Reunion Plans Still Coming Together

The reunion committee has been meeting via Zoom and in person working on all the necessary plans to insure a great get-together for the Classes of 1964-1965-1966 and invited guests. Even though there is not a lot of time left to get things finalized, great efforts are underway to get things finished so we may start taking reservations. One immediate problem popped up when looking at the cost of catering the big meal on Saturday night. The original planned cost of attending did not take account of the inflation of all prices and the meal prices were underestimated. While it should be worked out soon, the original estimated cost for attendance will probably have to be increased somewhat to cover the inflated prices. Though they are still trying to make it affordable, registration prices might have to be raised by maybe the cost of a trip to the movies to insure a great meal in the evening.

The committee is scheduled for another meeting this week and by next week hopes to have reliable numbers to allow the registration process to begin and final plans to be firmed up.  Please check back next week for the latest information.

Dinner with friends.

How I Spent My 2019 Christmas Vacation

(Continued from Last Issue)

Rainer Klauss

LHS '64

I didn’t get an excited “You’re-in-Germany-again-after-all-these-years!” vibe even as we were bussed to our ship’s berth on the Main-Danube Canal. The route largely resembled the industrial areas of many American towns I’ve driven through—an unappealing succession of warehouses, construction sites, manufacturing buildings, and demolition zones.  As we approached the Adagio’s mooring site, its bright blue decking reminded me of Johann Strauss’s musical tribute to the beautiful Danube. We boarded the ship and were immediately engaged in the process of getting to know our riverine home. We were issued electronic keys to our staterooms, a lanyard with our name tag, and then shown to our rooms by the young men who we would next see acting as our waiters in the dining room. 

Since I traveled as a single, my dual-occupancy stateroom provided plenty of space to accommodate my baggage. There weren’t enough storage shelves in the bathroom, but it was adequately-sized. I had windows to an outside view (because the ship didn’t have a deep draft). During the day the cabin functioned as a sitting room: two compact couches with a table between them—spaces to read, write, or devour some treats brought back from the markets. At night, the couch supported a comfortable pull-down bed. The accommodations pleased me; they definitely had a European flair.

One thing did take getting used to, though. The bathroom was situated about half a step higher than the stateroom. Yellow warning chevrons on its door sill were meant to alert you to that difference, but I didn’t see them until later--after I had stumbled two or three times when entering or leaving the facility. I devised a simple safety measure. Before I went to bed each night, I always positioned my orange suitcase in front of the bathroom door to remind myself of the change of elevation.  That way, when groggy Rainer needed to get up during the night, I would save myself from the misery of pain and possible bloodshed. Fortunately, enough light leaked in under the stateroom’s door when the room was dark to enable me to see that bulky warning device and remember its purpose. Otherwise the trouble could have started there.

As we were getting settled and still awaiting other passengers to join the ship, we were informed that an afternoon bus trip to the Christmas market in Nuremberg had been arranged.  Since I wanted to immerse myself in the festivities and German social scene as soon as possible, I eagerly boarded the bus. We parked near the Germanic History Museum (a magnificent institution I had toured during my 1970 Army days), and then a Program Director conducted us to the St. Lorenzkirche, where there was considerable Christmas market activity. The items that chiefly interested me—Nürnberger Bratwürste, Nürnberger Elisenlebkuchen (the town’s famous gingerbread), and Glühwein (mulled wine) --were offered at numerous open-air stalls. I noted the places for future reference, but didn’t buy anything. I wandered around the market, the church plaza, and its surrounding streets for an hour or so, taking in the bustle of activity, the many charming Christmas items and decorations, the tantalizing appearance and aromas of roasting sausages and other treats, and the good cheer of the Germans.  I wanted to be swept up in that reigning spirit.

Walking on the cobble-stone streets for so long took a toll on the scar tissue of my right knee (the one that’s been replaced twice). Usually the pain is minimal because I wear an elastic sleeve over the knee which somehow keeps the tissue soothed, and I don’t walk long distances over cobble stones.  As I got ready for bed near midnight (still not feeling tired), I had to hobble around; the knee had begun throbbing painfully as soon as I got up from our supper. After all the hectic activity and having passed through six time zones with no sleep, I thought I would conk out all or most of the night. Instead, I woke up at 3 A.M., wide awake. I lay there for the next four hours, alternating between dozing and worrying about my very sore knee. I knew there was nothing structurally wrong with it, but would the pain become more severe in the coming days? The best part of the tour was about to begin; lots of long-awaited and possibly strenuous experiences lay ahead of me.

The knee still ached in the morning, but I slipped on the sleeve and found out that the pain was not much greater than usual. I would be okay. I walked many more kilometers in the following days. Jet lag—what’s that? This seventy-four-year-old gent had an abundance of energy throughout the tour. I am grateful for that gift.

Each day for breakfast we were offered a plenitude of choices in a serve-yourself style. An omelet station held the central position on a curved buffet that was loaded with ham, cold cuts, cheeses, rolls, jams, and pastries. One could have toast, cereal, yogurt, boiled eggs and select from a wide variety of fresh fruit. I’m sure there were additional appetizing items in the cornucopia that I never even noticed. Though tempted to gorge myself on what lay before me, I kept my meal simple every morning with oatmeal and an omelet.

Upon returning to one’s room after breakfast, one found three professionally-produced documents on the stateroom’s table.  The first form presented the menus for the two other meals of the day.  Throughout the trip each one of those proved to be a tasty, generous three-course repast. At supper one night—I think it came after an active day in Regensburg—I asked our waitress if she could bring me more of the entrée, a delicious sole. Perhaps I was being uncouth. However, to my delight and the astonishment of those who sat with me, she soon brought me another whole plate of food. And dessert to come! The menus also contained factoids of gastronomic information about that day’s offerings that educated us about the regional specialties we could choose from.

The second document served as a valuable newsletter that told us about the town that we were visiting, the predicted weather for the day, a schedule of planned activities, suggestions about how we could utilize our free time, and a brief notice of what lay in store for us the next day.  It also passed along news of shipboard amenities: “It’s laundry day! Our onboard housekeeping team is pleased to offer a one-day-only 20% discount on your entire laundry order.”  The newsletters helped organize our days, and because I saved them, they are records of our good times, treasured souvenirs, and memory aids in the composition of this travelogue.

The third document was a handy map of the city environs close to the ship’s mooring location. It provided a means of orientation and a graphic adjunct to the information in the newsletter, indicating the points of interest we might want to visit or re-visit after a guided tour.  

(To Be Continued)

Happy Fourth of July. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday period.

Last week's issue seemed to be accepted by the Knology group so perhaps we will be okay for a while.

Many reunion plans will be counting on Lee's Traveller as a major player, so please check in weekly to keep up with the latest news.

This Week's Questions, Answers, Comments

Bob Pierce, LHS ‘64, "I'm looking forward to more of Rainer's story and Sept 10th."

Bob Pierce, LHS ‘64, "I'm looking for some voices who are coming to the Sept 10th reunion. I will be in Huntsville July 15-18 please give me a call 1.615.444.4321."

Photographic Memories - Who Are They?

Each week I plan to share a group of photos from the 1960 "The General" yearbook without disclosing the names of the individuals. You may stop and try to identify them here, and when you are through you may scroll to the bottom of this page to see the identities of your classmates in the photos.

A Song to Set the Stage for Our Upcoming Reunion