Back in Rheinstetten

So our earlier train out of Paris took us to Rheinstetten to my aunt’s. Larry met my family there. I was impressed at how much Kerstin’s kids, especially Raphael and Ricarda, sat with us and spoke English. Of course Rebecca too but I already knew that she speaks English well and she likes to talk so I wasn’t so surprised. Kerstin and I drove Larry to the airport the next morning and dropped him off at the door. The parking lot was crazy and we couldn’t find anywhere to park.

A new chapter of my journey starts. Being in Rheinstetten is a nice home base. It’s relaxed and no one feels like they have to entertain me. On the weekend I went into Karlsruhe to visit with the von Freymann family, sing along in the pews with the Brahms Requiem dress rehearsal, celebrate Kirsten’s birthday with a delicious meat fondue dinner. I met Kirsten’s mother-in-law again and a great aunt that was visiting. She was full of stories and it was a nice evening. On Sunday I went for Kaffee and Kuchen at Finni’s. She’s my mother’s girlfriend. They used to work together as nurses. Her sister’s granddaughter from Brazil is staying with her. And I convinced them both to come to the Brahm’s Requiem concert with me. (Actually it had been my mother’s idea but I did all the convincing.) It was all in the same area. The concert was great. Though we had the “better” seats we couldn’t see very well. That was unfortunate but it was beautiful nonetheless. I had taken my Oratorio score with me and the recording of it on an MP3 so I sit in the streetcar and listen and study. I love walking through the streets of Europe, especially in places where I feel at home. Oratorio rehearsals start today in Wiesbaden. I’m so excited that I’ll be singing the Oratorio in Germany…all six parts. Hopefully in Freiburg too later in December. There’s a plan in the works for that.

I think I’m up to date now with my journaling. Yahoo! (Just in time to move on to a new place.)

PS. The calm, peacefulness of the strike I experienced in Paris is no more. It must have been a first day kind of thing. Now on the 6th day the newspapers are reporting chaos and angry citizens who crowd the same empty train station trying to get on the very few trains that are running. Schools are closing because teachers can’t get to work. Parents are mad because they don’t know what to do with their children and they have to try to get to work themselves. Streets are congested. Big traffic jams. I guess you can only take the day off in solidarity so often. There's been a temporary reprieve in the train strike here so I don't have a problem getting to Wiesbaden today.