I promised all of you a blog post about my fantastic trip that I took with my brother, Richard Simon. We are only fifteen months apart in age, but over the years, we have ended up on opposite sides of the US. What a thrill to spend ten days with him.
We covered four countries: Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and Austria.
Everyone has asked me what my favorite part was. That is really impossible to say since there were so many wonderful things; spending time with my brother must rank as number one. Discovering family roots is high on the list, especially one very special find on our mother’s side in Sweden that dates back to the 1700’s. Sweden and Germany were our main focus since we were following our ancestral roots. But we managed two days in Copenhagen and one in Salzburg, Austria as well. As a Sound of Music fan, I gleefully embarrassed my brother singing Do Re Me on the steps and dancing around the Pegasus fountain. And I almost got him to dance with me at the gazebo like Liesel and Rolf. Maybe that will be my next post.
Since keeping blog posts shorts is a must, I am going to stray from our roots for a moment. I discovered that I loved searching for old churches. I love the architecture, and reverent feeling I get when I am near them. It is a shame that I heard that much of Europe do not actually use these churches very much. We were blessed to be inside two that were obviously active. In a church in Bastad, Sweden, we heard the organist practicing and singing How Great Though Art. And in Berkenfeld, Germany, we were privileged to hear two young teenage girls practicing singing, I have loved you for a thousand years. Both in English. Â
Let these pictures speak a thousand words. Don’t be surprised if some of these end up in my novels.
Writing Under Fire 