AWAY
MISSION REPORT: GERMANY
Filed
By: Chief Engineer Jeff Ross
After
a seven hour flight to Frankfurt from Cincinnati via Detroit on Monday,
September 30th, 2002 where most of the airport personnel speak English,
I got proper instruction in how to get to Kitzingen on the
Bahn rail. I visited my uncle, LTC Drexel
Ross, my aunt Pat, and cousins Kyle and Kayla for the
first three days. On this, I must apologize for not having
any pictures from Kitzingen. The roll I used had already been
used.....oops! But, it was still great to visit family.
On
Thursday, I went by rail to Leipzig where I met Jenny Martin, the Atlantis' Number
One, and her sister, Jenina. As we were heading toward
the main door to the promenade in front of the train station, a Polizei
officer in full riot gear stopped us and advised us to take an alternate
route out of the station. Thing is, it was October
4th....Unification Day, and about three-hundred odd Skinheads
used the occasion as an excuse to stage a protest on the
promenade. No rioting went down, since the Polizei had at
least twice as many troops out in force. Jenny drove me to the
Hotel de Sax, where we then met Holger Konig, my counterpart on the Atlantis.
Holger
and Jenny showed me the sights around town, as the numerous photos
demonstrate. Nadia, the Atlantis' Captain, showed me the
local zoo, where she used to work. I attended the crew's
bimonthly Trek Dinner at the PROTZENDORF cafe. I've been a
sucker for Schwartzbier (black beer) ever since. I also enjoyed
some of Germany's finest brew at downtown Leipzig's
finest cigar tavern, ZIGARRE. Schwartzbeir with a Cohiba ( I
won't say from where ) and urban jazz music was tops!
On
Sunday, I took the rail to Berlin, checked into the Agon Hotel, and
then took a tour bus around the city. The following day, I took
the subway around to the various sights including the Brandenburg Gate,
Checkpoint Charlie, the TV Berlin Tower (I got buzzed on two
Berliner Pilseners up there), and the Wall.
On
Tuesday I went back down to Kitzingen for one more day with family,
then back to Frankfurt early the next morning to fly back home.