My day trip to Rüdesheim was one of the best days of my life. I can't remember that day without smiling. It wasn't the presence of my boyfriend that made it so wonderful, although that didn't hurt matters. What made this one of the most precious days of my life was the overwhelming love from my boyfriend's Oma and Opa. That day they were my grandparents. I borrowed them but I'm not afraid to say I would have stolen them if I had to! Thankfully Christian is sweet and was willing to share.
The whole day was perfect. All of the details like the overpriced shops, the filthy pay to use bathroom, and the shop keeper who thought I was a dumb American who wouldn't argue about being ripped off (he was wrong) are just that, little details. It's been almost a year and I still feel like my chest is going to explode when I think back on that day. They were the grandparents I had always dreamed of. It didn't matter that they spoke fast Spanish and rusty German, I didn't need their words. They freely gave their love and that was something I had waited 23 years to find in a set of grandparents. I hurt my face from smiling so much. When we got home that night I collapsed on the bed and "basked." Christian was checking his email and would periodically turn around to see what I was doing. Each time he looked at me I did something spastic like kick my feet in the air while announcing, "Still basking!"
The first stop on our trip was to see Niederwalddenkmal. I am borderline possessed with German history and there isn't anything that screams Germany quite like a ten and a half meter tall monument of Germania. It is set up high overlooking gorgeous views of the Rhein but I couldn't stop staring at it. I was so enthralled that I snapped far too many pictures and then requested that Christian take pictures of me in front of it. Then, realizing that for once we had someone to take a photo of both of us, we asked Oma and Opa to take our picture with it. When Opa handed the camera back to me to check and make sure it was okay I had to laugh. He had zoomed in on our faces. I was standing with my gorgeous German in front of the symbol of Germany and he just captured our faces. That was what mattered the most to Opa. We laughed and asked for another picture and Oma tried to explain to her husband but we never got a full shot of the statue and us. Looking back I am so glad that there is the picture of us holding each other up and laughing. The monument was amazing but it paled in comparison to being young and in love.
After a very silly trip through the nearby birds of prey exhibit full of overheated and exhausted owls and hawks we headed down the hill. We all strolled the quaint little streets and gawked in the windows. Being in a country that lacked national pride was strange for me and it was heaven to finally find German souveniers. As we walked, I held hands with Chistian and Oma and Opa held hands. I couldn't stop smiling at them and hoping that Christian and I would be like that in our 80s. I have never met a couple more in love than those two. He looked at her like she was his brand new bride.
The weather was perfect and we ate outside. Lunch was another exercise in absurdity when I tried to grab an opportunity to pay for lunch. They had been treating me to different things and I desperately wanted to pay my way. I excused myself and went inside to find our waitress. She ignored me and went outside to announce to Christian and his grandparents that she had no idea what I was talking about. The one time I had the jump on Opa and the waitress didn't speak English! I was embarrassed but everyone got a big kick out of it. After lunch had settled and we were walking around again I tried to pay for eis. I got my money to the counter at the same time Opa did but the rascal cashier took one look at me, one look at Opa, and apologized to me as he took Opa's money.
On the ride back to Frankfurt I fell asleep in the backseat. I was like a contented child after a long day in the sun. Even the Cola Lite I had filled my system with wasn't enough to keep my eyes open. I listened to them quietly chatting in Spanish and snuggled Christian and the next thing I knew they were chuckling and shaking me awake to go inside the house. I'm so blessed to have had the chance to call them mine for a month.
Interesting to read the profile, see my old suggestions, and then see you give them a whirl here--profile transmuted into memoir.
ReplyDeleteYou're about to enter a lifetime of hating me, but, even though you've heightened the KH material as I suggested, now I think there's too little Opa material to explain all that basking and emotion.
Not sure why you wrongfoot this material (it is also possible--really!--that I have a blind spot and that it works better than I give it credit for.)
But that seems to be where we will leave it, eh?
I commented extensively and then blogger crashed and apparently my comments along with them--let me know if you didn't see them.
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