Heidelberg is the reason this trip was so long. Well not exactly “Heidelberg” the city, but rather the gathering that took place in Heidelberg over the weekend. It’s a gathering that was first described to me as “a family reunion where you will meet cousins you didn’t know you have.” And so it was.
Over 100 of us gathered. By “us” I mean geocaching community volunteer reviewers (with significant others and other travelers there were over 150). There were about twenty of us who “crossed the pond” to attend (ie, North Americans) and the rest were from Europe. Pretty much everywhere in Europe. I can only think of a few countries of size that weren’t represented (and our group included a resident of one of the smallest countries). We gathered to meet each other, share meals and adventures, and spend time together.
But since “what happens in Heidelberg stays in Heidelberg” I can’t share too much. What I can share is that it was incredible to get to see so many friends I’ve met over the years from the US, Canada, UK and Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and probably elsewhere. And it was wonderful to meet people from many of these countries as well as Slovenia, Czech Republic, and elsewhere for the first time. For those who know, this sort of event activates the same parts of my brain as Champoeg gatherings do.
The hard part was saying goodbye yesterday and today. But of course it’s not exactly “goodbye” — it’s more “until next time, whenever and wherever that might be.” It was fantastic to spend time with people I consider brothers and sisters, people who are cousins, and lots of new friends (including a canine friend). I was particularly touched when a friend hugged me and informed me I was his sister. And I know next time we’re together we will pick up where we left off, because that’s how this group rolls.
The quick chronology is that I arrived on Monday. That evening Andreas and I started assembling goodie bags for attendees.
Tuesday I expected would be a low-key day where I would do some travel chores, walk to a grocery store, and prepare for the intensity to come … but that plan was happily foiled when I got a text that someone had arrived a day early due to travel issues. I had already bumped into a different friend who was just arriving at the hotel after an international flight as I went out for a walk, then as I headed to meet what turned out to be a group of 9 of us for dinner bumped into another friend (who has the same first name as the one who arrived at the hotel) who also joined what turned out to be a wonderful dinner. Perhaps not surprisingly, nearly everyone who arrived by Tuesday was from North America.
Wednesday morning some of us took a walk and purchased something for a mutual friend, then we finished assembling the packets and opened registration. The eight members of the organizing team — from Canada, Germany, Switzerland, UK and US — shared a delicious dinner and met to finalize some details.
The official activities began Thursday. I joined a group of about 25 of us who went on a driving tour of the Neckar Valley, starting with a tour of a castle. The weather was not auspicious, it was raining quite heavily as we toured the castle, though at least the rain stopped when we reached a small town with an old town where many of us shared lunch. Good northwesterner that I am, I did not have an umbrella, though that probably put me in the minority. After the tour, six of us went to dinner together. I learned after dinner that I’d worn my shirt backwards all day — though in my defense I would offer that there wasn’t a bit tag at the back of the neck like shirts I’m used to, the tag was in a seam at the bottom of the shirt. Oh well, as someone pointed out, it’s possible to wear garments 4 ways: alternating front and back and correctly/inside out.
I can only imagine what others thought when they saw our large group — either all together or a few of us at a time — with nearly everyone wearing one of a small handful of matching shirts (the blue one, the red one, a gray one, the green one, and the new one). I do have to say that it’s really nice to be part of a group where one of the aforementioned t-shirts and shorts are considered appropriate attire for a reasonably nice dinner.
Friday was the event I hosted, a 3-hour boat ride down the Neckar River to see a lot of castles. I was pleased that over 50 of the 75 or so reviewers who were in town chose to join us (there was also a group hike option). Get me on a boat and I’m happy …. The weather was beautiful, sunny and not too hot/not too cold, and the scenery was gorgeous. Green hills that are much older (ie smoother and less jagged) than the ones I’m used to. A handful of castles that were interesting to see from the water. After the boat ride ended, I ended up having a late lunch with several people from the UK and Ireland as well as some Germans, making me the only North American in the crowd.
Friday evening was the first large-group event, dinner “above” the city at a place where we had a stunning view of Heidelberg and the sunset. There were about 100 of us there (including a few significant others), and it was a great way to visit with old friends and meet new ones. Dinner ran late and — rare for me — I was keyed up and energized by seeing so many friends and meeting so many others for the first time so it was a struggle (ok, a failure) to calm down enough to go to sleep at a decent hour.
Saturday morning was the “work’ part of the weekend, and there was a fun group activity exploring Old Town for the afternoon. Dinner was a BBQ … and an ice cream truck pulled up to serve ice cream. Actually, they had six flavors including three vegan ones. I can report that the chocolate was more than ok, though not as good as the Regensburg offering.
Sunday was a public geocaching event, meaning it wasn’t only the volunteers but also local cachers. After the event was a castle tour that about 50 of us chose to do (in two groups). I got lucky and had the practicing psychotherapist as a guide. She read the room well and noticed that collectively we were exhausted so she gave lots of her content in the places where we were able to sit. There was lots of interesting content, but one of the few things I managed to write down was that the Allies dropped exactly zero bombs on Heidelberg during the war, perhaps because some high-ranking officials had studied here. We learned that in medieval times a monkey was sort of a jester, and after I was bold enough to ask what a frog meant she replied that frogs were a sign of fertility … amusing considering how many of us were wearing shirts with frogs on them. (I’d already revealed to a friend that I have an inner 5 year old and ask why a lot so somehow it was fitting that I asked a question that many geocachers would have wanted answered).
Dinner was with several people from the organizing team as well as a North American couple. it was followed by the best chocolate sorbet of the trip. Truth be told, I’d have to do a blind taste test between the Heidelberg and Regensberg samples to know for sure … but the Heidelberg one gets bonus points as the experienced was shared with dear friends (family, really) at the end of an incredible weekend filled with laughter, hugs, good-natured teasing and so much more with a fabulous group of people who I’m honored to call friends and family.
Sunday night was filled with laughter around a table, with different people participating at different times. It was hard to peel myself away to be disciplined enough to pack (my room in Heidelberg was definitely the least organized of the trip).
Breakfast today was filled with more goodbyes (and more laughter). One couple’s plans for the day got changed last-minute so I ended up walking (and caching) with them and then having lunch before catching the train to Frankfurt (I fly home tomorrow). Somehow I managed to make a mistake which may have been a good thing — I took a wrong train but it meant I only took two trains instead of three to reach my destination.
No, I didn’t include pictures in this post. Later I’ll post some of the pictures, but this post is intended to be visceral more than visual.
In case the sentiment was expressed too subtly, I feel like I’ve received a booster shot of happiness, community, and extended family.
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