Events occurred on September 16, 2012 A trip revolving around family history depends on connections made. One of those connections was made with the pastor of the church in tiny Willmandingen, Germany. A letter sent to the pastor’s office by Beth Renney from Fresno, California reached across the miles and the years, resulting in a […]
Tag Archives: family
Willmandingen, Germany and the Roots of the Heinz Family
September 16 Today Suzanne Pellegrino and Beth Renney spent time with another side of the family, the Heinz side, which stems from the village of Willmandingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. Our visit started with church service at the Protestant St. Gallus, dating from 1903 but built onto the remains of a much older tower from at least […]
Visiting German Relatives in Hoinkhausen
(From a visit made to Hoinkhausen on September 12 and 13) When German relatives know you’re coming, the red carpet not only gets rolled out, it gets wrapped around you. Suzanne Pellegrino and her sister Beth Renney not only gave their relatives in tiny Hoinkhausen, Germany advance notice, they gave them nearly a year to […]
The Odenwald’s Silent Sentinal
September 10, 2012 Like a stone sentinal guarding the rolling hills of the Odenwald Forest, Auerbach Castle high above Bensheim-Auerbach has stood tall for more than 800 years. We visited this ruin on a warm September day while exploring ancestral Bensheim and Mannheim nearby. Auerbach Castle was built by Charlamagne and then rebuilt and enlarged […]
Mannheim, Germany
September 9, 2012 What do the world’s first automobile, the first bicycle and the first tractor have in common? Mannheim! All three were invented in this industrial town on the banks of the rivers Rhein and Neckar in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. Known as “Grid City” the bustling large town was built on the […]
Postcard from Burgundy
Tending a vineyard the old-fashioned way with real horsepower
Sleeping in a medieval castle above the Rhein River in Germany
July 30 There’s no experience quite like spending the night in a castle high on a bluff above one of Europe’s prettiest river valleys. Recent guests of ours had this experience and for some, it was a repeat experience. Susan brought son Nick back for a second European Focus Private Tour and this time, four […]
Postcard from Ireland
A cart outside a coffee shop in Knightstown, Kerry, Ireland Do you like European Focus Postcards from Europe? Order any of your favorites that you see on this web site as blank inside photo notecards. Only $1.50 each includes envelope! Order by sending your inquiry to info@europeanfocus.com