Plans,..Dreams,..Ambitions,...are great(!);
...but when those north winds begin their wheezing(!..!)
you'd better start scootin' (!..!..!!),
or nick-name's going to be 'Popsicle'!

We're heading south. : )

For longer runs, we pedal close to rivers.
Their paths may meander,..
but they slalom the mountains and hills(!),
instead of clawing and crawling through and over.

The streets flanking them, are generally smaller,...
but empty(!), friendly, and slower. : )
'Family cafés',..road-side stands with 'Egg, Apple, and Potatoes'...'Honig von Imker'...
We're talking...seduction.

We toddled south, east of Hamburg;
playing Gifhorn, Braunschweig, Hildesheim, Peine,..
then dipped under Hannover, rendevous-ing, with the river Weser,
in Hameln.

The 'Weser Bergland'.
The brothers Grimm told many a tale, from these parts.
'Cinderella', 'Sleeping Beauty'...
Tales of the street performing 'Bremer Strassen-musikant', 'Til Eulenspiel',..
and of course,...'the Pied Piper of Hameln'.

Hameln.
We stopped here, because of another Street Performer's story.
Franz Schubert's 'Winterreise'......'The Winter Travel'.

Composed in the 1820's (!), 24 songs that's opened the door, to the Romantic period,..
...of Literature, Music,...Art.
A Spirit that continued singing, dancing, and humming;
right up to 'the Summer of Love', in the 1960's,..
'the Burning Man' today...

'The Winterreise',..
a man, frustrated with his Life, his Love, and his Profession,..hangs it up (!)...
...and goes for 'a walk'.
His adventures of 'true Beauty' bring him to a fountain, outside of a walled city,
where he listens to an old Street Performer,
...playing his Hurty-gurty, singing.
"We come into the world as 'strangers', we leave as 'stranger'.
To find peace, we must sing its songs,....all of them.
Trust yourself to sing,.....your songs."

One, of the many, still today(!), popular songs, from the zyklus is:
'Am Brunnen vor dem Tore'....'At the Fountain before the Gate'.

Walled cities, then,..as today,...don't let everyone in.
Especially,..travelers,...musicians,...and 'show-men'!
But, at the gates, outside the walls;
fountains,..wells,..
with drinking water stood.
These were often the gathering points for 'shows'.
'Pitches', so to speak. : )

Monika wanted to sing 'Am Brunnen vor dem Tore',...
at 'the spot',
where the Lime tree once stood...
We came to Hameln.

'The spot' is still here,..
but the fountain's changed. : (
,...another Street Performer's,..with his pipe,..has claimed the Pitch. : )

Last night,
at 6 pm, in Hameln, the church bells rang.
The shops closed up.
Folks squabbled home.
After our 'day of duty', we headed over to the fountain,..
to sing one more song.

One more, of Life's songs,...before wandering on...
'Am Brunnen vor dem Tore'.

https://youtu.be/gUJuw2md6gM?si=Mkk1GdGmLaFZCrxf


* At the well before the gate,
a lime tree stands.
I dreamt in its shade..
so many sweet dreams.
Upon its bark, I carved there
so many words of love..
drawn from joy and suffering.
I was forever drawn to it.

I had to walk today,
near the tree in deepest night.
And though it was dark,
I closed my eyes.

And your branches rustled,
calling to me,
"Come to me young man —
here you will find your peace."

The cold winds blew
straight into my face.
My hat flew from my head.
But I remained standing there.
Now, though I be many hours
away from that place,
still I hear the trees rustling
telling me:
You will find peace there. *
(Text: Wilhelm Müller. Music: Franz Schubert)

Wishing you guys,..a warm wind,
..and a sweet melody.
gallagher.

Wonderful song! Glad to hear about your journey.

May the warm winds blow ever in your favor Gallagher. I love the poetry of your posts

Thanks Doc,...Thanks Gats.... (love that name!).

"May the warm winds blow....".
The winds ARE blowing(!),..
unfortunately,...cold,...and WET!

We're,....'vacationing',...in Minden.
..a little towne, on the Weser.

FREE Parking. H2O,...10 cents for 10 Liters,....AND! Free Internet!!
....you can imagine(!) how 'despirate' this place must be!

Sit.
And wait.
...eat Potatoe Chips,...or Practise?

Where are the Lays!?..??!
"Lays lady Lays,...."

Well,....THAT ruined 'the Poetry'...! : (

Sorry Gats' : )
...greet Daisy for me!
Sometimes,...i can 'imagine' her.
Really.
"Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it."

holdin' out,
gallagher

p.s.: We find,.. 'have experienced':
Once the Folks suffer through, the 'first cold snap',..
moods change. : )
Especially, on the first 'sunny day'.

On our side of the spot-lights,
cold fingers, have always been,...the challenge.

We've never really solved it....
But,...: )

Hello from Ireland, I just love your posts. The video on YouTube, pure magic. I got a feeling your life story would make a bloody good read.

My best to you two!

Thanks Pete.
..thanks for reading!

Funny thing about the stories, though,
...i always start thinking about the,....'embarrassing ones'!

I'm still trying to gather,...the courage(?),...
the,...humility,..to tell,..'it all'. : )

Piece by piece,....we all find our peace. : )))

Thanks for reading!

Ireland,...there lay many a dream!
...i'm always SCARED of 'the weather', though(!).
Am I a fool?
.....DOES it rain there,. ..non-stop?

Wish you,..a rainbow.
gallagher

Love your posts!