We (Kerstin, Cliff, and Thomas) are spending three weeks in Germany (and maybe a few other countries in Old Europe) in late July and early August. We began by staying with our friends, Heinz and Hella, in the little town of Simmern in western Germany between the Mosel and Rhine rivers.
On one of the first days we drove down to the Rhine to the city of Mainz to see other friends, Lena and Matthias. Here we are at a so-called "agro-restaurant,'' where students studying to become everything from farmers to chefs all work to create a fancy restaurant in an old estate outside Mainz.
On Sunday (July 29), following the service in Simmern's main church (from the Middle Ages), the organist and music director of the church, Joachim -- a friend of Heinz & Hella's - gave us a tour of the church and showed us the organ. It is the best preserved organ made by the famous organ-producer, Stumm, from the late 1700s and in close to original condition. Here, Thomas is being instructed by Joachim on how the keyboard and registers work. (The feet actually operate a completely separate keyboard....) It sounded wonderful - Thomas did a little improvisation for us.
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