Neustrelitz bei Oma



The view from Oma's balcony

     Last weekend my family and I went to visit Oma, who lives in Neustrelitz.  That's in formerly East Germany, about 50 miles north of Berlin.  It was a 4.5 hour drive there, because we got caught in traffic.  But the drive was definately worth the time!  Cuz there it was absolutely breathtaking!!!

     Most of the time Jonathon and Papa went sailing.  I went with Oma and Mama to walk around the town, for a while.  We went through a park where there used to be a castle.  But, it began to get old, and no one renovated it.  So, eventually, it was torn down.  There was also a Russian soldier cemetery there, and Mama talked about how, when she was young and growing up there, some soldiers would march through on holidays and for festivals.  It was a really strange thought for me.  I mean, the thought that, just over 20 years ago, East Germany was still occupied by Russians, and where I was walking was where their soldiers marched just a few decades ago.  All of my life, there's only been one Germany, so I thought it was strange to think that this part of history happened so recently and still influences life here today, but that it had happened before I was born.  I guess that's probably how young kids feel about 9/11, though.

     So, as we kept going around town, Mama

kept telling me stories of her childhood.  And I tried my hardest to imagine what it must have felt like to live under Communist rule.  How it must have felt to never see the Russian soldiers (only officers and their wives were allowed to talk with the German citizens), but to still know that, if anyone tried to do anything against the government, there would be hundreds of soldiers there in very little time.  I guess that I'll never really be able to fully comprehend how it felt.

     Saturday afternoon, Konstantin, Jonathon, and I went to a flea market in the next village.  And there they found this remote controlled boat!  I thought it was pretty cool, too.  So, we brought it back to Oma's apartment (which is right on the water at the harbor) and they had a lot of fun driving it around.

     And what would a weekend on the sea be without a beautiful sunset?  All day was nice and warm, about 80 degrees. Without any clouds!  Before we went in to eat supper, Mama, Oma, and I went out to watch and wait for Jonathon and Papa to come in from sailing.  It was just perfect!  A wonderful way to end a wonderful weekend.  Haha, even though we were still there for half of Sunday... I just tend to think of sunsets as the end of something.
     And after another 4 hour drive, we were back home, safe and sound.
     Today is Mathilde's birthday, so Oma is coming here to visit and for the party.  But I'll write about that later.  Cuz now Mathilde wants to play Sequence, and I told her I'd be there in a minute or two.