Shea Travels and Photos

Southern Germany, 1988-1992

A one-liter beer at a Regensburg festival. I only had one, I think - I can't really remember. The other bottles are Limonade (orange or lemon soft drinks).The Cathedral (der Dom) spires are in the background.

Interior of a church in Regensburg.

An interesting side street in Regensburg

The Danube with a bridge in the distance

Swimming pool where I worked for three summers at the kiosk - selling ice cream, beer, soft drinks, coffee/cake, candy, etc.

Some German kid named Dirk stole my cool sunglasses and went down the board with them on.

Swimming pool entrance fees.

Here's the Mercedes wagon (diesel) I used to drive around in. Cigar in mouth in honor of my dear Landlord.

Small town of Brand in S. Germany. Guesthouse where I lived with grocery store on first floor, swimming pool where I worked, beautiful countryside

View out of my room to the small town of Brand.

Small town Germany. Note the fence, the window, all-too common weather

Cave in Southern Germany

I was occasionally forced to stop working and have Kaffee und Kuchen - quite a wonderful custom. A carefree and young Mr. Shea before he was Mr. Shea and the weight of the world and adult responsibilities crushed my boyish spirit.

I dunk over the heads of a group of stunned German children. AirShea! Beautiful new house in the background.

Oxhead/Ochsenkopf - mountainous area, source for four rivers, skiing, rodeln, rock-climbing. Fairy tales with witches probably come from such places (Fichtelgebirge).

Schau, Mama! Look at the crazy American! Showing my best side.

A hilltop climb in S. Germany (Oberpfalz, Fichtelgebirge). Typical fields, small villages, open areas, forest.

More fun in the hills and forests - Rodelbahn. Take a skilift and roll on down. Ochsenkopf.

Seeing ruins of castles is not uncommon. Fränkische Schweiz.

Vierzehn Heiligen (14 Saints) - a pilgrimage (Wallfahrt) church in Baroque style.

Preserved medieval town of Rothenburg. Walk on the city wall, stroll through the side streets. Note the typical flower baskets in the windows.

Rothenburg on the Tauber. Not destroyed in the wall, a preserved medieval town. No cars allowed inside the city walls.

Waiting for my German friends to finish their ice cream on the City Hall steps.

Notice I'm sporting the worst haircut of my life. The spiky look was "in" at the time in Germany.

An old timber work house that served as an old Handarbeit-Museum - sort of a museum of old-fashioned arts, crafts and manufacturing.

I spent two months in Washington, D.C. before my summer '87 trip to Germany. Here I am about to lay down the thunder with some people I jammed with. I spent four summers in S. Germany when I was in grad school.

Veste Coburg. Coburg Fortress, another of Luther's hideouts.

The armory at the Veste Coburg. Notice the size of much of the armor.

Fountain-decorating festival in Southern Germany - Brunnenfest. Note the flowers in the windows, the brick sidewalk, the need for my favorite Puma jacket mid-summer. Wunsiedel?

You never knew what you'd see driving around the countryside. Here's a house on fire near one just being built.