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Thank you for all the advice about traveling to Landsberg

I just wanted to thank you all for all of your help in planning my trip with my husband and elderly parents. Your advice was incredibly helpful and the trip went off without a hitch—we are in the car now driving back home from the airport.

When I first started planning this trip, my parents were in great physical health but after my mother’s emergency surgery that caused us to postpone the trip from June til September and then my fathers skin cancer surgery in the interim, they aren’t the same 82 and 84 year old spry corvette driving, exercising daily parents I have always known. So this trip really has special meanings and memories for me especially now.

We went on this trip to bring my parents back to the first home they lived in 64 years ago when they were first married and my dad was stationed at the Landsberg Air Force base. We found the street and the house they lived in. As we were standing outside on the street in front of it, the owners walked out. I went over and explained why we were there and how my parents rented the upstairs of the home back in 1954. I called my parents over to where the owners and I were standing. The couple, in there early 70’s greeted my parents and the woman said “Your name Rifkin?” We practically fell over. This woman was the 10 year old girl who lived there with her mother who rented to my parents. Her husband was so excited to meet my parents saying that over the years her family had spoken of my parents many times. They invited us in, showed us where they used to live upstairs, got loads of pictures, reminisced about Johanna and her older sister and their mother and how her mother helped care for my brother who was born while they lived there. Pictures of her mother were on the wall. Spent over an hour with lots of videos as they talked and talked and reminisced. It was unbelievable.

You all helped to make this trip wonderful and I thank you. As for all of the posts back and forth on here and the other country forums, I can’t thank you enough for convincing me to reduce the luggage to just a 21” carryon each and two under the seat pieces. With them being less able-bodied now, extra luggage would have put a huge burden on us. My mother still packed her normal amount (about 20 blouses and sweaters, 6 pairs of pants,- thank God she’s a size 6 so there is less material-LOL-4 pairs of shoes and everything that you may possibly need from 4 flashlights for the hotel room for at night when it’s dark, sewing kits with spools of thread, 4 tubes of hydrocortisone cream in case she itchy shaking happens and everything else you can imagine. But I navigated the luggage space and made it work. The carryons are super heavy but with four wheels very easy to maneuver.

On the train to Germany and I can COMPLETELY see the wisdom in your luggage advice. Thank you for making my trip better and more manageable. This forum and your help has been invaluable.

By the way, I HIGHLY recommend Landhotel Endhart. Wonderful service, great breakfast the people at the front desk couldn’t have been nicer. Clean rooms and bathrooms. Loved it.
Thank you all!

Posted by
32512 posts

What a fabulous story. And pulled off with.. well only a couple... of hitches.

You will remember that day in that house for the rest of your life.

I'm so glad that the Forums came through for you, and that you were able to take the advice.

What a wonderful child of wonderful parents you are.

Posted by
3809 posts

Thanks for sharing such a nice story. Really enjoyed reading it!

Posted by
13800 posts

Wow, what a wonderful ending to your trip. How amazing the same family was living there and remembered your parents' last name!

I'm so happy you sized down with the suitcases and that that worked for you all. I know when many are introduced to the concept of light packing that it seems impossible but it's SO much easier to move thru and onto transportation. Many of us do get rabid about it, lol!

Lives are so fragile at the ages of your parents as you've found since last spring. I'm very happy this reminiscing trip worked out so well. You and your husband are wonderful to have done this for them and you can hold that close to your heart forever.

Posted by
11294 posts

"My mother still packed her normal amount"

Does she know how much her child loves her, to have schlepped all that stuff around?

Seriously, what a lovely report - thanks for posting it.

Posted by
3938 posts

Thanks for sharing your memorable moment with us. It brought tears to my eyes.

Posted by
2308 posts

Glad to read that you brought your parents and yourself home well. You will certainly be remembered as the woman who stopped a whole ICE with her back alone. ;)

Posted by
83 posts

Sla019 - you wrote: “ You will certainly be remembered as the woman who stopped a whole ICE with her back alone.

I don’t recall mentioning the “almost crisis” on the ICE.

Were you there? Did I write about it and don’t remember? Did that mean something else?

We were waiting for the ICE that was delayed by about 20 minutes on our first connection. I had been concerned about making the connection so when it was delayed I was relieved figuring we’d have plenty of time cause we’d be standing there waiting for it. When it finally came, I was trying to get all the luggage on and help my mom up the couple steps onto the train. My dad was on the first step waiting to get on. The door started to close. I panicked and put my back against the door but it kept closing.
So I pushed my weight into it to hold it open while my dad quickly got in! Thank God I’m not petite. I have to say I was terrified!

How did you know that happened??

Posted by
268 posts

The conductors are usually quite good at watching all doors, so this is an unusual occurence to say the least. Luckily, no one got hurt...

Posted by
83 posts

So funny! I totally forgot I wrote that. Y’all are awesome. Thanks for keeping track of me! LOL