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ByLeonardStohler Whenplanninga trip to central Europe and Berlin, I talked to sev- eral people in Red Bluff. Most were interested in the fact that I was go- ing at this time and upon my return wanted to hear about my experi- ences. One person said, "Why would you want to go to Europe?" I hope he is not so disinterested in Europe that has had so much to do with the his- tory of the world. On the other hand, one clerk asked if I would take her the next time I went. She knew of the sights to be seen there. One of my neighbors had not even heard about what might cause a problem for an elderly walking tourist from Red Bluff. Just as travel plans to visit Central Europe were about to come to frui- tion, there was a crisis in the first city I planned to visit, Budapest. You have seen the images on tele- vision, I am sure. Some friends I talked to in Red Bluff thought I should re- consider my trip. I was determined to go as res- ervations were already made and confirmed. I was to fly from San Fran- cisco to Frankfurt, Ger- many and then to Buda- pest. Travel between the four cities, I would take the East Europe train from Budapest to Vienna, from Vienna to Prague and then to Berlin by a German train. I decided that here was a chance to witness his- tory in the making. To be safe, I would try to avoid any of the places where the police and immi- grants were clashing, yet I was due to leave from Keleti Palyaudvar station. That is the Budapest sta- tion. A week before leav- ing, the person on the ground in Budapest as- sured me that those trav- eling with travel plans, reservations and pass- ports would be allowed to board the train to Vienna. The trains to Vienna were cancelled for a time, but then continued to run on schedule. Central Europe had once again risen to the forefront of the news with the "great migration" [my words] taking place through Hungary via Ser- bia and the Balkan states from Syria primarily. Some are seeking a bet- ter life in Europe, and in my opinion, are not refu- gees from war. Some are migrants seeking a bet- ter life. These refugees and mi- grants want to reach Ger- many where they think they are welcomed. Ger- many has committed to accepting about 800,000 of these refugees and mi- grants, but before this rush to beat winter, Ger- many had been taking about 3 years for process- ing according to some sources. Germany wanted to do exacting documen- tation before they al- lowed these immigrants to reside freely in their country. At first, it didn't plan to let in people who are just seeking a better eco- nomic life, at least from this immigrant base, but after a few days German policy seemed to change. It would welcome the ref- ugees, but wanted other countries in the Euro- pean Union to welcome a certain number of refu- gees. Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Rumania voted against this policy change. They argued that they were less able to absorb a large number of additional people into their societ- ies. The prime minister of Hungary reminded the immigrants that it had lived a long time under the Ottoman Empire rule — Turks who were Mus- lim. My question at first was, "Will I be able to walk the streets of Bu- dapest freely as I had planned." I thought I would as the refugees seemed to be largely con- gregated in the base- ment of Keleti. I thought I would be safe, yet I could not foresee what was to happen in Budapest. In the following weeks, I will share with you via the Daily News some of my experiences and con- clusions made about the situation there. Hungary, Austria, the Czech Repub- lic are main countries in Central Europe and Berlin is of course the capital of Germany, the most pros- perous of the European countries. Aboutthecontributor: Leonard (Len) Stohler is a historian by degree. He taught in the local schools from 1969-1995. He served on the Red Bluff Union School Board for 16 years. On a Danube River cruise late October last year he had to return due to the illness of his traveling companion after seeing only Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna for one day each. He wanted to return "closer to the ground" and so returned on an independent trip to the cities of Budapest, Vienna, Prague and Berlin from September 7-22. He walked in these cities and rode public transportation, enjoying some of the many attractions and historic sites and talking to a few of the citizens. TRAVELOGUE You are planning to go where? Budapest? TheviewinBratislavaofSt.MartinCathedralandthe Kosicka Bridge, now known as the "Now Most Apollo." PHOTOS BY LEONARD STOHLER The Chain Bridge in Budapest was the first bridge across the Danube River, but was blown up by the Nazis as they retreated from Hungary during WWII. Of course, it was rebuilt a er the war. The author, Leonard Stohler, at Belvedere Palace. Call 877-4DAD411 or visit www.fatherhood.gov be a dad today. Take time to I decided that here was a chance to witness history in the making. To be safe, I would try to avoid any of the places where the police and immigrants were clashing, yet I was due to leave from Keleti Palyaudvar station. Enrollment, Plan Changes, Income & Subsidy Modifications 805 Walnut Street CornerofWalnut&Jackson Red Bluff 530-840-6611 Lic# OK13422 ENROLLMENT Service Assistance CertifiedInsuranceAgent | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2015 6 A