During our return flight from the Philippines to Berlin, I started dreaming of hosting a radio show in the Philippines. But more on that later, it should still take some time. For Rossana and I there were many trips to do again. Barbara and Ronald always offered to drive us to the airport. They already knew our dreams to emigrate to the Philippines.
Rossana was very interested in German history. So it made sense to travel to the southern parts of Germany: Munich, Nuremberg, Bamberg or Bayreuth. My then criminal law and editor invited us to Bayreuth. Unforgettable days awaited us.
Bayreuth, the place for the annua; world famous Richard Wagner Festival. Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 in Leipzig – 13 February 1883 in Venice) was a German opera composer. He was one of the most important opera composers in Germany during the Romantic period. Apart from some music that he wrote as a student he wrote ten operas which are all performed regularly in opera houses today.
Rossana was so proud of this historic place to be able to have her picture taken: the statue of Cosima Wagner,
born Francesca Gaetana Cosima Liszt; 24 December 1837 – 1 April 1930), daughter of the Hungarian pianist and composer Franz Liszt and Franco-German romantic author Marie d'Agoult.
Our good friend Joachim had meanwhile arranged a job as fashion consultant at a large department store chain in Berlin. But in the coming years we would be back and forth between Berlin and the Philippines several times. I started shooting video reports from my travels.
And then it happened. The property right next to Rossana's birthplace was offered for sale. My mother looked at us with wide eyes. "You have to know that. I do believe that one day you will want to spend your retirement years in the Philippines", she replied in a firm voice. We bought the property, had a wall built around it and prepared it buildable.
Back in Berlin, I asked Rossana to visit the Philippine Embassy together with me. "What are we supposed to do there?" she asked. She was shocked by my answer.
(To be continued!)
