Here we go. Cruising up the Rhine River
through Germany.
Occasionally we stop and have a guided walking tour. The guide will be efficient, polite, well-spoken and well informed.
But most of the time we spend on the boat talking with fellow Aussies, and a scattering of Kiwis and Englishmen. All of a similar age; most are couples.
Opening question is normally, “Where do you come from?”
Top answer is Adelaide or Brisbane. There is always another couple from Tassie. In this case they are from Ulverston.
Next question normally is children and grandchildren. "How many, where do they live and what do they do?”
Then talk involves cruising. “How many and where?”
Top answer is, “First cruise.”
More talk involves that old faithful, “Which team do you barrack for?”
For the first few days we try to find our place in this group. Should I be the class clown, a leader, an intelligent commentator or the one who makes the really stupid remark.
I also have to learn who to try and sit next to and who to try and avoid. There is almost nobody to avoid but perhaps some people have put me in that box.
Very little talk about Germany, Europe or castles apart from one guy who said, “ABC stands for another bloody castle.”
It is only when we get off the boat and away from the organised tours do we realise we are in a foreign country. With the guided tours we feel we can point at and prod the locals. We feel we are at a zoo and don’t these people have strange habits.
Fawlty Towers rears its head. With the phrase, “Don’t mention the war. I did but I think I got away with it.”
One guide said, “I don’t want to talk about the war. It’ll take two weeks and I don’t have time.”
The other guides talk about what the allied or American bombers destroyed or didn’t destroy. Lots of mention of rubble, damage repair and rebuilding.
With most of the castles they tell us when they were built. Then they talk about the French destroying it or the Americans bombing it. What I want to know is what person suddenly decides he’ll build a castle. How does he finance it and get people to build it. There is absolutely no emotional involvement or attachment with the building. The attitude seems to be. Look at it. They don’t build them like that nowadays.
When I look at a castle I see people. When the guides look at a castle they see buildings. They see a big building destroyed by the French and then rebuilt.
The German psyche seems to be war means buildings get destroyed. And then you have rubble and have to rebuild.
The Dutch psych was different. They have been taken over by the French, Spanish and Germany. They see co-operation and getting on with neighbours as fundamental.
In Germany I hope the feeling is. It’s our turn to help refugees and help people recover and rebuild from war. It’s very difficult to know.
If there was an election in Germany I would have no idea what the issues are, what the people think and who would win. I could find out by going back to Hobart and reading or listening to experts.
Occasionally we stop and have a guided walking tour. The guide will be efficient, polite, well-spoken and well informed.
But most of the time we spend on the boat talking with fellow Aussies, and a scattering of Kiwis and Englishmen. All of a similar age; most are couples.
Opening question is normally, “Where do you come from?”
Top answer is Adelaide or Brisbane. There is always another couple from Tassie. In this case they are from Ulverston.
Next question normally is children and grandchildren. "How many, where do they live and what do they do?”
Then talk involves cruising. “How many and where?”
Top answer is, “First cruise.”
More talk involves that old faithful, “Which team do you barrack for?”
For the first few days we try to find our place in this group. Should I be the class clown, a leader, an intelligent commentator or the one who makes the really stupid remark.
I also have to learn who to try and sit next to and who to try and avoid. There is almost nobody to avoid but perhaps some people have put me in that box.
Very little talk about Germany, Europe or castles apart from one guy who said, “ABC stands for another bloody castle.”
It is only when we get off the boat and away from the organised tours do we realise we are in a foreign country. With the guided tours we feel we can point at and prod the locals. We feel we are at a zoo and don’t these people have strange habits.
Fawlty Towers rears its head. With the phrase, “Don’t mention the war. I did but I think I got away with it.”
One guide said, “I don’t want to talk about the war. It’ll take two weeks and I don’t have time.”
The other guides talk about what the allied or American bombers destroyed or didn’t destroy. Lots of mention of rubble, damage repair and rebuilding.
With most of the castles they tell us when they were built. Then they talk about the French destroying it or the Americans bombing it. What I want to know is what person suddenly decides he’ll build a castle. How does he finance it and get people to build it. There is absolutely no emotional involvement or attachment with the building. The attitude seems to be. Look at it. They don’t build them like that nowadays.
When I look at a castle I see people. When the guides look at a castle they see buildings. They see a big building destroyed by the French and then rebuilt.
The German psyche seems to be war means buildings get destroyed. And then you have rubble and have to rebuild.
The Dutch psych was different. They have been taken over by the French, Spanish and Germany. They see co-operation and getting on with neighbours as fundamental.
In Germany I hope the feeling is. It’s our turn to help refugees and help people recover and rebuild from war. It’s very difficult to know.
If there was an election in Germany I would have no idea what the issues are, what the people think and who would win. I could find out by going back to Hobart and reading or listening to experts.
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