One More Adventure

The past 8 days in Switzerland and Germany have been meaningful ones for many of the 35 people from New Bern and other parts of North Carolina taking part in this trip. New Bern natives have gotten a chance to see where their ancestors came from; stronger bonds have been built between the people of Bern, Switzerland and the people of the city named in their honor. On top of all that, these New Bernians have gotten their tri-centennial celebration off-and-running in grand style. One of the many purposes of this trip has been to formally invite the people of Bern to New Bern's 300th celebration. From early indications, it looks like several dozen and possibly more than 100 Swiss plan to visit New Bern as the city holds the main events to celebrate its 300th birthday in September. In addition to getting to know the Swiss people and see the exhibit dedicated to Bern and its daughter city, this trip has given the group a chance to get to know Switzerland itself--what an introduction it has been! Between tasting true Emmental cheese, climbing 10-thousand feet in the Alps and seeing structures that date back to the first century, this has been an incredible experience for just about everyone involved. It's winding down today with a tour of Mainz (pronounced Mine-tz, rhymes with 'pints' of milk, etc...). Mainz, which is situated along the Rhine River, is just outside of Frankfurt. We took a tour of the city this morning, which included a stop at the Gutenberg Museum. If you came of age in the 1980s, it's not hard to conceive of the Gutenberg Museum as a shrine to that silver screen stalwart Steve Gutenberg. But Mahoney's badge and Newton Crosby's lab equipment are not part of this museum (or any venue, are they?). This Gutenberg Museum is dedicated to Johannes Gutenberg, a Mainz native who printed about 180 bibles in German in the 1400s. Printing in those days was an arduous task to say the least. Gutenberg had to fashion his letters by melting metal and arrange them after they'd dried to press the ink on to paper. The parchment paper required to print an entire Bible required hundreds of animal skins. The group also toured Mainz' Cathedral, which, surprisingly, only sustained window damage during World War II. Tomorrow, the journey back to North Carolina begins for this group--I think we'll all appreciate it that much more. After hearing what the group who left this area for New Bern 300 years went through crossing the Atlantic (nearly half died in transit), it's hard to complain about delays, cancellations and cramped seats in coach...

Vines and Turrets

For most of the trip (with the exception of the Alps and Emmental regions of Switzerland), our group has been sticking to the major multi-lane highways. Monday, the bus with 35 folks from New Bern and other North Carolina towns inside ventured on to some two-lane roads. It turned out to be a great change in pace. Through the windows of the bus, we were able to see the region where many German Reisling wines get their start. There are dozens of vineyards along the Mosel River between Trier and Koblenz and they're impressive landscapes. The terrain where the grapes grow is incredibly mountainous--even still, the crops are growing at all sorts of elevations and even on the sides of mountains. Many of us marveled at the contraptions some of the farmers use to get to their grapes: scooter-like devices that operate on tracks and climb the mountainsides at super-steep angles. Have you ever seen the stair assist machines, that follow a track to take a person up a set of stairs? That's what these farmers use, times 200. After a stop in the quaint village of Cochen for lunch, it was back in the bus to continue on to Koblenz. The Mosel and Rhine Rivers come together in Koblenz, and the waterway is a busy one. Several barges passed through during the stop. Looking at the Rhine River got many folks in the group thinking about the paths their ancestors followed. There's a good chance the settlers from Germany's Palatine region--who were part of the first New Bern Settlement--began their journey on the Rhine River. Vineyards dominated the first part of the trip along the Mosel, but grapes aren't as much of the scenery following the Rhine River. That's not to say there's nothing to look at--quite the opposite. We passed five or six different castles on our trip to Mainz. It's an incredible experience to see a structure the size of a castle looking down over the valley. The German city of Mainz (rhymes with pints) is a suburb of Frankurt. The Hyatt here will be our last hotel stop--that's a good thing! Loading and unloading a suitcase, backpack, camera bag, tripod case and hard camera case every other day or so gets old!

Das Autobahn

I'll explain the title in just a minute (I know, the term Autobahn demands speed and immediacy, but there's some ancient history that needs to be addressed first!) This is day 7 (including the travel day) of the European adventure and the group is starting it off in Germany's oldest city, Trier, which is in western Germany, close to the border with Luxembourg. It's plenty exciting to see cathedrals that trace their roots to the 11 and 1200s in places like Strasbourg and Speyer, but when those church cornerstones were being laid, Trier was already a well-developed city. Historians date Trier's inception to 17 B.C. It was once the epicenter of the Roman Empire and several relics from those days remain here in 2009, including imperial baths, a fortress known as the Porta Nigra and an amphitheater commissioned by Emperor Constantin the Great. Trier is situated along the banks of the Mosel River and its hillsides are covered with large vineyards--this region of Germany is important in the wine industry. Now, to the Autobahn... Sunday afternoon included a large block of free time for members of the group. I took advantage of the hours off by making plans to shoot some video for another project we're working on at UNC-TV. We've been discussing putting together a documentary about the Bechtler family, a father and son who minted millions of dollars of gold coins in the NC Mountains in the 1800s. Their coins are credited with helping connect the southeast U.S. with some of its first currency. The Bechtlers came to the U.S. from Pforzheim, Germany, a 3-hour drive from Trier. Armed with the chance to gather some cool elements for this project, I rented a Volkswagen Rabbit, borrowed a GPS and hit the trail. As a little boy, I had this impression of the Autobahn as a flat, 10-lane highway with minimal traffic, essentially a road designed for the specific purpose of going fast. In later years, I learned the Autobahn was a series of high-speed, multi-lane roads used to connect German cities, much like our interstate system in the U.S. Infact, many sections of the highways have speed limits. But plenty of others do not--and that's where the adrenaline kicks in. It's a pretty awe-inspiring thing to be tooling along and have a line of three cars absolutely blow your doors off in the left lane with no punishment once so over. As you would expect, there are dozens of cars driving by at incredible speeds, but the exhilaration is ephemeral. There are indeed miles-long sections of wild, wild west traffic laws, but invariably they end with a speed limit sign popping up (usually 130 km/h down to 100, down to 80). There's a scene from "Ferris Buehler's Day Off" that pretty much sums up how it is. Remember the part where Mr. Rooney's running to get Sloane Peterson (Ferris' girlfriend) out of class? He's in a sprint, then stops to cross in front of a classroom door, then sprints again, stops again--the sequence repeats all the way down the hall. Nonetheless, it's still a unique opportunity to have the freedom to go however fast you want. Did I take advantage? You bet, but with a tempered enthusiasm. The Autobahn is marked on both sides with signs that are, for my money, more effective that any speed limit sign. Along the shoulder every few miles are signs with a mother and daughter (or similar combination) holding up a picture of a father/husband and urging would-be speed demons to keep it under control. It's an effective message.

Connections in Deutschland

Since it was Christopher de Graffendreid and the Swiss government who led the first group to settle in New Bern, Switzerland is credited with creating the North Carolina colony in 1710. But historians say at least half of the original settlers to reach the shores of the Neuse and Trent rivers 300 years ago were German. The first few days of this trip were dedicated to discovering the personality and culture of Switzerland and learning about the connections between the Swiss capital city of Bern and the North Carolina community named in its honor. But Germany's links to New Bern are strong, too, and a tour the region where many of New Bern's first settlers came from is part of this this excursion. The section of Germany where those settlers began their journey is known as the Palatine region and covers part of western Germany, including the cities of Koblenz, Speyer and Trier. Historians say many of the people who lived in the Palatine region in the early 1700s were Protestant and fled Germany when the country's rulers took a hard-line Catholic stance. The Palatines left Germany on the Rhine River and eventually made it to England, where they had been offered sanctuary. With thousands of Palatines making the journey to England, Queen Anne and her people were feeling overwhelmed. They asked potential expedition leaders to take a group of Palatines with them to the New World. Christopher de Graffenreid took them up on their request. As part of the travel through this section of Germany, the group from New Bern is taking brief tours of the towns of Speyer and Worms (pronounced with a 'v,' you probably guessed). Both towns, and many other across Europe, feature beautiful cathedrals, some of which date back to the 1200 and 1300s and beyond. The town of Worms is significant in the creation of Protestant faiths. Historians say it was in Worms in 1521 that Martin Luther was called before the Imperial Diet and refused to recant his pro-church reform teachings. Soon after the bus pulled out of Worms, wind turbines began to dot the German landscape in several spots. I was expecting a lively discussion about whether they were detrimental to the landscape, a pipe dream, a global necessity, etc., but it didn't happen. Most folks seemed to marvel at the sight of the spinning contraptions. The destination on this day is Trier, one of the oldest cities in Germany. Car buff that I am, I've been checking out vehicles left and right. I've gotten used to the fact that a Mercedes Benz, status symbol in the U.S., is a workhorse in its native Germany. It's not un-common to find cars all over Europe in service as taxis and police cars. But I wasn't prepared for what I saw just outside of Trier. A nice 3 series BMW pulled up alongside the bus, festooned with signs that read "Fahrschule." I knew "schule" meant school and quickly learned (and partially surmised by the ubiquitous signage) that Farhschule meant "Driving School." Yep, that icon of achievement in the U.S., the BMW that so many strive for, is a Driver's Ed vehicle in Germany, the country where it's made. Perception: changed.

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

We wrapped up our stay in Switzerland Friday morning. We spent 3 full days in Bern and really got to know some of the people in New Bern's mother city really well. The Mayor's top assistant met our bus at the hotel and briefly got on board to say "Auf Wiedersehen." She also told us she's coming to New Bern in 2010 to celebrate the tri-centennial, along with a host of other Swiss. That's been one of the really neat experiences of this trip. After working at WCTI-Ch. 12 in New Bern for several years, I got a sense of the ties many folks in New Bern feel toward Switzerland, but it's really a two-way street. There are at least a couple of dozen people from Bern and other nearby locales who plan to come to the shores of the Trent & Neuse for the tri-centennial, including members of an Alphorn Jazz Band. I haven't heard the music yet, but I'm imagining Duke Ellington joining in a Ricolla commercial. We headed North out of Bern and soon crossed into France. Going over the border brought a first for me--the first time I'd ever RETURNED to a country in Europe. It was neat to be in France and have memories of my first visit, a mere 8 months ago. Nelson McDaniel, the group's tour guide and organizer, took us on a much-appreciated detour to Strasbourg, France. Some of New Bern's original planners spent time in Strasbourg centuries ago. The city has a beautiful cathedral, which dominates the skyline and is made of a distinct pink stone. Its construction dates back to pre-1100 and, like Notre Dame in France and many other European cathedrals, features hundreds of intricate figures and symbols carved into the archway over the main entrances and biblical allegories throughout. It's been very interesting to see how Europe celebrates Christmas. So far, every city we've visited has had a Christmas Market, or Weinhactsmarkt in Deutsche. They're very well attended events and celebrate the season in a way that isn't often seen in America. There are dozens of vendors selling everything from ornaments to Chaud Vin/Gloe Vein (Hot Wine). Even in Strasbourg, France a vendor had Confederate Flag/Rebel belt buckles for sale. Wow. The decorations for the season all over town are elaborate. One street has Baccarat crystal chandeliers hanging over head, the focus of legions of digital cameras. After a marvelous afternoon in Strasbourg, we crossed the Rhine and headed into Germany. Passing between European Union member nations is often as effortless as going from North Carolina into Virginia or any of our neighboring states. There's a checkpoint to slow down for, but there's no vigorous search most of the time. Even when we left Switzerland, which has remained out of the EU, the passage into France was no big deal. We're spending Friday night in Heidelberg, Germany, which is where Christopher de Graffenreid, New Bern's founder, did much of his schooling. It's also home to one of the more lively Christmas Market's around, some locals say. The daytime Christmas Market visit in Strasbourg was cool, but for my money (in Euros, of course) the night versions are better. There's a giant Christmas pyramid (the windmill-like contraption "Cousin Eddie" breaks in "Christmas Vacation.") Dozens of vendors are also on hand, there's music in the air and even St. Nick holds court. 6 Euros get you a pic with Santa Claus and here in Germany, there's definitely no age restriction. Several groups of rowdy young dudes got their mugs made with old Kris Kringle, who seemed to give the same smile regardless of who was around him. In short, you can think of a Christmas Market as a State or County Fair with a total Christmas theme. You might even spot a few belt buckles thrown in here and there...

Mother Nature's Majesty

Every now and then, you come across something in our world that's so beautiful, it brings tears to your eyes and exhilaration to your heart. Many of us on this journey from New Bern to the original Bern in Switzerland had such an experience today. About an hour's drive from Bern is Mt. Schilthorn, part of the spectacular set of Swiss Alps that surround the nation's capital. It takes four different cable cars to get to the peak of Mt. Schilthorn, but the view from the top is absolutely breathtaking--at 10,000 feet, I mean that in both the literal and figurative senses! All week, we've been a little on edge that clouds, fog, rain or snow would greet us on our journey to the summit. Mother Nature couldn't have smiled on us any more than she did. We were blessed with absolute meteorological perfection Thursday--sunshine and crystal clear skies. There's nothing like the pressure of documenting a place so beautiful--it was a major source of stress for me to get the colors right in the video and make sure the shots were well composed, in focus, etc. Thankfully everything turned out well. The ski season hasn't fully cranked up yet, but there were a few folks out, including a little boy with a pacifier in his mouth and two ski poles in his hands! The beautiful weather continued when we returned to Bern, allowing many of us to get some much-needed pictures of the city, which is striking up close, but even more vibrant from far away. Tonight was the grand opening of the Bern-New Bern exhibit at the Bern Historical Museum. The Swiss here in Bern have really put a lot into this exhibit (as have a group of people from New Bern), which has taken about four years to organize, research and construct. Nearly 300 people came to the grand opening and reception and toured the exhibit, which chronicles 11 stages in New Bern's history--everything from Christopher de Graffenreid's life in Bern and decision to go overseas to the birth of Pepsi Cola to present-day New Bern. The exhibit's opening coincides with New Bern's tricentennial and it's been getting quite a bit of attention in the Swiss press. New Bern Mayor Tom Bayliss was on the front page of one of Bern's daily newspapers talking about the exhibit, tri-centennial and mother-daughter relationship between these two towns. Several other members of the delegation were interviewed by Swiss television and radio reporters and a still photographer was also on hand to capture the occasion. We pull out of Bern bright and early tomorrow, for a brief stop in Strasbourg, France, where Christopher de Graffenreid attended school. Then it's on to Heidelberg, Germany to attend a Christmas Market. It's been really neat to see how Europe gets in the holiday spirit!

Cheese, Castles and Good Cheer

Oh, how much better it is to sit before a computer when you've had some sleep! I was on hour 37 or so when I put last night's post together. After an 10 hours in an airplane and another 14 settling in and touring Bern, Switzerland, fatigue was in full effect last night! UNC-TV was awarded some grant funding to document a very special journey: more than 30 people with ties to New Bern are coming to Bern, Switzerland to see the city they evolved from, take in its culture and really get to know it's people. While the trip is an official visit from the city of New Bern, everyone involved is paying for their own travel expenses. Both "old" Bern and New Bern leaders realize their two cities have a special relationship that dates back to 1710, when New Bern was founded. They're hoping 2010 will be the year more people learn about the relationship and want to get to know more about the two cities involved. New Bern's planning a tri-centennial celebration and Bern's opening an exhibit that focuses on its American counterpart, both opportunities to really dig deeper into a centuries-old connection. Day 2 of our journey was a delicious one! We spent the morning in the Emmental region, which is about 30 minutes outside of Bern. Emmental is a rural area and some of New Bern's original settlers came from this area. It's home to beautiful rolling hills, but cheese is what really puts the region on the map. We toured a working dairy and saw how cheese was made centuries ago and the more modern processes of today. Emmental cheese is one of Switzerland's best-known and even though we in America may haven't heard much of about it, we've tasted it (or at least a derivative of it)--Swiss Cheese! The holes in Swiss Cheese are such a signature that cheese makers here have studied how to introduce the proper mix of good bacteria and carbonation to create the cavities. We got a wealth of tasty information to say the least and brought our tour to a scrumptious conclusion--a fondue lunch! When I first saw the itinerary of our trip, this was one of the first items that jumped out. Back in March, I traveled with a group of Chapel Hill Middle and High School students to France and Belgium and turned down a chance to get fondue in a restaurant. Soon after I saw it delivered to another group that had ordered it and regretted my decision for the rest of the trip. It was wonderful to finally dip a bread-bearing fork into that melting cheese and chew away! Christopher de Graffenreid led the group that settled New Bern in 1710. After we left the dairy, we traveled to the place he left when he ventured west 300 years ago, the village of Worb. Christopher de Graffenreid's family was a noble one in Swiss society and lived in a castle in Worb. We toured it this afternoon and walked up the same sets of spiral stairs New Bern's founder did centuries ago. The old Worb castle dates back to 1050! We also took a trip inside the new Worb castle, which de Graffenreid built when he returned from New Bern in the 1700s. The gentleman who owns the new castle now, a descendent named Charles de Graffenreid has a strong relationship with New Bern: he sends his grand-daughters to Camp Seafarer in nearby Pamlico County. It's been special to see the excitement with which the people of Bern are greeting our group. The president of the Swiss American Society has hosted us, as has Bern's Mayor and dozens of other Bernese folks have come to shake our hands and share stories. We get a chance to meet the American Ambassador to Switzerland tomorrow. I'm once again operating as a one-man-band on this trip, meaning I shoot all of the video that goes with the stories AND report them. Bern has posed some serious photographic challenges, to say the least--and Mother Nature is to blame. The sun does not truly come up until nearly 8am and it's down by 5pm--a very short span. As a result, my ace-in-the-hole free time to shoot video is covered in darkness! I've gotten some great pictures, but it's been in several different increments. We're off to Mt. Schilthorn in the Alps tomorrow and a ride in a cable car, then the grand opening of the Bern-New Bern exhibit. It ought to be another exciting day in Switzerland's capital city!