Train Troubles...

                           An Eichelhäher in the cemetary

Monday, March 28th--Bright and Sunny!

We get up early and head over to the Jewish Quarter to visit the old cemetery. It is an enclosed area about half the size of a football field, tucked between buildings but at least twenty feet above sidewalk-level. It is heaped with rows of jutting gravestones because it was the only area allowed for burial when the Jewish community was confined to a small, swampy corner of Prague. Graves would be continuously added on top, raising the cemetery overtime to its current height. The nearby Pinkas Synagogue was especially impressive and sobering with its walls covered in the names of local victims of the holocaust. It also contained a small exhibit of artwork done by children in the Terezien Ghetto. The Spanish Synagogue was our last quick stop before heading back to the hotel to catch our taxi to the train station.

Troubles…the person who had taken our reservation for the train yesterday had written Sunday’s date on it rather than Monday’s…We go to ask for new ones and learn of an accident that had delayed the train for 2 hours. Just wonderful. (They also wouldn't give us new reservations, so we decide to chance it and not buy new ones) We eat lunch and take a walk outside the station while we wait for the train. While out, we notice a girl frantically calling after her German shepherd, who was not paying her any attention. Afraid that the dog might run out into traffic, we stop for a while to see if he would run our way. He does. My mom and another man detain him while his owner catches up. It was rather strange because he still won't come to her. She had to put his collar back on and drag him along to get him to go with her. Later, we saw her in the park with him. He is loose, chewing on a stick by her side. We observed many dogs loose in Prague, but I can’t imagine why she would so readily let him loose again after he had run away. Apparently he was under control and minded her better.

Finally on the train headed for Berlin. The scenery is gorgeous, but I wish we were just a few weeks later, as I’m sure everything would be much greener. The river runs below the tracks to the rights for much of the journey out of the Czech Republic and into Germany, bordered by sloping hills and cliffs dotted with picturesque villages.

We meet Eddie at the train station and drive to Neukölln. His house is near a large field where the wall once stood, separating them from Eastern Germany. Waiting at home are Eddie’s girlfriend Ina and her cousin Sabina. Dinner consists of leftovers from Eddie’s 70^th birthday over the weekend—Tiramisu, meatballs, potato salad, bread, cheese, and cold cuts. We are also introduced to Eierlikör—or egg liqueur—which is Ina’s traditional way of greeting guests. It is a thick, syrupy composition made from egg yolks, liqueur, and sugar. They also suggested serving it over ice cream. Mom hated it, I thought it was ok. It probably would be better to serve it as a sauce rather than drink it, because it is so thick.

Hussite Service in Czech

                 Chandelier in St. Nicholas' Cathedral

Day 3: Sunday March 27^th  Cool and cloudy, no rain!

Mom suggests that we try going to a church service—more out of curiosity than religious devotion to going to church every Sunday. We meet Lenka shortly before 10 and head to the nearby St. Nicholas Cathedral for a Hussite service. The yawning ceilings and arches gilded with gold inspire awe, along with the massive crystal chandelier above our heads. Soon the organ starts up, accompanied by what sounds like an operatic choir. There are only a few people here, mostly tourists like ourselves, so the Pastor (or whatever she may be called) does most of the singing of hymns and incantations. Unfortunately, her Czech sermon goes on for quite some time so we decide to sneak out during communion. More people have filed into the back during the service, their presence making our o’er hasty departure feel a little less sinful. I confess that sitting in the cold, wooden pew listening to a service in a foreign language helped me understand why churches were so elaborately decorated and why there was such a push to change Latin services into the local vernacular.

On to the train station to make reservations for our train on Monday. We then make our way to the Devil’s River area, which was ironically peaceful and filled with benches, walkways and parks. Lenka shows takes us to see several unique little pieces of art done by the Czech artist and sculptor, David Cerny . The first was a statue of two men, penises in hand, peeing on a map of the Czech Republic. Definitely not a piece of public art you would find in the US. God forbid you have a statue of a naked figure in public when a girl in lingerie lounges on a billboard nearby. The next was a series of three giant, crawling baby statues---but without faces. Lenka told us that the artist likes to make pieces that cause intrigue and attract attention. They definitely do. A quick walk past the Lennon wall---the only one allowed to have graffiti on it so it changes constantly. It was a symbol of rebellion during communist times. We were glad to get out of the Old Town area for a while. It is definitely a tourist hub. Another walk down the Charles Bridge and to a Czech Bakery for a treat—Lattes and Crepes—yum! Lenka has to work on a group project later in the afternoon however, so we bid her a sad goodbye after a short stop for a few souvenirs.

Now, mom and I are alone to navigate the city. We head back to the hotel before going back to the river to have a dinner on a boat, watching the sun set behind the castle. 

                 Part of the Lennon Wall

No defenestration with painted windows

 Overlooking the city with the castle complex to the left (St. Vitus is the darker cathedral)

Day 2: Saturday, March 26^th Somewhat cloudy, but no rain!

We meet Lenka around 10 and take a streetcar up to the Prague Castle—a large complex of buildings including the St. Vitus cathedral and the seat of the president. After walking through the central courtyard and down a narrow cobbled street, we stop at the palace belonging to the former royal Lubkowitz family, which is now partially a museum. Surprisingly, the audio tour is voiced by William Lubkowitz (with an American accent). His father, Martin Lubkowitz, escaped Prague with his family as a young boy during the war, and hadn’t been able to return until the fall of communism. The narration often sounded arrogant (perhaps due to the script rather than the narrator), stating several times that family's property and treasures and been stolen from them twice--once by the Nazis and then by the Communists. And they had to work diligently to reclaim what was rightfully theirs afterward. I couldn’t help but think about the millions of people who were just as affected by Nazism and Communism, but did not have the resources to reclaim what had been lost to them. They didn’t have the power or the money that comes with royal status. Regardless, the collection included many incredible paintings, furniture, and other pieces. My favorite room contained instruments and music from the 1700s. They even had 11 and 12-key oboes! Most impressive was the original and annotated score of Beethoven’s "Eroica".

A short break for a late lunch—salad and lentil soup and Gnocchi before a trek uphill to a magnificent view of Prague. Then down Nerudova Street (named for writer Jan Neruda), which is the historic route linking the castle to Charles Bridge. It now contains many cafes and souvenir shops selling absinth and puppets. Lenka points out a house with two rows of windows that at first glance looks like any of the other ornately restored buildings in Prague. However, some of the windows were painted rather than real. She explained that at one time the city had a tax on windows, so homeowners who wanted to save a bit of money but still have an aesthetically pleasing exterior would paint artificial windows instead. 

 See the difference? It's pretty hard to tell at a distance!

We finally cross Charles Bridge and return to our hotel just before dark. Mom and I venture out again for a cup of tea and some dessert before bed.

Ahoj Praha!

                          Lenka, me, and mom in Prague

After a long night we finally reach Prague around 10:30 in the morning—45 minutes late. Who says German trains are always on time? We had planned to meet my host sister Lenka there, but she was nowhere to be seen. (Lenka lived with us for a semester during my Jr. year of high school. Originally from Slovakia, she is now studying law at St. Charles University) Despite my acquisition of a cell phone, I haven’t been able to successfully make a phone call. I think I must be using the wrong country codes… The Burger King in the train station advertised free internet, so we attempt to send her a message from there. Unfortunately, my computer won’t connect to the internet for some unknown reason. More wandering worriedly around the station leads to a Vodaphone shop. I decide to ask if they know what might be wrong with my phone, since I can’t make a call, but the assistant claims ignorance because the phone was purchased in a different country. He somewhat begrudgingly lets us use his phone after we explain our dilemma. Moments after, Lenka picks up the phone and I see a girl talking on a cell phone outside of the shop. We had found her! I heave a sigh of relief. I feel so helpless, like a typical American tourist who can’t speak the language.

Luckily we won’t need to worry about wandering aimlessly around without language skills once we are with Lenka. We take the subway to our hotel—The Golden Stag/ U Zlatého jelena and get situated. It is a cute little place near the Old Town Square. We then head to a café overlooking the square after meeting up with Radka, a friend who studied abroad at Mt. Mercy last year and came to Coe for our German class. She was in Prague to catch a flight to England for the weekend, so we were glad to have the opportunity for a quick catch-up.  It is such a spectacularly warm and sunny day! We decide to go on a free, three-hour tour of the city, given by Christian the crazy, but wonderful, tour guide. It includes sights around Old Town Square including Tyn Church, the astronomical clock, the history of the Hussite uprising against the Catholic church (famous for defenestration—throwing people out of windows), and on to St. Vaclav (Wenceslaus) Square, the Jewish Quarter, the Powder Tower, and more—all while being given a comprehensive history. We quickly realize how colorful and ornate each and every building in the area is. It is easy to see how Prague has a reputation as being one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

After three-hours of walking we are ready for a break. Lenka takes us to a secluded, local pub and restaurant where we enjoy traditional Czech dishes—Beef in a cream sauce with cranberries and dumplings, and Goulash. We bid Lenka an early goodnight. It has been a very long day after our mostly sleepless night on the train.

Travel by Train

                                                              Painting on a barn door in Katzenbach
                                                              Ladybugs are a symbol of good luck in Germany

Before departing for Germany, we bought Eurorail tickets online to travel to Prague, Berlin, and Hamburg. The tickets cost around 250-300 dollars (can't remember exactly) a person for five days, traveling within the Czech Republic or Germany. This was an amazing deal considering how much you have to pay for a flight in the U.S., or for individual train tickets to each of our destinations in Europe. It also gave us the flexibility to take whatever trains we wanted. The only set back was that we had to get the tickets validated first, before they would be accepted for use.

The Ramstein train station is much too small to have a ticket office--hence, no one to stamp our tickets. We decided to buy a ticket to Kaiserslautern (3 Euros) and hope to get it stamped there. Unfortunately, we only had about six minutes to change trains so we didn't have time to look for someone to stamp our ticket. Another ticket bought for Mannheim (8 Euros) and another quick change once we got there. However, by that time we decided just to get on the train and see if the tickets could be validated by the conductor when he came around checking tickets. Not only did he not question the ticket's lack of validation, he didn't bother to validate it himself. He just stamped the "First Day" area to confirm our travel. I guess we shouldn't have bothered buying the other tickets. It was incredibly helpful to look up a train schedule and print it out however, because we would have never had time between trains to double check the schedules at the station.

What we unfortunately did not prepare for was making train reservations. Always make a reservation if you have a train trip longer than two hours, because you do not know how full it might be! Once on the train from Köln to Prague, we found that all the compartments were full. We were instructed to find a place on the side of the train that would be going to Warsaw, and then move to the Prague side of the train once we got to Berlin (where the trains would split). This seemed like a reasonable compromise, except for the fact that we would be getting into Berlin at 4:30 in the morning... I don't have to tell you that we only slept a few hours that night.

Ramstein--No not the band

                                                                    Gasthaus Schöne

After a relatively relaxing and uneventful flight we land to a beautifully sunny and warm spring day in Ramstein. It is a small town in the middle of Rheinland-Pfalz not to far away from where I will soon be studying. The first order of business is to find a place to stay that will store my luggage. The airbase has several hotels, but they were all booked. Before we left the U.S., we looked up several pensions and hotels in the area. I decided to call the Gasthaus Schöne because it was family owned and might be more willing to store my luggage. My very odd request of renting a room for the afternoon and storing luggage for a week was granted (we would be leaving on the train that evening so we did not need to stay overnight…one of the repercussions of having to travel Space A was that it threw off our travel plans slightly). While still at the airbase, I found a Vodaphone stand and bought a very simple phone and sim card for the duration of my stay. It included free incoming calls and an international plan to call the U.S. for only five cents a minute. Not too bad, pay as you go. I also searched with no results for a recycling bin. Of course the only place in Germany without a readily available bin would be on an American military base…

We took a taxi to nearby Katzenbach were the Schöne family lived in a quaint late 19^th century barn converted into a pension. The family was endlessly friendly and accommodating, letting us stay in a room for the afternoon for no charge. We visited their restaurant after a shower and rest and were greeted by a special “Schlachtfest” menu. In the past, the farm would always host a slaughter festival and serve special dishes to the neighbors, a tradition they still carry on (without the live slaughtering however). My mom and I shared a bratwurst, Leberknodel (like a meatball made out of liver), and sauerkraut. Jürgen Schöne explained to us how they had to transform the barn into a pension in the 80s because the government made it increasingly impossible for small farmers to operate. Apparently this was all the “Green Party’s” fault…

A short Spaziergang around town reminds us how fast people drive on tiny streets (or any streets, but most are narrow anyway) in Germany. No wonder there are laws requiring children to sit in booster seats ‘til they are 13 (you should double check this, I might be remembering incorrect data) and you aren’t allowed to get your driver’s license ‘til you are 18. This emphasis on safety doesn’t really equate in my mind with being able to smoke and drink beer/wine at 16 (hard liquor at 18).

Jürgen drives us to the train station—also for free and will plan on picking us up the next week. How lucky did we get! I will describe our trip to Prague in the next blog, so stayed tuned.

Space Available-No such thing as a free flight

Bear with me as I flashback to March and April in the next few blogs to catch you up with my trip...

Germany's University schedule is quite different than our own, starting its "Winter Semester" in October and its "Sommer Semester" in April. After finishing up my fall semester at Coe in December, I headed home to New Mexico for a few months of relaxing, a little babysitting, and research, but mostly relaxing. I was quite happy to skip the winter weather in Cedar Rapids! The official start of classes in Landau was April 18th, with move in days between the 1st and the 6th. My mom and I planned to leave New Mexico a few weeks before, to visit friends in Prague, Berlin, and Hamburg.

Since my mom is a retired member of the Public Health Service, she is able to fly Space Available on military flights overseas. As her daughter, I'm allowed to go with. She had flown from BWI in Baltimore once before and suggested that we fly Space A as a way to save a bit of money. The way Space A works is that you call the hotline to listen for flight information available within the next two days. There is no posted schedule weeks or months in advance. You just have to hope you'll get lucky in planning your flight. For several months, my mom routinely called to check up on the available flights to the Ramstein Airbase in Germany and recorded the schedules. From this data, we thought it would be safe to get a flight out on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. My mom also has a friend who lives in the D.C. area, with whom we could stay if we needed to wait for a flight.

We scheduled a flight for Tuesday, March 22nd to Baltimore. Unfortunately, when we called for flight information on Monday there were no outgoing flights on Tuesday evening. We kept with our plans however, flew to Baltimore and stayed over night with my mom's friend Kim and her family. (This included a rather comical trip on the bus involving the juggling of two 44 lb suitcases, one 25 lb check on, one 15 lb backpack, and a purse--that was just mine--mom had a 33 lb suitcase and a hefty carry on. I know, I should've tried to pack lighter).

                                             Inside the National Shrine in Washington D.C.

Wednesday proved a better day for flying to Germany, as there were two planes going out that evening, each with around 100 seats available. Since my mom is retired, she would be lower on the list of names called to fly--behind active duty members etc. but we were keeping our fingers crossed. We sign in and wait... The roll call begins and what seems like hundreds of names are called, except our own. My stomach drops in disappointment but my ears prick up when we hear they will announce an extra-last call in a few minutes. Our names were dead last but we were on the list! Winner winner chicken dinner! Then came the waiting in line to get a ticket, paying a $25 fee for flying, and checking our bags. My mom commented that it really is true that the military does teach you how to wait in line. $25 may sound like an outrageously good price for flying to Germany, but it wasn't without its share of stress, changes in plans, and of course waiting. There is no such thing as a free flight!

My First Blog

I've been telling some of you who may be reading this that I was going to start a blog once I got internet set up in my room. I've since given up on that hope (perhaps because by the nature of universe, I might get internet shortly after I start this blog). Regardless, I'll utilize the internet in the library to bring you my long awaited blog :)

I decided to start a blog so that family and friends can keep up with my adventures while I study abroad in Landau, Germany. That being said, I'll tell you a little bit about the title. "Es geht um die Wurst" literally translates to "It goes around the sausage" or "The sausage is at stake." However, it connotes something similar to our common English phrases, "It's the moment of truth," "It's now or never," or "It's do or die." I found it humorously appropriate for several reasons:

1. Germany is well known for its love of sausage (not just a stereotype as you can see from its inclusion in not only this but also other common sayings).

2. It's now or never that I start this blog...

3. It's the moment of truth for me as a student learning German (how well I will be able to function at a German University and in everyday life).

4. It's do or die in learning to be more independent, living on my own, experiencing life abroad, and being adventurous.

Obviously you weren't scared off by the title because you've read at least this far. My blog will be written in English for the most part with a few German words and phrases thrown in for your general knowledge and entertainment.

I also wanted to include in my first blog a short "how and why" I am currently sitting in a corner of the library at the University of Koblenz-Landau. I don't necessarily believe in fate, but it never ceases to amaze me how numerous actions and events can drastically alter our future and even our children's future. Take for example my decision to learn German. There are few opportunities for a child growing up in New Mexico to study German, so I didn't just happen upon it. It started long before I was born. Sometime in the 1970s my maternal grandparents joined an adult exchange program called Friendship Force. This program is an excellent opportunity to travel to various countries and get to know not only the land and the food, but also--perhaps most importantly--the people. Members choose a place to travel where a sister Friendship Force will be able to host them. They then spend a week or two living with Force members in their homes. It was through this program that my grandparents hosted a man from Berlin, named Eddy. In fact, it was on this trip to Minnesota that Eddy met his wife, Ingrid. In subsequent years my grandparents and mom have visited and hosted Eddy, Ingrid, and Ingrid's parents on several occasions. When I was 8 years old, I made my first trip to Germany with my mom and sister (also Denmark, where my mom's exchange-sister from high school lives). In the fall of 2003, Alwin and Elisabeth (Ingrid's parents) visited our home in Shiprock and invited my to come stay with them in the summer. We took them up on their offer and I spent four weeks in Hamburg and two weeks in Berlin in June and July of 2004. It was here that I first began learning German.

I love telling this story because it illustrates the great bond that can arise between people of different nationalities, just by hosting them in your own home. I now consider Alwin and Elisabeth, who do not have grandchildren of their own, to be my adopted grandparents. If my own grandparents hadn't been interested in traveling and getting to know new people, I might never have begun studying German or be studying abroad at a German university this instant!

This will have to suffice for a brief introduction. More to come on my experiences learning German and my trip to Prague, Berlin, Hamburg, and of course my life in Landau!

                                                         Near Museum Island in Berlin