Spiegelau 1986 and 2010

Back in the summer of 1986 (between 10th and 11th grades), I had the amazing opportunity to participate in an exchange program organized by the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and the Bavarian National Forest. Ten Americans came together and met 10 German students who all lived around the Bayrischer Nationalpark in the southeastern corner of what was the former West Germany. I spent a week with a host family and my host brother was a (then) crazy long haired blonde hard rocker named Uli E. His best friend and neighbor was/is Pieter L. The town in which I lived was called Spiegelau (seriously, google map it and see how close we were to the Czech border) and spent a week there before all 20 of us (10 German and 10 American) moved into a large alpine lodge in the park to do a couple week so trail maintenance. After 24 years, I got to head back to that special corner of the world to meet up with Pieter and Uli as well as go and see the some of the work we did. This was absolutely a highlight of the summer!

Watzlikstrasse 10, Spiegelau Germany. My home during the summer of 1986.

My host mother Heide. My favorite memory of her was that one night I came back drunk and stumbled up the stairs into bed. She didn't freak out or yell, but simply put a trash can by my head. I guess German moms deal with drinking teenagers regularly.

My host brother Uli, he too now is a teacher. We bonded over the fact that we both have found happiness in the same profession.

Back in 1986, the Berlin Wall had not yet fallen and political borders such as the West German/Czech border was a tense one. These days, it's like driving over the state line. Pieter and I took a drive to the Czech Republic. No passports needed.

We walked around the town of Domezlice. I would have LOVED to have seen what the Czech Republic looked like 20 years ago, but there still are some identifiable differences between the two sides of the border. The one that I could identify most was the rundown look of building on the Czech side as well as how little of their lives take place outside. Germans have patios and gardens, not so much on the Czech side.

Myself and Pieter visiting one of the puncheon bridges we built. Alas, the one we are standing on is an updated version of ours.

Thanks to Pieter and his family for hosting me and plying me with food. Here is a typical Bavarian breakfast. Pieter on the left, his father on the right and his father's second wife in the center.

That summer, each and everyday we would hike down from our hut to this parking lot to get picked up to head to work and up to go back at the end of the day. Here we are about to make that hike again.

Lusen was a mountain in the park, and Tummelplatz is the name of the meadow where our hut was.

Approaching our hut, it's a bummer that the day was foggy and rainy because I remember everyday back in 1986 being gorgeous and sunny.

Tummelplatz!

We were lucky because there was an artists retreat taking place when we were there and we got to go in and walk around! This is the room in which we would eat and gather to socialize.

The kitchen on which I and our group cooked those many years ago.

Upstairs, we 11 boys piled into this room to sleep.

The toilet.

This table outside the hut was amazing still there. We spent many hours playing cards on this table.

Back in 1986, this log water fountain was special for us because each and every day, we would get great Bavarian beer delivered and find those bottles sitting chilled in the water.

Reenactment

Myself, Pieter, Nicole (Pieter's fiancee) and Uli

Spiegelau was having it's summer volksfest and we spent the night catching up, eating pretzels and drinking beer. I could easily become a Bavarian!