October 2017: Hassfurt, in Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany holds a special place in our family, not just because my wife's family hails from there but because the family that still resides there are the most wonderful people. This town, as with many small towns all over the world, continues to impress me with the amount of beauty in the simplest of things.
In Hassfurt, the medieval mixes well with the modern. I didn't take nearly enough pictures in this town because Uncle Ozzie kept up an unnatural pace to ensure we saw everything but the few I took were enough to remind me of the step back in time we took.
Uncle Ozzie shared that this building style and this particular ornamentation was unique to Lower Franconia, which must be true because my wife's cousin Winnie said Franconia men "never lie." One fact that is absolutely true is that the food we shared with our family in Hassfurt was the best I'd had over many trips. I'm a big Wiener Schnitzel fan and it killed me not to be able to finish at the BrauHaus, The Brauerei Goller, they took us to. The image below in the setting sun was taken from behind the restaurant.
In our walking tour of Hassfurt, Uncle Ozzie shared the stories of the American occupation as WWII was ending. He remembers the soldiers fondly, handing out candy and treats to the kids. There are a few Italian restaurants in town that owe their existence to the GIs passing thru. As he recalls it, soldiers from New York/New Jersey asked about Italian food and when the locals had no response, pasta & sauce pots were pulled out and it's been a mainstay ever since.
Ozzie also shared vivid memories of the columns of troops passing thru town to the one remaining local bridge over the River Main. He described the columns as "endless". Interestingly enough, I was able to find this firsthand account of the Military Government in Hassfurt from the first days of the occupation. I've read a lot on the war in general but this story felt very personal after having met people who lived through it.
Mr. Metzger describes negotiations with the town's leaders to retain the 800 year old gate towers from the original town walls. Apparently, the swerve required to clear the opening was difficult to navigate for the hurried troops. Mr. Metzger expressed pride in being able to slow down traffic allowing the cultural landmarks to remain. One of these towers is central to the lead image of this post.
Prappach
The Schwab family, our family and hosts for the too-short visit, live in Prappach. This is a small, formerly independent village that was recently incorporated into the town of Hassfurt. Prappach sits on a hill overlooking vineyards from all sides. That alone won me over! An American plane crashed in one of these vine covered hills during the war; an important historical site for the locals. Prappach is a micro-version of Hassfurt with a warming mix of old and new. I probably could have photographed nearly every building but here were a few of my favorites.
One cultural difference between living in Prappach and the suburbs of Chicago is the perception of distance. I told our cousins Rainer & Winnie that driving to a pub or restaurant 15-20 minutes away was pointless since there were so many closer. To them, 15-20 minutes was almost a minimum. Proving the point, Ozzie and Krysta took us to their favorite winery, a nearly hour drive over mountains and thru forests. We didn't pass ANY others on the way there.
This is a family owned winery and bar where Ozzie has been a regular since his younger days on the local police force. The son of the owner Ozzie first met greeted us at the door and entertained us with his typically-German sense humor and a great selection of reds & whites.
This is where we discovered Domina, a local red which may now be my favorite varietal. I was able to find a bottle in a small town called Dinkelsbuhl a few weeks later on a subsequent trip. Dinkelsbuhl could have been ripped out of a Disney movie (like all of Switzerland) but I arrived at night and left before the sun came up so my less-than-professional iPhone couldn't really capture it. Next trip... Cyndi stayed a week longer with her family and promised to bring home a bottle or two but it mysteriously vanished before she packed up.
The second best part of this trip for me was the opportunity to see small town Germany as most of my trips are to Munich or larger cities (Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart). I was almost convinced to move by the warmth & friendliness of everyone we met. The best part was connecting with family; especially for our 13 year old son who easily would have stayed if given the option. Lesson learned... get out of the big cities!
Vince
All images by Vince Adams; October 2017
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