what about the plastic animals?

The Old Homestead

New bridge under construction

Old shipyard survivor

On the old bridge

The path to school

My father grew up on the little island of Dänholm, which is a few hundred feet from Stralsund.  For the most part he was raised by his grandparents who owned a small shipyard on the island.  The shipyard was largely destroyed by Allied bombing during the war.  We were excited to see that three buildings from the shipyard are still standing.  A bridge being built towered over them, yet there they were.  One looked like it had been turned into a bathroom for a club, it was pretty trashed.  The wooden building above was in pretty good shape.  My father also found the path that he used to take when he walked to school in Stralsund.

The Mr. Crack Van

I wonder what's inside the Mr. Crack van?

A visit with the Jacobs

Aunt Helga, Frau Jacobs, Herr Jacobs, Dad.

Herr Jacobs and Dad really getting into a photo album.

Looking at their 7th grade class photo.  Picture by Judy Petrie.

Frau and Herr Jacobs, cake and two very old teddy bears.  Picture by Judy Petrie.

Several years ago my Aunt Helga was reading the Ostsee-Zeitung, the Stralsund area's daily newspaper when she saw an old class picture.  She recognized one person in that picture, her older brother.  The person who submitted the picture to the paper was Mr. Jacobs, a close grade school friend of my father's.  They were sent in different directions near the end of the war and never saw each other again.

Aunt Helga was able to get in touch with Herr Jacobs and met him a few years ago.  The Jacobs invited us for coffee and cake and a little personal reunion.  The two guys started talking like they had seen each other the day before, not with a lapse of sixty years between conversation.  There were photos to discuss, people to remember, and, literally and figuratively, war stories to tell.  A grand time was had by all.

We thought we were there for coffee and cake.  I could not refuse Frau Jacobs generosity and ate a slice of her homemade berry cheesecake and a piece of the chocolate cake.  With a little whipped cream on top.  Frau Jacobs then turned her considerable little old german lady charm on and convinced me to have another piece of each.  I'm a sucker for the impish grin.  The cakes were great but it felt like spontaneous adult-onset diabetes was about to occur.

The table was cleared as the conversation continue.  It seemed like the visit was winding down when Frau Jacobs starts setting the table for dinner.  There were salads, cold cuts, bread, cheese and meatballs.  All were delicious, but I have to say that I was in some serious pain after that meal.  About all I could do was sit in the corner in a food coma until it was time to leave.

Stralsund

Stralsund from Altefähr

Stralsund Market Square

Grill and Steak House

Cobblestone street.  Photo by Judy Petrie.

Royal Hotel where my grandmother was head cook.

Train Station mural detail

The day we ate the cake in Binz was intended to be the day when we spent some time in Stralsund.  High winds and an hours-long delay getting to the bridge to the mainland changed our plans.  We went to Stralsund the next day but didn't have as much time to sightsee.  What we did see is what George Bush is seeing today as he meets with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Stralsund was founded in 1234.  During the Middle Ages, which much of the old city dates to, it was a member of the Hanseatic League of cities that dominated trade across the Baltic and much of northern Europe.  We were there because Stralsund is the city of my father's birth.  He grew up on the tiny island of Dänholm, which can be seen in the great mural that covers the walls of the train station.  We ate good cake in Stralsund too.

Cake!

Dad, Uncle Rainer, and cake.  Photo by Judy Petrie

Photo by Judy Petrie

Judy and cake.

Swirly cake.  Photo by Judy Petrie

Germany was not a low-calorie trip.  These cakes were enjoyed at a cafe in Binz, a really beautiful town that we saw only briefly because it was the one afternoon with bad weather.  Bad weather or good we had dessert like this nearly every day.  Mmmm good!

Remember the Punkin' Chunkin' I went to last fall?  If you act faster than me you can pick up a pumpkin cannon in Brooklyn for free via Craigslist.  Now I just need some Red Hook waterfront access. (Thanks for the tip, Janet!)

Lost in Translation: German Edition

Perfectly acceptable in German.  Not so in English.  The wings over the "u" on the bus are a stylized ü , as in Fücker Reisen, the tour company that's been around since 1912.

Unlike my Great Plains trip, where I maniacally snapped pictures, I was relatively restrained with my photo taking in Germany.  Luckily, my sister took lots of photos and she has given me permission to post some of them here.  I'll start with the cake photos tomorrow!

Driftwood Sculptures

For the last couple of summers somebody has been making sculptures out of driftwood and found objects along the Hudson River.  The sculptures are located next to the bike path between 92nd and 130th streets.  They don't last too long.  I took the top photo on the 4th and it was gone this morning. 

More photos are available here.

Caution: Live Rats

7th Ave just south of 14th Street.

Baseballs

Look who's back!  After a year's absence Mr. Met returns.  And he's got a Dr. Who-like aura about him this week. 

Mr. Met knows his fans have been concerned about his well-being.  Although he can't reply to everyone personally,--his lack of an opposable thumb, or fingers, come to think of it, makes writing and typing almost impossible, he appreciates all the email and letters he has received during his absence.  About his absence Mr. Met would only say he was tired of "only being the 'face' of the Mets with no involvement beyond that..." then, as often happens, he lost concentration and started mumbling to himself.

IAC HQ

The IAC Corp, home to HSN, Ticketmaster, Evite, Ask.com, Smith and Noble (I love your shades but I only have four windows so I don't need a new catalogue every month) and ShoeBuy.com among other companies, is putting up a very homely building across the street from the Chelsea Piers.  It reminds me of the abandoned Revere Sugar Factory in Red Hook.