April 9: Two museums

Yesterday, we went to the Vereins Kirche. This is the eight-sided replica of the original one built in the 1850's. Back in it's day, it was used as a church, fort, storehouse and community meeting hall. This building is located in the Marketplatz. There is a beautiful garden behind it, a May Pole, a bronze statue of the peace between the German residents and the Comanche Indians. There are several shelters for large picnics. Roses are in full bloom down here and there were lots of them around this area. You could smell them as you walked up to the back gardens.





Then went to eat late lunch at the Friedhelm's Bavarian Inn. Because I know that you all know what a picky eater I am, I wrote down what I ate. I felt that I should be getting the full effect of eating in this type of atmosphere so I had the Holstein Schnitzel (in honor of my sister-in-law, Cindy). It really had nothing to do with cows so not sure how it got its' name. It was a pork cutlet, breaded, sauteed and topped with Jager Schnitzel Sauce (which apparently means tons of mushrooms in a sauce) with two eggs sunny-side-up on top. After scraping off all the musrooms, it was really pretty good. Larry ate half of it becuase I was full after the bread and soup. The side was Spatzle which looks like rice but are noodles in a butter sauce. The meal came with warm Pumpernickel bread with fennel seed and vegetable broth - which included cabbage (I sucked down the broth). I wanted another Shiner Blonde but ended up with a Miller Lite. Didn't see that they had German imports until I got the menu back to write down all this stuff. Larry had a Reuben without the kraut.

Today we went to the National Museum of the Pacific War and the Admiral Nimitz Museum which is also connected to the George Bush Gallery. The Nimitz Museum is dedicated to the history of the Nimitz family in Fredericksburg and their hotel. It also covers Admiral Nimitz's life as a child and his entry into Annapolis and then into the war. The George Bush Gallery covers WWII from events leading up to the war through to the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima. Every engagement of the war is covered in this museum. A very impressive display. We didn't get to the static display a couple of blocks away but we will tomorrow--our tickets are good for two days.

I took a picture of this setting because I liked the middle, lower plaque and to give an idea of what some of the plaques were like. This was one of the big ones. Most were about 5x7 plaques of the men and women who served there.








This particular plaque is dedicated to the Seabee Battalion that was on Iwo Jima. My dad was in the Seabees and landed there the second day of the invasion. He had written a journal all thru boot camp clear up to that day, saying that he didn't know what would happen but that they would be building landing strips and roads. He never added any more entries into his journal after that landing and like most veterans, he never talked about it. Of course, I was too young to care, so I didn't even ask about it. He died in 1966, at 39, from lung cancer, so even in my infinite old age when I do care, I can't talk to him about his experiences.



Also at the museum, is the Veterans' Walk, the Japanese Garden of Peace and the Plaza of the Presidents. The Veterans' Walk has plaques of every ship that served in the Pacific theater and was under Fleet Admiral Nimitz's command. Plus many, many plaques of the men who served in the Pacific theater - the ones who gave their lives then and the ones who have since died. The Plaza of the Presidents shows the 10 presidents who served during the war. Ten presidents in a row, starting with FDR and ending with George Bush the elder.



The Japanese Garden of Peace was given to the museum by the Japanese people as an expression of their gratitude and respect.







We finished the day off with "homemade" ice cream at the Clear River Pecan Company. Even Larry's Rocky Road had pecans in it. I had a scoop of pecan pie and one of banana pecan. This place was also a bakery - dang it. Came home with an oat bran muffin for Larry and a banana pecan muffin for me. We have got to quit going to town.

By the way, just for you who don't follow these things, the Tennessee Lady Volunteers did their job and won an 8th national championship. My week is complete.