| Accommodation | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Name | Service Provider | Confirmation | Location | Cost | Notes | Actions |
| Couch Surf | Tent in Guido or Ira's Yard | $0.00 | |||||
Trip Log
| Notes | Actions |
|---|---|
| We traveled by car today with Dietmar and Brigitte, from Spremberg in the northeast to Oberndorf am Neckar in the southwest, a drive of about eight hours including one small stop. Most of our journey was on the autobahn, which was a completely different experience for us. When we’ve been in Germany before we’ve always traveled (1) very slowly by bicycle from idyllic small town to idyllic small town, or (2) by train from town/city Centre to town/city Centre. It’s so similar to traveling in North America from this perspective. | |
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I am so very grateful to the internet rando who, just before we left for Germany, recommended data plans from KeepGo. I got the Pisces plan because it included not only Germany, but also the other countries we’re planning to visit next year (Spain, France and Switzerland).
My data plan so far has worked great just about everywhere we’ve been, and if my usage stays about the same, this whole trip should cost me only about $10 or $15. A pleasant change from Rogers’ ‘Roam Like Home’ which costs $15 (or more) per day!! |
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When we got close to Oberndorf, we stopped to put on our Family Meeting T-shirts and then continued to Guido’s house where we were met by the whole family… also wearing Family Meeting T-shirts. They played the Canadian National anthem while they re-hung the Brent and Rhonda flag. Even Erik was wearing one, and he introduced himself in English and told us that he is now four years old.
Ira was taking her mom out for a special birthday dinner tonight so the rest of us had a beer and then proceeded off to a beer festival, then back to Guido’s house where we had a special Bavarian dinner prepared entirely by Guido who is a professional cook. Brent and I are completely blown away by how friendly and wonderful everyone is. Dietmar and Brigitte have been so welcoming and enthusiastic to have us, and now that we’re with the rest of the family, it is more of the same. Completely wonderful and amazing. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found these folks - the long-lost relatives of my dad’s maternal grandmother. I just wish I could tell my grandma all about it. She would be astonished. After her family left Germany for Russia in the early 1800s and then fled to Canada in the early 1900’s, then tried to go back because my great-grandma was so homesick but they couldn’t because WW 1 had started, then lost most of their German heritage due to persecution of Germans in Canada during WW 2, then completely lost touch with family in Germany, all the way to us finding each other again due to some great genealogy, a unique last name, and a DNA test… well, it’s almost miraculous. Guido and Claudia’s family is Catholic and never left Germany. Dietmar’s family (and mine), Protestants, left Germany for Crimea. When the Germans started fleeing Russia, our family left, but Dietmar’s side went to East Germany while mine continued on to Canada. And yet, here we are, all together, because we share the last name Laggai. |
Photos
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Hanging the Brent and Rhonda flag at Guido’s house
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At the Biergarten Fest in Bochingen
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Contemplating the Mülburgrolle
The original family tree that shows how Guido, Claudia, Dietmar and I are related. -
Family meeting