I’ve landed back in Freinsheim, where my nitty gritty research begins. I am so privileged to have several appointments with local historians. My first visit is with Herr Walter, former pastor of the Freinsheim Protestant Church, and author of a book on Freinsheim history.
How little I knew before I arrived. Herr Walter has many stories to tell, about a tangle of religion and politics, about revolutions and beheadings, about poverty and exile.
In the afternoon, I walk past the town gate to explore an orchard along the road to Weisenheim am Sand. In my session with Herr Walter, we have leapt through the centuries, but out in these fields, time seems to stand still. I find a snail that is new to me. Cars pass by on road, 
and every so often the local train, but I also hear farmland sounds: the whinny of horses, farmers joking somewhere among the fruit trees, bird calls and crickets. My happiest find is two ancient willow trees growing together like an old couple still in love.