Well, that was fun and exciting!
I know it has been a bit since I have blogged, but we have been on the go since we last left off…
To catch up…
On Friday the fourth, we left Vinalhaven and met up with friends for the First Friday Art Walk in Rockland. For those wondering, Rockland has pretty much become the art capital of Maine; galleries, museums, etc. This was then followed by dinner for 9 at In Good Company, one of our favorite places to dine in Rockland.
Saturday was a leisurely morning, with a few errands to run before we headed to Boston to catch our flight, but with the Union Antiques Fair happening that morning, eight of the nine that had dinner together the previous evening found themselves hunting the fields at Union. No corkscrews to be had (well, worth buying, or not overpaying for), but a good time was had by all.
Sunday included a few last errands, and then a drive to Portsmouth, where we caught a commuter bus to Boston, where we hopped an overnight flight to Paris.
Our Paris stay was brief, as we were then on a flight to Frankfurt.
The two days in Frankfurt were just lovely. Good weather, morning runs, afternoon stops at the various eateries, Goethe museum, and just a good couple of days to lose any jet lag, and get ready for the next part of our adventure; the ICCA AGM in Mainz.
After a 30, or so, minute train ride to Mainz, we walked from the train station to the Hilton on the river, where the meeting was being held. As we checked in, we ran into several other attendees, and exchanged pleasantries.
Having checked in, Sue was messaging with Tommy, and we met up for a walk across the bridge for a lovely lunch (with wine…lots of wine). Knowing we had to get back for the Right’s Reception, we headed back.
The reception was quite lovely, with some nice wines which were enjoyed by all; with much of the evening spent catching up with each other, hearing corkscrews stories, and discussing the upcoming days. The reception was followed with time for dinner on our own, and we headed downstairs to the bar/restaurant area. We called it a night at a relatively decent hour, but word was the drinks kept coming into the wee hours.
The following morning started with breakfast, and at the appointed time we gathered for a walking tour of Mainz and a tour of the Guttenberg Museum. We enjoyed a fascinating presentation of how the moveable type was made, and after continuing our walk, ended up back at the hotel for a group lunch.
After lunch we had our annual auction, buy and sell, and show and tell; in that order. Ferd had brought with him an oversized Clough that was soon in my hands, and then auction slips were filled out on other items in anticipation. Overall, the auction went pretty well, with lots of pieces changing hands.
The buy and sell, also netted out lots of sales for the addicts the brought corkscrews with them. I sold many, bought two, and then was asked if I would sell those as well. Always funny when that happens.
The show and tell was a definite highlight of the meeting. In the latest issues of the BST, BT, IH, and I, all had a bit of a focus on the Show and Tell portion of the meeting, and there were lots of corkscrews shown and talked about; with several addicts showing more than one. It is fascinating what each of us finds in a given year, and each corkscrew was handed around, examined, photographed, and discussed further.
With lots of corkscrews shown and talked about, later that evening we had a group dinner together at a nearby restaurant. Good food, lively conversation, and lots (and lots) of good wine.
On our next morning, after breakfast, we were soon on a bus. And, the bus took us to the appointed location where we would be boarding a riverboat a cruise on the Rhein. The tour of the river offered another opportunity for addicts and go-withs to catch up, engage in the convivial atmosphere, and work a trade or two.
Midway in our journey, we docked at a castle where we were met with music, a bit of dancing, and a tour. This was followed by a return to the boat where lunch would shortly be served. The food was lovely, and the wine (lots of wine) flowed.
Following lunch, we had a bit of entertainment, and we also held a second chance buy and sell. For those that bought more corkscrews with them, it did give addicts a second chance, with a few more corkscrews changing hands. In some cases, with no monies changing hands, as TC had taken it upon himself to offer to flip people for corkscrews; price of the corkscrew doubled versus getting the corkscrew for free. While the result was met with laughter and handshakes, TC lost both flips.
In the late afternoon, we docked a block or so from our hotel, and we all headed back to our temporary digs; making dinner plans along the way.
The next morning, we were to be on a bus to Ruedesheim. Addicts and Go-withs enjoyed a brief stop at the Niederwald Monument, and this was followed by a delightful visit to the Museum of Mechanical Music. The instruments were fascinating!
After a brief ride through the vineyard clad landscape, we had a tour and tasting at Schloss Johannesburg. The tour was lovely, the wines were quite nice, and the lunch that followed was fabulous. The bus ride back to the hotel was followed by a brief break between activities and then it was time for the Annual General Meeting.
Minutes were approved, awards were awarded, and proposals and presentations for our next AGM were proposed and presented. The 2018 meeting will be in Rockland, Maine and held at the Samoset Resort, for those that are wondering.
Following the meeting (and after grabbing a bottle of wine from the bar), we had time to unwind a bit, and get ready for the Gala dinner. Addicts adorned in their finery were soon congregating at the appointed location where the annual punch (made from Jack Daniels) had addicts and go-withs seeking a second glass, before we all sat down for a lovely dinner (where the wine flowed).
The next morning, a special side trip had been planned, and those who were interested would be hopping in taxies to Wiesbaden for a morning antique show. And, were there corkscrews? Reinhold had let the various friends and dealers that set up there, to bring their corkscrews, and word definitely got around. Piles and piles of corkscrews amongst the many dealers. At one dealer, BT was making a deal on a Rausch, while at another table TC made a deal for a Dray. Lots of corkscrews were changing hands, and I managed to pick up a few. On in particular was garnering a bit of attention, as I picked up what looks to be a bike wrench with corkscrew attached.
BT said he had never seen another.
Ferd said he had never seen another.
Reinhold stopped me to introduce me to another friend/collector, who informed me that he had indeed seen another example years ago. Knowing that there was another version of this out there, and others oohing and ahhing at the find, made it a kind of fun trophy/souvenir of an antique show attended by throngs of addicts.
Knowing we had yet another train to catch, we said our goodbyes to one another; although these are rather temporary goodbyes as in a few days we will all come together again in Zaandam for the CCCC AGM.
After returning to the hotel, we gathered our bags (with added corkscrews, and an art deco overhead light fixture (a story for another day) and headed over to a train to Frankfurt airport, where we would change trains for a pretty overcrowded, but pleasant enough train ride to Amsterdam.
Where after a day of exploring, we are having a second glass of wine.
More photos to come, and I will catch you all up on the next portion of the adventure as it happens; or perhaps a few days after it happens.
Stay tuned.
josef@vintagecorkscrews.com corkscrewing around 