Hope you have a great visit! I'm locked away in redtown, but some day I would like to meet some fellow DUers. from Arkansas

"Escape From Fayetteville"

He had posted a little about it in one of the mental health support groups, so I already knew!

LM and I are looking forward to our visit too! We're having to get new passports since our old ones expired in 2015. I got my photos the other day, and it's true what they say about passport photos: If it looks awful, then you really do need that vacation! Mine looks like I just confronted an unpleasant TSA person!

And believe me, I will not forget to take photos.......

Of that, I have no doubt!

I wish I could visit Europe and Germany in particular, again, I was there in the mid 80s. My son speaks German so I keep telling him he will have to take his mom over there one of these days. 😁

How cool that a fellow DUer met with you. We are an awesome bunch, aren't we?!

Thank you for your great descriptive post and all the best to you and your wife!

If you make it here, just let us know!

But always good to hear that DUers are reaching beyond the cyberwaves.

..hanging out with in-laws in northern Czech Republic (Liberec) today, Prague tomorrow and most of this coming week, back to Atlanta a week from today. And yes, it's obnoxiously cold. Depending on which altitudes you're at around here, temps have been -8 C to -30 C (17 F to -13 F).

Next time back, probably late '19 to early 2020, we'll stop by your beautiful city and take you and your wife out for fantastic German beer, wine, and the best place for rolladen or sauerbraten or whatever you'd like...how does that sound?!

You're on! Heel graag!

It will be my first time to Europe. So excited. Planning on spending a few days driving around in Western Germany after the festival. What cities would you recommend I visit for some amazing photos? thanks

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It's about an hour and a half driving from there to where we are.

Aachen is nice, Trier, too. Bigger towns: Köln (an hour or so from Aachen) is full of history going back to ancient Roman times. Just north of there is our city of Düsseldorf with its old town and lines of Rhein shore cafés. If you are up to straying further, Hamburg in the north is wonderful in the spring. A port city with canals, great food and culture scenes. Bremen, too.

Two little-known old beautiful cities closer to Aachen are Münster/Westfalen and Osnabrück. They are about half an hour apart, and well worth a day trip each. Münster is about an hour north of us, Osnabrück a half hour farther north.

About a 20 minute drive south of where I live is the Neander Valley ("Neandertal" ), where the first big find was made. They have a great museum at the site.

It's going to be hard to choose what to do and what to skip. Probably starting in Amsterdam then do 3 days of festival. Then drive for a week. Planning on just making a giant loop.
She's been to Europe a few times so I get to decide where we are going. The Neanderthal museum sounds great. I'm a sucker for archaeology. I want to see as much history as I possibly can. Definitely something we lack here in the US.

Get in touch when you're nearby!

The local community (also called Neandertal) even has its own top 40 radio station. It probably sounds weird at first when you go dial surfing with the car radio, and suddenly hear a catchy jingle singing "This is Radio Neandertal" Number ten this week on the grunt parade is.......

I will get in touch before we head over in mid june. I also might think of a question or two before then. Thanks again!

Send up a signal if and when.

You'll be very near the old Dutch city of Maastricht. It's an old medieval university town, with some great pictures to be had in the center of town. If you're driving, be prepared to look long and hard for a parking spot. There aren't many!

We should have more meet-ups in the DU World!

What a great community this is!

I looked up Bärlauchcreme, and as far as I can figure it seems like a sort of German pesto.

That breakfast sounds great, and so does the company.

I think I'll steal that!

Bärlauchcreme= flavored cream cheese.

I served in the Army in Wuerzburg for 4 years. I really miss Germany. Wonderful people. Cherished memories.

I was extraordinarily grateful for you and your wife's hospitality! The two of you could not have nicer.

Yes we covered a very broad range of topics, and I learn from you always, on DU and especially in person. Lurkers and Loungers and DU regulars, DFW knows his stuff! Especially about politics - listen to him carefully before you dismiss his opinion. Yes he actually knows some of these people in DC, and I learned that Pence is LESS sane than I had thought, which is kinda terrifying.

DFW is one of the very best on DU, and, funnily enough, he strongly reminds me of my older brother who is a public defender, Democratic activist and wonderful human being all wrapped into one!

That seems almost impossible. Is he super religious crazy or is he more like a RW nut job?

Apparently Pence is one of those who thinks his God speaks to him.

schizophrenic and religious. It is like choosing between half a dozen of one or 6 of the other. We're screwed either way. Pence vs. The Moron...that's a tough call.

Now I really hope Mueller nails Pence too, but does that mean we get Ryan?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029773455
https://upload.democraticunderground.com/10029892213

Planned for 28 Februar to 3 Marz, and Amsterdam is planned from 6 Marz to 9 Marz. On 13 Marz I take a guided tour of the Reichstag in Berlin, and on 18 Marz I return to Orlando.

On the train back to Berlin I met an older man from Duisberg who works in NYC in a energy-related investment company and who has a residence in SW Florida. I think he liked Trump for purely business reasons (!!!??!!!!!!!!!! sigh) but he seemed to be a good man otherwise. We exchanged emails.

On the train my voice got a bit too loud, and a neighboring passenger told me bluntly to quiet down. I was absolutely mortified, then the older man smiled at me and said quietly "That's Germany". His exact words, not mine.

And it brings back a LOT of memories for me -- I spent 2 years in Germany with my Army first husband, back in the mid-70s.

So picturesque, so interesting.

I remember that I loved the architecture in the old city and the shopping and dining areas were nice to walk around in. You have many nice views of the Rhein River from all over the city. (Also I remember the magnificent bridge spanning the Rhein.) I came for a trade show, so unfortunately we didn't have a lot of extra time to see the city. I'd surely love to come back some day.

That is the ethnic stew that this place has become. Everyone is expected to assimilate, and most people do, and all people I introduced Steve to communicated in German. These, of course included the locals, though the people in this town often come from other parts of Germany (including my wife, who is from the farm country of the northwest). Aside from Germans, gay and straight and of several generations, I got to introduce Steve to locals who are Turkish, Kurdish and Greek. In addition, there were a couple of elder Russians busking in the pedestrian area. Western Europe has cleverly figured out that integration and assimilation mean war between neighboring countries is not only less likely, but impractical to the point of being ridiculous.

DFW is a true polyglot and can speak some with the non German shopkeepers as well. You are so correct about the integration. Ratingen is certainly more friendly than Berlin. Case in point: as I told DFW, I stumbled upon a friendly dive/sports bar in the Prenzlauer Berg section of Berlin, which is in the ex-GDR section of the city. Long story short, my new Munchen acquaintance and I were scolded for amicably discussing the Russians in English. Deutsch Only! Needless to say, I am not sure I will go back there.

If I ever get over there I'll give a shout!

Saarbrücken is about 5 hours south of here, but the route goes through some nice countryside.

for ya both!

information! And some great pictures—-I remember some with Hillary and also your lovely family.

Thanks for sharing.

And Steve, enjoy your trip. I do totally agree that DFW knows his stuff. Such a good resource for us.

DFW und seine Frau have certainly contributed to it!

However--it is supposed to let up a little by the time you get to (not Phoenix) København, otherwise known as Copenhagen.

Steve--

Don't forget to ask the hotel the way to Strøget ("STROY-et" ), the walking street through the center of town. You can send hours just exploring the shops and cafés, not to mention the ones on the side streets.

My wife, as you now know, got a little bit of less-than-favorable medical news this morning, but we're hoping it's nothing evil. She certainly has had to fight enough of that recently, and you now know just how special a person she is. I can't imagine life without her, so we'll just have to beat it, whatever it is.

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I just know she will overcome and you two will toddle into a very old age hand in hand!

Great suggestion for Copenhagen, I will do that! My Cologne-born guide convinced me today to see Prague also, so Prague it is after Copenhagen and Amsterdam.

For anyone who may be wondering, I have not been to Europe in 29 years, and I am not sure when I am returning. Money is usually the deciding factor.

I approve of the choice!