I need to get some petrol

Frau Schmidt knocked on the door to my door.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Just a bit of writing,” I answered.

“Nein, nein, nichts gut,” she said, “Come, we go out. Just bring your papers.” I showed her my passport and she nodded.

I thought we were going for a stroll around the neighborhood but she headed towards her car, a champagne-colored older model Mercedes. She must have read my expression and explained. “I need petrol, come.”

“When anyone comes to stay with me, they’re always with someone,” my host said. “Now I have someone I can share with.”

So off we went. To share a trip to the gas station together. We drove down narrow lanes for several miles, through the village of Lindenberg, which is famous for its hats, until we finally pulled into a parking lot in the village of Scheidegg. I had seen gas stations as we drove but Frau Schmidt appeared not to notice them.

“We go for stroll, come,” she said and got out of the car.

We looked through clothes store windows, where Frau Schmidt made a point of telling me she does not wear “hosen.”

“I only wear these,” she said, pointing to her skirt. “They,” gesturing back at the trousers, “are not for old married women who have had many children and big ‘ends’.” Frau Schmidt has five children and 15 grandchildren, and far too many cousins, nieces and nephews to talk about. From what I can tell, her “end” doesn’t look that big.

After looking in windows, I followed Frau Schmidt up a pathway. Several Nordic walkers carrying their ski poles headed towards us. Frau Schmidt pointed out after they’d passed that they were not carrying the poles or moving their arms correctly. She proceeded to swing her arms front and back, both at 90 degrees to her body.

“It is pointless them doing it like they do. They have legs for that,” she said. Hopefully, where we were headed, our legs would also suffice.

 

An hour later, after walking up and down hills, with views across to the moutains, our little “stroll” ended and we got back into the car. During our walk, as she zipped up my sweater to help keep my chest warm, she was surprised to learn I was 35 and thought I looked much younger (thank you, Frau Schmidt). I was more surprised to learn that she is 74.

We continued with our journey, presumably to the gas station. The car kept going higher, and the lanes got narrower and narrower. Evergreen trees hugged the road tightly. Frau Schmidt told me about her childhood and upbringing. She was born in Austria, and at the age of three had to move with her family to Germany.

I then noticed the sign.

“Are we now in Austria?” I asked.

“Ja, Österreich,”

I saw another sign for “Möggers,” and commented that it seemed an awful long way to come just get some petrol for her car.

“It have friend now,” she said. “We go scenic route.”

On we drove and Frau Schmidt continued with stories of her youth. Suddenly, we came to a stop.

“Ach! Barrier.” Frau Schmidt said.

She turned her head and looked right, up another lane. No barrier there but there was a sign that read “VERBOTEN.” Even I know what that meant. Frau Schmidt didn’t miss a beat though and carried on driving past the sign.

“If we are stopped,” she said and grinned, “I say my legs do not work.”

Finally, we could go no further. Our destination was a look-out spot, or vista point in Pfänder. From here I could see the Rhein Valley, or “Tal,” plus the mountains of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. And, if I squinted, I could apparently see Liechtenstein, too. Below us the towns of Lindau (Germany) and Bregenz (Austria) bordered the Bodensee, which stretches for 60 km.

The return journey home was much quicker and we did eventually stop for gas just before crossing back over the border. Although it was 19 cents per liter cheaper than in Germany, I have a feeling Frau Schmidt had been far more interested in the scenic route with her new friend than saving money on gas. I’m glad. If I’d been traveling with another person, I doubt I’d have made it to Austria today.

 Print This Post

If you found "I need to get some petrol" useful or interesting, please share it with others by bookmarking it at the following sites: