It's Been AWHILE...
Wow, where to start...
The reason why I haven't spoken to all of you in so long is that we were stuck in the lost nation of Germany this week. First, we stayed in Frieberg which is a college town much like Northampton without the english language or the lesbians. Then we moved on to the medieval city of Rottenburg which largely lives up to its name. Rottenburg does not have the internet...or computers...or payphones...or people under the age of 86. If you like to sit at roundtables wearing tinfoil and talking about the good ol' days when you could just throw a spear at foriegners, this is the place.
First, the city is surrounded by a great stone wall and our bus became stuck underneth a bridge. Locals came out in droves to take pictures and gape at the "mechanical dinosaur" and the Americans onboard. After an Austin Powers-esque 67 point turn, we freed ourselves and found our restaraunt/hotel/prison to be fairly comfortable considering the circumstances. There is nothing to do in the town, and bars close at 11:30 but we heard that if you leave through the tunnel and venture outside the walls of the city we might find something open. Enter Mike Shmidt (yes, like the old Philadelphia Phillies player) - world's greatest bartender.
I saw a neon sign, like a lake in the desert, and we entered, fearing it to be a mirage just the same.
ACTUAL CONVERSATION:
ME - "Hello, do you speak english?"
MIKE - "Fairly well."
NE - "What time are you open until?"
MIKE - "As long as you consume..."
This is where, sorry mom, we learned about absynthe (the 160 proof drink that allegedly led Vincent Van Gogh to cut his own ear off in a stupor, currently illegal in the U.S.) and the Flying Hirshe, which is basically a Yager-bomb set on fire in a large glass. We would later learn, and barely remember, that Mike dates a 20-year-old girl from town. Mike is 60 and ten years senior of her disapproving parents. Around 3, we realized that we were all starving and there was no place open in this God-forsaken village, so we asked Mike if he had anything. Of course, he promptly went upstairs to his appartement, and cooked us dinner, leaving the bar unsupervised in the middle of medeival Germany. We would return later the next night only to be harrassed by a bum in hat that inexplicably read "67", to learn to square dance, and to hear two of the funniest dirty jokes in the history of time, which I will pass along to you later.
After a visit to Seimens, the world's third largest electrical conglomerate, and touring their medical facilities (where they make MRIs and the like) I finally got access to a phone so I could call THE GIRL THAT I LOVE AND MISS VERY VERY MUCH AND THINK ABOUT ALL THE TIME who some of you may refer to as Nicole. Then, it was a 9 hour bus journey that would eventually lead us in the wrong direction all the way to the border of France before reaching Amsterdam. Amsterdam is the largest and most American city we've been to before. I have a fever and kind of feel like shit, but I've been able to experience some over the last two days and I would like to note that everything you've heard about this city is true. EVERYTHING! In fact, I just ate two slices of pizza and am inclined to eat again.
Outside of the slight illness, all is well. The hotel is beautiful, the guys are great, I aced the first three tests and Europe has been a life-changing experience so far. Thanks again to all of you for writing and keeping in touch. Steve, I want to congratulate you on your new wheels. Dave, I want to congratulate you on having a car worthy to be copied. Pat, the Chicago trip is set, get ready for the goodness! Baby, I love you the most ever and I miss you and think about you all the time. Mom, sorry we haven't spoken...I've tried a couple of times...you're old aren't you supposed to be home. To Dad, thanks again I miss you and Ill talk to you soon, and to the kids, I love you and miss you and you prpbably shouldn't be reading this!
The reason why I haven't spoken to all of you in so long is that we were stuck in the lost nation of Germany this week. First, we stayed in Frieberg which is a college town much like Northampton without the english language or the lesbians. Then we moved on to the medieval city of Rottenburg which largely lives up to its name. Rottenburg does not have the internet...or computers...or payphones...or people under the age of 86. If you like to sit at roundtables wearing tinfoil and talking about the good ol' days when you could just throw a spear at foriegners, this is the place.
First, the city is surrounded by a great stone wall and our bus became stuck underneth a bridge. Locals came out in droves to take pictures and gape at the "mechanical dinosaur" and the Americans onboard. After an Austin Powers-esque 67 point turn, we freed ourselves and found our restaraunt/hotel/prison to be fairly comfortable considering the circumstances. There is nothing to do in the town, and bars close at 11:30 but we heard that if you leave through the tunnel and venture outside the walls of the city we might find something open. Enter Mike Shmidt (yes, like the old Philadelphia Phillies player) - world's greatest bartender.
I saw a neon sign, like a lake in the desert, and we entered, fearing it to be a mirage just the same.
ACTUAL CONVERSATION:
ME - "Hello, do you speak english?"
MIKE - "Fairly well."
NE - "What time are you open until?"
MIKE - "As long as you consume..."
This is where, sorry mom, we learned about absynthe (the 160 proof drink that allegedly led Vincent Van Gogh to cut his own ear off in a stupor, currently illegal in the U.S.) and the Flying Hirshe, which is basically a Yager-bomb set on fire in a large glass. We would later learn, and barely remember, that Mike dates a 20-year-old girl from town. Mike is 60 and ten years senior of her disapproving parents. Around 3, we realized that we were all starving and there was no place open in this God-forsaken village, so we asked Mike if he had anything. Of course, he promptly went upstairs to his appartement, and cooked us dinner, leaving the bar unsupervised in the middle of medeival Germany. We would return later the next night only to be harrassed by a bum in hat that inexplicably read "67", to learn to square dance, and to hear two of the funniest dirty jokes in the history of time, which I will pass along to you later.
After a visit to Seimens, the world's third largest electrical conglomerate, and touring their medical facilities (where they make MRIs and the like) I finally got access to a phone so I could call THE GIRL THAT I LOVE AND MISS VERY VERY MUCH AND THINK ABOUT ALL THE TIME who some of you may refer to as Nicole. Then, it was a 9 hour bus journey that would eventually lead us in the wrong direction all the way to the border of France before reaching Amsterdam. Amsterdam is the largest and most American city we've been to before. I have a fever and kind of feel like shit, but I've been able to experience some over the last two days and I would like to note that everything you've heard about this city is true. EVERYTHING! In fact, I just ate two slices of pizza and am inclined to eat again.
Outside of the slight illness, all is well. The hotel is beautiful, the guys are great, I aced the first three tests and Europe has been a life-changing experience so far. Thanks again to all of you for writing and keeping in touch. Steve, I want to congratulate you on your new wheels. Dave, I want to congratulate you on having a car worthy to be copied. Pat, the Chicago trip is set, get ready for the goodness! Baby, I love you the most ever and I miss you and think about you all the time. Mom, sorry we haven't spoken...I've tried a couple of times...you're old aren't you supposed to be home. To Dad, thanks again I miss you and Ill talk to you soon, and to the kids, I love you and miss you and you prpbably shouldn't be reading this!
posted by M. Rybacki at 1:01 PM
5 Comments:
MIGUEL,FATHER HERE,GLAD TO SEE YOUR CELL PHONE IS WORKING SO WELL,IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU WERE 3MILESUNDER WATER!YOUR UPDATES HAVE BEEN GREAT ON BLOG,AND WEREALL THRILLED THAT TOUR HAVING SUCH A GREAT TIME BUT I MUST TELL YOU ITHINK WE WANT YOU BACK SO BAD BECAUSE WE MISS NICOLE.I UNDERSTAND THAT SHE IS NOW DATING DAVE SO DON'T EVEN TRY TO GET HER BACK.THE KIDS ARE DOING TERRIFIC AND MISS YOU ALOT ESPECIALLY NOW THAT SUMMER HAS KICKED IN.THEY REALLY MISS YOUR GOOFINESS AT THE POOL.NANTUCKET IS STILL ON FOR JULY 14-18WITH CHRIS,THE KIDS NICOLE AND DAVE!WE WILL TAKE PICTURES FOR YOU.HOWS THE DIET COMING ALONG?I HOPE YOUR NOT FLYING OVER GERMANY WITH GOOD YEAR ACROSS YOUR CHEST!GOOD BYE FOR NOW WE ALL LOVE YOU-THE RYBACKI CLAN
dad likes capitols
Rybacki- You won't guess who this is, so you'll need some clues.
stamp of approval
Mudd
hi mikey, it's mom. it was sooooo good to finally hear your voice again, even though our connection was poor. hope you are feeling better-methinks it's too much beer!caroline graduated today and is off to the cape with her friends for a week and elhs had graduation today too. it was very hot-high 80's. too hot for me, but finally some nice weather. hope it is still cool and rainy in amsterdam. saw adam j. and heather s. today at the scanlons and adam spent a semester in amsterdam and said just like you did,that it was like boston. gave heather your blog , so maybe she will write to you also. she and tim are together again. i am so out of the loop! neil did propose to laura last nite and she said yes, but she was shocked-you could hear it in her voice. neil sent her for a day of beauty-she had a manicure,pedicure and a haircut. when she came home he had flowers on the table which she thought were something unusual, but didn't think much about it. then he told her he had something else for her, and he went and put on his old boston chicken uniform (they met working at boston chicken when they were in high school), got down on one knee and proposed. all i know is that the setting is platinum and i didn't want to be nosy and ask for more details.no date has been set and par for the course, i don't think it will be any time soon.but, you never know. it all has to sink in for her, before they can make any decisions. well, enough about our little world, how is the big european world treating you? what a time to be studying the european union with all the voting happening. has that made it all the more interesting or not? one more week and you are in jolly old england. i am positive you will love it. adam said he'd go back there in a heartbeat. well, take care of yourself and maybe drink a little less beer. call me at work this week, it is the easiest way to reach me, but this week i have no (NO) appointments and it is a marvelous thing.love you so much,mom xxooooxxxxooooxx
MIKEY, IT,S MOM- NOT TOO HAPPY WITH THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE THE MUNCHIES. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM THIS CURRENT HABIT EVEN IF IT IS LEGAL. I PUT PLENTY OF $$ IN YOUR ACCOUNT AND I SEE 4 WITHDRAWLS IN ONE DAY- 2 OF THEM FOR $160 EACH. SLOW DOWN PLEASE. I WANT YOU TO HAVE FUN ,BUT WITHIN REASON. JUST BECAUSE I USED ALL CAPITALS DOES NOT MEAN I AM MAD, IT MEANS I AM AT WORK AND MY SYSTEM ONLY WORKS WITH CAPITALS. AND, MAKE SURE NONE OF THIS CURRENT HABIT MAKES IT HOME IN YOUR SUITCASE, AS I WILL NOT PAY TO RELEASE YOU FROM JAIL:)
CALL ME WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE, LOVE ,MOM XXOOXXOOXXOOXXOO
Post a Comment
<< Home