Two weeks ago we went to Heidelberg to meet up with BDG, a long-time friend of the Culy family. She and her husband, MG, were on a summer trip to Germany. The Culys have been friends with BDG’s family for more than 45 years. When Chris and BDG were young, the two families met every year for the Thanksgiving holiday, a tradition that died off once all the children in the families were grown and starting families of their own. Although I had met BDG at least once in the 23 years I’ve known Chris, it had been at least 16 years since the last time we’d all been together.

It’s a small world, made even smaller by modern technology that allowed us to coordinate getting together in a city that neither one of us live in. 😉

Anyway, in Heidelberg, we went together to see the major attraction that you should visit in that town, namely the Heidelberg Castle. Unlike my visit to the castle back in May with our friends from Italy, this time we did a guided tour. The guide was a guy in his thirties, who included lots of historical anecdotes as he pointed out features of the castle ruins. Everything in the castle or in Heidelberg in general was described as “the largest X in the world,” including “the world’s biggest wine vat” (which is still there) and “the world’s biggest theatre” (which was destroyed by the French.). Actually, every problem the castle and the town ever faced was attributed to the French, at least according to the guide’s version of history. 😉 Highly entertaining, even if I wasn’t convinced that all of his “facts” were true.

But what Chris wound up orchestrating at the end was just as entertaining. After the tour was over, Chris asked BDG to inquire if the guide was a member of a German fraternity.

First, I should explain that the guide had established during the tour where several people, including BDG, were from. So the guide knew she was an American on vacation. Chris didn’t want to ask the question himself, in order to observe the guide’s reaction when asked the question by someone the guide wouldn’t expect to know anything about German fraternities.

But Chris and I do know a little bit about German fraternities. Specifically, we’ve heard tales of there being a long-held tradition by members of the fraternities to fight duels. Of course dueling is, in principle, prohibited in modern times. But we’ve been told that duels still occur. It’s said that carrying a scar on the cheek is a proud sign of having fought in one of these duels, so we were told that if you meet a German of a certain age and he has a mark on a cheek, the odds are good that he’s fought a duel.

Which is what prompted Chris’s question, you see: the guide had a scar on his cheek.

So, when BDG put the question to the guide, he looked a bit puzzled, but answered in the affirmative. But before he answered, his initial reaction was to make a brief, unconscious gesture to the scar on his right cheek.

Now, we don’t for sure that the guide has been in a duel, of course. But I find it very telling that his first reaction was to touch his cheek when asked about his membership in a fraternity. Coincidence? The romantic in me likes to think not. 😉

Anyway, I’ve put up a few more photos from our latest trip to Heidelberg, to add to the ones on the “unguided tour” that I posted before. Enjoy.