bad taste in my mouth, so I ate lunch at McDonalds. Even something as simple as getting a “combo” can be an exercise since they don’t go by number the way we do. I just wanted to be like a Mexican.

The visit with Ms. Dietel’s aunt, Frau Jeschke, went well. Since she set the time for 5pm, I thought it might be mealtime, so I brought two bottles of wine. But there was no meal.

We exchanged what few pleasantries we could and took some photos to bring back to my neighbor.

I then went back to the hotel, parked the car in the free lot, and walked over to “old town” Stralsund, down to the wharf where I sat outside, tho chilly, and had an excellent meal and beer. Then walked it off going back to the hotel; got more ATM cash on the way. Tried to call Joey and Gianna but only got the machine. It’s ten now and almost dark! I will shake the Stralsund dust from my sandals on the morrow.

Friday, May 23, 2008

I called AutoEurope to see if I would get a refund if I turned the car in two days early – yes, $35 per day. Good; a car in Berlin is a liability.

I toured the huge church in Stralsund before leaving. I disputed the extra 10 euros for the second night and split the difference, getting 5 euros back. I bought a sammie where I had breakfast to have for lunch. I saw wine in a store for less than two-buck-chuck back home.

Back on the autobahn heading west this time bound for Schwerin, the capital of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The “archive” in Schwerin was closed and was not in the expected location, so I gave up on that. I was hoping to find some record of when my relatives applied for permission to leave the country.

I picked out a small town about an hour outside of Hamburg which would be my destination for the day. Once in Wittenburg, I found a beautiful, small hotel, on a tiny lake. Someone inside on the intercom said the proprietress was not there, but while I looked around the building, she arrived by bicycle. She could speak no English, but we “got ‘er done.”

Beer and brats for din-din.

There was no one at the desk ever; always on the honor system. I resolved to go in and out of Hamburg tomorrow and stay here another night. Saw a mother and her daughter checking in, but other than that, it was a ghost hotel.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

At breakfast, I met the mother/daughter who were visiting mom’s hometown so the daughter would know more of the family history. Mom had excaped from East Germany in Berlin at age 8, with her mother and a baby in arms. Her daughter was too pretty to look at. We exchanged names, etc.

Went to Hamburg to the Emmigration History Museum. Traffic on the autobahn near the city was dreadful slow, just like LA; you could have a conversation with the car alongside. Contstruction screwed up the Google-Maps directions, but I followed my nose and got there with no problem.

A very nice girl in the computer lab room helped me get printouts from the database. For each page, I gave her two euros, as an incentive to keep looking. She got the ships listing showing the six Ahrndts leaving in October, 1882, and the immigration listing showing the family arriving in New York. Those two pieces of paper were worth the trip.

Then I drove around downtown Hamburg to see the sights; after all I had driven thru downtown Berlin; this should be easy. Then I headed away from the city on a main boulevard. I inquired three times where to find a laundromat. The third time, a girl, who was ready to leave a mini-mall, knew she couldn’t tell me where it was, so she said follow me and took me there.

Right next door to the laundromat (try doing your laundry on strange looking machines where you can’t read the instructions) there was and Oriental Restaurant run by Koreans. So there I was, speaking Korean to them, German to the other customers, and English to myself about how crazy I was.

It turned out I was only about a mile from the entrance to my homeward bound autobahn, so leaving Hamburg was cinchy.

I called everybody, leaving messages for Sal and Leslie, but speaking with Lisa, Scott and the bambinos.

Now out for a stroll – there’s an outside concert nearby so it may not be too quiet tonite. Wrong; inside the excellent windows shut out all the noise.

The night before, I visited the venue where the concert was being held. It was an indoor ski resort, complete with chair lift, half-pipe, and downhill run. With real snow – inside!

Plan for Sunday: visit Potsdam on the way to Tegel; turn in the car; lug the bags back to the Lindenufer.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Another fine chat in the dining room with Frau Menke and daughter Regina (re-hin-na.) They had a family reunion last night and the gorgeous daughter learned more about her roots as did I. A great grandfather had been a German POW, imprisoned in the US. He was tall and good looking and always got “extra pudding” in the chow line! We took some pix and exchanged emails; I gave the daughter one of my Onkel Glen “Come to LA” cards.

The autobahn exit for Potsdam was not “signed” as I expected so I overshot. I went to a field kitchen to ask directions and had lunch there, as well. A kind gentleman let me copy his map so I could find my way.

I toured the Potsdammer Park (San Souci) and viewed umteen enormous castles. I don’t know what kind of business Sam Souci was in, but it was obvious he made a buck. The biggest castle, called the New Palace, looked big enough to have Switzerland for a sleep-over. I explained to an English speaking map seller/guide that this park was like EPCOT in Florida – Every Person Comes Out Tired.

I drove around Potsdam and headed home on a regular road. I dropped my bags at the Lindenufer and filled the tank and turned the car in at Tegel, taking public transportation back. I’d put 1600km (1000 miles) on the car, an Opel Meriva, and spent as much on gas as on the car. The car had gotten about 35mpg. What a relief – back in Berlin with no car!!

Dinner at a German restaurant – not what I expected – too much euro. Got to quit guessing about what’s on the menu. I took the leftover bread and fed a swan from a bridge over the river.

And so to bed.

Monday, May 26, 2008

At breakfast, Americans!! Mark and Wendy from Phoenix; he on business, here since February, and she for R & R, a long weekend.

Today is the long awaited tour of the BMW Motorcycle factory in Spandau. The tour is at 2pm so I’ll see what to do while waiting.

Bought Sally’s requested souvenir and then a whole grab bag of items for everyone else to choose from.

I also wrote a letter to Bahr’s daughter Anna and enclosed the info I brought on Cal Lutheran.

Tomorrow, I will take a boatride tour of downtown Berlin; it leaves at 11am for 11 euros.

The BMW tour was great. I was attached to an English language tour that was mainly for about two dozen Brits who rode their motorcycles, having crossed the channel on a ferry. There were also five Germans on the tour, but I think only one or two were good at English.

The plant builds 70 percent of their annual output in the first six months of the year, but they schedule everyone in such a way as to avoid seasonal layoffs. The workers are all skilled employees, because even though it is a moving conveyor line, all models are produced on that one line, and no two are ever the same, since they are mostly built to order. The most interesting factoid was how they “break” the connecting rods on the big end, rather than cut and machine the mating surfaces.

While waiting for the tour to begin, I thumbed through a magazine in the guard shack and saw an article (in German) on Scott’s favorite car, the Ford of Germany Capri. Seems they’re resurrecting the marque, so I surrepticously tore the article out for Scott.

When the tour was over I got an extra badge thingy for my buckeye friend at the Ventura BMW dealer. I also took the group photos for the Brits.

Dinner on the sidewalk – pasta dish at an Asian restaurant. Then a cone “similar to” ice cream – more like sherbet. Then LOTS of walking. I saw my first friend, Meemo, a Turk from the restaurant across from the hotel. More walking.

Then outside the Italian restaurant where Battista works, I met the owner of a beautiful German Shepherd, 5 year-old Bruno. Tomorrow the owner’s daughter Anita and husband Klaus go to LA so I gave them my name and number. They included me in a round of Grappa. If the travelers call me, I will tell them if they didn’t bring Bruno, I can’t help them.

So now I’ll see if Grappa helps the sleeping.

By actual count, twice, it is ninety steps from the street to my room!! If I haven’t gained weight, that’s why.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Das Boot at 11am.

The boat trip was pleasant although the weather was overcast and chilly. I stayed outside up front at least half of the time. There were two church groups of old ladies on board. I had conversations with two small cliques and had a good discussion with an 82 year-old over American politics. She too favors Obama. I brought my sack lunch and had ein bier.

I also was cornered by the chaperone of one of the groups, a younger woman, mother of an eighteen year-old about the historical politics of East versus West Germany. She said that the East Germans were accustomed to having the State decide everything, so when freedom came, they were a little bit at loose ends; factories closed, youth adrift, etc. (As I saw) Many of the areas in former East Germany are now economically depressed.

She felt Germany feels a compulsion to emulate the US, as I know the Japanese do. After reunification, the DDR’s people aligned with the leader of the ruling party, but became disilluiioned with the way things turned out under capitalism. She said that the core Germans now have no “energy” politically, like our silent majority. The incoming minorities, Turks, middle easterners, et al. do all the agitating. All the Germans I spoke with favored Barack.

This afternoon I’ll have a go at the Reichstag building.

Got into the Reichstag easily – no more than 45 minutes wait – it’s advertised as being multiple hours of waiting. The modern dome is amazing – lots of glass, mirrors, etc. all meant to capture natural light for heating and energy.

When I came out of the building I walked over to where they were handing out literature and guess who recognizes me – the same gal from the Bundestag History Museum. She was wearing glasses so I didn’t recognize her at first.

Dinner in the train station, then home to Spandau, then waffle and ice cream dessert.

Made a reservation for the Road Runner shuttle from LAX to home. Spoke with Sally and left a message for Leslie.

And so, to pack and bed.

At some point, I let Annette (Ah-net-tah) the hotel manager know, with a smile on my face, that there were exactly 90 steps from the street to the top level, 4, where my room was.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 – Departure Day

My automated wake-up call came at 6am, but I think I was already awake. Showered, dressed, and went down for breakfast with my suitcase. Packed a sammie to eat at the airport. Happily, Frau Wigand, was working – she’s the one on duty when I registered originally. Probably the best English, and certainly the friendliest. The bill was exactly as promised: 65 euro/day – no phone charges, or extras of any kind. I told her I liked the Lindenufer so much, I came back. Four days, one free, on the front end, and three days full rate on the back end.

Back to the room to brush teeth, close case, and final check. So I left my last paper euro currency (5 €) for the room tip. I had enough change to get my ticket for the U-Bahn / Bus to Tegel. Got there as requested two hours before flight time.

Not knowing where the Continental counter was, I waited about 20 minutes before my flight showed up on the big board. When I got to Continental, there was quite a line, a passport check and then an interview about where I’d been, etc. I was proud of being able to pronounce all my stops in Deutsch. Checked the big bag and went through customs with my plastic bag of souvenirs and my brief case. Very friendly guy – wanted me to open my “wash kit.” Then a real long wait for the plane – it was overdue due to weather in the US. Ate my sandwich. Sitting next to a German lady with a teddy bear who had a stars and stripes outfit. Asked in German for the bear’s name – “Sammie” – what did I expect? She seemed to use the bear for support, talking to him from time to time.

The international flights have more legroom and there was an empty seat between me and the prettiest, tall, young, German, with good English, on the plane. Only chatted with her during the final taxiing in Newark.

The flight from Newark was on a bigger, yet single-isle plane. A couple from Buffalo had their 18-month-old on their laps. She apologized in advance, and I told her I would be in “grandfather” mode. Watched two movies on the individual screen on the seat back in front of me. Das Freulein and Grace is Gone. The first was in German with subtitles – an appropriate finish to my trip, since it showed the hardships we Americans know so little about.

The bags came thru without delay at LAX. The RoadRunner driver had poor English and needed directions; three riders, me off first; uneventful.

Aftermath

I filed a dispute with Chase Visa over the Pingo charge and got it reversed quickly. I also wrote a very complimentary letter to Continental about someone who had been of great assistance in Newark, and that letter was acknowledged in short order.

Appendix on McDonalds and Economics

I compared prices and wages between the US and Germany:

Big Mac	$3.49	€ 3,39
Large Chocolate Shake	$2.99	€ 2,29
Large Fries	$2.29	€ 2,19
Total	$8.77	€ 7,87
Entry Level Wage	$7.25/hour	€ 7,29/hour

José works at Mickey D’s in New Jersey.

Heidi works at Mickey D’s in Germany.

They have the same three items above for their lunch.

José works 1.2 hours to pay for his lunch.

Heidi works 1.08 hours to pay for her lunch.

Each worker goes on vacation in the other worker’s country.

	Cost in Money	Cost in Time
José’s lunch	$ 12.75 (€ 7.87*1.62)	1.76 hours ($12.75/$7.25)
Heidi’s lunch	€ 5.41 ($8.77/1.62)	0.74 hours (€ 5.4136/€7,29)

José now has to work twice as long as Heidi to afford the same lunch, and conversely, Heidi works half as long to afford the same lunch.

José decides to stay home, and Heidi decides to extend her vacation in the US.

.o0o.