On his bedroom wall, Stefan has a collection of photos from his time in Australia. When I visited last week, he pointed to one and asked if I remembered the evening he took it: Last year, towards the end of our term in Melbourne, the two of us spent an evening wandering around Southbank and sitting alongside the Yarra River. We talked about our amazing group of friends, reflected on how our lives had been changed, and wondered what we’d all be doing in 3 months, 6 months, a year’s time and more. Of course, by now, that photo was taken over a year ago. On top of everything I’ve had the opportunity to see and experience in Europe so far, one of the neatest things has been having the chance to see my friends again and visit them in their homes. I feel very fortunate to have been made to feel at home so often throughout my travels.
The photo that spurred this reflection.
But enough sentimentality for now.
Stefan hosted me in Marburg for 5 days and nights, and I had a most excellent time. It was snowing when we arrived (he picked me up from Frankfurt train station), and it snowed for about the next 48 hours straight. I know this sounds like a lot of snow, but given that the temperature hovered around freezing, it didn’t pile up the way it tends to in good ol' Winnipeg. However, there was still a fairly consistent blanket of snow most of the time I was there. I was especially excited the first morning I woke up to see everything had turned white – it just never gets old. Marburg looks like a fairytale town with its old German buildings, cobblestone roads, and a castle crowning the highest point. Of course, I enjoyed it all the more given the snow, the lights, and the Christmas markets serving Gluhwein (warm red wine and rum), crepes, and German sausages.
The view first thing in the morning!
Making our way up to the castle.
Looking down towards the city.
We drank gluhwein, we had snowball fights, we ate German food (best when prepared by Stefan himself), we hiked up to the castle twice, we went skating (where I met another Canadian with her red mittens - likely the only other Canadian in Marburg), we fed ducks, we played King’s Cup with Stef’s flatmates, we slept in and we ate the breakfast that I’d been so craving while in Spain and Portugal – where breakfast doesn’t play a very important role.
One of the Christmas markets
Ducks!
It was over all too soon, but Berlin was a must on my agenda. So Stefan helped me arrange a ride from Marburg to Berlin (road trip with a complete stranger: check). In Germany there’s an awesome carpool organization where you can book rides with people already making the trip and pay them some gas money. I would say it worked out quite nicely for me.
Berlin is a cool city; certainly packed with history, interesting architecture, and, well, graffiti all over the place. Two days was not really enough time there, but I did my best. I walked along the East Side Gallery – a memorial section of the Berlin Wall that was painted by artists from all over the world, and visited the Jewish Museum. I wandered through even More Christmas markets, taking in the delicious smells of roasted nuts and German sausage, and realizing I’ve developed a nose for the smell of gluhwein. I visited the Reichstag building (parliament) and the Holocaust Memorial, and went for a long walk through Tiergarten park enjoying the fresh snow and getting out of the wind. And to cap it all off, I visited the 1936 Olympic Stadium. Unfortunately, it was not as accessible as the Barcelona Stadium, but it was still really cool to see.
The Berlin Wall
The Holocaust Memorial
The Olympic Stadium
Now I’m back “home” in Copenhagen. I came “this close” to missing my flight after a delayed train debacle, and it was not a particularly nice experience. However, by some Christmas miracle, I made it. So I was even more excited to spend the day relaxing in a familiar place, and the evening listening to the Rolling Stones and Van Morrison, and eating vegetables as a part of dinner with homemade ice cream for dessert. It’s even snowing this morning, despite the forecast having been for rain. Happy holidays, indeed!
Sending love from Denmark!
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