Copyright (c) 2014 Phyllis Zimbler Miller
All rights reserved.
Jane’s Fighting Ships reports that U.S. naval strength is on the decline while the Soviets have achieved super-navy status. –July 30, 1971
“The Learn to Sail Program is open to all military personnel, civilians, and dependents authorized logistical support. Applicants must be 16 years of age, or older. The fee is $30.00 per person and includes: sailing, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and instruction for 3 days, sailing manual, sailing pin, and sailing cards. Billeting fees must be paid separately.” Learn to Sail in 3 days booklet
The sailing instructor took Mitch through his testing paces. If Mitch and I passed the sailing test, we’d be awarded an American Red Cross sailing card and a Chiemsee sailing card.
The water of Lake Chiemsee reflected the afternoon sun, and I gazed across the water to Herren Island, the largest of the three islands in Lake Chiemsee. Herren Island was also the site of another palace built by Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria – Schloss Herrenchiemsee, which Ludwig modeled on Versailles.
Last night Mitch and I had taken a boat over to the island for one of the two 45-minute Mozart string quartet concerts held on summer Saturday evenings.
At Schloss Herrenchiemsee the many, many chandeliers in the Great Hall of Mirrors held lighted candles, which made listening to the concert extremely hot. Instead we wandered through the lavish rooms, enjoying yet another example of Ludwig’s over-the-top decorating.
I had been annoyed that the American boat trip to the island cost more than the German boat trip. “It’s ridiculous that Americans would rather spend the extra money than have to buy tickets where they might be required to say in German the number of tickets needed,” I had complained to Mitch.
All in all these three days of sailing had been pleasant. Sometimes when there was no wind we had gotten out the paddles or had waited out the calm. Yesterday morning the instructor had towed the two sailboats behind a motorboat to a German shipyard that made sailing boats.
Although Mitch had the day off Friday to attend the sailing program, we had driven back to Munich after the first day’s sailing so Mitch could lead Friday night services while Mr. Bernstein was away. While at services we learned that the 18th MI Battalion had Monday off because it had passed the Inspector General’s inspection.
Before this Mitch had spent days babysitting his platoon to ensure that their quarters would pass inspection. And then through an army snafu he hadn’t even been present when the platoon was inspected. That’s because the inspectors came much earlier than the established time for inspection.
Last night was the second boat ride this month that we had taken (not counting our sailing course). We had also taken a four-and-a-half-hour boat trip on Lake Zurich over the July 4th weekend.
That trip to Zurich had not started off auspiciously. Mitch and I had set off on Saturday morning, July 3rd, and then our car started making noises. We turned back and made a mad dash to get the 10:38 a.m. train to Zurich. But we couldn’t find any place to park the car downtown.
Instead we returned home and went to the American Express office – luckily this was the one Saturday a month it was open. There we bought tickets for the 2:30 p.m. train, reaching Zurich at 7:30 p.m. on the schnell Zug(fast train) on a trip that supposedly took less time to drive on a good weekend.
