Official Apology to Germany

I begin this post with a sincere and humble apology to Germany. To be perfectly honest, I had zero interest in going there, and of all the European countries on my hitlist, Germany very well may have placed at the bottom. I mean, let's face it...with a dark past that includes Hitler, sauerkraut and David Hasselhoff (those things not being of equal darkness), Germany could use some good PR.

Or maybe that's what the Germans WANT outsiders like myself to beleive so that we don't all come flocking to their nice country. But thanks to my good friend Alicia, who lives outside of Heidelberg with her husband Christian, I have now seen the light. I went only to see her and catch up, but flew away with a whole new view of a beautiful and friendly place.

Hey Look -- It's Fall!
For a girl who grew up on a farm and won top honours for her kindergarten halloween costume as a tree, I sure have forgotten about trees and how pretty they are in autumn. But then again, living in NYC and London does not afford many an opportunity to be reminded. Anyway, as we were walking and driving along the Neckar River Valley and the Rhine River all weekend, I was floored by the soft, rolling hills alive with intense hues of orange, yellow and green. It was truly splendid, especially with the red-tiled roofs, church steeples and pale walls peeking out of the foliage from the scattered villages spread along the river and hillsides. Moreover, Germany has it's own custom pallette of colours that made me feel like I was viewing the world through some magic filter.

The Land of Spargel and Schmuck
Alicia & Christian live out in the country, in a neighborhood surrounded by fields. Right now, they are blanketed in soft, tall yellow flowers that contrasted sharply against the crisp blue sky. But in May and June, Alicia tells me the fields are bursting with spargel, or white asparagus, which is practically the national food of Germany during that season. Even more interesting she says, is that the people who typically harvest the spargel are Polish farmers, and that the men strip down to what can only be compared to a skimpy loincloth in the hot summer sun. She says it makes for an interesting drive through the fields on the way home....I can only imagine! (I think that may call for a new series of paintings inspired by Millet's famous potato farmer paintings.) I just wish I had been there in season. I love white asparagus!

"Schmuck" means jewelry in German, so we kept passing Scmuck stores everywhere. I thought that was funny. I love schmuck. Just kind of a bad word (when heard in English) for something that's so wonderful!

What I Saw in Heidelberg : Day 1
Saturday, we wandered all through the quaint streets of Heidleberg. We popped into a store specializing in liquors...I bought a couple bottles of rhubarb liquor, becuase I love everything rhubarb. We also peeked into the town's main cathedral (very big and gothic and beautiful).

We crossed the old bridge (great story, it was blown up in WWII, but some very dedicated people dove into the river, gathered all the stone fragments, and rebuilt the bridge) and did a hike up the river hillside to enjoy the view looking down on the city. It's important to mention here that Alicia is 7 months pregnant, yet she did this little climb with me. The girl is seriously in good shape and a true adventurer. I was impressed. I think I was more out of breath than she was! The walk along the hillside was so pretty, and provided great views of the city, the old bridge, the river, the famous Heidelberg University, and the giant castle on the other side of the river bank.

After the climb, we came back down into town and stopped at a little cafe for lunch. Which was good...we both got something they called a baguette. No bread, just two warm blocks of goat cheese baked in butter, olive oil, and topped with peppers, olives, tomato and served with a lovely side salad. As my neice Catherine would say, "Oh my gosh, it was soooo good."

After lunch, I bought some gummy bears, then we drove up the hillside to the massive Heidelberg castle (or "schloss" as they are called in German) that peers over the city. We wandered around the perimeter and went inside the main walls. Much of the castle is in ruin...many additions were built over the years, so it's sort of a "collage" of castle parts. It's beautiful though, and the front terrace affords gorgeous views of the city. By this time of day, the light was amazing, the weather was good, and it was so peaceful and gorgeous. We hung around for awhile chatting and enjoying the grounds and views. Oh, there were also sheep roaming the hillside in front of the castle. I don't know if I'd ever seen lots of big fluffy sheep like that before. There was even a baby.


After the castle, we were tired. So we went back to Alicia's house, poured through the massive stack of English-language trash/tabloid magazines I had brought per Alicia's request, and took a nap. Around 8:30ish, we got ready, went back into town and ate at a very traditional German restaurant. I'd say Germany's food is right up there with English food in terms of browness and heaviness. Ok, maybe it's even heavier and more brown. But it was pretty good. I had two pork cutlets in a thick brown sauce served with two large bready-dumpling things that were like balls of stuffing. We also got a side of red cabbage, a German specialty that was tasty (was sweet). Oh, I had a beer too (of course!) After dinner, we hit a gelato shop for dessert, then went home and called it a night.

Wandering Castle Ruins & Speyer: Day 2
Sunday, we got up, went into town and met a friend of Alicia's (Annetta) for brunch. The menu was huge and I couldn't read any of it, so Alicia spent about an hour translating it for me. I decided on some tea, scrambled eggs, fruit, yogurt and bread. Was good. Anetta was one of Alicia's German teachers when she first arrived. I'd say she taught her well given Alicia's now mastery of the language! Anetta's expecting a baby too -- everyone seems to be pregnant.

After brunch, Alicia and I drove up the gorgeous Neckar Valley and did a hike along three castle ruins. They were very pretty, and I climbed to the top of two of the towers. One climb was very dark though. Actually, pitch black, so I felt my way along the stairs hoping I would not trip in the black void and fall to my death. Clearly, Germany has no concerns about liability and lawsuits (or, they assume you'll be smart enough to bring a flashlight). But the view from the top of the tower was well worth the risk.

Next, we drove to the town of Speyer (located on the Rhine river; was a major Celtic center; developed by Romans, but sacked by Huns ca. 450 AD; rebuilt in 7th cen.; ruled by powerful bishops from 10th cen.; major trading center by 11th cen.; destroyed by French in War of Grand Alliance in 1689.)

We visited the lovely cathedral in the town's center which is HUGE. It was founded by Conrad II in 1050 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site...it was the biggest church of its time. Really a massive and gorgeous structure with a huge dome and 4 towers. And Episcopalian no less (I'm Episcopalian so I always like that in a church). Despite its size, it is a very simply designed and decorated church inside with none of the usual gaudy decor. Almost refreshing and zen-like. We went down into the crypt which was interesting -- it is the resting place of at least 8 medievil German emperors and kings.

From the church, we wandered down Speyer's main street to a lovely, wide tower called the Altportal. The town's main street (Maximilianstrasse) has been refurbished and looks brand new. It has the charm of a Disneyland street or Naples, FL -- with impeccable pastel coloured buildings and a picture-perfect cobblestone road. Alicia and I took a break at an outside cafe where we people watched over steamy cappuccinos and two huge slices of cake. It had gotten kind of chilly out, but the cafe provided warm fleece blankets to cover up with which was a nice touch. I'm telling you, these Germans really know how to host a crowd. ;)

After our wander of Speyer, we headed back to Alicia's house....I had to get back to make my 10:10pm flight back to London that night.

Alicia & Christian's Abode
A & C live in a nice, big house in a darling neighborhood. There is a large, artistic oven in the main living area that Alicia tells me 1) does not heat the house or 2) cook anything. But it sure does look nice. It's three stories, plus a basement (the house, not the oven). I felt like I was staying at a little hotel. They also have a nicely landscaped backyard, referred to as "gardens" in Germany.

Christian had been hiking in the Alps all weekend with friends, so Alicia and I had a true girls weekend. But he returned before I left on Sunday evening, so we all had a nice pasta dinner together at their house. It was nice to see him again...he is a very nice guy (and a very tired guy after his weekend escapade). I predict the Lenze baby will be hiking before she can even walk...it will be in the genes. ;)

Really, there are castsles EVERYWHERE!!!
On the drive to the Frankfurt airport Sunday night, I was just floored by all the castles in Germany. They are everywhere, and all lit up at night along the roads and hills. It's pretty cool, and now I want to go back to see more! I definitely feel a castle obsession coming on. My neices, who loves princesses and fairy tales, would be very envious.

One last "I'm sorry," fair Deutchland!
So Germany, I am soooo sorry I doubted you, but I promise never to do it again. I had a really great, relaxing weekend, even with all we did. And I now want to return to see more -- Bavaria, Berlin, Munich and Hamburg in particular. And the quick flight from London will make that pretty darn easy.