Lynda's Hiking Adventures: May 2017

Cologne, Day 1

I'm sitting here at a restaurant on the banks of the Rhein River, eating gehachtis (raw minced meat) that we used to eat and thinking about what my Oma dreamed of in the camps.

She dreamed of going to a bakery and getting a large rye bread. She would cut the loaf in half lengthwise, spread it with butter, and eat it just like that. Of course, had she done that she knew she would have gotten extremely sick. She recollected that people who were liberated went to the town. Some ate whole sticks of butter and then were terribly sick. After a diet of a raw parsnip for breakfast, a piece of bread for lunch and some kind of broth for dinner that was much too rich.

I am so thankful every day that I can buy a roll and spread it with butter. I am so thankful that I have means to not be hungry and know that my children and children's children are safe and well fed. None of us can imagine the horror of what happened. The dehumanization of the Jews and the gypsies and everyone else the Nazis decided was less than. We must always be thankful for what we have. We must always be thankful and happy and laugh and sing.

This is where my family comes from - this beautiful, wonderful city filled with people who are laughing and happy and gay. I am going to truly enjoy this city :-)

What they call Metthappen, and I call Rohgehachtis

The Dom

Lobby of another wonderful Hostel that I stayed in

Kolsch

Leberwurst mit Kolsch

What was the red light district of Cologne at one time

One of the shops that caters to Carnival costumes - BIG in Cologne

Cologne … day 2

I had decided to take a tour (freetourcologne.com) and it was the most wonderful thing. You tour for a few hours and hear inside stories about Cologne. For instance, underground in a parking garage are the old Roman walls of the city! Who’d have thought!

I also know that, yes, my attitude is genetic 😝

11rules of Köln are:

1. Et es wie et es – It is what it is

2. Et kütt wie et kütt – It comes as it comes

3. Et hätt noch imer jot jejange – It has always been good (it’s going to be alright)

4. Wat folt, es folt – What is gone, is gone (Do not grieve for things past)

5. Et bliev nix wie et wor – Nothing remains as it was (Be open for change)

6. Kenne mer nit, bruche mer nit, fott domet – We do not know, we do not need to continue with it. (be critical when innovations take over)

7. Wat wellste maache? – What do you want to do? (Add yourself to your destiny)

8. Maach et joot ävver nit zo off – Do it well, but not too often (Quality over Quantity)

9. Wat soll dä Kwatsch? – What is the meaningless talk? (Universal question)

10. Drinkste ene met? – Do you drink one? – (Follow the commandment of hospitality)

11. Do laachste dich kapott – There you are laughing. (Keep a healthy attitude to humor)

Everyone who knows me well, knows that this is the way I feel. In other words … ‘whatever’. Ha!

I started the day chilling at a café with eine kaffee und croissant. Then went to meet my tour at the Eigelstein-Torburg gate. Met some wonderful people from Italy, Australia and Sri Lanka! We learned about the city crest and the history of Attila the Hun, a beautiful princess and 11 virgins. We learned about the Roman heritage (Cologne was the northermost part of the Roman Empire) as well as the French influence and why to do something stupid in Köln there is a saying from Napoleon times where the soldiers took the beautiful German women to their tents and said what meant ‘this is my tent’. Since the German girls didn't speak French they didn't know that and would follow them into the tent. Nine months later …. There were a lot of French/German babies. So now "C'est ma tente" means to do something stupid in Kolsch!

The Coat of Arms for Cologne. The 11 flames represent Saint Ursula the Princess
and her 11 Virgins that went to Attila the Hun to try to make him not conquer the
city. He killed them and then didn't conquer the city because he thought "how
nice of them to give me a princess to kill"
The three crowns symbolize the three wise men

Boat called the Koln - it sank

Our guide Suzanna showing us and telling the story of the
narrowest house in Cologne - 3 meters wide

Inside the Dom

Roman ruins in a parking garage. The find them everywhere
and just build around them!

This window in the Cathedral was designed
by Gerhard Richter. Very controversial called
"Symphony of Light"

Our guide Suzanna telling us the story of Tunnes and Shal

I chose Tunnes

End of our tour

Our fun tour group

Himmel and Aad - YUM!

I seem that be spending much of my time sitting in sidewalk cafes, trinking Kölsch und Essen. I am really enjoying this life! Right now, I'm in a café in the Belgium quarter. Many people walking by, people sitting. I walked to Brüsseler Platz to check it out. Really cool city park around a church with people relaxing, playing soccer, ping pong and other games. Life lesson … I fill every moment when I'm home with things to do. When I'm not busy, I'm relaxing watching tv. I should stop that, walk to the restaurants and people watch instead. Such a wonderful thing!

By the way … Köln goodbye is tscheu. Combination of tschusse and adieu! This is because of the French influence in the times of Napolean.

My thoughts about Cologne … much different than Berlin! Still artsy, a bit more laissez faire. Bikes are still the way to get around, but just as many people walk. The roads are confusing because so much of the city was destroyed during WWII, that when they rebuilt, they rebuilt everywhere. Cool small cobblestone streets and an eclectic mix of buildings (see above) it is definitely a medieval city!

More Kolsch in the Ehrenfeld section of Cologne

Shopping

In Brussler Platz (Belgium Quarter) - at Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Museum Ludwig - wonderful contemporary art museum

I always love Mondrian

Piccasso

From above - the Locks of Love Bridge

Spargel!!!!

Germans - so polite! Everyone stops on Red, apparently
you can get a ticket for walking (or riding, or driving)

Eis Kaffee!

You take a lock with your loves name on it, and throw the key
into the Rhein. Your love will last as long as the lock is locked

Roommate Markus from Brazil

Run along the Rhein - on the bridge

Chocolate Museum - so decadent! Lindt Chocolate inside

Roonstraße Synagogue in Cologne. I cried when I saw the Magen David on top.

This is an Orthodox Synagogue now, but was Reform back when my family lived here.

It is the only synagogue that was rebuilt after the war.

From the womens section

People enjoying the evening. Always music and many people..
and LOTS of Kolsch Bier!

Some observations of Germany. Biking is everything. There are separate lanes on the streets as well as the sidewalks for bikes. Crossing the street, bikes have a lane and pedestrians have a lane. When it comes to crossing the street, people and bikes wait for the green. When it's red, some lights have a sign that says warten bitte (wait please).

Germans are extremely polite and orderly. When it comes to die toilette, you can usually use one with a .50€ tip. The paper and towels are not locked up as they are in the states. In fact, they are usually on an easy on/off fixture and there are extra rolls nearby! No one steals or vandalizes the paper (imagine that). There's also a cleaning brush nearby if you make a mess. Die toilette are usually spotless and well supplied.

I could live here.

Bell at the top of the Dom

View from the top of the Dom

Claustrophobic walk up and down 566 steps to the top of the Dom

Koln Humor!

I could eat this dog he's so cute!

So sad .... Tscheu Koln!

Such a crazy, wonderful day heading to my fatherland!

I almost missed my connection in Dublin as we had gotten in 20 minutes late, leaving me 25 minutes to get to my gate. The airport is huge and I had seen the wrong gate when I looked at the monitor running to the 100 Terminal instead of staying in the 400 Terminal. I was the last one on the bus to the plane after my sprint back. Thankful that I had trained for the Broad Street 10 mile run, because it came in handy while running through the airport with a 30 pound backpack on my back!

Berlin Airport, on the other hand, is minuscule. One small terminal where I couldn't figure out how to get the train. It was all good though as I found the taxi stand outside and a cute German taxi driver got me to the Circus Hostel.

I loved their signs for bathrooms!

This was a beautiful hostel. Contemporary, clean and right in the middle of the Mitte District, it had a bar, a cafe, and it was on a street lined with other cafe's right next to a major bahn with several Metro's also right outside. It was all good though as I tend to walk. This was about a mile and a half from the Brandenburg Gate. Perfect location!

I'm sharing a nice room with a balcony with three 20 somethings (traveling solo). Valentina from Russia, Nick from Toledo, and the other guy is sleepy and never introduced himself. Valentina stayed the length of my trip, but the other two were replaced by Gustav from Sweden and a Korean girl whose name I can't pronounce.

Thoughts about Berlin... Beautiful city that reminds me. Maybe DC combined with NYC. Large and a bit confusing to walk, bisected by the beautiful Spree River, which I kept getting drawn to. Funky, artsy vibe. Big nightlife, lots of gray/blue/pink hair and funky clothes. Wonderful museums, great art scene, very urban. Friendly people, English spoken most places. Very handsome men.

I got there on Thursday and after dropping everything off at my hostel I was able to start walking the city. I headed over to the Brandenburg gate because I had reservations at the Reichstag Building that evening. Beautiful day to walk around and discover the river. I decided then that I would run there the next day :-)

Brandenburg Gate

Beautiful and historic, the Brandenburg Gate. The wall is now down, but there is a cobblestone path.

Cobblestones of Berlin Wall

I walked along the outskirts of the Tiergarten and stopped at a Biergarten for some Currywurst. This is a traditional Berlin meal of Würst with a curry sauce, combined with pomme frites. Delicious!

Currywurst

I had read the best view of Berlin is at the dome of the Reichstag building, so I had made my reservation for that evening. It was beautiful and you could see all of Berlin. It's free and includes a free audiotour as well.

Reichstag Building

Roaming around the Tiergarten after, I came across a memorial garden for the Sinti and Roma (gypsies). I could feel the sadness and started crying. It was beautiful and so sad.

Stopping for some delicious pho on my way back to the hostel, it was time to rest for the night.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews

Day 2
Today was the day for me to visit what I thought would be the most moving part of the trip. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews. Well, I was disappointed. Although the concrete pillars were architecturally cool, they did not move me. Although I thought that the exhibit would be much more, it was only four rooms that also didn't move me. The feeling was much more educational that emotional. Here I was in my Father's birthplace, thinking that I would be sad, and feeling nothing!

My taxi driverhad told me I should go to Augustina for a beer, so I headed over that way. It appeared to be the high rent district, but I went anyway. Ein Bier und kartoffel suppe was delicious! The soup makes me understand why my Oma always told me soup is fattening! I also had the most beautiful view of the Dom.

From there I walked to the new synagogue and toured the dome. It was destroyed not during kristalnacht, but bombed during the war. The police chief of that district had protected the Schul that night of what they call the Pogram. All other schuls and Jewish businesses were destroyed.

I was finally ready for my Berlin run. The River Spree and the Tiergarten was where I was going to do that run. What better way to explore a city?

The Tiergarten is a large park in Berlin. There is a zoo at the end of the day. I did not make it to it though.

That night I found a cute restaurant on the funky street where my hostel was and sat at a sidewalk table enjoying the beautiful evening.

I walked over to the Neue Synagogue on Oranienburger Strasse and toured the synagogue. It was beautiful. During Kristalnacht, the police chief from that district stood in front with the fire brigade, attempting to save it from the destruction. He succeeded. It was later bombed by the allies, but it had been saved during the Pogrom (what they call Kristalnact in Germany). If anyone doesn't know, Kristalnacht was November 8th, 1938. It was the night of broken glass when businesses and anything having to do with the Jewish people were destroyed by German Citizens. That was the night my family left Berlin and made their way to Belgium, then Amsterdam, seeking safety. Many German Jews did the same that night.

The last day I was in Berlin at the Judisches Museum. It was a rainy day, so perfect for being inside.
The museum was the opposite of what I felt the day before. The architecture was moving. Standing in the void, I felt the need to say the yiskor prayer in my head. I stood there for quite a while, just feeling the void. In fact, it took me seven hours to go through this museum. I was so captivated by the architecture, history, and artifacts that I couldn't leave.

The rest of the museum is just as wonderful, from the Garden of Exile, to the permanent exhibit. It was both moving and informative. For instance, I had no idea that Jews were first accepted in Köln and that's where the first Synagogue in Germany was! This was significant to me, because my Oma, grandfather and Father only lived in Berlin for a short time and then they moved on. They had move to Berlin from Cologne because they felt that they could be safer in a larger city. Until they weren't ...