Travel Tales Excerpt – Karma in Krems
“Now that you have heard that long oration, I will pick it up and speed it along,” Margaret stated. “Honestly, the way you tell stories.”
“The context and details are the basis for the story,” Nikolay replied defensively.
“Well, now he has a doctorate. If you do not mind, I will finish the story.” Margaret declared. “In the 1960s and 1970s, when each of us was growing up in our respective birthplaces, the education system stressed learning lessons from the past. Military service was required of the men, and women had an option to join.”
She paused and took a sip of her drink.
“For all of us, the world was rebuilding, and we wanted to see the end results. We each had joined a special section of our respective government.” Margaret continued, “So each of us ended up in a ministry of security and antiquities repossession.”
“Almost all of us,” Amadeus added. “Some of us pursued that line of work as private citizens.”
– End Excerpt
Krems was a surprise visit, and as I write in the short story, our dinner visit to a nearby abbey (not Melk) had been canceled. We had just visited Melk Abbey, and it was getting dark, so our options were to stay on a ship docked on the Danube River or tour solo. I will take the tour solo any day.
Technically, I only saw the Stein part of Krems, but it was very charming. It was another peaceful place where I might consider living. As I wandered the streets and peeked inside a church, I could see the town had style and history. Then, to my surprise, I came upon two restaurants with strong marketing references to two literary and cinematic legends. I suspected that at least two other non-Krems residents had made the choice to settle there.
I regret not getting the pizza at Corleone’s, but the November evening was freezing. I was not sure the pizza could be made in time to return to the ship, and it was a cold 20-minute walk back. Both restaurants looked excellent.
The charms of Stein and Krems had similarly done their work to Koblenz. They had captured my imagination. It took a while to construct a story with believable characters. The movie “The Monuments Men” was released on the ship’s entertainment system. They provided an ingredient for my story. I wanted a variety of characters but also a balance of genders. Dame Maggie Smith has always been a favorite; long before her Downton Abbey role, I needed a character to push a short story.
If I can revisit Koblenz and Melk, I would extend the tour and add Krems. It has a fascinating story, and I suspect that, like Koblenz, it is a fun town that has been kept a local secret.
