Why the hell someone would want to go to Germany...don't worry this is a happy blog..

First and foremost I sincerely apologize for the lack of blogs...- I would like to say that life has been just so vastly busy, and exotic that I just couldn't find the time to collect my thoughts into such humble settings....HA- in reality, the truth lies somewhere in the midst of serious touring, beer drinking, world cup cheering craziness and (and I think mostly) an embarrassing new level of laziness, (apparently in regards to writing, I have embraced sloth is my favorite sin- not that I had a favorite deadly sin...well maybe gluttony if we are talking about coffee, ice cream, wine and/or cheese...but that is kind of disgusting...ok this parentheses have gotten a bit out of hand I will move on).

Now that I have had a chance to get my head on straight- in more ways the one- seriously picture little girl from the Exorcist...except with out the pea soup- I have started to enjoy my time in northern Germany. Which- yes I know you await anxiously - it is time for another edition of Susan's top 10 best list of Germany.



Before I begin I feel I should first set some sort of context for those not familiar with the Germanic state of Schleswig- Holstein. Before pictures of jolly men sporting lederhosen and buxom blond wenches touting pitchers of frothy cold beer dance through your heads (Oh the damage done by Milwaukee's German Fest- apparently this is more of a Bavarian style- yes I realize I am showing my complete ignorance of German culture- but to be fair I warned you in advance)- the stereotype is hardly accurate. Actually much of the population and architecture in Hanseatic cities have the tendency of being slightly depressing. I don't mean in a historic building becomes parking lot kind of way; it is more of a overwhelming black color palate, we were once bombed, and much of our history has been eviscerated in its wake, kind of way.

My apologizes to known readers of said heritage as no insult is intended but who can deny the undeniable affinity Germans have for the Macabre. Yes, even the churches contain such atmospheric sculptures as bleached skulls gracing the heads of angelic bodies and black coffin alters half opened to reveal the beaten body Christ in a position reminiscent of Vlad the impaler himself- rising at twilight ( side note, for those Nosferatu fans out there- definitely filmed in the salt warehouses here in Lubeck- remember this next time it comes up in pub trivia). Factor in the crowd of disillusioned pierced punk/emo youth which hangs out near the market square playing minor chords on flutes- so young, so angry- and it pretty much seals the deal. I am indeed, living in Goth Country. ( I have attached a video of that aforementioned pilgrims service - see A moment of consideration- at the bottom of this blog - it includes the alter I was talking about and the subtle sounds of the "traditional" pilgrims music...which I am not so sure about..sorry about the video being sideway)

(brownie points if you catch on to the clever double use of the word 'Goth' ...don't know what I mean LOOK IT UP).

However this being said, at the end of the day they enjoy their p's and q's just as much as any Miller High Life guzzling Midwesterner- bless their hearts- , so ultimately no complaints here.

Any way- short intro made long- I have narrowed down my top 10 of 'what have you' to sum up my full appreciation of the state of Schleswig-Holstein (the what/where/ huh about Schleswig-Holstein: it is a area found in north-west of Germany and was a the administrative seat of the Hanseatic league....ha and if you don't know what THAT means, it means I just beat your ass at German trivial pursuit, too late to look it up. I revel in your ignorance ....).

Susan's Top 10 list of 'What have you" in and about Schleswig- Holstein.



1) The rather sweet if not exceedingly creepy Marionette Puppet Theater and Museum in Lubeck. The rather unique museum contains not only an extensive collection of German marionettes but over 20,000 puppet related exhibits from around the globe. Minus the sou less eyes that seem to follow me everywhere- I found that I was both intrigued and inspired by the various forms I encountered. So much so I had to attend a performance of 'Don Carlos despite its dialogue being preformed in German. It is always interesting how theater of all kinds transcends the language barrier. I was regaled for an hour an half by the tale which contained romance, high adventure, random accordion playing, and explosions- without understanding one word- yes the very height of culture my dears. Include a marvelous chilled glass of white wine, and the evening was complete.

2) The Spice Museum in Hamburg- never a sight more motivational in regard to my own rather meager culinary skills. Master the art of spice and life will be kind to you my friends. Your adversaries will bow before your table and beg for your favor in exchange for a simple taste from the aromatic hearth. ...(something I aspire to so watch out for my new version of peas and cheese with a hint of pfeffer)

3) The Sirens Call of the Local Rowing Team in Lubeck- I have never really seen competitive rowing but the dedication of this particular team does make one stop...right about five every night, when a loud drum and heightened male voices fill the air. The sound always make me pause in my daily activities- begging me to come to the window, and watch as the city rowing team passing through the canal....that and lets face it, the prowess of German masculinity's revealed- HOT! wew I need to go get a fan.....is it warm in here??- EINS, ZWEI, DREI, VIER.......

4) Drinking a cold one in the local Rathaus in Bremen- ok it has been like 95 every day for the last three weeks...Germans do not believe in the use of ice or air conditioning.. basically nothing is really cold not even their ice cream-which is somehow strangely lukewarm. This unspoken boycott of the frigid is broken in only one area, as far as I can tell, and that is in regard to their beer. Never in my life have I tasted a beer as good as the one I had in the Rathaus in Bremen. They served this ambrosia in an frosty stoneware mug- and when I say frosty- dude I mean there was a definite layer of ice surrounding the exterior, and those first couple of swallows...yeah I had a moment ok- which promptly made me order another one-

5) Becks Brewery in Bremen - in the same breathe of that moment in the Rathaus - Becks brewery is not far behind. For the low price of 9.5 euro not only do you get a two and half hour tour, which you can schedule in English, you also receive for this low low price a large soft pretzel baguette and 4 rounds of any becks beer you ever want to try- including a fine selection from their regional brews called Haake Beck. You can even try a special brew that is not even distributed locally anymore - you can only drink it at the brewery. Having no serious feeling one way or the other about beer- Miller I blame this on you - I have to say I am a converted Becks fan.

6) Paul the Psychic Octopus and the World Cup Games- I have never watched soccer before and I regret it. Not only are the games kept to a reasonable time limit- they are fast paced, action packed, and competitive while also prompting positive sportsmanship. World Cup has shown me the error of my ways with its the month long festive atmosphere (as long as your favored team wins), cold beers, catchie fan tunes and a rumored psychic cephalopod mollusk. Germans do football right and until the NFL can come up with something better than Psychic Paul - I refuse to look back.

7) Cafe Niederegger - - Lubeck is widely known for their talent and skill with marzipan. Not only can you buy the traditional pig shape (personally I have no idea why the pig out of all creatures is the most popular shape for marzipan) but celebrity icons, the Eiffel tower, the statue of liberty, a variety of crustaceans... and much much more- also attached to this mecca for marzipan fans is their speciality ice cream vendor at which you can buy a cone of deliciousness for the low price .8o euro . Despite it lack of cold, the flavors are unforgettably- current fav- Pistachio quickly followed by walnut. ..so i stop once...ok twice a day, don't judge.

8) Random Marching Bands that have nothing to do with German Culture yet are promoted by Lubecks German Culture Committee and are vastly entertaining. - I don't really feel the need to expound much on this one other than there is something mind boggling about listening to A marching band surrounded by medieval aged buildings, dressed in traditional German costumes playing 'smoke on the water' followed by Abba's Dancing Queen. Huh....at the end of the day this had to make the list for sheer fact that where else can you say you've seen that.....

9) Cafe in the old monastery- overlooking the canal, our apartment and much of Lubeck is an old monastic building - which has been turned into a museum of archeology and contains a small wine cafe. Here you can find a peaceful place to sit and chat without sounds of city life- and by far one of my favorite places to chill with Erika after a long day.

10) Finding the connections to the Camino EVERYWHERE- I think one of my best moments was finding a Camino sticker attached to a street lamp down the road from the apartment- Since discovering the connection to the Camino trail, I have found St. James and his shell everywhere- It's kind of grown into a where's waldo type of deal- I even found the pilgrimage church in Hamburg AND they stamped my original Camino pilgrims passport with an official Camino stamp. It just goes to show what I have known all along, all roads lead to Santiago my friends. (Pictured here is the pilgrims road sign outside of St. Jakobi in Hamburg. Note that Santiago de Compostela is listed third from the top and it is 2500 km away)