Michelstadt

The village of Michelstadt has a delightful town square, with the Town Hall and its two symmetrical oriel (bay) windows with candle-snuffer roofs.

I learned one of the most important rules of flea market shopping: “Once you have ‘it’ in your hand, do not put ‘it’ down for any reason.” I had admired a large book filled with photographs taken from the dirigible Graf Zeppelin during its trips to various parts of the world in 1928 - 30. Photos taken from above Washington, New York City, Rio, London, Jerusalem, Moscow, the pyramids, etc., were pasted in the book, not printed pictures.

I put the book down to get my wallet, and a woman (she was no lady) picked it up and would not let go.

Fifteen years later after another visit to this charming town, we told the story of the “book that got away” to Cousin Klaus and Helga in Heusenstamm. Klaus quickly got up from the table and returned with a copy of the exact book I was telling about. Klaus said that a man in his office, who had recently retired, threw this book in the trash can, and Klaus retrieved it.

That Christmas a package arrived in La Quinta from Klaus in Heusenstamm. It contained a Xeroxed copy of the book.

Try as I might, I can't bring out the proper color in this photo, but it was needed to make the tidbit complete.