As I reread my Postcards from Europe book in preparation for its special tenth anniversary edition, it was fun to consider how the lives of its real-life cast of characters have changed since 1999.
In general, an affluence has swept Europe and European unification continues to march forward. Thankfully, my fears that this would steamroll the Continent’s charm and diversity have proven unfounded. And, as my favorite restaurateurs and hoteliers slip from active years into retirement, the next generation routinely overcomes my anxiety by picking up the torch and carrying on with new energy. And today, as in 1999, it remains the people who carbonate our travel experience.
While this may not mean much if you haven’t read the book or met them in your travels, here’s an update on European friends who starred in my book:
I learned that John Konig, the old piano salesman whom I speculated was “probably dead now,” is not dead. When this book came out, he emailed me from Europe saying, “I’m not dead yet.” (John, I hope that’s still the case.)
Frans (not Franz), the stressed-out Dutch hotelier who ran Haarlem’s Hotel Carillion, finally burned out and sold his business. Marjet and Hans, who run a B&B in Haarlem, are the same as ever, still ribbing their guests about American ethnocentrism. They call me each New Year’s Day from their winter hideout on the Spanish coast with a reminder that my resolution should be to work a little less and play a little more.
My friends in Bacharach on the Rhine are doing well. Herr Jung, the retired schoolteacher, was already quite senior in 1999. He’s still taking my tour groups through his town and charming them with his intimate and inspiring stories from World War II. At Hotel Kranenturm, Kurt still plays the DJ in his medieval cellar when he’s done cooking and, for his wife Fatima, a job well done remains a prayer.
I still look forward to the tradition of dropping by Hotel Goldene Rose in Rothenburg to enjoy the stammtisch (a “locals-only” table) with Henni and the Favetta family. If I get really drunk once on a trip…you can bet it’s at the Family Favetta’s stammtisch. The parents retired in 1999 and now Henni is running the show. Karen is still the loyal knave.
Photogenic Georg, Rothenburg’s Night Watchman, still charms tourists with stories of his medieval town and the curly locks of a 14th-century fantasy. Some envious local hotels have put up competing Night Watchmen…but there’s still only one.
While independent Asian travelers, like the Taiwanese girls I met in Rothenburg, were rare in 1999, today with the economic rise of China and India, the complexion of European tourism is fast changing.
While I included Munich as a stop on my Postcards route back when Berlin was a forest of construction cranes, today Berlin is rebuilt and has eclipsed Munich as the happening city of Germany. In fact, compared to Berlin, Munich is now flat beer and stale strudel. My friend Alan, who made me promise not to reveal the location of his favorite beerhall, has finally released me from my vow. It’s Unionsbrau — which remains many beer aficionado’s favorite Munich beerhall.
I’ll get an update on my Postcards from Europe friends from Italy, Switzerland and France to you soon.
Rick; Thanks for dropping the previous Palin bombshell. Thanks for revamping the postcards book…it is one of my favorites. I love this blog…so interesting! I marvel at the variety of emotion and opinion you evoke. The most troubling opinions to me are the ones that wish you to stop expressing your world view and those of people outside our country. I was raised in a household where it was fun, stimulating and informative to argue one’s political views and in the end everyone’s opinion was respected. In order for our country to prosper, we all need to find a way to listen respectfully to each other, find commom ground and move forward with new, innovative ideas to solve our problems.
Rick, something I would like to see you address is how Europeans feel about the enlarging EU. What country peoples thoughts are and who they really feel are their leaders and leadership. I know when I have been over in France in particular the French are still possessive of their nationalism and not very happy about spreading their wealth to other countries such as Poland and other Eastern bloc countries. How does the man on the street feel about the EU, the ICC and the alphabet soup of European Union branches. I am sure alot has changed on the ER fromt from 1999 including but not limited to the monetary system and way laws are promulgated. We know how you feel about the American government but how do you feel about the governments in Europe and what their strengths and flaws are. How do you feel about the new French leadership and the fact that Gordon Brown and New Labour is probably being shuffeled out of parliment and how do you feel about the German Chancelor and the way the leaders interact with the EU dept heads. I really want to know what your opinions are about the european governments as you are boots on the ground over there and have seen the massive changes over the years. Part of Postcards from Europe as to changing government, maybe??!!
I have partied with Kurt in his cellar at Hotel Kranenturm and had a great time. That was a WILD night and the alcohol flowed. There was some partying going on there so don’t let that old hotel fool you. There’s some action going on in that cellar! And Georg was great in Rothenburg! There is only one night watchman!
Rick Amazing to see how quickly you can post a new blog when you catch a lot of heat in the comments of the session. Your are a true democrat.
This is the type of entry that keeps me coming back. To be able to see through your eyes some of the places I have yet to see is very gratifying. It provides just enough of an escape that the sun seems to shine a little brighter and I am transported back to people and countries that I have grown to love deeply. This is what a travel blog is supposed to be. Maybe a different one for more in-depth policitical discussion?
Thanks for the familiar images. I just love the organic nature of drinking and eating in europe…in thousand year old buildings…with very open people. Keep up with the political view points in your posts. I have never travelled to europe that I don’t encounter well informed people who want my opinion on the “goings on” the USA is involved with. They (as you do) always stimulate my thinking. When people want to shut other people up, that means they have decided to stop growing.
Rick I went to the Unionsbrau in Munchen and had a filling meal for lunch………. Took a few “Jackie O” coasters for souvenirs…….. It was out of the way nicely yet right at a metro stop……. It felt like a visit to a secret location even though you mentioned it in the guidebook….I recognized it as the place from Postcards which I had read years before….This may sound funny but one memory was that their toilet stall sprayed a nice perfume when you finished and opened the door to leave……
For the life of me, I can’t see why I am supposed to care what the “European in the street” thinks about our president or presidential candidates, or life in the United States, for that matter. Do they care what I think about their country, or who I would choose as their president? I really doubt it, and I wouldn’t pretend to know enough about the political situation in, say, Germany, to pretend to have a valid opinion concerning a German election. In the same vein, I just love it when Rick talks to a cab driver in, oh let’s say Tehran, and uses the cabbie’s opinion about Israel as a proof of his “Iran is misunderstood” philosophy. Can you imagine a foreign travel writer using the opinion of a New York cab driver as a valued and philosophically deep representation of American thought? That would be laughable, wouldn’t it?
Joe….. most U.S. cab drivers are from the Middle East! Doh!
The difference of course is that the cab driver in Iran is probably Iranian and the cabdriver in New York is probably, well, also Iranian.
OK, let’s assume that the New York cabbie just happens to be one of the maybe 10% of New York hackies who are actually born in the USA.
You know,I’m going to keep reading Rick’s blogs, but I’m done with the comment section. They are pointless. Beside that, they don’t make me feel good. There is almost never a civil or uplifting comment in response to Rick’s. My purpose in life is to advance the ball into new and exciting worlds. These comments move the ball, but go backward into a darker world. I need to use my time to do good, not play pointless games.
What about Annelise in Rothenburg? How is she doing? Still working in her shop? Still chiding you over wearing the same clothes every year? She was a highlight of Rothenburg for me.
Thanks Terry for your comments. Rick throws out controversial comments and then seems suprised at all the comments. I am just trying to figure out which name Rick is going under when he responds in the comments section.
John, I like provocative comments if they have a worthy purpose. Unfortunately, many of the responses here are much more sharp than necessary. I notice some interesting things: People often don’t respond to what Rick actually says. It is a common error to hear something other than what is said. That is not the fault of the speaker, but due to the bias of the listener. It also seems many people think they have the ability to read minds and motivations and get quite carried away with that imagined ability. Very often people discount what Rick has to say, not by addressing the issue, but by denigrating his supposed political party. I guess to some, anything a Democrat has to say is worthless. I have to say, FOX News receives a big part of the blame for this lack of logical thought, in my opinion. Another odd conclusion people have is that Rick loves Europe and hates America. Comparing differences in cultures is what we all do when we visit. We even do it when we visit the family who moves in next door. For some reason, some poor folks think pointing out a difference or making a criticizm is an attack on America. Well, one simply can’t have a reasonable or mature relationship with such people. I would expect Rick’s good natured jabs to be responded to in kind, but most often it is not the case. I wish our population had more contact with different cultures. Due to our size, I guess foreign travel is the only real way. In europe other countries are so close and so many cultures travel within the countries, they have greater contact than here. I see a greater acceptance of other cultures there than here. I’m not sure how valuable that is given the history of european wars, but it stills seems to have a greater potential than not.
I am just trying to figure out which name he (Rick) is going under when he responds in the comments section. Hahaha! Talk about being paranoid! Why on EARTH would someone make furtive comments on his own blog! That’s a good one.