Day 160-on to Holland

We help Elisabeth care for Horst's grave.

   June 12-We had hoped that the package from the Schneiders would arrive today, so we hung around the house during the morning.  When the mail arrived and no package was in it, we drove to post office and asked about it.  Unfortunately, it was not there either.  So, we visited the cemetery where Horst and his mother are buried, and then returned to Elisabeth’s place, where we packed up and said our goodbyes to Edith, Gertrud, and Elisabeth. 

Diane, Elisabeth, and Shan.

Sigfried's farm.

   We finally got left in the early afternoon.  We drove to Lienen and Kattenvenne, which are the two small towns from which my great-grandfather emigrated, and where many of the family members still live.  We even stopped by Sigfried’s farmstead and took pictures, but we did not spend any time there, since we were running late. 

   We drove on west and finally arrived at our hotel in Heemskerk, Holland in the evening.  We got a room in the octoganol tower of a 13^th century castle, called Slot Assumburg.  It is now a hostel, run by the Stayokay group, so I got my folks a room at another hotel across the town, which cost less and had more modern accommodations.  The kids were overjoyed to stay in an actual castle, and Sally and I thought it was pretty cool, too.  We ate supper at a Turkish restaurant.  I associate donner kebobs with Euorpe because they were common street vendor food when I was in Regensburg, so it was great to have a kebob during the trip.  After supper we got back to our hotel and went to bed rather late in our castle!