These are the views I saw for my first 20 years ---except

[Mira]

for the first 10 I mostly saw smithereens and destruction. War is such hell.

My friend just keeps sending them, and unless you stop me I'll post one or two a day.
But then, when I came here at age 20, I knew very soon that I had actually come home.
And no, I did not marry a GI - I just booked a passage on a coal freighter from Rotterdam, and came on over. I had 40 bucks in my pocket.

[Cassandra]

1. Oddly, when I see your posts...

and see the picture of Arundhati Roy, I think of you as much younger than you apparently are.

Great picture and story. Is there anywhere in the US where we make use of bridge space in the same way?

[Mira]

2. I figure that since my first six formative months were mostly spent in

bomb shelters, it is never too late to have a happy childhood.
I forget how old I am routinely. That's a good thing.

I love your "unfurling" very much.
Best to me since your fruit stand with the old lady and the glove on the ground.
Forget what contest that was, probably : All colors present :)

[Cassandra]

4. I think that was Street Scenes.

Thanks. I probably did 20 or more shots of those ferns and others; this was the best one. I find myself wanting to go back and improve shots now that I know more but, of course, those shots won't be available for at least a year.

My grandparents arrived in similar ways from about 1895-1914. They just picked up and got on ships. Astounding to me now, to just leave everything in the hopes of doing better.

[trusty elf]

3. I played in Bamberg some time ago,

and remember its being very charming indeed. When I get a glimpse of how beautiful German cities were before the war, my heart breaks. War sucks.

In November I'll be in Hannover, and will be playing in a beautiful hall, still intact, at Herrenhausen castle. It's filled with lovely 17th century frescoes. I'll take lots of pictures.

[Celebration]

5. Germany!

Went there with my parents when I was eleven years old, in the late 50s, and the destruction still around then made a huge impression on me. Literally, at that late date, there were large blocks with just piles of bricks. We went to a town called Ebstorf, near a larger town named Ilsen (sp)? where my great grandfather grew up.

My grandmother collected Dresden china (I still have some pieces) and I heard a lot about Dresden and the bombing when I was growing up.

In the mid 60s, I went again to Germany. I didn't see as much destruction, but stayed with my uncle's friends, who had a huge estate on the North Sea. That family had been heavily involved in politics during WWI. I didn't have the sense not to talk about Nazi Germany. You know, they just lived in fear. The son that grew up during the war was indoctrinated at school, and the parents absolutely refused to talk about issues with their son, because schoolkids were heavily encouraged to tattle on their parents.

All in all, I feel just a big connection to Germany. Here is the church where my great grandfather was baptized. Found this in some sort of geneology website. I remember being there very clearly, probably because of some emotions by my mom at the time.

[Mira]

6. WOW - it all made a big impression. I'm glad you're enjoying these, and it

seems to really take you back.

[hippywife]

7. I'm so sorry

you had to endure that, Mira. But I'm very grateful you survived and could be here with us now. :hug: