Thursday, February 6, 2020

July 20, 1971

Dear Mom & Dad,
Well here are my final pictures that I took while I was on leave.  I hope that by sending these pictures to you I have in some small way been able to share my trip with you, because I really wish you could have all been with me.  After these last pictures, I will get off a more comprehensive letter.


Well after driving through the rugged mountains of Switzerland I finally made it to Interlaken.  This picture is of the river that ran through the town, which joined the two lakes together that Interlaken is between.  The water in this river and in the lakes, is the cleanest looking, that I think I have ever seen.


Here is one means of transportation that you can use to see Interlaken.


This one was also taken on the river with a few of the mountains in the background.  It was a little too cloudy when I was there to see Jungfrau.


As you can see, progress and tall buildings even come to places like Interlaken eventually.


Well after Interlaken I went back "home" to Germany, but before I went back to work I took another day at one of my favorite towns, Rothenburg.  I think it was June 1st when these pictures were taken and that happened to be the day of the Meister-Frank festival.  To make a long story short, this is to celebrate a time about 300 years ago when a group of attacking Huns came into Rothenburg and were about to destroy the town.  However the leader of the Huns made a deal with the Burger-Meister of Rothernburg; if the Burger-Meister could drink 10 liters of beer in one large chug-a-lug they would go home and leave the town alone, if not, then the Huns would stay.  Well the Burger Meister took the challenge, and drank down the 10 liters without so much as a hic-up, right in the middle of the town square.  The Huns were good to their word, and left and the Burger-Meister became a town hero.  Every year there after the  townspeople have held a celebration in honor of this event, and also because in later years it has proven to be pretty good for business.  That will explain, I hope, these next pictures.  Above you see a couple of young men riding down a street dressed in what were the local garb of the time.



Here we have some of the "good guys" resting up before participating in one of the mock battles.


This man is riding a very large horse, as you can see.


This is the man who plays the part of the Burger-Meister and as a matter of fact he really is the Burger Meister.  By the way that armor is the real thing.

Here come the Huns, about to meet the Rothenburger's in a mock battle, which was pretty wild even though it was just acting.


This character is the leader of the Huns, a real villain-type


And once again, here come the "good guys" led by the "Burger-Meister"


At the end of the day they had a parade down the main street, with this  group leading the way with authentic 18th century instruments.  They played very 18th century marching tunes, also.

Well that's the end.  I will try to get a letter off shortly.

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