Traveling to strange destinations
Jul 5th, 2008, 12:24 PM
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Traveling to strange destinations
A couple of years ago at a Goethe Institute in Germany, I met a young Australian farmer who made something of a hobby of traveling to strange places.
He had visited Stalingrad because of the WWII Battle of Stalingrad. He said everyone, including the emigration officers and the taxi driver, were puzzled about why he would visit Stalingrad. I assume it's pretty grim.
He had also visited Oklahoma City to see the site of the Murrah Federal Building, which was blown up by Timothy McVeigh, with great loss of life.
The other place he mentioned was the site somewhere in the countryside in Louisiana where Bonnie and Clyde had their final (and fatal) shootout with the police. The Feds, I think.
How about you? Have you visited somewhere unusual or known anyone who did?
He had visited Stalingrad because of the WWII Battle of Stalingrad. He said everyone, including the emigration officers and the taxi driver, were puzzled about why he would visit Stalingrad. I assume it's pretty grim.
He had also visited Oklahoma City to see the site of the Murrah Federal Building, which was blown up by Timothy McVeigh, with great loss of life.
The other place he mentioned was the site somewhere in the countryside in Louisiana where Bonnie and Clyde had their final (and fatal) shootout with the police. The Feds, I think.
How about you? Have you visited somewhere unusual or known anyone who did?
Jul 5th, 2008, 12:43 PM
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We're visiting the Goethe Institut in Michelbach this summer. It may not be strange, but definitely never mentioned on any posts or threads as a place to see! Our plans were originally to drop off children for the summer program, but we cancelled our reservation. We preferred to travel throughout Germany instead. The only reason we're going to Schwabisch Hall and Michelbach is to visit the town and school where our children would have stayed for the summer. Perhaps we'll leave the area with regret, but those feelings will pass once we're back on the road experiencing everything else Deutschland has to offer!
Jul 5th, 2008, 01:44 PM
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I think Schwäbisch Hall is a lovely town. It has wonderful architecture and a lovely park alongside the river. I had stayed there twice in the past, and when I wanted to choose a Goethe Institute, I liked this location best.
The first time I visited the town was in 1990. I stayed in Hotel Scholl, where the manager had a beautiful blond son, perhaps four to six years old. When I returned in 2006 and stayed at the same hotel, I saw a handsome young blond man working there. I asked him whether he'd been the child that I'd seen in 1990, and he said he was. It was so nice to see him all grown up!
I also attended an Institute in Staufen several years ago. Wonderful town! Prien am Chiemsee wasn't quite as pretty as the above two, but as a compensation, I came to know my landlady, Frau Betzler, an 82 year-old Austrian. I was sorry to leave her at the end of my schooling there.
The first time I visited the town was in 1990. I stayed in Hotel Scholl, where the manager had a beautiful blond son, perhaps four to six years old. When I returned in 2006 and stayed at the same hotel, I saw a handsome young blond man working there. I asked him whether he'd been the child that I'd seen in 1990, and he said he was. It was so nice to see him all grown up!
I also attended an Institute in Staufen several years ago. Wonderful town! Prien am Chiemsee wasn't quite as pretty as the above two, but as a compensation, I came to know my landlady, Frau Betzler, an 82 year-old Austrian. I was sorry to leave her at the end of my schooling there.
Jul 5th, 2008, 01:49 PM
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Yes, Schwaebisch Hall is gorgeous and well-known in the region of Baden-Wuerttemberg. You will not regret the visit!
I can't say I make a point of visiting strange places, but I've certainly made a hobby of visiting castles. After 27 months living in Germany, my count was 55 castles, fortresses and palaces - and dozens more in passing. My favorites are the ones that don't show up in most guidebooks, because we usually have them to ourselves.
I can't say I make a point of visiting strange places, but I've certainly made a hobby of visiting castles. After 27 months living in Germany, my count was 55 castles, fortresses and palaces - and dozens more in passing. My favorites are the ones that don't show up in most guidebooks, because we usually have them to ourselves.
Jul 5th, 2008, 02:38 PM
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I picked up my friends from Italy (who were arriving for a visit) at our "local" small airport here in the midwest. We stopped at a McDonalds as they wanted a quick snack before heading to my (smaller) town. The girl at the counter at McDonalds asked my Italian friends, "What in the world are you doing HERE?" We all chuckled about it.
Jul 5th, 2008, 06:46 PM
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My daughter is still wondering why when we were staying in Naples her father insisted on driving us to some loction outside of Naples that had Sulpher Springs. OMG, the smell? Like rotten eggs and it was a very hot and humid day to boot. I always wondered what inspired him to do this too, lol.
Jul 6th, 2008, 04:53 AM
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This qualifies as "particular" rather than strange, but the Abbey of Benedikbeuren in southern Germany is a vivid memory of past travels for me. That is where the manuscript for "Carmina Burana" was found. We stopped in to pay homage as we were driving from Salzburg to Fussen; it was a lovely place. J.
