Working on the bucket list Pictures

A year ago I posted about the "Last Farewell to the Last Harvest" and first of all I want to thank each and everyone who responded with their best wishes and congratulated me on retiring. I printed off all the responses and they went directly to my little museum in my office that I have saved things that are very special to me. I promised to post some of the "Bucket List" happenings and I have given it a lot of thought lately. I turned seventy five, had a significant wedding anniversary and retired all in one year so I decided to plan a nice European Vacation for my wife and myself. We have just returned from being in six different countrys and have been gone for over a month. I know that we both have been extremely Blessed to be able to do this in several ways. We have the health as there is a lot of walking involved on some very uneven terrain and we are both fairly comfortable traveling most anywhere in Europe. Our trip started out in Germany as we took a nonstop from Detroit to Frankfort and rented a car and headed south to Mannheim, the home of John Deere's European opperations and then on to Heidleberg Germany. I will post some pictures so you can get an idea of where we are at and why. We have a daughter that graduated from Heidleberg in Tiffin, Ohio. This is an offshoot of Heidleberg University in Germany where we learned that they had a medical school in the 1300s. Think about a school that dates back seven hundred years.
Number one picture Overveiw of the city of Heidleberg. The Neckar River flows through the city and joins with the Rine in Mannheim.

Number two You can still see some of the war damage remains

Number three Typical street scene.

Number four Every town has a beautiful Church or Cathedral I will post in a few days the next stop on the trip. " The Swiss Alps "

WOW!!! Beautiful scenery!!! Thank you for sharing and I'm glad you and your wife are enjoying some very much deserved travel time in your retirement! My wife and I are hopeful to tour Europe some day as well!

I like your photos , and look forward to many more .

A few more from Heidleberg that I missed.

Very nice photos and it looks as if you had a really good time. When you mentioned about the war damage the same is on some buildings in Gettysburg, PA. Now getting on back to ?Germany, Juat love the type of structures when it looks like a whole town of kids or pixies designed it. When you get a chance watch the movie [ The Big Lift ]. It is about the Berlin air lift and they did shots all over the place. Very interesting movie and very little. Fake. Miles and miles of busted up stuff. Glad you had fun.

You took some nice pictures -- thanks for sharing with us folks who know we will never get there!There is a lot of history over there thats for sure ! thanks again! Roy from north west Iowa

Wonderful pics, Tom! Having met both you and your wife I'll say that I am glad you are traveling and enjoying retirement. Pulled your truck out a few weeks ago for the first time this year. It is NOT retired and doesn't seem to be interested in being retired. Started right up, drove away.

Thanks Dave, I don't take myself very seriously and consider that I am just a crusty old farmer but I have always claimed that I have an outstanding wife. Thanks again, Tom

Very nice Tom. Glad to see that the bucket list has started. I am glad to take these trips after the fact. They are narrated so I don't have to listen with my good ear. And I don't have to pay a whole lot to enjoy other parts of the world or even this country. I can't even take a 3 hour ride because of my leg not being healed. Keep up the great pictures and enjoy yourself on all of your future trips. Looks like you and your wife had an enjoyable trip. Keep it up.

thanx for posting tom , I like all the pix , and I am so glad you are traveling thru Germany and Europe although my name" heitkemper" is of german heritage . my family left the Alsace lorain region , moms side in 1814 , dads side in 1858 ,.,. we are german-french ,.the region my family came from flew both flags at numerous times thru history , depending on who won the killin conflict ,..family folklore , and history appears to back it up is that Germany ALWAYS was the aggressor,,.. although I certainly appreciate my German work ethic and have a hi regard for german technology ,,. THEY REALLY Do MAKE the Very best in the World ,.. I wish I could travel thru Germany ,,. but the sins of 2 world wars are far too great ,and the reasons for making war were terribly sinister and in a satiracal way arrogantly stupid ,,, knowing all that history,. that I would look upon any german citizen with a convicting disdaining eye ,. sadly I have felt that way for the last 35 of my 60 yrs ,../

Wonderful that you and your wife are enjoying your retirement!

Thanks for allowing us to see the sights vicariously. Fantastic photos of sites I would never see otherwise.

Happy travels... always remember the camera.

01, No need to be uncomfortable with your heritage. My last name originally had an "um-laut" over the o in the "old country." (2 dots) So I qualify as such. Think of the 10's of thousands of German people who hated their leader, but had to pretend to "play along" or be shot. The majority of the country folk were peaceful, God loving people.