\u201cDo you ever feel that History is a Person?\u201d\u00a0 Corzoo suddenly asked on our way to Dresden.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, not exactly like a Person, but I think I might know what you mean,\u201d I replied.\u00a0 \u201cDo you mean like someone who is right here with us, rather than far away and remote in the past?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes!\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I think he has been following us all over Europe!\u201d<\/p>\n
This was very perceptive of the young Corzoo, I thought, and as we arrived in Dresden, I began to realize that my little friend might feel History even more keenly here \u2013 because it was more recent than much of what we had been experiencing.<\/p>\n
The outskirts of the city were often bleak.\u00a0 There were desolate plots of land, run-down buildings covered with graffiti, and overgrown gardens.\u00a0\u00a0 However, as we crossed the river into the old part of town we saw glimpses of what Dresden used to be.\u00a0 It had been known as the \u201cjewel box of Europe\u201d before the end of World War II when it was all but destroyed by bombs. It was known for its elaborate baroque and rococo architecture, and it had been a cultural center of Europe.\u00a0 But the war, and the awful things that happen during war, had changed the face of Dresden forever.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/600px-Fotothek_df_ps_0000010_Blick_vom_Rathausturm.jpg\" "\\"Dresden")
Once we settled into our room, we read up a bit on the history of the hotel and discovered that where we were staying, the Taschenbergpalais, had been the Wermacht headquarters in Dresden!\u00a0 We also found a photo of what Dresden looked like after it was bombed.<\/p>\n
Dave had been here in the early 1990\u2019s, not too long after the reunification of Germany, and the city had changed drastically since then, he said.\u00a0 \u201cDo you remember the outskirts of the city we came through?\u201d\u00a0 We nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s more or less what the entire town looked like then.\u00a0 They have done a lot of work!\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/DresdenZwinger-300x225.jpg\" "\\"Central")
We only had a few short hours that afternoon, so out we went for a walk.\u00a0 We walked across the street to the Zwinger, a baroque palace, and through the center of the city to the Frauenkirche, then to the river.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at the different colors of bricks!\u201d Corzoo said as we passed several structures. \u00a0Some of them were black from age and soot and pollution, and some of them were white and clean.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe black ones are the older ones,\u201d Dave said, \u201cand the white ones are newer.\u00a0 They have been doing restorative work here, hoping to reconstruct the city to a portion of its former beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut with such complete devastation, why not start from scratch?\u201d Corzoo asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, that is one approach to rebuilding, to be sure, and I\u2019m sure they did that quite a bit,\u201d I speculated.\u00a0 \u201cBut here in the center is where there most treasured buildings are.\u00a0 Such buildings are valued because of their history, what they represent, and the care that went into creating them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I see,\u201d said Corzoo.\u00a0 \u201cNaturally they wouldn\u2019t want to just throw it all away.\u201d<\/p>\n
I told Corzoo about what I learned in one of my very favorite passages from The Book Of Tea, a book about Japanese aesthetics.\u00a0 \u201cDo you know what they used to do in Japan for a very treasured and prized tea cup when there is an accident and it falls and breaks?\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t throw it away.\u00a0 Instead, when they repair it, they fill the cracks with gold and put it back on display.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo people can see that it has survived and now is more precious than ever!\u201d he exclaimed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I believe so.\u00a0 Its very imperfection becomes something to marvel at and treasure.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next day, we were off to Berlin, where again, we had only a few hours to explore.\u00a0 We made it to the Brandenburg Gate and to the Reichstag, and then we met an old friend of mine \u2013 Christian Biegai.\u00a0 He is a Berliner, but lived in New York for a while which is where I got to know him.\u00a0 Now he is back in Berlin, writing film music and playing the saxophone.<\/p>\n
While walking around our hotel, both Dave and I were thinking \u2013 this is very weird!\u00a0 The area had a bizarre feeling.\u00a0 Christian explained \u2013 it is because this area of Berlin was no-man\u2019s land when the wall was up.\u00a0 The wall was a sort of double wall, and this was the area in between.\u00a0 Aha!\u00a0 Now it made sense.\u00a0 Too bad we didn\u2019t have time to explore some other areas of Berlin to get a feel for a different area. \u00a0Some day!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/EuroStatue.jpeg\" "\\"Euro")
The next day we flew to Frankfurt, the major financial center of Europe.\u00a0 Just so one doesn’t forget, a very large statue of the Euro sign has a prominent place in town.<\/p>\n
We had planned a boat trip on the Rhine River for Dave\u2019s free day, and as we walked towards the departure location with Corzoo in tow we were excited about seeing the river and the ancient and storied castles.<\/p>\n
My first impression of the tour office was one of, shall we say, worried hope.\u00a0 It was a tattered and shabby little hole of an office, and it seemed that one guy was running the show.\u00a0 People trickled in from all over \u2013 four elderly ladies from Australia, a British woman, another couple of Australians, a Spanish couple, a mysterious young woman who turned out to be from Siberia, an American couple, and finally a Middle Eastern couple and their two daughters.\u00a0 One of the daughters was a very young baby \u2013 quiet and happy.\u00a0 The other was about three years old and she was screaming at the top of her lungs, which her mother later attributed to the fact that she was teething.<\/p>\n
So began our adventure.\u00a0 We first had to take a bus to our embarkation location on the Rhine, and it was not a quiet ride, let me tell you.\u00a0 Dave looked positively ill as did little Corzoo.\u00a0 This was not looking good.<\/p>\n
The tour guide told his jokes loudly over the P.A. system of the bus so as to project over the little girl\u2019s wails. \u00a0 By the sounds of it, he had told these jokes every single day \u2013 and enjoyed telling them in many languages!<\/p>\n
Corzoo huffed and repositioned himself so as to get a look farther back in the bus at all the unfamiliar faces.\u00a0 That is when he noticed that directly behind us sat an elderly gentleman we hadn\u2019t noticed before.\u00a0 He had a long, gray beard and was sitting quite still with his eyes closed.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Brahms-220x300.jpg\" "\\"Brahms\\"")
\u201cThe man behind us looks remarkably like Johannes Brahms!\u201d whispered Corzoo to me.<\/p>\n
I turned my head to take a quick peek.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe does, doesn\u2019t he?\u00a0 But you know it\u2019s not possible.\u00a0 He lived in the 1800\u2019s!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know but\u2026.I think it might be him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, OK, but it’s not polite to stare,\u201d I cautioned him.<\/p>\n
Before I knew what had happened, Corzoo had slipped between our seats to sit next to the man.\u00a0 I heard him say quietly, \u201cEntschuldigung! Excuse me!\u00a0 Herr Brahms?\u201d<\/p>\n
The man with the beard opened one eye and looked down at little Corzoo.\u00a0 He grunted.\u00a0 \u201cAhem, ahem.\u201d\u00a0 Then opened both eyes and gave Corzoo his full attention.\u00a0 \u201cIs it possible that a tiny version of one of my favorite instruments knows who I am and is calling my name?\u00a0 Am I dreaming?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought that I<\/em> was the one who was dreaming when I saw you, Maestro,\u201d said Corzoo.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSo it is really you then?\u201d asked Corzoo.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is, indeed – in the flesh, I think – or perhaps not.\u00a0 I can\u2019t be sure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat in the world are you doing here?\u201d Corzoo asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it is my country, not yours, boy!” he said gruffly, a little indignant. \u00a0 “Nevertheless, it is surprising, I suppose, to find me on whatever kind of large horseless carriage this is.\u00a0 They told me it would take me to the boat so I could go for a little Rhine Journey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you came here to go on a Rhine Journey, Herr Brahms?\u201d Corzoo asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, no, not exactly. \u00a0Hmm, let me try to explain,” he said. \u00a0“Every once in a great while, the Powers That Be decide to send me as an ambassador of sorts – an ambassador of History and Music and Beauty. \u00a0They find people who are curious and sensitive and open to meeting me, and send me to talk things over with them. \u00a0However, I think the Powers got their wires crossed this time and sent me down to talk with the wrong young lad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do you say that?\u201d Corzoo asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d continued Johannes Brahms, \u201cI was supposed to meet this young man in the park at eight o\u2019clock this morning.\u00a0 Then at precisely one minute to the hour, according to the nearest clock, I received a message via pigeon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVia pigeon?\u00a0 Like the bird?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, like the bird, young man.\u00a0 How else does one receive a last-minute, urgent message?\u201d<\/p>\n Corzoo held his tongue when he realized that it would be very difficult to explain to Mr. Brahms the advent of texts and emails, and even then, he wouldn\u2019t have a device on which to receive such things anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cIn any case,\u201d continued Brahms, \u201cthe message was very curious.\u201d<\/p>\n He handed Corzoo the folded piece of paper the pigeon had delivered to him:<\/p>\n Herr Brahms,<\/em><\/p>\n After consulting my daily schedule this morning, I regret to inform you that I have a variety of conflicts with the scheduled hour of our rendezvous:<\/em><\/p>\n 1) I have a How To Make Breadcrumb Trails class at 9:30AM \u2013 11AM on Mondays and Wednesdays. We have a test coming up, and I cannot afford to be a moment late.<\/em><\/p>\n 2) My Synchronized Plate Spinning rehearsal is from 11am-1pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. Tardiness and absences require three and a half week advanced notice, but I only just received information regarding our meeting time two and a half days ago.<\/em><\/p>\n 3) Foot and bicycle traffic make it impractical to navigate your preferred corner of the park from 7:30AM-9:30AM.\u00a0 Therefore, access to and from the specified park bench is limited because of congestion and I cannot guarantee my punctual transit.<\/em><\/p>\n For these above-stated and most worthy reasons, I believe my time with you needs to be rescheduled for another day and time. The Powers That Be have a spreadsheet on which my availability is recorded. To be brief, I am only available between 2:30-3PM tomorrow, between 1pm and 3pm on Thursday. And then from 11PM-11:30PM on Friday. After that I need my beauty rest.<\/em><\/p>\n I am sorry that the Powers That Be made such a mistake.\u00a0 It is shocking and has deprived you of getting to know me.<\/em><\/p>\n Thank you!<\/em><\/p>\n In The Name of All That is Worth Something In This World,<\/em><\/p>\n The Young Budding Maestro Stinkenputz<\/em><\/p>\n Corzoo looked at the paper in disbelief.\u00a0 \u201cBut, doesn\u2019t he realize that you are Johannes Brahms and that you have traveled through time and space and possibly from another dimension to be here?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cEven if he doesn\u2019t realize all of this, this is no way to treat anyone<\/em>, Brahms or not!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, boy, there\u2019s nothing I can do to change his ingrained ways.\u00a0 So, I thought to myself, ‘Well, what am I going to do with this time in this strange modern world now that I am here?’ \u00a0That’s when I passed a sign that proclaimed, \u201cToday is your lucky day! Take A Boat Ride on the Rhine!<\/strong><\/em>\u201d – and in five different languages! \u00a0I thought it must be a sign from The Powers That Be. So here I am – on a Rhine Journey! \u00a0It would give old Wagner and all the Wagnerians a turn in their graves!\u201d he chuckled to himself.\u00a0 \u201cImagine, Johannes\u2019 Rhine Journey<\/em>! It is ironic, no?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIronic why?\u201d\u00a0 Corzoo asked, a little confused.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t Wagner like you?\u201d \u00a0The thought of this came a surprise to Corzoo. \u00a0He had thought that all composers must have some sort of affinity for each other.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s just say he was a very outspoken and lively man, and things had to be a very certain way to suit him.” Herr Brahms said. “There were those who liked his music<\/em> and there were those who liked my music.<\/em> People even came to call it the War of the Romantics<\/em>. We were men of different stripes.\u00a0 Plus, I was a very unpolished and old-fashioned fellow. I liked to roam the woods, and I had very broad-minded tastes and inspirations in my music.\u00a0 And, to top it off, you see \u2013 I am wearing no socks!\u201d\u00a0 He pulled up a pant leg to reveal his bare, hairy ankle.\u00a0 \u201cSocks make my ankles itch, so I don\u2019t wear them unless I really must wear them to keep warm.\u00a0 Otherwise, why bother? Am I going to wear itchy socks just to please people who are offended by my lack of socks and who do not understand the trials of an itchy ankle?\u00a0 I think not!\u00a0 Plus they take time to put on, and I am anxious to get out of doors when I get the hankering!\u201d<\/p>\n Corzoo laughed.\u00a0 He felt as if he had found a kindred spirit in Mr. Brahms\u2019 untamed nature.\u00a0 \u201cI have good news for you, Herr Brahms \u2013 they make socks now that are less itchy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAccchhh!\u00a0 I can\u2019t be bothered.\u00a0 In any case, I am only here for today, then I go back to the Great Beyond until the Powers That Be schedule me for another rendezvous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAttention!\u00a0 Attention!!\u201d <\/em>The tour guide was on the P.A system. We struggled to hear him above the screaming not-so-little girl whose teeth were allegedly coming in.\u00a0 \u201cAttention, attention<\/em>, ladies and gentlemen!<\/em> Today, I have very exciting news for you.\u00a0 Very <\/em>good news, indeed. Before we embark on our boat trip of the magnificent Rhine River to see the World Heritage Site and the impressive Lorelei rock, we will be stopping at a typischer<\/em> German restaurant for a little lunch.\u00a0 It is our treat and included in the handsome price you paid for your ticket today.\u201d<\/p>\n Dave and I looked at each other.\u00a0 What??<\/em> We thought we would at least get to go on the boat ride first.\u00a0 We had only just finished our breakfast!<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that is right, ladies and gentlemen.\u00a0 But remember, it is only the food<\/em> that is included in your lunch.\u00a0 If you would like anything to drink, anything at all – and that includes water – you must pay your waitress.\u201d\u00a0 He proceeded to translate to the Spaniard.\u00a0 \u201cLas bebibas no son incluidas!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I have another excellent surprise for you, ladies and gentlemen.\u00a0 Yes, another surprise.\u00a0 We will take the bus up to the top of the hill so that you can ride down on the gondola to the restaurant.\u00a0 From there you will have excellent views of the renowned vineyards of the region and of the beautiful and famous Rhine River.\u00a0 Yes, the most excellent views!” \u00a0He said with a flourish. \u00a0“Please be advised that you must pay seven euros to ride the gondola.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSiete euro para llevar la gondola!\u201d he yelled to the Spanish couple.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you do not wish to take the gondola down, we will take the bus back down the hill, which will no doubt contain the screaming child, and deposit you at the restaurant.\u00a0 This is a free service.\u201d\u00a0 He proceeded to translate, \u201cEs gratis para regresar por autobus con la ni\u00f1a desconsolada.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHerr Brahms,\u201d Dave said, \u201cwe are happy to treat you to a nice quiet ride on the gondola down the hill.”<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Herr Bilger, but I think I might just walk down the hill.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d I asked.\u00a0 It did seem very far.<\/p>\n \u201cI have missed my walks in the woods, and now I have my chance,\u201d he replied.\u00a0 \u201cI will see you on the boat!\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, it was time to catch the boat.\u00a0 We found Herr Brahms leaning over the railing looking thoughtfully as the water flowed and churned beneath him. \u00a0He was humming a little tune and looked calm and invigorated from his walk.<\/p>\n This was the best part of the day.\u00a0 It was windy and chilly on the top deck, but we didn\u2019t mind a single bit.\u00a0 The air was fresh, and we were not<\/em> inside of a noisy, cramped bus or kitschy restaurant.<\/p>\n \u201cHerr Brahms, is the horn really one of your favorite instruments?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAhem,\u201d he said, jolted out of a reverie.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I wrote the trio for the horn and piano and violin, didn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir, you did.\u201d Corzoo replied.<\/p>\n Mr. Brahms looked sideways at Corzoo, annoyance giving way to curiousity.\u00a0 \u201cAren\u2019t you a little young to know much about my horn trio?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh no, Herr Brahms. \u00a0Well, maybe.\u00a0 I mean to say that I am<\/em> young, but I hear Frau Bilger playing it from time to time, and I like to learn about pieces that I didn\u2019t know of before, so I did some research.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what did you find out?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI found out that you wrote it for your mom, and that you were inspired by your walks in the woods.\u201d\u00a0 Corzoo spilled out his sentence all very quickly and matter-of-factly so as not to come across as too sentimental and prying.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd?\u201d he prompted.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you wrote it with the natural horn in mind rather than the valved horn, even though it was the valved horn which was gaining in popularity when you wrote the piece.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you know, I played the natural horn \u2013 the Waldhorn!\u00a0 I love the sound and the poetry of it.\u00a0 It is a sound from the earth!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Frau Bilger only plays the valved horn.\u201d<\/p>\n I tried to shush Corzoo.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t want to offend Mr. Brahms by making him aware of the fact that I did not play his piece on the instrument he most loved.<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Herr Brahms said, \u201cshe is trained on the modern horn and no doubt would sound dreadful on the natural horn.” \u00a0I nodded in agreement. \u00a0“As long as she always promises to perform the piece with the sound and the tendencies of the Waldhorn in mind,<\/em> I will forgive her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Mr. Brahms.” I replied sheepishly. \u00a0“I promise I shall do my best to give informed and thoughtful renderings of your piece.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Corzoo,\u201d said Herr Brahms, becoming introspective again.\u00a0 \u201cI wrote it as a way to grieve for my mother when she left this world, and I took comfort and inspiration in the woods, as always, and in the sounds and instruments of my childhood.\u00a0 It is music from my life and my heart. \u00a0Would you like play it one day?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI would, sir!” Corzoo exclaimed. \u00a0“I hope to become good enough to do it justice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have a hunch that you shall, young man.\u201d said Herr Brahms quietly as we passed by another medieval castle.<\/p>\n Corzoo leaned over to me.\u00a0 \u201cPsssstttt\u201d he whispered.\u00a0 \u201cHe filled the cracks in his teacup with gold, didn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI should say so, my little friend!\u201d\u00a0 I was glad that Corzoo had seen how Mr. Brahms made something very special out of the sorrow he was feeling for his mother.<\/p>\n Our boat ride had been going splendidly.\u00a0 We saw such beautiful castles and vineyards and quaint little towns.<\/p>\n All of a sudden, \u201cHoly Lorelei!\u201d cried Corzoo.\u00a0 We nearly jumped out of our skins when the speaker in front of us started blaring a tune, unfortunately on the trumpet.\u00a0 Dave was the first to cover his ears.\u00a0 We were passing the famous Lorelei rock where legend has it that a mermaid would distract sailors with her siren song and many boats crashed against the rock.\u00a0 Needless to say, rather than finding their dream-mermaid, they found a watery grave instead.<\/p>\n \u201cI shall go to my watery grave too if they don\u2019t stop this awful, blaring song!\u201d Dave yelled above the din.\u00a0 He pretended with ears covered to be ready to jump overboard.<\/p>\n \u201cLadies and Gentlemen, we are passing the very famous Lorelei Rock!\u201d the announcement proclaimed excitedly in English, German, French and Japanese.<\/p>\n Very soon after the grand finale of the Lorelei Rock, it was time to get off the boat – by ramp to the dock, not by jumping. \u00a0It had been a very short hour and a half. \u00a0We waited as long as we could before getting back on the bus, looking at the river and enjoying the fresh air.<\/p>\n \u201cAttention, attention, ladies and gentlemen!\u201d said our tour guide once we were back on the bus.\u00a0 \u201cI have yet another great surprise for you,\u201d he shouted. \u00a0\u201cWe will now return to our favorite typischer<\/em> German restaurant for a very nice wine tasting of the very famous wines that are made in this very famous region.\u00a0 We have only the best for you to sample.\u201d<\/p>\n Return to that restaurant?!?!\u00a0 Oh no!<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI smell a sales pitch,\u201d muttered Dave.\u00a0 \u201cYou know that\u2019s coming!\u201d<\/p>\n The last thing we wanted to do was go back there.\u00a0 We looked for a way to escape.\u00a0 Was there a train station close by that we could take back to Frankfurt?\u00a0 Nope.\u00a0 No escape.<\/p>\n Fortunately, the scenery was slightly different this time, as we were all crammed into the other<\/em> half of the restaurant \u2013 the one with the Lorelei Mermaid Theme.<\/p>\n Each thimble-full of wine came with a full fifteen-minute description from a waitress whose voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard. Early on, Mr. Brahms had his fingers in his ears and headed towards the door.<\/p>\n \u201cHey you!\u201d shouted the waitress, her abrasiveness making our stomachs churn. \u00a0\u201cWhere are you going? You don\u2019t want to taste the best wines in all of the world?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve lost my socks and have to go find them.\u00a0 Forgive me!\u201d\u00a0 Herr Brahms said as he pointed at his bare ankles and shrugged his shoulders helplessly. \u00a0Out the door he went to his freedom.<\/p>\n Dave and Corzoo and I immediately wished we had worn no socks as well.\u00a0 But we decided not to make a scene and stayed almost to the end.\u00a0 I finally felt it wouldn’t be too impolite to get out of my seat once the sales pitch came, just as Dave predicted.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a surprise for you, ladies and gentlemen!” she shouted. \u00a0We all braced ourselves. \u00a0“All of these very, very special wines are here for you to purchase and take home with you.\u00a0 You can\u2019t find them anywhere else in the world.\u00a0 Only here!\u00a0 And if you buy three bottles, you get the fourth for free!\u201d<\/p>\n We were soon back on the bus and had a couple other \u201csurprise\u201d stops on the way back to Frankfurt.\u00a0 Let\u2019s just say that the tour guide made sure to come through and collect his tips BEFORE it was obvious that we were stopping by the airport to drop one of the tourists off for her flight.\u00a0 No doubt she had slipped him some Euro.<\/p>\n At the end of our eight hour tour, we felt drained by being dragged this way and that by our enterprising tour guide, but happy for the boat ride, short as it was, and very happy for the company of our unexpected fellow tourist.<\/p>\n \u201cHerr Brahms,\u201d said Corzoo, \u201cI am sorry that your first appointment didn\u2019t work out this morning, but I am so glad to have met you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d said Mr. Brahms, \u201cI believe that perhaps the Powers That Be intended for me to meet you all along.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d Corzoo asked, elated.<\/p>\n \u201cThey work in strange, roundabout ways sometimes,\u201d he said. \u00a0 \u00a0“You think you are going one place, but then you end up going somewhere else, and before you know it, something wonderful and good has happened – like getting to spend some time with a lively, curious boy who has a good and thoughtful heart. \u00a0It\u2019s OK with me if our environment was a little cluttered and kitschy and loud at times.\u00a0 That\u2019s what the fingers-in\u2013the-ears and walks in the woods are for!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you going now?\u201d we asked him.<\/p>\n He had a smile and a twinkle in his eye as he turned towards the park, hands clasped behind his back, bare feet rubbing against the insides of his leather shoes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cDo you ever feel that History is a Person?\u201d\u00a0 Corzoo suddenly asked on our way to Dresden. \u201cWell, not exactly like a Person, but I think I might know what you mean,\u201d I replied.\u00a0 \u201cDo you mean like someone who … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/ViewFromGondola1-300x225.jpg\" "\\"View")
Seven euros each or no, we were getting off of that darned bus.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/GermanKitsch1-224x300.jpg\" "\\"Our")
\u201cOn the boat?\u00a0 But what about lunch in the typischer<\/em> German restaurant?\u201d\u00a0 But Herr Brahms had already disappeared into the trees, his hands clasped behind his back.\u00a0 He was indeed an accustomed hiker, moving deftly over the roots and twigs in his sock-less feet.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/GermanKitsch21-224x300.jpg\" "\\"More")
Let\u2019s just say that we wish we had joined Mr. Brahms on his hike, because, though the gondola ride was quiet and did indeed have lovely views, the restaurant was, shall we say, meant for people taking a tourist bus to get to a tourist boat ride on the Rhine –\u00a0 not for people like myself or Dave or Mr. Brahms.\u00a0 Then Corzoo pointed out to us that we were<\/em> taking a tourist bus to get to a tourist boat ride on the Rhine River.\u00a0 I guess we couldn\u2019t argue there.\u00a0 Corzoo managed to find delight in the kitschiness of it all and we did have some excellent laughs.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/CorzooRiver-300x147.jpg\" "\\"Corzoo")
We passed castle after castle.\u00a0 Some were in ruins.\u00a0 Some had been made into hotels or youth hostels, others were now owned and occupied by people who made their homes there.\u00a0 While we were watching the scenery go by, Corzoo ventured to ask a question of our esteemed companion for the day.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/BrahmsWalking.jpeg\" "\\"Brahms")
\u201cBack where I belong,\u201d he said, and without a trace of melancholy. He could see, though, that we <\/em>were feeling melancholy at the thought of his departure from us. \u201cHowever, you never know when I might drop in again.\u201d<\/p>\n