A single mother from the United States of America, full of pride and accomplishment with both sons in university well on their ways to a successful life, saves every penny for her “trip of a lifetime” with one son to visit the other son studying in Germany. A single man, living in Australia, recently retired – early – after decades of banking on a trip around the world before settling into a retiree’s lifestyle. An eleven-day bus tour around the country of Germany in the spring of 2004. That is the setting for this picture. But there is so much more! The single mom, looking younger than her true age, spends all her time with a tall, mature looking man with the same last name. The single man deflects any attempt by the single mom to start a conversation. Eight days pass with less than ten words spoken between them. The bus tour has taken them through most of Germany by now - the sea ports, the industrial region, Berlin, Dresden, and they are now heading toward the Black Forest on “The Romantic Road” an area full of medieval towns and castles. The afternoon brings them to their overnight stop – a medieval town inside castle walls. At dinner that night, the man walks into the dining room, looks around the room for an empty seat and sees only one table available. The single mom sees him walk into the room and tells herself he will avoid her at all costs just as it seems he has done on the other days. By necessity the man walks up and asks if he can join the table. The mother smiles and introduces her elder son to the single man. The man smiles and thinks – that man with her is her SON! They converse over supper not remembering what they ate. The mom states clearly, so he can hear, that she intends to watch the Town Crier walk around the town after supper. She hopes the man heard as she leaves for the centre of town. She went early, and he wasn’t there. Disappointed, she wonders what is wrong with her, and heads back to the inn. On her way back, he appears headed toward the town centre, but she can’t turn around and walk with him, it would be too obvious, so she circles around to the centre. He is standing with a group of tourists and leaves soon after she joins the crowd. Once again she is disappointed. Then he calls her name! “Come see this” he yells from across the street. Elated, she hurries over to see him looking at a stork nest. Soon the Town Crier begins his nightly performance. Together they walk and follow and laugh. At the last stop, he says to her, “Would you care to find the stairs and walk around the castle wall?” Hopefully he didn’t hear the eagerness in her willing affirmation. They climb together to the top as the sun sets. The first sight they see is two swans swimming in the moat around the castle. So began their journey on their own Romantic Road… after months of emails, phone calls and visits, they are now happily married. |