Germany - Part I

After a fortnight in Scotland, I flew with Karin to Germany. We arrived in Frankfurt, where we stayed at the… Hotel Hamburger Hof!! We arrived late in the evening, and were a bit tired, and our book about Germany informed us that within a few blocks of our hotel (conveniently nestled by the main train station) was the red light district and an area filled with drug addicts. The guide book said that the red light district would be an interesting tourist visit(!), but we decided to skip it. Instead, the next morning, before boarding a train for Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), we visited the Römerberg, where we saw some Roman ruins and visited the Kaiserdom Cathedral – St. Bartholomew’s, where the Holy Roman Emperors were crowned (below).

We were met at the Hildesheim train station by Wilhelm and Johannes Schünemann. We spent the next few days with the Schünemanns, following a wonderful program that they had prepared for us. We visited the places where traditionally decorated table linens are stamped and dyed (Einbeck), where traditional pottery is made and glazed (Fredelsloh), and where fine porcelain is made (Fürstenberg). Another day led to visits to Hameln (remember the Pied Piper of Hamelin?) where we saw beautifully restored half-timbered houses (below). So much of the beauty of German cities were destroyed in the war. Some has been rebuilt, some has been made new. Seeing these sites made me think of another reason to pray for peace – not only because of the death and devastation, but because modern warfare kills civilians and destroys the beauty that people have created.

We had the joy of visiting a lot of cathedrals, abbeys, and churches. We saw a lot of different styles and got to climb to the top of some church towers, including Hamelin’s cathedral (left) and Hildesheim’s St. Andrew’s Church (right).
Hildesheim’s St. Mary's Cathedral has some remarkable features including a beautiful bronze door, a beautiful New Jerusalem, with 24 gates, descending over the altar (left), and a 1000-year old rose bush that survived the bombing in March 1945, when most of the Cathedral was destroyed (right).

We also had time for some fun. I was able to check off one item from my “bucket list” – I got to play tennis on a red clay court! I don’t think Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer have anything to worry about from Wilhelm, Gerd, or me (left). We also enjoyed a lot of delicious food, including a fine venison dinner from a deer Wilhelm had shot just two weeks before (right).