Sometimes it's the little things that make a lasting impact ...
A Funny Story
So on our trip up the river (see below) we found a nice courtyard cafe in a six-hundred-year-old building to enjoy a very nice lunch. On this particular day, I chose to order a big bratwurst, or German sausage, which is a staple in the local diet. It was terrific, along with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut. Pretty dadgum German if you ask me.
But when the time came to pay the bill, they only took cash! Yikes! We were rather short, assuming we could pay with plastic. I asked if there was an ATM machine nearby, and they instructed me to go up the block and I would find one. So I did, while Fiona waited at the table.
Only problem was that it was actually in a bank, and the door was locked. It was one of those electronic doors that usually open when you approach. I waved at the overhead sensor, but nothing. I looked around, and there were no other ATM’s in sight. This was a small town. What to do?
Another couple came up and tried to get in, and had the same result. But the woman pulled out her European card and stuck it into a slot and the door opened - and I followed them in.
They tried to get some money out of the machine, but it wouldn’t cooperate with them. They became more and more irritated and then started to get angry with each other, they were speaking Italian (I can speak Spanish, and understood most of what they were saying). At one point, the guy gesticulated wildly and shouted “MAMA MIA!”
The arguing escalated, and they accused each other of not know how to operate the machine. They kept taking turns and it didn’t work for either one of them. Keep in mind, it’s been some time now and Fiona is still waiting at the cafe and I’m still waiting my turn at the ATM. The couple starts getting pretty mad and flailing their arms in an Italian show of emotion. They accuse each other of being idiots- “You are an IDIOT!” - “No, YOU are an Idiot!”
Eventually they threw up their hands and began to walk out, thoroughly fed up and pissed off. They were poking their fingers into each others chest accusingly - "It's Your Fault! You are so Stupid!" A whole bunch of grief and no money.
The arguing escalated, and they accused each other of not know how to operate the machine. They kept taking turns and it didn’t work for either one of them. Keep in mind, it’s been some time now and Fiona is still waiting at the cafe and I’m still waiting my turn at the ATM. The couple starts getting pretty mad and flailing their arms in an Italian show of emotion. They accuse each other of being idiots- “You are an IDIOT!” - “No, YOU are an Idiot!”
Eventually they threw up their hands and began to walk out, thoroughly fed up and pissed off. They were poking their fingers into each others chest accusingly - "It's Your Fault! You are so Stupid!" A whole bunch of grief and no money.
So I step up to the machine (finally!) and prepare for my turn, and the machine says “Please take your Cash!” I look down and there is a bunch of money the machine has just spit out. I call out to the Italians, “Hey, hold on, look at this!”
They turn around just as they are about to leave the small office, and they are amazed. Their money is there! Deliverance! They are vindicated! Salvation is at hand! It’s a Holy miracle! Their cash is there after all, and who knows how it showed up? They are also incredibly grateful to me that I pointed it out to them.
“Thank you Thank You," they tell me "Bless you! Grazie! Grazie! Holy Mother of God!” they kept saying. I don’t know, were they thankful I didn’t take the money? It was almost like they gave me credit for making the money appear! Anyway, they continued to celebrate their good luck and shower blessings on me and my descendants!
As mad and disgusted as they were just moments ago, they were now ... joyful and triumphant! It was pretty funny. They were saying things to me like “May the blessed Virgin Mary smile upon you until eternity! May you go forth and multiply!”
They turn around just as they are about to leave the small office, and they are amazed. Their money is there! Deliverance! They are vindicated! Salvation is at hand! It’s a Holy miracle! Their cash is there after all, and who knows how it showed up? They are also incredibly grateful to me that I pointed it out to them.
“Thank you Thank You," they tell me "Bless you! Grazie! Grazie! Holy Mother of God!” they kept saying. I don’t know, were they thankful I didn’t take the money? It was almost like they gave me credit for making the money appear! Anyway, they continued to celebrate their good luck and shower blessings on me and my descendants!
As mad and disgusted as they were just moments ago, they were now ... joyful and triumphant! It was pretty funny. They were saying things to me like “May the blessed Virgin Mary smile upon you until eternity! May you go forth and multiply!”
I was like, hey man, no big deal, it was your money. It was the least I could do.
They eventually left, laughing and dancing and slapping high-fives, and waving the money in the air! Hilarious!
I got my money in a much less eventful manner, and after a very ... long ... time, walked back into the cafe, where Fiona had been waiting patiently ... forever. When she saw me she started laughing. I’m not sure why. I guess it seemed funny, and she is familiar enough with me to know there is probably a story attached to this.
This is undoubtedly the most exciting trip to the ATM machine I have ever had.
We had traveled outside of Frankfurt via train and boat to the small town of Bacarach, on the Rhein river. It was a beautiful day with bright sunshine and 80 degrees. The boat ride was fun, with eye-popping views of castles on either side of the Rhein. You couldn't go a mile without seeing another one.
We climbed a couple of steep hills, high up the river bank to visit the castles, and it was a lot of work. We worked up a sweat.
The hills are severe and the castles are located in difficult places on purpose, so to provide a better defense against “the enemy”.
I have described earlier, the methods used in the old days to secure a "fiefdom". There were a lot of wealthy landowners and noblemen in those days and they fought a lot and tried to conquer their neighbor, or seize territory, or invade another country. And you better have some good fortifications around your own place. History is full on conflict.
The Rhein, (in English it's spelled Rhine) has always been an important river in Europe, and was a channel of commerce and trade. And the castles that lined the river made every effort to extract tariffs, taxes, tolls (or whatever you want to call it), before they would allow freight to pass by.
Obviously the shipping companies took exception to this. Battles ensued, and this hampered the movement of goods between regions. Once these trade barriers went away, prosperity was enjoyed by many.
Germany became a united country under Prince Wilhelm and Otto von Bismarck, and the importance of castles diminished. Another contributing factor was the previously mentioned development of gun powder and cannons and rifles and other modern weaponry.
But the castles remain, and many are quite spectacular to visit. They are in various stages of repair or decay, and it can take a lot of time, effort, and money to maintain them. Tourism helps. And there can be a lot of tourists.
In fact, Fiona and I first went to St Goar, a historic town with one of the best examples of a once-glorious castle. But there were so many tourists that we had to flee - in this case, to Bacarach (shown above), a quieter and much more mellow town further up the river. We went by boat, which is a common way to get around, along with trains that travel on both sides of the river.
And then we had lunch in a courtyard cafe ...
They eventually left, laughing and dancing and slapping high-fives, and waving the money in the air! Hilarious!
I got my money in a much less eventful manner, and after a very ... long ... time, walked back into the cafe, where Fiona had been waiting patiently ... forever. When she saw me she started laughing. I’m not sure why. I guess it seemed funny, and she is familiar enough with me to know there is probably a story attached to this.
This is undoubtedly the most exciting trip to the ATM machine I have ever had.
It helps to know what you’re looking at.
How did these castles get here? Why are there so many?
We had traveled outside of Frankfurt via train and boat to the small town of Bacarach, on the Rhein river. It was a beautiful day with bright sunshine and 80 degrees. The boat ride was fun, with eye-popping views of castles on either side of the Rhein. You couldn't go a mile without seeing another one.
We climbed a couple of steep hills, high up the river bank to visit the castles, and it was a lot of work. We worked up a sweat.
The hills are severe and the castles are located in difficult places on purpose, so to provide a better defense against “the enemy”.
I have described earlier, the methods used in the old days to secure a "fiefdom". There were a lot of wealthy landowners and noblemen in those days and they fought a lot and tried to conquer their neighbor, or seize territory, or invade another country. And you better have some good fortifications around your own place. History is full on conflict.
The Rhein, (in English it's spelled Rhine) has always been an important river in Europe, and was a channel of commerce and trade. And the castles that lined the river made every effort to extract tariffs, taxes, tolls (or whatever you want to call it), before they would allow freight to pass by.
Obviously the shipping companies took exception to this. Battles ensued, and this hampered the movement of goods between regions. Once these trade barriers went away, prosperity was enjoyed by many.
Germany became a united country under Prince Wilhelm and Otto von Bismarck, and the importance of castles diminished. Another contributing factor was the previously mentioned development of gun powder and cannons and rifles and other modern weaponry.
But the castles remain, and many are quite spectacular to visit. They are in various stages of repair or decay, and it can take a lot of time, effort, and money to maintain them. Tourism helps. And there can be a lot of tourists.
In fact, Fiona and I first went to St Goar, a historic town with one of the best examples of a once-glorious castle. But there were so many tourists that we had to flee - in this case, to Bacarach (shown above), a quieter and much more mellow town further up the river. We went by boat, which is a common way to get around, along with trains that travel on both sides of the river.
And then we had lunch in a courtyard cafe ...
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