First stop in Germany

Charming land of Bernd und Heike

Why are European towns and countryside so ding-dang beautiful? Why isn’t the same kind of charm and beauty existent everywhere? I have a theory but I’ll leave it for you to ponder.

Bernd and Heike graciously invited us to stay at their place, not far from the Rhine and just north of Heidelberg. Their house is flanked by the Rhine valley on one side and vineyards and charming castle-topped hills on the other.

Andy arrived a couple weeks before me. He got some warm, sunny weather and then it was like this when I arrived. He was really digging the cool weather here. Back in Japan it was sweltering as usual, humidity off the charts.

When Bern was off from work, we strategized on the plan for doing kla.tv interviews while I was in Europe. I went around the town and countryside with Andy on bicycles lent to us by Bernd’s parents in the town just down the road. Here’s the local bakery:

OK, the French are pretty good at pastries, but so are the Germans, and when you combine the incredible bread, you gotta give the nod to the Hun. This family-run bakery bakes all their own stuff, unlike many places now, that sell stuff from a factory. The lady here is so nice, and tolerant of my basic German.

Bernd and Heike visited Montana last winter. They got a kick out of this one:

3 and 4 seem to be especially difficult for Christians these days.

I saw these cool cats just down from Bernd’s house and I immediately thought of Montana.

I had a look inside the skid steer cockpit here, looked at the panel and said to myself, “yep, I’ve seen this before.”

I know how to run these suckers! In Montana all you need is a foreman who will put you in the driver’s seat, show you the controls and give you a quick lesson. In Germany I’m guessing you need a $20,000 comprehensive, 2-year course, reams of paperwork and offical stamps galore.

Here’s the American version of that excavator on a job we did in early September. (I might have taken this picture from the cab of the skid steer, identical to the one in Germany.)

Sinewy foreman Lars talkin’ shop with another contractor. Boy do these guys love to talk about work. Look at that Montana blue sky! OK, back to Germany…

It’s his first time in Germany and of course Andy loves the little towns and their half-timber buildings.

On my way to the town fountain to see if the water’s drinkable. Check out the Yorkshire flat cap! I actually got this from a local German company.

I got a little flack from a couple readers for wearing a baseball cap in a couple pictures in a farcical post. Well, lads, don’t worry, I’ll wear my fine Goettmann cap in future posts.

Stylish hats are gonna be cool again, I predict.

The sign says, Jokus. 1490-1990. On the occasion of 500 years of carnival customs and 150 years of the Hepprum Carnival. Created by the Hepprumer Fassebutze for the people of Heppenheirm. The Germans like their carnivals and festivals but I’d prefer an old, empty church with the organist practicing her Bach.

Local Catholic church. Bach wasn’t Catholic, but I’m guessing that doesn’t stop them from using his music on their fine, old organs.