My grandfather had his picture taken on his bicyle for Columbus, IN newspaper .... age 100. He was angry that they didn't take the picture of him riding backwards which he often did. He rode 7 miles a day for years. Nationality? German, of course! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike and Dorie Brennecke" <doitnow@netins.net> To: <GERMAN-LIFE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2001 10:26 AM Subject: Re: [GERMAN-LIFE] Walking Germans! > My grandfather was in his 80's and riding his bicycle, when he died--fell > off the bike and hit is head on the pavement. They think he had a stroke, > actually. I don't think I've ever seen an 80-year-old on a bike here in the > US! Dorie > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <JudyMcKinn@aol.com> > To: <GERMAN-LIFE-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 9:17 AM > Subject: [GERMAN-LIFE] Walking Germans! > > > > Boy, you aren't kidding Germans walk! When we visited my ancestral > villages > > a couple years ago, we were nearly walked to death. LOL I am overweight, > and > > knee problems run in our family, so I have painful, arthritic knees, but > not > > quite to the stage to have them replaced yet. Our German friends took us > for > > a weeks trip around the former E. German area--Meissen, Dresden, Harz > > mountains, etc. Had 2 or 3 parks they wanted to show us, also, and these > > were LARGE walking parks. One was Hanza (sp??) Park. They were > beautiful, > > and people walking all over on the footpaths thru the flowers and > > landscaping. but, I though I wouldn't make it! (they said, "We have a > > saying here--we walk in our parks, and Americans drive in theirs." > referring > > to our large parks like Yellowstone, etc.) And, there were beautiful, old > > castles, etc, but the villages were ancient, so the streets were narrow, > and > > they didn't tear things out for parking lots, as we do here, so to visit a > > castle, you parked down along the river somewhere, and climbed the hill > to > > the castle, then climbed the stairs in the castle! Then back down over > the > > cobblestones to the car (1/4 to 1/2 mile back again) The other couple we > > visited ther in Germany, a retired couple who had done some genealogy work > > for me, were even worse (re the walking). They lived in Magdeburg, and > > didn't own a car, because they walked to their garden outside of town, > where > > there was a field of garden plots for rent. Everyone who wanted to rented > a > > garden spot, and walked out and tended it. And, the wife had diabetes, > > controled by diet and exercise, and her diabetes Dr. was 7 miles, and they > > biked there together every 2 weeks for her checkup. He was 72, and she > was > > 68, and they both belonged to an Alps hiking club, and he was the leader. > The > > other members were in their 30's and 40's, and I will guarantee he could > > out-walk all of them. LOL It was a wonderful and beautiful trip, and the > > people were great, but by the time I got home, I had to up my knee > > medication, and try to recuperate! LOL. Judy > > > > In a message dated 6/15/01 11:59:57 AM, you wrote: > > <<Isn't it true that Germans, and most Europeans, get much more exercise > than > > we do in the US?? Maybe that's why heart disease rates are lower there. > It > > seemed to me that they did a lot more walking than we do here. That was > in > > the 70's though, so maybe things have changed. Dorie>> > > > > > > ==== GERMAN-LIFE Mailing List ==== > > Complaints: > > Contact the list administrator at: GERMAN-LIFE-L-admin@rootsweb.com > > > > ============================== > > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate > > your heritage! > > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog > > ______________________________