We already planned this visit to Kleve in November last year to
talk about Africa and South America flying, but it got postponed. Then
in February this year, Frank's tragic accident happened.
Dorise came to fetch us up at Weeze airport and drove us to the
beautiful Hettlich house in Kleve. This was all the work of Frank, who
not only was a dentist and an aviator of worldwide reputation, but also
a skilled architect who designed the house and managed the construction
25 years ago. While visiting the house, we discovered that the Hettlich
daughters Claudia and Bianca are both very talented artists, and we are
very much looking forward to meeting them in South Africa next year.
The Hettlich home - beautifully
designed by Frank
After a tour of the house Saturday morning, we discussed our
forthcoming Africa trip by Honey Mooney with Dorise, who gave us lots
of tips and advice. We also refreshed precious memories of our flying
in South America.
At lunch time Frank and Dorise's daughter Malaika (whom we had already
met in Vienna at the 2001 Earthrounders meeting) came from Düsseldorf
and we drove to the nearby little town of Kalkar, where Dorise grew up
and had a light lunch at a restaurant.
Dorise, Angela and Malika at the town
hall square in Kalkar
In the afternoon, we visited the Hettlich dentist clinic in Kleve. The
building was superbly designed by Frank. Malaika is currently busy with
her dentist studies in Düsseldorf, which she will finish later this
year, after which she will take over her father's practice.
Malaika at work in the Hettlich clinic
We then discovered, that on this very special date [07/07/07] it was
Malaika's 26th birthday and we celebrated it in the evening together
with Dorise's mother Oma as well as a Swiss girl Claire, who grew up in
Zermatt. Claire even knew Swiss Earthrounder Stephan
PERREN's brother, as she had worked in his pharmacy in Zermatt.
Wallabies having dinner in the Hettlich
garden
Their 10'000 m2 garden is surrounded by a high fence, and populated by
18 wallabies (small kangaroos)! They bought 3 of them many years ago
and the wallaby family has been growing ever
since.
Thanks to Dorise and Malaika for a very special weekend. The whole
family is enthusiastic about organising the next Earthrounder meeting
in Capetown next year in memory of Frank. We are very much looking
forward to that event. For details, see the 'Gommi' web site (..and perhaps give
a donation to 'Frank's Heaven') or the Earthrounders web site.
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