Spring Vacation 2010 - Why France

German schools take a 2 week spring vacation that includes the the week before Easter and the week after. So Magda had some free time. My school was closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday. So by skipping out on 4 days of classes, we could take a week vacation. So on Palm Sunday we packed up the car, took Frannie to a dog sitter, and headed off to France.

Why France?

Well largely because one of Magda's uncle was a German POW in a region of France called the Charente and loved it.

OK, the story is a bit more involved that than.

Magda has known one her close friends Jacqueline since the early sixties while Magda was in Gymnasium (the German equivalent of out High School). They started their relationships as pen pals when Jacqueline was given Magda's address by one of Jacqueline's friends, also named Jacqueline.

Magda and this second Jacqueline had met when she and her mother had traveled to Magda's home town to meet with Magda uncle. Magda's uncle and the mother had meet originally in France when he was a German POW there. Magda and the second Jacqueline had agreed to be pen pals, but this Jacqueline wasn't really so interested in writing so she passed Magda's name along to her friend, and now Magda's close friend.

Jacqueline has been living in Germany for a number of years. They see each other and talk often. This visit was actually to see Jacqueline's 95 year old parents who live in Chasseneuil sur Bonnieure in the Charente. Magda had visited them in France in 1971. Although Magda had seen them a few times in Germany, that was her last visit to see Jacqueline's parents in France. Jacqueline's parents had for years extended an invitation to Magda to visit them again. But for the last 20 years trips to the USA prevented her from going. But this Easter, since I am in Germany now, Jacqueline was planning to visit her parents and Magda had vacation time, it seemed an ideal time to accept the invitation an go.

So that's the story of how we were going to France because Magda's uncle was captured during WWII and sent to France as a POW.