We drove out of Buchenwald. We wanted to stop on our way out to look up close at that Memorial Bell Tower we saw on our way there, but it was really raining hard, so we decided to skip it. We drove out of the woods and down the hill to the town of Weimar. Harald reminded us that this town is located in what used to be East Germany. He said the economy here was still not at a par with the west.
We found a place to park and proceeded to walk toward the center of town with Cäsar leading the way. We could tell that Cäsar had been here before, but we weren't sure why.
OK, now it's time to find a place I can unload these freakin traveler's cheques! Harald, what that place? Do you think they could cash one for me? I think so. Let's find out. So, we went in. Got that same look of panic on the face of the lady when Harald asked. Turns out it was not a bank after all. It was a post office. That explains it.
So we walk a little further down the block. Harald, that has to be a bank, right? Yes, that is definitely a bank. So we go in. Harald asks a young guy behind a desk. No? Oh, shit! No problem, no problem! Here's an ATM machine! I'll just take out some cash from my checking account. That was easy, I wish I was doing that all along! I'll just let bonnie know in my next e-mail.
With that emergency resolved, Cäsar led us to the Zum Goethebrunnen for lunch.
This was a cozy little pub. Songs by Neil Diamond and Roberta Flack were playing. It was nice to sit and relax and to be out of the rain! The menu consisted of traditional German food. I order an assortment of sausages with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. I normally don't eat sauerkraut, but I found it to be delicious! Not as sour as the stuff we get back home.
There was a good menu of beers, too! We had an assortment of Franken Bräu Hell, Franken Bräu Dunkel, Franken Bräu Pilsner and Radeberger Pilsner. Joyce had a glass of red wine. What was she thinking?
Prost!
As some point, a trio of students came in and took a seat by the front window. We didn't take take much notice until they started singing! There was a girl and 2 guys and they had an absolutely fantastic sound! The girl's voice was powerful and smooth, while the guys harmonized to try to balance her out. Cäsar told us there was a famous music school here, so I guess they were practicing while having lunch. Further research revealed there is indeed a music school here. It is the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. I didn't recognize the first song they sang, but the second one was 'Yesterday' by the Beatles. Paul McCartney would have been proud!
As we were leaving, I had the urge to snap a picture of the students, but I thought it would be rude. Once outside, Cäsar pointed out a yellow building he called the Goethe House.
It was the home of a famous German poet, Johann von Goethe (1749-1832). Now the house was a museum. The museum was closed, so we followed Cäsar down some more streets to a park. We walked down a narrow twisting stairway which tunneled under a rock to the bank of a small river. There we crossed and walked across a field to the hill on the other side. There we found a small house. Cäsar explained that it was Goethe's Garden house, where he spent the summer.
There was a small fee to tour the house, so we did. There was nothing spectacular about it, but apparently there was great historical significance.
After touring the garden house we strolled back through the rain into the town again. Since it was starting to get late, we headed to the cars. We started down one street but after Cäsar asked someone for directions, we headed back the other way. We ended up back where we had lunch, so we knew how to go from there.
We then walked for a couple more blocks when I noticed our group looked a little small. Where were Manuela, Philipp and Marty? I yelled to Harald to stop. Then I went back a few blocks and around the corner when I spotted the stragglers bringing up the rear. It seems that Marty discovered a market selling bread at a price he couldn't refuse! I shutter to think what would have happened if we had lost them, but at least Marty was happy.
Then we came to a square which we had passed earlier on our way in to town. There was a large statue of two men, arm in arm. Cäsar told us it was a statue of Goethe and Schiller.
Goethe and Schiller
On the right is Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805), also a famous poet as well as Goethe's friend. We were really learning our German literature today! I guess this is why Cäsar was such a popular professor.
We made it back to the cars and headed back to Marburg. The trip back was an adventure in and of itself. We were all travel weary and after making a wrong turn, stopped at a rest area to get our bearings. The bathroom there included a unique 'all-in-one' type of sink. It took Jeff and I a minute to realize what to do. First, we put our hands inside a porcelain bowl which was recessed in the wall. Then, an automatic sensor caused water to pour down over our hands. Then liquid soap squirted down, followed by more water to rinse. As a grand finale, hot air began to blow on our hands to dry them! I'll bet somewhere there is an inventor who is is very proud of him/her self!
As we headed back onto the autobahn in the right direction, Harald turned off his tape and put on the radio. Up until now, we had to suffer through the playing of Harald's only CD of his favorite group, BAP. The music wasn't bad, but after 3 or 4 times listening to it, we were ready for a change.
Harald flipped through the channels of different stations. He stopped briefly at a station playing some dance music. There was then a commotion in the back seat. When I turned around, I saw young Philipp doing some motions with his hands along with the music. Harald quickly changed the station. "Harald, what's the matter? Turn it back! Philipp likes it." "Oh, I don't like that kind of music", he said. I asked Philipp what it was but he didn't know the name. He just liked the dance moves that go with it. As Harald would not change the station back, we though we had heard the last of that song. Oddly, we were to hear it again a few days later in the most unlikely of places.
We continued on to Marburg. Harald made a wrong turn and we lost Cäsar. Harald wasn't worried, though. Once he discovered his mistake, he knew another route which we took to get back. Once we were near Marburg, Harald stopped to get gas and called Cäsar on his cell phone. He was relieved to find out they made it home OK.
When we got back to Manuela's apartment, I again logged on to my e-mail and read a message from my wife.
Hi - Two bits of news....The lady I work with who will be arriving in Germany next week the same day you leave got a travel alert today because she is on a DuPont company itinerary. Apparently there have been terrorist threats against American interests in Germany specifically in Frankfurt. Just be careful. Also thought you'd like to know if you haven't already that the Supreme Court has refused to hear the appeal for the NJ Senate race.
I was more interested in the NJ Senate race than the travel warning! So I wrote back telling them what I was doing. I also told Bonnie about the need to take money out of our checking account.
After logging off, Jeff and I had another beer left over from the night before. We stayed up for a while talking with Manuela. We read a headline in the local paper that talked about President Bush and the UN's dealings with Iraq. Manuela then quizzed us on US foreign policy. This is a topic that we had hoped we wouldn't talk about on the trip, but since Manuela was so sincere in her questions, we felt we had to answer the best we could.
Our conversation drifted from politics to social issued to religion. Topics normally best to stay far away from! But Manuela seemed quite interested and was amazed to learn that Jeff and I often don't agree on issues, but enjoy debates in a fun and civil way.
The day was finally over. Tomorrow we were to really get some culture. Beer culture, that is! We were scheduled to go on a trip to tour the Licher Brewery.
Next, Licher Brewery Tour!
