Nancy Reynolds

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7/16/25 A frequent flyer miles trip Hamburg, London, Chicago, Minneapolis by American then shuttle to Duluth. Dave picked me up at the Holiday gas station and drove to Virginia for AT&T, and supplies.

Somehow I was upgraded to first class all the way. London to Chicago was deluxe. The only reason I can think is that I am a gold member. Have not been using that card because it was easier to use miles on United. A 787, the top of the line per the stewardesses. The airplane cast system was improved with business to the left and cattle car to the right on entry to the silver tube. I hate having to pass by the fancy folks to get to my seat. The food was exceptional, great movies-Dylan rerun and Superman. Many positions available except flat out. No sleep. In Chicago, my flight was delayed til the next AM and my AT&T would not work. I waited in a very long line. The sympathetic employee gave me a hotel voucher because I could not call for a hotel.

Flight left on time. I was pretty tired when I arrived at the cabin. Good to see my skinny husband, Dave. He had been here since February. Nanook of the North.

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After the under Elbe River tunnel, we made our way back to Mike’s house by 3 vessels. His street is Uhlenhorster Weg. That younger Mike is the one I recall - perhaps without the mustache. He made a great chili and dark bread in his life changing Worveck Thermomix. Grain and seeds to bread. Very cool. Flight tomorrow.

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In the harbor we saw the world’s largest container ship COSCO and the largest passenger ship. Crazy big. The COSCO carried Evergreen containers like we have on top our hill in Minnesota. The tour boat man spoke all in German. Mike translated some and I could hear familiar words here and there.

We walked under the Elbe River in the St Pauli Elbtunnel, the shortest route between the harbor and the heart of town. An elevator took pedestrians, bikers, and even cars down and up. Very clean and no oder of exhaust.

From there we caught another ferry and finally another boat to the end of Mike’s street. Lovely way to get around a big city and port.

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A view from the top Saint Nicolas Church.

STOLPERSTEINES—stumbling stones. A 10 cm cube brass memorial stone is placed in front of the last known, freely chosen home to commemorate individual victims of Nazi Germany.

'Stumbling stones': a different vision of Holocaust remembrance

A German artist has now laid more than 70,000 Stolpersteine stones in cities around the world – but not everyone approves

Mike would say “that building was a home back then. These 3 people lived there. Max, Lilly, & Manfred Haas. The stone tells us they were deported to Lodz, Poland, the largest Jewish ghetto in 1941. They were than taken to the Chelmno extermination camp. This was the first camp that ran gas into cars of Jewish and Romo people, who were asphyxiated. A big, personal story in each small stone. We saw two sets of STOLPERSTEINES and paused to think of their horror.

Down to the Elbe or Alster Rivers to see the harbor and pass through a lock. The philharmonic concert hall was fascinating with their mechanical window washers.

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Mike has a narrow 3.5 story home in groupings of row houses. Bikes are common means of transport. Sweet gardens with plants similar to California.

Out to see Saint Nicolas Church. Dated from 1195, it saw many destructions and rebuilds. It was Lutheran and active in the Reformation. The tallest tower in the world in 1874. The tall spire was a mark for British bombers in WWII. There is an elevator which takes you up 247 ft to a platform with spectacular views of Hamburg and its warehouses. Not for the faint of heart.

The museum had a video of first hand vocal reports of the bombing and fires. I have never heard such graphic descriptions before. These Germans are not afraid of showing history as it occurred and educating their people to the past.

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Michael Ashton, a friend from Stanford in Germany. He played piano in the Ratskeller. Barb Close, Mike, Mark Wardenburg, and myself hitch hiked some of our 3 day weekends together. We sang Bertol Brecht together on the Hoskins’s basement piano. Mike was with the original Beach Blanket Babylon production in SF for maybe 15 years then followed his partner to Hamburg. It’s a classical music city.

The music man and all his cool, old music machines. The Steinweg is a precursor of the Steinway. The dad built the Steinweg, came to NYC then his sons started Steinway. Dad returned to Germany. It’s a player piano with paper rolls.

A full on German breakfast in the basement kitchen.

I texted him to see if he was still in Germany. He invited me for a 3 night visit and showed me all around his gorgeous city. So much water and trees.

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July 2025

The Berlin Mall. My neighborhood, Prenzlauer-Berg, was in the former East Berlin. Apartments are renovated. The young families and artists, families riding bikes throughout.

Train to Hamburg. Cushy and a great view into countryside. Neat villages and agriculture Nice solar/wind combo.

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The old Bundestag in Berlin Mitte (city center). 4 floors of history in German. Women get the right to vote Nov 1918. Nobody at the museum knew that. The U.S. was 1920. The current government would like to take that privilege from us.

The memorial to Jewish people killed under Hitler’s Nazi regime. There is a museum that I missed. Moving.

Headed to Brandenburg Gate but there was a Love Parade going on there. At the memorial The ground was vibrating, streets crowded with young people, loud music playing. I decided to avoid the Gate, the epicenter of the love fest.

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July 2025 Berlin—the Kaiser Wilhelm Memory Church was bombed in WWII. In “68” we stayed nearby and were able to enter the damaged church. The open air roof and one spectacularly beautiful stained glass window in blues and reds let a circle of light flood the darkness. The ruins stand with a memorial history on the first floor. The window was reproduced but is located in the new church which was closed for a wedding. A lovely Irish man snapped my photo. The street Kurfürstendamm or Ku Damm was ever lively in “68”

The old Bundestag museum. All in Germany with English paper handouts.

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The Berlin Wall 1968–Stanford in Germany XXI- the most memorable part of my college education. Walking around the wall on the Western side of the city, meditating on freedom. We would go through Check Point Charlie and the energy shift was palpable. The panorama at the museum is accurate to my memory. The dark scenes are from the West but from the East side, the well lit scenes are accurate. Bricked windows to prevent escape, families waving from atop hills to each other on Sundays. A people imprisoned by their government, depressed, desperate, few choices.

Yadagar Asisi, the artist who painted the Panorama lived in the East and the West. He explored how the intolerable situation was normalized. Check him out on-line.

1989 A group of surgeons/nurses had been working far from cities in rural Guatemala. We had heard no news for 10 days. As the chartered bus wound down the steep hill towards Panajachel, someone passed the news. “The Wall was down.” Goosebumps ran down my spine. I felt JOY! Very affecting.

2025 As my country follows a Fascist path, I return to see what remains of the Wall. Germans teach their children of the horrible history in the hopes that it will never recure. I hope to pass a warning to my Youngers and friends who support our aspiring dictator. Pray we don’t continue into the darkness. Truth and history shall out. 🤞🙏🤞

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Finally to Germany. Bergamo to Berlin with disfunctional Ryan Air. I was last there in 1968. Stanford in Germany took our group of 60 students there for a 10 day “field trip”. We entered East Germ un any by train at night. Bright lights, dogs, mirrors searching for folks trying to escape into West Berlin and freedom. Uber serious soldiers checking passports. No smiles there.

Once in West Berlin we felt the full brunt of capitalism vs communism. We could go into East Berlin through Check-point-Charlie. I learned the feeling of depression, dipping into it in the East then back to the bright lights, joyful action on Kürfurstedam. The bombed out church with it’s spectacular blue window remained as a reminder of the hell of war.

There were escapes through Windows and Tunnels in houses that abutted the wall on the East. People shot trying to run the “death strip” Note the ?middle school or younger kids at a memorial with photos, dates of birth and death who died trying to escape. Hermans do not sugar coat the atrocities done by the Nazi’s and their country. Why history is so important to be factual and not whitewashed, as we do in the U.S. it took my coming to college in CA to learn that we had put the Japanese in concentration camps, a betrayal by my country, parents, and educators.

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I love the stone work and vegetation in Bergamo. Fun on an outdoor square talking to 3 engineers, 2 Welch and a British. Great little.. resturaunt made a salad and a Negroni. I enjoyed the bartender and the West African/Italian server. They had fun at work. Time to move on to Berlin.

Up at 5:30 for and early morning flight to Berlin. Backpack on, i walked over to the airport. Imagine walking to and from the airport in 20-25 min from your air bnb or hotel. It was pleasant walking around the runway perimeter.

Ryan Air. I spent 3 hours trying to make the online checkin work. They sent conformation codes twice but neither worked. Frustrating! They said I could take one bag on board but must pay, so I paid for under-seat and checked bag. Then to rcheck in at airport, I had to pay $55 for in person check in service. She said “Oh you can take both bags on board.” Obviously lots of tricks to learn about optimizing on line travel, tickets etc. in Europe

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Up and up to the cooler botanical garden with a view. Always for you Heather. I stop at gardens and arboretums because of you.

The card expresses how I feel reading the news from home. Sending to my Pacific Textile Arts people.

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Tiramsu anda latte at a fancy resturaunt in the lower city. Nothing like my attempt at the desert last year. Heavenly! If I could reproduce this, it would be dangerous. I ate half and saved the rest for later. Not a great take out. Better to share with friends. Walk it off. Climb those stairs.

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Just take these in.

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So I am trying to get out of Italy but you must see the Leonardo museum. His Atlantic Codex with many machines built from his plans. A submarine, flying machines, musical instruments, a painting of the last supper. I snuck a few photos but if you are ever in Milan this should be #1 on your list, especially if you come with kids. A teachers’ kid’s and engineers’ dream .. Wish they could share it on line..

Bus toBergamo airport. Walked 20 min to airport bnb. Bus #1 goes regularly into Bergamo lower citi then upper. I walked to lower city then took the funicular up. Walking is better. Upper city is a 1000 year old fortress and city. The Celts then Romans on down to our day. Amazingly beautiful, historical’ powerful. Though it is not a major destination, it’s narrow streets were packed with tourists. I talked to people from Eastern Europe, Britain, Italians, French. Not many Americans. Even Lori has not been there. Go,go, go. Maybe shoulder season. I thank Suzanne Green for giving me the idea. She studied Montessori here, now sadly departed.

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This place is astounding. Two floors of sweet and savory pastries, fish of many types, Italian ham and cheese, beer, mixed drinks, pasta, and so forth. Easy to find something for all members of the family.

There is a cooking school. A paid bathroom, which Haley thought crazy. It stays clean however.

People watching, train and bus travelers coming and going. Crazy to me shopping in the train station. Shopping capitalism of a high degree.