Memories on the Neckar River

When we were in Heidelberg in June, we had a lovely walk along the Neckar River and we passed this big ring fastened into the wall along the river path. There are several of them, used to tie up boats and barges, but this particular one stands straight out and I recognized it at once, though I hadn't seen it in over thirty years.

I remembered the beautiful April day in 1978 when we were visiting Heidelberg. It might have been Easter weekend or even Easter Sunday. It was a bit chilly and spring wasn't a little late, but it was still a beautiful time for a walk along the river. Our boys saw that ring and they just HAD to hang on it. Peter Anthony could just barely grasp it and then walk his feet up along the wall, but Leif was way too short for that, so his Dad had to hold him up.

On his head, Leif has a red visor with built-in flip-down sunglasses that he just loved. I think I have another photo or two of him wearing it, and I'd forgotten all about it until I saw this picture again.

In the spring of 1978 we were living in Nurnberg, or actually Furth, and it was about a two-and-a-half hour drive to get to Heidelberg so we didn't go often to visit Peter W.'s aunts, uncles and cousins there, but every visit was a joy.

Leif was three years old and Peter Anthony was nine in these photos. Hard to believe that was 34 years ago.

I'm glad I took these photos, so that I have more than just the memory of that place and time. And I'm glad I found them and scanned them. Time is not being good to many of our older color photos. They are fading or discoloring and there's only so much I can do with PhotoShop to improve them.

Leif & His Dad - Heidelberg, Germany - APril 1978 - Age 3

We moved to Fuerth, Germany, next to Nurnberg, when Leif was two-and-a-half years old in the summer of 1977. The following spring, we made a trip to visit Peter W's relatives in Heidelberg, the city where he was born and lived until he was fourteen years old. It was Easter time, in April 1978, and Leif was then three years old.

While we were there, we walked along the Neckar River, where both boys wanted to hang on a large iron ring set into the sandstone wall. It was probably intended as a place to tie up one of the barges that ply the river. They were having a good time.

It was a chilly spring day, but a good day for a brisk walk and we enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the view across the river to the old city and the castle.