theotherlex

I saw Bonn today. I wanted to see their art museum, it is supposed to have a good collection of Macke and Beuyse, which would be interesting to see. From the poster I saw on the way back to the train station, it certainly looked good, but I couldn't find it. It took me three hours to get to Bonn on account of getting lost trying to walk from the train stop near the book shop to the main station where I could buy a ticket. So I spent two hours wandering around Cologne. It was quite interesting, although not always nice.

Bonn is fabulously beautiful in parts. I can assume that, as the English have never ruled Germany, the English looking bits of Bonn are the bits of German-ness which were exported to England. It certainly looks very English, and even has a Prince Albert street. Bonn, Düsseldorf, Weimar and London all have rivers and modern art collections (Weimar's is about ten paintings, but they're very good.). Bonn also has two castles and a rather English Hofgarten.

I ate two Berliners today. One was filled with very nice raspberry jam, the other with cranberry jam. Cranberry jam is nice, but you have to keep thinking about cranberries. If you don't, it begins to taste like tomatoes, which does not go with the sugar at all. You can also get them with chocolate, cointreau or rum fillings. But they don't tell you what sort they are. Other than that they're just cold hot jam doughnuts.

I saw Düsseldorf yesterday. I perfer Bonn, but that would be because I saw more of it, and in the late afternoon light. I got to Düsseldorf with only 50 minutes left to see the Art museum. It's a very good collection. They have a large number of Paul Klees. He painted very many different styles. Also Beuyse (who has some amazingly odd pictures. I can see some of the style in Maurie's History in a Box work.), and Julius Bissier, who painted in India Ink on Japanese ricepaper. I like Max Ernst's sculptures, but not his paintings so much.

I also got to see the Praetorium, the underground roman ruins; part of the Roman canal; and the Cologne city museum. They were also interesting. Very old, though. Too old to really get your head around. Though I do think we'll still be building underground tunnels, with arches, out of brick in a thousdand year's time, and drinking out of glass tumblers, too.

The day before, which must have been Tuesday, I gave up travelling at six pm (for the day). It was nine degrees. I think it's four at the moment. But I bought the next Terry Prattchet book, and read it to and from Düsseldorf. So I bought Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island this morning. It very funny. But the combinationof his tails of the England and the architchture in Bonn left me a little confused. But that may just be my familiarity with Germany, I still ordered everything in German. I don't like the accent here at all. They pronouncing things wrongly, and no one says Grüß Gott here when you enter a shop like they do in Bavaria. (I'll probably have to find somewhere further south with a river and a modern art collection. Munich sounds good, I'll try there next.)

I've also found three more Bärenland. Bärenland (land of bears) is the Gummibear shop in Bayreuth. It used to be between the city centre and the Hofgarten, so you had to walk past on the way home from school. It subsequently moved to the main street. There are also Bärenlands in Bonn, Düsseldorf and Cologne. I was a little annoyed, but the icecream scoop ones are very nice. (Sorry, I haven't bought any). I can also tell you that Blood Orange Kit Kats are a bit spicy tasting.

I have been eating a lot of sugar recently. Also given the fact that I've only been drinking Apfelschorle (apple juice and soda water, called Lift here, made from 60% apple juice from apple juice concentrate). But the sugar levels did mean that when I had finally walked the half an hour beyond the edge of my map in Bonn, and failed to find the goal of my trip to Bonn at all, I felt merely invigorated with the walk, and interesting in the buildings and the effect of the massive roadway on the atmosphere. And not depressingly disappointed.

I return to Bayreuth tomorrow. At which point I will have to tell Frau K and Herr K that I will be returning to house again in another week and could I please borrow the tiny suitcase to take with me to Munich. But I get to do about ten hours train travelling in two days, which will be great. Also great (I hope) will be the cafe D made me promise to go to. She said you have to go out on a Saturday night. You're allowed to get home early (if you're on your own), but you're not allowed to stay in. Herr K said that I wouldn't need to go again until I was thirty.

I didn't actually do the drinking a whole years beer thing, that was just Flo and Alexander. (Actually, I might have because I had a tequila at the club we went to). That was last Thrusday, a whole week ago, argh! On Friday D, Alex and I went to see Alexander the Great at the Kino. Not particularly recommended. I found it fine, but I understood very little of the narration, and slowness let me keep up. Did see the ad for Series of Unfortunate Events, it looks good. And they're made a film of the War of the Worlds (unless they're just made a film called War of the Worlds). Sam says I should see the Incredibles, and I will, but in English. I might see Der Fakir, it has the boyfriend from Run Lola Run in it, and looks suitably fantastical.

I now have to cram the rest of Germany into three weeks. But I'm back in the travelling spirit, and my legs are working again. (Three weeks doing not much is nice, but it's when you go back to standing up for most of eight to ten hours in a day.)


P.S Don't blame me for the book hunger, it's what I'd be doing at this time anyway. And for P and L, I probably won't be able to ring on Sunday night (23rd). But I've sent you an email to that effect. (To work account, you don't need to check it until after you get back.)

Aha, I'm back online, although Herr K did tell me not to be very long.

Church on Christmas Eve was first of all strange, because it was German and Catholic, then it was bad because the Organist was shocking, really bad. It was all D could tell people for days. We sang Silent Night at the end, but of course in German. Herr K also complained about the style of the sermon, that it was too, I think patronising may be a good word. D and Frau K agreed. The one day people come in the whole year should be designed to get them to come more often.

But dinner was great. We had fondue, which is strange too. You have to eat slowly, because you have to wait for everything to cook, but you can easily eat too much, because as soon one is ready you start cooking more.

Then we did presents, which is always fun, everyone like what I got them. D particularly liked the Hello Kitty pencil case because it was PINK (D likes anything that is pink.). I got a box of chocolates, Ferrero Roches and Mon Cherries. And a German Audio Book, a story about vampires. I'll save it for travelling again, I'm still reading Harry Potter.

We stayed up until midnight so we could give D her birthday presents, and Alex showed up with the pink shoes he had bought her, but had to return because there was something wrong with them. (The ones Alex found were the wrong size for the style, but he subsequently found the right size on ebay).

For lunch on D's birthday we had goose with red cabbage and Klöße (potato dumplings). It was very nice, and then we had cake for afternoon tea.

Alex, D, the other Alexander, Florian, and I went out that evening. First to the Waikiki bar, where I had a Mai Tai, and Dani bought everyone Taquila Gold (which you drink with Cinnanmon and Orange). After which my German was much improved, because I'd stopped thinking in English. Then we drove out to a club (Alexander was driving, he had only drunk coke). It was pretty cool, later the club starting play old songs, ones I recognised. We got home about four.

Sunday was pretty much recovery day, although we got to eat more cake.

On Monday, which was yesterday, I went out with the Semmelmanns (Frau S, Herr S and M) to a Hut in the Fichtelgeberge, the local moutains. There was snow out there, and I kep standing in soft stuff up to my calves on the walk up to the Hut. We had lunch there, and I got to have schnitzel, although I couldn't eat it all, despite the walking. We then got to taboggan back down the car. I kept falling out because I couldn't get a hang on steering, but it was heaps of fun.

We did presents again at the Semmelmanns. M really liked 'Diary of a Wombat.' They gave me candels and a book of water colour paper, all of which will come in very handy when I get back. I had tea there, too, which a very familiar experience. (We also played Rummykub, one round of which I won.)

Alex and I are going into the city tomorrow to buy firewokrs, among other things. D has to work again. They keep wanting her to work more, but Frau K was with her this afternoon and said no, she's not allowed to. It's only a three week semmester break, both D and Marco have a lot of studying to do.

M's studying Economics/Commerce/Business, Alex is studying sport. M's sister is doing year ten this year, although not the exchange. She wants to go to Spain next year. She was working yesterday, M's brother was on a plane to New York for two weeks there before he does an exchange semmester at Pittsburg University.

I think that's me up to date. Tomorrow I'll have been in Europe for four weeks.

Christmas markets are great. You can get rosted mushrooms with garlic sause, sweet (sugary) rosted almonds, lebkucken with chocolate, and mulled wine. Also, but I didn't eat any: 50 cm bratwurst, crepes, profertjes (although they one big sqaure pan, not little round ones), fairy floss.

And you can buy very German christmas decorations. Also just about anything else you can buy at Australian markets; wooden things, dream catchers, glass stuff, etc.

I bought myself a hat from the one on Alexander Platz today. It was the one that fit me, black, with a bit of a pattern, a pompom, and ear muffs! It's brilliant. No dobut cause for many strange looks, but so warm. It's wool on the outside and polar fleece-y on the inside. I also have gloves from yesterday.

I went to the Käthe Kolwitz museum again, and that glove shop still had their box out side. But of all the gloves I saw they didn't have the right combination of price, colour, style and size. There was a good pair in my size, but they were pale blue. And also, they all have polyester lining. So I have a pair of acrylic gloves in black with a coloured end. I'm very black now, but that's the Melbourne way, right?

I'm worried that I'm going to end up with an American accent. There a whole group of Americans here on a American's studying abroad conference on American in a World Democracy. Also quite a few English backpackers. I can still say g'day, but I can't say Aussie properly anymore.

But I booked Sunday night here in German. I'll have to go to the train station tomorrow to see if the trains actually do run to Dresden on Mondays. Hmm. Forgot to do that today.

It was quite cold, hence the desperate desire for a hat. If I'd waited I may have been able to buy a more coloured one, but I have adopted a policy of if I see something that I want/need, hat, postcard, food, etc, and it is a reasonable price and there is not an immediate possiblity of compairing prices, then I'll buy. Because paying a bit more is better than having frozen ears and a cold. So I'm fine.

The hostel is great. Quite a party atmosphere, and I've been talking to people, go me.

Today I planned to go to the Pergamon museum, and I got to Unter den Linden, and decided to go to the Reichstag first. It was great, although after waiting a hour in the cold. The sun doesn't rise properly. It only gets to about half way towards being overhead before it starts goin down again. And sunset is between three thrity and four.

It was a bit hazy, but from the look out dome you can all around the city.

Then I tried to check out the Hollocaust memorial, but they're still building it. So I ended up at the Potsdamer Platz Christmas market.

I got to the Europa centre one last night, and had my first taste of Glühwein. Very nice. Although you can get a bit tipsy just by breathing in the steam. Some people have rum in theirs. Also, you get to drink it out of little boots.

After Potsdamermarkt, I walked over to the Gestapo/wall memorial. The hill behind it is a WWII bombing/ 1960s ruble pile. So is the hill in the Grunewald.

I did get to the Pergamon museum on museum island, although not really in enough time. I saw the Islamic/ ancient asian art section, not the classical Greek/Roman.

But I walked there from Alexanderplatz, as the sun set. This while you were sleeping at two am on Saturday morning. (I'm loosing track of the days. My watch has the date, and I have calculate the day of the week of it.) Also, I've gotten comfortable with Berlin in the dark now, halfway through my stay. It's not nearly as well lit as London.

The dog museum is in the Lonely planet guide and is (or was) just someones personal collection of things (clocks, plates, etc) that have dogs on them. And I had to relable my bread because someone else ate some.

I do have something to say about German supermarkets; the range of yoghurts, packet desserts, hams, cheese, muesli and biscuits. You can buy alcohol, you have to buy the plastic bags you want, and you can buy packets of five slices of bread.

Hope you all keeping well and the weather is behaving itself. It hasn't snowed, or even rained yet. But the weather report in the U-bahn said Sunday for rain.
More museums tomorrow, they're warm.

Love, Lex.

P.S I passed all my Uni subjects.

P.P.S Berlin's favourite Christmas songs are the Little Drummer Boy and Human Nature's "Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away."

I made it to Berlin, and my hostel. This was an adventure in itself, because the train station is across nothingness from the airport, the platforms are not easy to negotiate and the information people are not nice. But the ticket woman was, and I eventually found a train that went to the right station to change for the right line to get here, where the internet is cheaper in Euros than the London one was in pounds. (It's about six dollars an hour instead of twelve, which is good.)

The hostel is fabulous. If faces the main road across a car park with hoardings on the street. And the reception is on the second floor. My room is on the fifth floor, so I'll get quite fit walking up and down. I had to carry my suitcase (19.4) kilos up all five flights last night. But the reception was very welcoming and I didn't feel to bad once I got here.

When in doubt, eat. Don't necessarily eat cake, an apple is quite good. I had a bratwurst with mustard at the train station, after a minor breakdown when I missed the first train through being unable to find the platform (this was before the nice woman at the ticket booth, and having had only a cup of soup since breakfast). Note to self, watch blood sugar levels. Also, ordering food is easy, and gives you an immediate feeeling of accomplishment.

I've spent this morning on breakfasting and writing my own diary. I'll also start drawing the picture of London L comissioned before Berlin seeps in. Berlin is so very Berlin in the way that London is London like.

I went to the British Library yesterday morning, but I only had half an hour. They don't let you into the reading rooms unless you are actually reading, and in returing to the info desk to apply for something to read (I was going to look at Les Mis, hehehe!) I discovered a public gallery/ exhibition of printing. They had one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta, Pope Innocent III's denunciation of it, a Guttenberg bible, one of the first folio editions of Shakespeare, and several recordings including one of Florence Nightingale, whose likeness I had seen in the protrait gallery. So I'll be going back there when I'm in London again.

But there's lots to do in Berlin. There's a supermarket not far from here, and the Lonely planet guide has a list of cheap supermarkets. I'm going to see the Dog Museum this afternoon. And I'll see about the Natural History Museum, the Jewish Museum, East Side gallery, the Technical Museum, the Stasi/government museum, and the Reichstag and just walking through the Tiergarten. Also to Kufustendamm for to buy gloves.

I may stay an extra day in Berlin, depending on how I go. And then I'm going to Dresden. Leipzig sounds interesting (I'm reading about the Stasi legacy at the moment). But I think Dresden will be interesting just to look at, and that's really what I'd like to do. I'm not going so badly with the weather at the moment, although it's colder in Berlin that it was in London. I haven't reorted to long underwear and four layers yet, so I'm prepared for colder.

I think that's all from me for the moment. Although I'm back on German keyboards, which deserves comment because I haven't done too badly now I've found the / (shift 7) and the ' (which is shift #, but actually right next to the return key.) Instead of ' I want to type ä and y and z are around the wrong way.

I won't be able to type on a qwerty keyboard when I get home. Oh well.

I'll be back to describe strange foodstuffs and the dog museum later.