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Heidelberg Castle & Europe
During spring break 1988, I went with other students and parents and my German teacher to four German-speaking countries: Austria, West Germany, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. The following is part of a series of travel journal excerpts. Keep in mind: a teenager wrote this.
At some point on our trip, there was an Easter surprise for Peter and Heinz. From the back of the bus, people were calling, “Pass it up! Pass it up!” Soon a cluster of balloons passed by me; they were printed with the names “Heinz” and “Peter.” The recipients were thrilled, but after thanking the givers, Heinz explained into the microphone, “Peter’s name is misspelled here; it spells “Petra,” which is a girl’s name!”
Many people including me took naps after luncheon. I dreamed about owing Deutsch Marks.
Not terribly long after I woke, we arrived in the city of Heidelberg, where we made a brief visit to Heidelberg Schloss (castle). It was built throughout the centuries, so it has an eclectic variety of architectural styles. It wasn’t disturbed in World War II, but when it was besieged by Parisians, it was partially blown up with dynamite. The remaining structure is what might be called… ruins. I was struck by the reddish brick as we stood in a large open space surrounded by largely crumbly walls.