European Adventures - 10. On to Heidelberg

10. On to Heidelberg

Our goal today is an apt. I found on Bookings.com at 110 Heinrich Fuchs Strasse in Heidelberg, very near Stefan Knopf’s place. I took this place mainly because it was close to Stefan’s but in hind-sight it was the perfect place for us. 

It took some time to cover the 220 miles from Weimar to Heidelberg but we were lucky, not really a lot of traffic on the Autobahn. One can never tell, the so ‘famous’ autobahn is full of construction zones and really, most of the time, is only a 2-lane highway. With all the cars buzzing about today, the road system is overburdened, especially when the commercial traffic, lots of trucks, are involved.

We left Weimar early and made it in good time but arrived in Heidelberg way before the apartment we rented was available. Never-the-less, I tried to call the landlady but was told, sorry, we need to clean the place first before you can move in. So, what to do?  The available time for us was 3 pm.

The Bride

No problem, we needed lunch anyhow. We walked to a Kebob house near Stefan’s run by a nice Turkish family. On the way to the lunch place Carol made an appointment with a hair salon run by a lady from Jordan who wore a hijab. 

It is hot in Heidelberg. We ate outside under a large umbrella, too hot to eat inside; then walked over to Stefan’s after this lunch to get the wedding schedule. Ah, a big hello when we arrived at Stefan’s to check on the events for the next few days. We had never really received a detailed list of what is going on and when. I just received the typical quick note in an email that Stefan sent out. 

The Groom

At about 2.15 we were just getting back to the apartment when I saw a lady trying to stuff a key into the ‘dead drop’ box and asked her if the key was for us. Sure enough, we got in early, we had caught the cleaning lady who let us in, showed us the peculiar way to open the doors, use the garage door opener, etc.

This apartment building’s ‘key’ is just a fob, you hold the fob near the lock and it will release the locking system. Very odd, very ‘new’; but it worked great. The one fob could differentiate the main door, the elevator door, the apartment door, the doors to the garage, but would not open the wrong apartment door. Clever new technology.

The apartment was fabulous, very new, very modern, very small and tight, but lots of windows so for the next 3 days it would work perfectly. No A/C though and it is hot, like I said.

Roast Pig Dinner (All 3 Pigs Were Devoured)

I brought up ‘our’ fan after I parked the car in the underground garage, we needed this fan. It is a good idea to travel with a ‘fan’ when in Germany during hot spells.

Stefan "Lets Eat" With a Beer in Each Hand

Back at Stefan’s near 5 pm for a roast pig dinner (3 pigs were served, all catered and prepped already) and a variety of salads; lots and lots of booze available. Also of course, naturally, tons of beer, water, soda, etc. there was hospitality and food in huge abundance. Stefan’s speech was… “Let’s eat”!

Mike and Aillene Paull

We chatted mostly with Mike Paull and Aileen, but met Harrison and Donna. Another nice couple was Agnes and Chris. I rode with Mike Paull almost a decade ago when we both tried to get from Shanghai to Munich in 2004.

We talked with Stefan’s children whom we have known since they were tykes.

Stephanie (left) and Francesca

Stefanie, the youngest, is in her last year of high school and instead of going to college her goal is to join the Armed Forces of Germany and aim to be a pilot.

Francesca, the oldest, works for the Marriott chain and is taking Hospitality courses. She had a bad car accident last Dec. and broke her foot but recently also sprained her ankle. So for the time being, she is condemned to wear flats. 

Moritz

Moritz, all grown up too, quit his gardener job and loves his new position in logistics at a large warehousing company. He has a girlfriend but I forgot her name.

And then there is Chris(topher) who is in his last year at University for his Business Degree. Next year he will apprentice. Chris is in the gym a lot. He pushes himself, tries to live on just 3000 calories a day and eats sparsely. No big meal, but rather he nibbles every 2 hours.

Ah, they grow up so quickly. All but Stefanie now have their own place to live. Stefan will start to feel the empty nest syndrome soon, I think.

Stephan's Brother

We had a wonderful day, talking, eating, drinking and just getting re acquainted with some old friends, but also meeting new people. 

Christopher

Agnes and Aileen, both of whom have been to Bali many times are trying to convince us to spend a winter in Bali. Agnes even has an apartment there she goes there so often.

We already learned to, for sure, go and see the Elephant cave, whatever that is.

Well, we will see.

But first we need to get some sleep; it was a long day and tomorrow will be the wedding day for Stefan and Ira.

European Adventures - 9. Goethe and Schiller

9. Goethe and Schiller

Weimar Market and Tourist Information

Weimar used to be in East Germany but you would not know it today. It’s a bustling town. 

Outside Weimar is Buchenwald, a former concentration camp, now a Memorial with the camp, grounds and buildings open to the public. 

Weimar was the city of Goethe, of Schiller and Friederich Nietzsche has archives here, Franz Liszt was a Music Director here, Carl Maria von Weber composed, and J. C. Bach played the Organ in the local church.

Weimar

The Bauhaus (Design School) of Architecture and Decorations style was ‘invented’ here, still today the University bears the name Bauhaus. 

The Weimar Republic was a concept that tried to live with the Reparations that the Allied Countries forced onto Germany after WW1. Hitler stopped this in 1933.

Weimar is chock full of history.

First we ate breakfast, my favorite meal; we ate it outside on the terrace.

Main Square, Weimar

So what were we going to see given all those choices? 

We took the bus into town; the bus stop was immediately in front of the hotel so it was easy getting into town. Then we walked a bit, and it is a great walking city. Many streets are blocked off from traffic, pedestrians only. We studied a tourist map we found at the hotel and followed whatever was closest to the main bus stop in town. No real plan just looked at what was ‘closest’. 

Schiller's House From 1799 - 1802

The Schiller Home was 1^st on the list, Schiller lived in this house for 2 years but to me it had no meaning, today there is a shop at the bottom of the house.To me Schiller is known for his Poem ‘Das Lied von der Glocke’, (The Song of the Bell) you might know him for his play “William Tell’.

It was different with the Goethe House. Now here is a house that gives you an insight into the man’s head. You can see how he lived, what he liked what he ‘thought’ about. 

Goethe and Schiller

Schiller and Goethe were acquainted for almost 17 years had a kind of friendship. They collaborated on some short stories or a collection of poems in the xenia meter.  

But they were two quite different Individuals. Both however began the ‘Sturm und Drang’ movement that came before the Romantic era. It’s like the difference in Music between a Vivaldi and a late Beethoven or a Brahms. Sturm and Drang allows the expression of ‘extreme’ emotional expressions, something quite new at the time.

Goethe's House (All the Yellow Is His House)

Goethe was a mental powerhouse. He was not just a statesman, philosopher, scientist, historian, playwright; he was a poet and writer. I remember the first book I read by Goethe: “The Sorrows of Young Werther” and it still sticks in my head. Goethe was the author of “Faust” the fellow who sells his soul to the devil to gain worldly wealth. 

Carol and I spent close to 3 hours just walking through Goethe’s house and his gardens. He loved to garden. I was

Part of Goethe's Garden

intrigued with just trying to understand the mind of this man who thought in so many different ways. Goethe was a ladies’ man, well maybe even more than just the ladies but I guess his religion held him back somewhat. Goethe sure was multi-faceted. He had an amazing mind during an amazing time in Germany, during the Enlightenment Years, the Romantic Era. He challenged his opponents with his philosophical vision, wrote, and discussed his point of view. His writings are now being taught in schools as the Weimar Classics. 

Opera House With Goethe and Schiller's Statue Behind the Street Light

Carol and I visited the City Opera and there in front was the statue of the great minds of the time, Schiller and Goethe, discussing life. The Opera in Weimar is still the central venue for Art today. The lobby had a long list of events that were to be

presented here, not just opera.

 

We moved on to Schiller’s permanent home but got stuck visiting the townhouse of Anna Amalia instead. She was a woman who loved art.

Duchess Anna Amalia

Her collections of books were housed in a very ornate Baroque library with close to a million volumes; some exceedingly rare. A fire in 2014 destroyed some of the most valuable books. Anna Amalia was one of the very few female composers I know about. She wrote an opera, a few marches and mostly oboe, flute and organ concerts. For her time, she was an outstanding woman; another powerhouse of Germany. She was the sister of the King of Prussia, Frederick ll. Her court became the center of the German Theater at the time.

We were troopers; we walked a lot, stood a lot, learned a lot.

But after our lunch at an outside café, we started to peter out. We walked for another few hours to just see the town itself and then find the Nietzsche Archives but then gave up. We kind of crawled back to the bus stop and there was no way we were going to visit Buchenwald, too. We can only do so much.

Awesome Cafe Latte

We had a light supper and then took the bus back to the hotel.

Weimar is too stuffed with history and ‘famous’ people and sights to do in just one day.

We have to come back…. Some other time !