[Night Hides Not]

I agree with you John, the inebriated staff sergeant didn't deserve the end result. No mention was made if her beers were spiked with additional ingredients. It's something I worry about whenever my daughter goes out on a date, or with her friends (she's 19).

I sure enjoyed my 4 years in the Eifel. I lived in Traben-Trarbach for three years, a lovely town on the Mosel River with wonderful folks. The commute to Spangdahlem my last two years wasn't so bad, as there was no traffic to speak of, and one traffic light for 25 miles. My first two years were spent at Hahn AB.

The drive home was always special. As I came over the ridge, the views of the Mosel Valley were absolutely spectacular. On a clear day, you could see at least 10 miles in each direction. I'll never forget the feeling of relaxation, of my worldly troubles evaporating (not that I had many as a 25 year old bachelor), of being home again.

[Gritty]

Lovely area. We visited there last year after 30+ years away. Not too much has changed over the years - except the new autobahn spur past Spang and the absurdly higher prices (Euro shellacking the $). And Trier is now "modernized" and absurdly crowded (not a plus in our opinion, but the Germans seem to think that is progress). Oh, and every village has at least one Pizza/Kebab shop run by "Turks" (read: Muslims). They've moved in everywhere.

The food is still terrific and the wine the best in the world.