The last few months in Germany leading
up to my Vienna move were pretty eventful in both good ways and in bad.
It was a long, hot summer that continued well into the fall with
temperatures regularly topping 40 degrees. Yes I have lived in South
Africa and Australia, so this kind of thing isn't unusual in my
world. But the difference is that in these places aircon is
ubiquitous, and smart girl that I am, I have always lived near a beach.
However, in an inland city like Leipzig it is steamy, swampy, fly infested and
beachless, unless you count an old man made coal mining lake on the
outskirts of town. It doesn't matter how nice your surroundings are
when you are pouring sweat night and day (it still cleared 30-35 during
night hours). It was to the point where I had to take the
occasional sleeping pill just to function. In the office, in the library, it was almost impossible
to be productive, to write papers, to think, to do anything really.
Sadly it was during this time that my favourite uncle, and one of my
last remaining German relatives decided he had had enough and
expired. Funerals in 40 degree heat are another level of misery. The
silver lining to this almost surreal period however was a visit from
my parents. Of course I think about them all the time, but (and this
is one of the the huge regrets of my life) I often go years without
seeing them, except of course on Skype. Thank God for Skype. I can't
explain why, but my first reaction was to burst into
tears. I guess sometimes, even for just a brief moment, we all want
to feel like a child again. And so for a couple of weeks I was able
to do just this.
It was such a nice trip, revisiting the
Germany of my childhood, meandering through the Harz mountains and
little towns like Goslar and Werningarode, on to Hanover, then
exploring far northern Germany including the marzipan capital of
Lubeck and more specifically marzipan ground zero of Cafe
Niedermeyer, Hamburg and then Rostock and Warnemunde. In our family
Hamburg is something of a favourite city. My parents are obsessed
with boats and all things maritime, hence why they are always on
cruises to some far flung locale. While I must admit that after many
stormy and scary experiences I prefer to have my feet on solid ground
unless I am snorkeling, I love to at least be beside the water and maybe looking at it. I enjoy
the vibe of Hamburg – it feels like a cross between Scandinavia and
Germany, slightly gloomy and grey but very atmospheric. In fact, when
I graduate I have narrowed down my potential future home cities to
Vienna, Hamburg or Munich, depending on where I find a job – with
Berlin as a distant outlier. I think I would be very content in any
of the three, although Vienna is the front runner by a slight margin
(but I'll save my Vienna raptures for another post).
Rostock...well it was nicer than I
expected. It feels very Baltic, the light is really sharp,
clean and grey. It is home to a huge university, has some really
green luscious parks, an old city wall, lots of historic and
colourful neighbourhoods, the standard market square. Yet it also feels
really empty, like you really don't see many people on the streets.
And sadly, when you do, they are often of the Pegida variety. The
city lies on a river but is very close to the sea which means fresh
fish and stellar seafood restaurants. Oh my god was the fish good! In
fact I would travel all the way to Rostock just to eat at this one
restaurant again. Also close to Rostock lies the old seaside village
of Warnemunde. It is a little stormy in the winter and very windy,
but the sandy, cobblestone streets are lined with the cutest old fishermen's
cottages. This is the departure point for the
ferries to Denmark – so actually I had been before but last time was a
direct trip to the ferry terminal. I'm glad I went again. I guess it particularly appeals to the BC girl in me because I find the idea of being
snuggled up in a 200 year old cottage by a stormy, windswept and sand-duned seaside so romantic. It is akin to the Tofino
storm watching that lies close to our hearts in my home province.
Besides wanderings with my parents I
also spent A LOT of time in Berlin. I really love that city. There is
always so much happening, so much to see and do. I have a new favourite art museum - this one specifically photography: the Helmut Newton Stiftung. He was always my favourite photographer and the collection here is insane. All this being said, I'm not desperate to live in Berlin. I mean, I could – although in winter it is
ungodly cold. But I think I am growing conservative and kind of bring
in my old age because it is a bit too dirty and...stinky for me.
Berlin, I would say, is a great place to spend your twenties. But I enjoy Munich's proximity to the Alps and Switzerland, and the
little Bavarian towns like Regensburg (home to the famous von Thurn und Taxis - or TNT family)...or Hamburg's seaside location
with its patchwork of canals. Both cities are somehow, in my mind at
least, elegant with a certain style to them. I also finally made it
to Potsdam, a lakeside city with so palaces it verges on the ridiculous, and back to Prague once more. I think
I prefer Prague in the winter...dare I say, I was a little
bored the second time around? I guess these sorts of places are always
prettier during the Christmas season. Oh, and en route to Vienna – we decided to
drive because I had so much stuff and it's only really four hours
from Munich – I finally visited Germany's fairy tale castle
Schloss Neuschwanstein. I have been obsessed with seeing this place,
despite its reputation as being an empty shell filled with thousands
of tourists, for ages. I have developed a fascination with
the Wagner and opera mad King Ludwig II of Bavaria after
seeing the 2012 German biographical film about his life. The
fact that I have a HUGE crush on the actor who played him- seriously,
this man might be the most beautiful thing have ever seen –
probably contributed to my sudden fascination. Anyway, yes the
destination is a total tourist nightmare and yes it also seems to be
extra popular with the Chinese, but honestly the castle's location is
worth braving the crowds for. As you are forced through at break neck speed by guides who probably have anther 200 people waiting for them
in 30 minutes time, it can be hard to stop and admire the setting. But I
headed straight for the windows in each room and the views were nothing short of magnificent. I am becoming mildly obsessed with the Alps – I
really, really feel the need to live close to them. I must have been a mountain goat in a past life.
Of course I also finally made it to Oktoberfest. A 12 hour day focused on consuming beer, or in my case radler, was a challenge because of my feelings about beer. But it was a bucket list item that can now be checked off. Things become more entertaining the drunker people get (obviously), and by the evening there was lots of lederhosen clad dancing to Germany's contribution to bad music, Helena Fischer. My favourite part however, was a hill behind the tents known unofficially as 'Puke Mountain' were the victims of too much beer go to vomit, pass out, or sometimes even pass out in vomit. Of course you feel a little sorry for them, but not that much. I don't see myself returning to this event, if ever, then at least not for many, many years. Anyway, this
marked the end of my year in Germany, although there is likely a 'to
be continued' that must be inserted here as I suspect it is where I
will settle down after I graduate.
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