Stockholm: Experiencing Global Warming, Meatballs, Pippi Longstockings and More

On Friday evening, my friend Lena and I left for the Weeze airport so that we could catch our flight to Stockholm. The Weeze airport is situated near the Holland border in the middle of farmland. It takes 45 minutes to get to the airport and due to its inconvenient nature it is also the airport where one can expect to find all Ryanair flights - a very inexpensive airline. Since the airport is small and relatively far away from everything, one would not expect to encounter any problems when departing or arriving to the airport, however, Lena and I arrived to find all the check-in counters barricaded off with police tape and were told that there was a "Security Problem" so we had to check in for our flight at a car rental counter. We also heard an airport employee nonchalantly say "Oh, the bomb squad is here now". It was a strange experience to encounter at such a small unpopulated airport but as the employees and police officers that were there seemed un-alarmed so were we.
We obtained our boarding passes, went through security, and took our 1.5 hour flight to Stockholm. Interestingly enough the airport that Ryanair uses in Stockholm is about 1.5 hours away from the city. When all was said and done we spent more time getting too and from the airport than we did on our flight - the price you pay for cheap airline tickets. Luckily both of our flights were in the evening/night so we did not miss out on precious day time hours.
When we arrived in Stockholm we headed immediately for our "boutique" hotel where we were meeting Lena's friend Masha. Masha is an HR Consultant who is currently working in Europe on a project for Shell Oil. As Shell is required to pay for a hotel for her 7 days a week (the working days of which are spent in London) it makes no difference if she travels elsewhere on the weekends - Shell still foots the bill. This worked wonderfully to our advantage as we were able to stay for free at the Hotel Rival which was founded by one of the band members from ABBA. The hotel featured a pillow menu (so that you could choose what type of pillow you would like to sleep on), a dvd/cd player and cds (of course many of which were ABBA) and dvds that you could use free of charge, a flat screen tv, Egyptian cotton sheets, and a general comfortable atmosphere (pictured above right). The hotel also houses a cafe, restaurant, bar, and movie theater. Lena and I spent our last night in a hostel, as Masha had to return to work, and although we were afraid that it would be horribly disappointing after such posh accommodations we actually ended up enjoying it tremendously - more on that below.
On Saturday morning we awoke to sunlight streaming in through the windows. The weather the whole weekend was absolutely wonderful - at times a bit cold (when the sun went down) but overall fairly warm, sunny, and pleasant. Stockholm apparently used to ice over (the ocean and lakes) and get quite a bit of snow, but due to Global Warming that seems to be a phenomenon that no longer occurs. Alas the only image of Stockholm iced over and needing ice breaking boats comes from postcards that were created at an earlier date. Who knows perhaps someday those postcards will be collectors items.
Saturday we spent the day walking around, enjoying the general atmosphere and aesthetics of the city (in addition to beautiful architecture Stockholm also hosts many gorgeous people in the downtown/ posh districts - an observation that was also confirmed later by our hostel tour guide), taking advantage of the sales, and trying typical Swedish fare like meatballs made from Reindeer (pictured at right), Semlas (wheat buns with whipped cream and marmalade type filling - pictured in pastry case at right), and of course herring. During our walking we saw the castle (which the King and Queen do not really occupy and they use mostly for state affairs - the castle they live in is actually on an island outside of Stockholm), the Stockholm city hall and Grand Hotel where Nobel prizes are handed out (although we did not pay a visit to the museum), the Opera, and of course churches. Saturday night we checked out the night life in Stockholm and noticed that people mostly stuck with their groups of friends and didn't really mingle (this fact was also confirmed by our Swedish tour guide who told us that a lot of Swedish people are shy but after you make the initial move they are incredibly friendly).
Sunday we again had a leisurely morning and then wandered around looking for a place to eat some brunch. On our way wandering towards brunch we happened upon the Changing of the Guard at the castle (pictured at left). We then ate an enjoyable traditional Swedish lunch - I had the herring platter which consisted of herring marinated in different ways, salad, and bread.
After our delightful brunch we headed towards the ferries in order to take a ferry tour of Stockholm and get a small taste of the Archipelago (24,000 islands that lay just outside of Stockholm - at least 50 square meters - 30,000 islands if you count the smaller ones). On our ferry tour we sat on Reindeer pelts and covered ourselves with polar fleece blankets while viewing Stockholm by boat. The tour guide shared with us many interesting facts about Stockholm and the sights that we were seeing. For example she explained that the reason the Nobel Peace Prize is handed out in Oslo and all the others in Stockholm is that Alfred Nobel thought the Norwegians to be more peaceful than Swedes.
After our boat tour, Masha had to head to the airport to catch her plane and Lena and I headed to check in at the City Backpackers hostel. The City Backpackers hostel was incredibly cozy, friendly, and full of activity. We immediately signed up for a Monday tour that would take us through the less touristy parts of Stockholm and show us the home of Astrid Lindgren (author of Pippi Lonstockings) as well as some of the locations that inspired her stories. The hostel had free pasta (you just needed your own sauce), coffee, and tea. It also had free ice skating rentals, movie nights, and activities going virtually every day. Unfortunately we were not able to partake in the Swedish Sauna tour, Meatball making class, Semla making class, or other events as they were held on the days after our departure. Those activities will best be saved for another adventure. Although it had been nice to stay in our posh hotel, staying at the hostel reaffirmed for me the fact that having a lot of fun and experiencing really neat things does not have to cost a lot of money - and in fact it is a lot of the less expensive, non-trendy areas in a city that give you the best feel for how people actually live and the most authentic experience.
Monday Lena and I walked around a bit more, stopped off at a grocery store to buy some food for that day (and wound up with a delicious meatball sandwich, ostkaka, pepparkakor, and drinks - coincidentally items that I know from my family's Swedish heritage that were tasty and also the least expensive of all our meals), and then headed on our guided tour. The tour was hosted by one of the hostel employees and she shared with us a lot of the locations of cool, typical Swedish restaraunts and cafes. If only we had been able to attend the tour at the beginning of the trip - but it was only offered on Monday's and we hadn't stayed at the hostel first. She also pointed out the home of Astrid Lindgren and explained how the idea for Pippi Longstockings came from her ill daughter Karin who was begging her mom to tell her stories and came up with the name Pippi Longstockings. Apparently Astrid Lindgren was also responsible for changing the way Swedes view childhood and child rearing.
After the tour we raced off to the Ice Bar - the first year round bar that is made entirely out of ice - very touristy but an overall cool experience being able to drink out of glasses made from ice, wear large parkas, and sit on Reindeer pelt covered ice stools. Finally it was time for us to say goodbye to Stockholm - a city that ranks among my favorites and a location that I will definitely be returning to one day.

Interview with a German Newspaper

Most people might be surprised to learn how important U.S. politics are to people in Germany. It is a common experience for me to be questioned about politics here and I'm always shocked to realize that many German's know more than the typical American citizen. As part of this fascination with American politics, my friend Lena and I were interviewed by a German newspaper about what it is like to experience the election from abroad. The article can be found at this link (although it is in German): http://www.derwesten.de/nachrichten//staedte/essen/2008/2/4/news-21090089/detail.html

Interestingly enough, the journalist asked us to meet him at a Starbucks and then the photographer bought an "American Newspaper" - that was in German for us to hold in order to take the photo you see. So despite our best efforts I guess some stereotypical views of Americans still hold true. Clearly it wouldn't have been fitting for us to be in a typical German coffee shop or holding a German newspaper. :)

Karneval - A Tale of Celebrations in Two Cities

Karneval is a yearly celebration that begins on November 11 and lasts until the beginning of lent on Ash Wednesday. It is celebrated around the world (in Venice, Brazil, Louisiana - as Mardi Gras, etc.), but the primary celebration in Germany takes place right here in the Northrhein Westfalia area - the two primary cities of celebration being Cologne and Duesseldorf. Although Karneval lasts for a few months, the biggest celebration days are the Thursday before Ash Wednesday which is known as "Weibefastnacht" or "Women's Karneval" and "Rosenmontag" or "Rose Monday" .

On Weibefastnacht women (and men) don their costumes and go out for a night (and day) on the town filled with drinking, dancing, eating, and merriment. Wearing costumes and being merry tends to be the general theme of Karneval celebrations, but the difference is that traditionally this day also involves the take-over of town hall by all the women. Women also traditionally cut off the ties and shoelaces of men as a sign of usurping power. Typically when a woman cuts off a mans tie or shoelaces she is then supposed to give the man a kiss on the cheek. I decided that I would prefer to watch people cut off ties rather than attempt to do so myself - being as this was my first Karneval I thought it best not to anger someone. Sadly, the only tie cutting I witnessed, however, was later in the evening when my friend Karin cut off the tie of Tim another Fulbright TA who had joined us for the evening - it was a tame reenactment (pictured above).
For Weibefastnacht, my friends and I headed to Duesseldorf (which is only about 20 minutes away). The sight was one of complete and utter chaos - broken glass and garbage all over the ground and thousands of people dressed up and roaming around the old downtown. We spent some time outside enjoying some beers (no open container laws in Germany) and some french fries, but due to the cold decided we should attempt to make it in to a bar. We made it in to one bar and spent some time dancing there before we decided to try to find something new. Finally, we had a stroke of luck and ended up at a typical German brewery where the Karneval royalty/jury was celebrating. Every year a Karneval prince and princess are elected and we were fortunate enough to meet a nice old German man (pictured in the first picture on the right) who was the brother of the prince and who also owned a bakery. This nice man allowed us to share the table with the rest of the jury/royalty and he explained the traditions to us, gave us delicious baked goods, and overall made the night quite enjoyable and filled with more typical German culture. We were also invited to stop by the bakery in Duesseldorf whenever we want to and I'm sure we will be venturing there at some point or another. Overall this Weibefastnacht experience in Duesseldorf was an excellent beginning for Karneval celebrating.
Not wanting to overdo it, we decided to lay low the rest of the weekend and save up energy for the Rosenmontag celebration in Cologne on Monday. On Monday we left bright and early to take the train to Cologne. The trains were packed with people in costumes (despite the addition of other trains to the schedule) and beers in hands (yes even before 10 a.m.). I had been warned by family friends that live in Cologne that I would need to arrive early if I wanted to have any chance of seeing the Zug (parade). So my friend Lena and I (dressed as bees - same as we were on Thursday) and Karin (dressed as Bob Marley) headed to the parade route to find a place to see. It was pouring rain, but with all the excitement in the air that didn't bother us. We were incredibly lucky to find spots near the Dom (cathedral) where we could see and enjoy the parade. Although it was a few hours before the parade was to start, we decided it would be best to hold onto our spots. While we were waiting for the parade, we were able to admire the costumes of people - both those in large groups and individuals. There was also Karneval music playing that we were able to sing along with as we drank our beers. Virtually everybody dresses up for Karneval and they get into the spirit with incredibly elaborate costumes. Most people we saw were wearing face paint as well as full body costumes - it made our yellow and black layered shirts, yellow shoes, and bee antennae seem pathetic (probably not aided by the fact that as the antennae got wetter and wetter from the rain they began to droop).
Finally the parade began, and it was an amazing spectacle. Much different than most parades you see in the U.S. First of all, the Karneval parade lasted over 4 hours and involved continuous streams of elaborately dressed up people as well as very entertaining floats. Every group that came buy - whether walking or on floats or trucks had flowers and candy in hand. And by candy in hand I must clarify that I don't mean just little tootsie rolls or lollipops but rather full boxes of truffles, toblerone bars, gummi bears, etc. These goodies are chucked into the crowd without any restraint - which could be incredibly dangerous if you weren't paying attention. Despite the thousands of people that were present we still all managed to take home lots of candy and some flowers. Its interesting to think that a lot of the people will give up things like sweets for lent which means they probably either had to scarf down tons of candy in two days (by Wednesday) or save it for Easter. The flowers are not simply thrown, but often men in the parade will walk up to ladies in the crowd hand them a flower and then turn their head to receive a kiss on the cheek.
We had originally planned on celebrating into the night, however, after standing out in the rainy cold we decided that the parade alone was enough celebrating. Overall it was an amazing adventure and I think I will miss Karneval tremendously when I am back in the states. Enjoy the photos!

Ringing in the New Year German Style, Location: Faaborg, Denmark

Yes my title might sound a bit contradictory - celebrating like a German without being in Germany, however, the Danish coast is a popular destination for German's to spend a holiday. In order to get the authentic experience of a German New Years I thought I should celebrate with some Germans - and Denmark happened to be the location of choice. I was invited to spend a few days in a rented house on the coast (pictured) with my friend Maya, her boyfriend Thorsten, and 11 other Germans (either friends of Thorsten's or friends of friends).
We departed from Braunschweig, Germany on the Saturday before New Years. Two red VW vans, one car, 14 people, and loads of luggage, and food set off for a 5 hour drive (including 1 hour on a ferry) to Faaborg, Denmark. Maya, Thorsten, Thorsten's friend Maike and I were in the car. The time passed quickly - all of us chatting (in German), singing along to music, and car dancing. We arrived in Faaborg, picked up the key to our lovely little house (pictured below), unloaded the cars, and then Maya, Thorsten and I set about making dinner.
One of Thorsten's friends - Henning - is a master organizer/planner and he had planned everything from the traveling to the cost to the shopping list. One of his ingenious ideas was to break us into cooking groups and each group be responsible for one night of cooking. The first night ended up being my groups turn - which worked out well as we made pizza (only with Fladenbrot, a Turkish flat bread so as not to have to mess with pizza dough).
After dinner we all sat around chatting and playing games. This was in fact how we spent most of our time in Denmark; eating, chatting, playing games, a little bit of tv watching, and during the day in order to enjoy the sunshine and the warmish weather we walked along the beach, and hit some golf balls. Overall it was very relaxing and a good way for me to improve my German language skills - total immersion.
In terms of the games we played, there were the typical card games like speed, Egyptian rat screw, BS, and poker. Then we played some German favorites like set (where you compete against people to make sets of cards based on rules), phase 10 which is sort of like Rummy only the requirements change each round, Cranium (which exists in the U.S. - this was incredibly difficult for me though. Difficult in English as it is advanced vocabulary and imitating celebrities, etc. but in German I'm afraid I was no help at all to my team), and then my personal favorite: Werewolf. I have found an explanation of the game at this website: http://www.eblong.com/zarf/werewolf.html and feel that it is a better explanation than my own would be.

So since the activities were mostly the same for the 3 days I was there, I feel that I can move on and describe our wonderful New Years celebration. Our celebration was traditionally German. The night before New Years we gathered around the Feuerzangbowle (pictured above). The Feuerzangbowle is basically a bowl of Gluehwein but then a metal tray is placed across the bowl and a solid cone of sugar is laid atop the metal tray, doused in rum, and then lit on fire. The fiery sugar melts and deposits itself in the bowl of Gluehwein - delicious! Most Germans celebrate the holiday with Feuerzangbowle and there is actually even a famous movie that is called "The Feuerzangbowle".

On New Years eve we had Raclette (pictured directly above) for dinner. For Raclette everyone gathers around grill objects and gets their own personal pan. Chopped vegetables, cold cuts, eggs, cheese, and whatever else one desires is all laid on the table and everyone then goes about creating their own little pans of food that are then cooked on the grill and eaten. It was a truly delicious item - but as with so many other holiday dishes it did encourage overeating. For dessert we had chocolate fondue. It seemed to compliment the Raclette well - both items containing primarily chopped produce that one makes less healthy by adding cheese (to the veggies) or chocolate (to the fruit).

After gorging ourselves - we settled around the TV to watch a British film (that is apparently loved in Germany on New Years - or Sylvester which is the German word). It is called "Dinner for One" and it lasts about 15 minutes. The movie is about a 90 year old woman who is celebrating her birthday. All of her friends have been deceased for at least 20 years, and so her butler assumes the role of all her friends for this special birthday dinner. Of course that means that he needs to drink for all 4 friends and offer a toast each time a new drink is poured. What follows is that the butler then becomes incredibly intoxicated and does some silly things like continuously trip over a rug, etc. It was entertaining to say the least.

When "Dinner for One" was over it was nearly midnight. We all headed outside to countdown the New Year. After counting down we popped open some champagne, lit sparklers, and wished each other a Happy New Year. Then we went down to the beach and lit off more fireworks. The entire night sky in Denmark was lit up with fireworks . It seemed that nearly every person in this small town was lighting off fireworks in celebration.

Once the fireworks were finished we headed back inside. There we participated in Bleigiessen (The tradition of melting lead over a candle and then dumping it quickly into cold water. The resulting object is supposed to be a "fortune" for the upcoming year) and my object looked like nothing that could be described - who knows what that means in terms of my next year. Once the Bleigiessen was finished we turned our attention back to playing games - all good fun.

Overall it was a New Years to remember. Now of course I am in need of returning to a normal healthy normal diet.

Happy 2008 everyone!

The End of Christmas Market Magic

Once again it has been awhile since my last blog posting. With all the time I have on my hands one would think that I would be better about posting, but alas I seem to constantly be procrastinating when I have so much time.
The Christmas Market season is now behind me - taking with it all the festive lights, craft/food booths, and cheery decorations that made the winter season a little less bleak here in Duisburg (and elsewhere). Gone are the days when one could stroll downtown and warm up in the middle of the afternoon with a piping hot mug of Gluehwein (sort of like mulled wine - a favorite here. I am posting a recipe below so that you may try if you wish) and some other tasty treat. There are of course other beverage options at Christmas markets but some of them I recommend steering clear of. For example Eierlikor or Eierpunsch (Egg liquor or Egg punch) cause you to think of egg nog, however, it is quite disgusting in that it tastes quite literally like eggs mixed with vodka or some other type of alcohol. If you are ever in Germany I recommend staying away from the Eierlikor and instead trying the Gluehwein (Glow wine is the literal translation).
During Christmas market season I did have the chance to explore many different culinary treats - both from Germany and abroad. Of course there were the classics that I have already tried like curry wurst (sausage cut into slices and doused in a curry ketchup sauce), Dutch style french fries (served in a paper cone with your choice of sauce), fish and chips (although not deep fried fish like one would expect - a twist on an old classic), and then various assortments of Chinese cuisine. One spectacular treat that I was introduced to was the Peruvian Stuffed Potato. It was found at the Essen (great name for a city with good food considering the word "essen" means food/eat in German) Christmas market and was absolutely amazing. I have since searched the web in order to find a recipe that roughly equates so that those interested (and I myself) may eat them whenever the mood strikes. Here is the recipe:

The recipe for Peruvian Stuffed Potatoes (Papa Rellena)

1/2 pound of hot, cooked, mashed potatoes
1/4 pound of ground beef (or other meat/filling item - at the market they had a mixture of rice, corn, cheese, and ham)
2 diced onions (small cubes about .5 cm thick)
Minced Garlic
Hard boiled eggs - as many as you would like to add to the filling (optional)

Knead potatoes until there are no lumps. Add salt (it didn't specify how much so I'm guessing just a bit to taste).

Heat oil and sautee garlic and onion. Control the heat and add meat (or other filling item). You can also add raisins and/or sliced olives to taste. When meat is cooked remove from heat. Allow the filling to cool.

Divide potatoes into servings (a good sized ball) and flatten with your hands. The potato patty should be about 1/4 inch thick. Potato should be cool. Place filling and optional sliced hard boiled egg into the potato patty. Roll the potato closed and pinch on the ends (I would say make it close to a runza/potato shape). Roll the "potato" in flour. Dip in a beaten egg. Fry the potato in abundant hot oil (my guess is that a fry daddy type item would work the best). When golden brown remove from oil with a slotted turner and place on a paper towel.

Top with a tomato sauce or lemon juice, a drizzle of oil, salt and diced parsley.

Gluehwein (there are of course other variations - feel free to experiment on your own)
1 bottle of dry red wine
1 lemon
1 orange
Cinammon Sticks (2-3)
Whole cloves (a tbsp.)
3 tbsp. of sugar
Cardamom or Ginger (optional and only use in small quantities to taste)

Heat the red wine in a pot (don't boil). Cut the lemon and orange into slices, squeeze slightly over the pot and then add the entirety to the wine. Add the cinnamon, cloves, sugar and a little cardamom (to taste). Heat everything on low and let stand for an hour (or a little longer). DO NOT BOIL!! Before serving strain out the fruit slices and spices and serve in mugs.



These items may have been served at Christmas markets, however, I believe that they go well with any winter day. A little warmth to brighten up the long dark nights. Cheers - or should I say Prost!

Pilgrimage to Wittenberg

Last weekend I made a pilgrimage with my friend Trevor and another Fulbright teaching assistant, Tim, to Wittenberg - the city where the Lutheran religion (and protestantism in general) began. I use the term pilgrimage in a very light sense of the word as we rode for 6.5 hours comfortably on a train and also as I am not a religious fanatic. Wittenberg is a picturesque little city and if it wasn't so far away from where I live it would have likely made a better day trip than a complete weekend. We arrived Friday night at dinner time and immediately set out to find our hostel.
Our hostel was located right next to the Schlosskirche (where Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses) and it ended up being one of the nicest hostels that I had ever stayed in. The building was new, the rooms and furniture were all clean and nice, the mattresses, pillows, and comforters were all plush and comfortable, and the breakfast that was included every morning was a wonderful German breakfast spread.
After depositing our items in our hostel room (which we had to ourselves), we headed out in search of some dinner. We ended up at a restaurant called the Kartoffelhaus (Potato House). Every single item on the menu contained potatoes. I guess that isn't really surprising when you eat at a restaurant that is called the "Potato House". I ended up having the potato lasagna, in which potatoes took the place of noodles. It was delicious but I definitely filled my potato eating quota for the next month.
On Saturday morning we set out to explore the city. Our first stop was of course the Schlosskirche (pictured at left). As noted above, the Schlosskirche was where Luther posted the 95 Theses. The original doors were destroyed during an onslaught by the French in the 7 Years War in 1760. In 1858 the doors were replaced with Bronze Doors that bear the latin inscription of all the 95 Theses as well as a picture of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchton (pictured right Tim and I trying unsuccessfully to act out the picture on the top of the doors - unsuccessful because it was pouring rain). Inside, the church bears little resemblance to its original form (due to the destruction), however, there lie the tombs of both Luther and Melanchton.
After exploring both the interior and exterior of the Schlosskirche we headed to the Stadtkirche, which is the church where Luther actually conducted the first sermons in German instead of in Latin. The Stadtkirche was also altered due to destruction by the 30 Years War. In fact the two towers on the top (the Stadtkirche is pictured on the top left) had been removed in order to provide a platform for canons during the fighting. The towers that were built to replace the originals do not bear any resemblance to the originals and they seem unfitting with the architectural style. Inside the church, many of the original artwork has been preserved. This artwork includes a famous double-sided triptych painted by Lucas Cranach the Younger (a famous medieval artist who also lived in Wittenberg) as well as numerous other religious paintings. It was interesting to note the differences in various paintings representations of religious scenes from both before and after the beginning of the reformation.
After viewing two churches it was time to view something a little more modern and secular, so we headed to the Hundertwasser Schule (a school designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser). The school was built in 1999, one year before Hundertwasser's death (it is pictured at right). Considering that Wittenberg lay in the former East Germany, it would have been unrealistic for something so creative and unusual to have been built before German reunification. It is interesting how Hundertwasser incorporated elements of nature along with his creative designs and use of color. You will note how there is a tree planted above the entrance to the school (and there were many other trees sticking out of other parts of the building).
On our walk back into the downtown area from the Hundertwasser Schule, we realized just how serious Wittenberg takes its tradition of Lutheranism (or perhaps a better explanation would be just how much they cater to tourists). We noted that even the pedestrian signals were little versions of Luther. They are pictured at right and you will note that the green is Luther carrying the Theses and the red is Luther with his arms spread out in a "stopping" fashion. The rest of the day we spent by watching a German kids movie at the cinema, eating dinner, exploring the Christmas Market, and playing some cards.
Sunday morning we decided to attend a church service. At first we had trouble deciding whether or not we should attend church where the Theses were posted or where Luther preached but due to our morning lollygagging we ended up at the Schlosskirche since it was right next door. It was definitely a cool experience to attend church where Luther was buried and I must say that the pastor was one of the best orators I have heard in a church setting. After the church service we headed to the Lutherhaus which is a museum that has been created from Luther's old living quarters. The Lutherhaus was probably one of my favorite parts of Wittenberg as it was very informative and it contained artifacts from Luther's life as well as artifacts from the time period. Wandering through Luther's life and teachings really caused me to think about how the world would be different if Luther had never been born. He not only championed reforms within the religion of Christianity but was fundamental in bringing education to everyone (including women) and in making the church a charitable organization that created social programs to better society. Without Luther our lives today would be much, much different. I encourage you to visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther. Although it is not as comprehensive as the museum was it does provide some insight into the contributions that Luther made to society. Granted, not all of his beliefs were positive - he was anti-Muslim and also anti-Semitic and he also made statements about women's place being in the home - all of which I do not agree with. But I think it is important to remember the time period in which he lived, overall he did make many contributions despite some of his beliefs that we today would find to be flawed.
Finally I wish to leave you with some Luther quotes that I enjoy. Some are funny and others are inspirational (for me anyway).

"Even if I knew tomorrow that the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree today."

"Men should praise women, even if it is undeserved."

"Whoever drinks a lot of beer, sleeps well. Whoever sleeps well, doesn't sin. Whoever doesn't sin, goes to heaven." - and the addition that I also liked but is not from Luther - "But in heaven there is no beer, therefore we must drink it here."

"Justice is a temporary thing that must come to an end; but the conscience is eternal and will never die."

"Peace if possible, truth at all costs."

"Peace is more important than all justice; and peace was not made for the sake of justice, but justice for the sake of peace."

"War is the greatest plague that can effect humanity; it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it."

"Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your god."

"When schools flourish, all flourishes."

"You are not only responsible for what you do say, but also for what you do not say."

"A wicked tyrant is better than a wicked war."

"The prosperity of a country depends, not on the abundance of its revenues, nor on the strength of its fortifications, nor on the beauty of its public buildings; but it consists in the number of its cultivated citizens, in its men of education, enlightenment and character."

The Quest for the "Gift of the Gab": My Thanksgiving Weekend Trip to Ireland

Cork, Ireland is where one of my good friend Kait and her husband Markus are currently living. Kait and her boss (who owns a coffee shop and is also an American) were planning a large Thanksgiving extravaganza and so Kait invited me over to Ireland for a long weekend. I left early on Thursday morning from Duesseldorf and flew first into Dublin. In Dublin I was required to switch airlines (because Aer Lingus does not fly to Cork from Dublin and Ryan Air does not fly to Duesseldorf) and so I had to exit through pass control. The Non-EU passport control line was ridiculously long and they only had 2 windows open and for about 20 minutes the pass control people were dealing with the same foreigners. As I nervously waited, worrying that I wouldn't be through pass control in time to check in for my next flight, I watched as numerous EU citizens would come in waves and breeze through pass control. Finally after about 40 minutes of waiting I had a little Irish luck and they opened up so additional lines and I was able to make it in time to check in for my flight.
At the Cork airport I was picked up by my friend Kait and her boss Ella. We then spent the afternoon frantically running around in order to procure the final ingredients for the Thanksgiving feast which, I learned, would be for 30 people (a combination of Americans and Irishmen). Once the errands were finished, Ella took us back to her house where we met up with Julie (another friend whom I had studied abroad with in Salzburg). This is where the frantic cooking began. The turkeys were already cooked as they had been put in early that morning, but cooking for 30 people requires a great amount of work. Amazingly Kait, Julie, and I (Ella didn't do any of the cooking but instead spent the time "staging" and creating atmosphere) pulled it off and were ready to serve by eight o'clock. Of course Ella was still not finished with her staging as a guest had arrived who does professional lighting for parties and such. We ended up not eating until 11 p.m. (probably about the same time that most of you in the U.S. were sitting down for dinner). The atmosphere was quite impressive - complete with about 5 disco balls and numerous colored lights. It was not exactly what I would expect for Thanksgiving but it turned out to be quite enjoyable and we received many compliments on the food.
The next morning, after some peaceful sleep, Kait, Julie, and I began to clean up from the chaos of the night before. It actually didn't end up being too terrible. Then Ella drove us from her house (pictured in the top left corner and top center) in the country back to town to Kaits house.
On Saturday morning I ventured off on my own so that I could actually see some of Cork and not just the inside of people's houses. Kait had already seen all the tourist attractions and so she opted not to join in as they also cost a bit of money. Cork is not a particularly large town, however, it is incredibly easy to get lost as the streets are poorly marked. I was always heading in the right general direction but would often overshoot a turn that I was supposed to make. Downtown Cork is a cute little city. I explored the glorious Penneys which is an inexpensive department store. After some shopping at Penneys, I meandered throught the English Market (pictured at right) which is sort of a permanent farmers market that is all enclosed.
After wandering through the town I began to head towards the City Gaol (Jail), however, once again I became lost. This time I ended up on a lovely little nature walk along the river Lee. I enjoyed the serene nature setting for awhile and then headed back the direction I had come in order to climb the hill and end up at the jail. Finally I reached the jail, which turned out to be interesting and informative. The two ladies that worked there (that day anyway) were very friendly and they gave me a new bag to put my shopping purchases in, as mine had ripped on the journey. The old jail chronicled the history of both the general prisoners and those who were imprisoned due to political affiliation. One quote on the audio tour that I found to be especially representative was, "The only real crime many of these people committed was the crime of being born poor." The jail seems to have been a revolving door (as it is now in the U.S.) and often times people were continuously being relocked up. Once a person had served time in the jail it was almost impossible for them to find employment and so they were destined to lives of beggary and thievery. The jail is also supposedly haunted - one passageway in particular depicts an optical illusion that is "ghost-like". Kait informed me, however, that people in Cork really do believe the jail to be haunted, even though the "ghost-like" figure is clearly fraudulent.
Kait and Julie ended up having to work that night so I ended up hanging out with Markus and Pa (short for Patrick), who was a friend of Kait and Markus. Pa is a typical Irish character who liked to drink and have good crack (Irish for good conversation and fun). He nicknamed me "Blondie Bear" partially because of my hair color and partially because he has a horrible memory and could not remember my name. After having a couple beers with Markus and Pa we met up with their friend Nora, who was also incredibly nice and fun to hang out with. We first headed to Lennox's to have some famous chips and cheese and garlic. The Chips and Cheese and Garlic were deliciously greasy and satisfying - I have never had anything quite like it before in my life as normal fries and cheese really do not compare. Then we headed to Nancy Spains for a pint and to meet up with Kait and Julie.
Sunday morning, Markus cooked us scrumptious omelettes. After savoring every bite, I headed off to the bus station in order to head to the Blarney castle. The Blarney castle (pictured at left) once belonged to Cormack McCarthy and it is also the site of the Blarney stone which is supposed to bestow upon those who kiss it the "gift of the gab". Although I am not usually hurting for words, I decided to kiss the stone in order to ensure eloquence - I also hope that perhaps some of my eloquence would transfer over to my German language abilities.
The castle grounds were beautiful and serene. It provided for a relaxing afternoon filled with Irish lore. On the grounds there is a witches stone (pictured at right) in which a witch is believed to be trapped until nightfall. The witch has a kitchen and there are steps that lead down to a river that are said to be wishing steps. As repayment for using wood for her fire the witch must grant the wishes of anyone who walks up and down the steps with their eyes closed (of course I participated in the activity).
On Monday morning I ate a traditional breakfast roll (a baguette with scrambled eggs, a few types of sausage, cheese, butter, and brown sauce - basically a delicious heart attack waiting to happen), said my goodbyes, and headed to the airport. My first flight was just to Dublin and this time I had a 6 hour layover. Not wanting to spend the whole time in the airport, I caught the bus into town. In Dublin I walked along Henry Street (which is the main shopping district), Temple Bar (a funky pub ditrict), and strolled through Trinity College. Due to the short amount of time I was really only able to whet my appetite for returning to Dublin and not able to really explore properly. All in all Ireland was a wonderful trip and I will definitely be returning for more exploration.