Happy Father's Day

Thursday- Good afternoon, it is quarter til midnight here and I have had a looong day so I’m going to make this recap short and sweet. Woke up this morning and toured Konstanz. Something seemed fishy at about 10:30 when none of the shops were opened. Come to find out it is Father’s Day….Happy Father’s Day!!! Whooo….yeah…..the Germans really celebrate their papas. The banks are closed, the stores are shut down and the streets are filled with people… now don’t get me wrong, I love people but I’m not too big on crowds and today was a crowded kind of day. We left Konstanz for Mainau, the island of flowers and butterflies but had to bypass that stop due to CROWDS. We headed down the north bank of the Bodensee to Meersburg, a stunning little seaside city that falls in terraces to the water. I got some great pics of Burg Meersburg, the oldest castle in Germany and we enjoyed a Swabian meal from the porch of a café on the sea side promenade. From Meersburg we continued to Lindau and let me tell you, nothing compares to the beauty of this place. It’s a small port on the eastern tip of the Bodensee that looks out on the water. Directly across the lake are the Austrian and Swiss Alps, still snow covered. Hundreds of sail boats dart across the crystal clear waters in the afternoon sun. Over the past 6 days I have seen more terrain change and land diversity than anywhere else in the world, all within a day’s drive form each other and some within sight of each other. It really is spectacular.

 Lindau

 Hohenzollern Castle

 Sigmaringen Castle

                                                                            Meersburg

 Lindau

The Austrian Alps

Just to put a few places with the names....

Ulm Cathedral, Tallest

Steeple In the World

 The Crucifiction In St. Josephs

 A wasserfall in the Black Forest

 The Black Forest

 Harburg Castle

ENO at Harburg:)

Chastan Hohenzollern ??? It has a nice ring to it....

Wednesday- Today we left Ulm after another delicious meal. Pancakes with powder sugar, assorted cheeses and fruits and hot tea…. Enough to make any of pavlov’s dogs’ mouths water…bell or not.

We had designated today as our Tour de Castles of sorts. Heading south west our fist destination was Lichtenstein Castle, built and named after the book “Lichtenstein”. Now we had prepared ourselves for some dreary weather because the forecast had shown 50’s and rain but so far the day had been unexpectedly nice. However, when we reached the base of the castle a dark boiling wall of clouds could be seen approaching fast across the valley. When we came into view of the Castle it took really surprised me. The structure was much more majestic an impressive than I had expected. Built on a spire of rock that jutted out of the valley below, the castle, small as it was, stood atop the spire and almost glowed in the sunlight. Did I say sunlight? I meant snow. YES, SNOW. That dark mass of clouds had brought not rain but snow and I’m not talking a flurry….It was coming down in blankets. Instantly I became a little kid, I was fascinated once again with God’s unquestionable uncertainty. I laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. I was dancing in the snow at a castle in Germany in May! What an amazing amount of impossibilities! Descending the mountain we continued south and within the hour our next destination came into view. Now Lichtenstein may have been perched on a spire of rock but Burg Hohenzollern was sitting upon a whole mountain overlooking the Neckar Valley. For a second I fell into the fantasy of my childhood and I truly believed I was finally going to Hogwarts. We toured the chambers of Hohenzollern and I have concluded that I will trace my lineage back and find my relation to the Hohenzollern and thus inherit Burg Hohenzollern. I also concluded that after seeing the treasury I would spend my afternoons in the castle keep strutting around in an ancient golden laurel wreath with a diamond studded snuff box in hand…just for fun.

The last of our castle sampler was Schloss Sigmaringen. Located on the Danube River Sigmaringen sprawls out on the Cliffside. The beautiful tan stone gleams with a rosy vigor in the afternoon sun ( between the intermittent snow showers of course). From Sig we hoped on the road and drove through what may questionably be the most beautiful stretch of country I have ever seen. The Danube river valley/gorge is flanked on both sides be rock faces and fingers that jut up out of the tree line and shine white in the afternoon light. A castle sits atop almost every pinnacle of stone and villages dot the river’s edge. It was a backpacker and climber’s paradise. Miles of wooded land and untouched meadows called to me and my eno but alas! My time is ticking…. We reached the Klauster Beuron Abbey after the closing time but lucky me the doors were open. Now I have seen some ornate frescoes and architecture in my time but I have to say that the Duomo of Florence and St. Paul’s Cathedral have nothing on this place. Ever surface of the arched sanctuary was covered in flowing white vines that twined around columns, split, leafed and blossomed. Cherubs filled the corners and sat among clouds with outreached arms. At the altar a fresco of Jesus crowning the Virgin Mary stood center while two sculptures, one of St. Paul and the other of Joseph stood to the left and right. I sat in reverent awe at the skill of the artist who molded this place and at the skill in the Creator who molded this world. I realized as I looked around that nothing was duplicated. Every flower, cherub and vine was unique, just as everything in this world is unique. The room began to fill with attendees and I realized that a service was about to commence so I bowed out graciously and we headed for the Bodensee and Konstanz. (If I had any knowledge of the catholic traditions or knew any German I would have stayed for the service because I think that would be phenomenal to participate in a worship service 5000 miles from home, in a different language, with complete strangers yet brothers in Christ. And he, don’t we all speak agape?)

I am now in Konstanz, which is on this massive lake called the Bodensee. The Bodensee lies between Germany, Switzerland and Austria and it has an unexplainably warm climate that allows fruits to flourish along with a variety of moderately tropical plants and animals. The local food is greatJ I had my first schnitzel tonight with some delicious spatzle (regional dish consisting of fettuccini like noodles in a crème sauce) and some locally brewed beer. Well, that is up to date… Its after midnight here so I better hit the sack. Goodnight!

A night in the Fishermens' Quarter

Tuesday Night-Tonight we got back to Ulm around 4ish. I was pooped and with the defeat of the art gallery fresh on my mind I had little desire to do much of anything. After a brief rest we decidied to head off to old Ulm for a little exploration and food. Behind the ancient walls fortifying to tightly packed streets we walked around between the half timbered houses. It was beautiful, the streets paralleled a small river and the houses all leaned over it, in a very venetian style. Water wheels churned and candles flickered in some the waved glass windows. Our search for food ended at a small house butting up to the river, I had to stoop down to walk inside (the place was 400 years old) but the experience was phenomenal. The restaurant was in an old house in the fishermen’s quarter, and it served a variety of Swabian meals. Everything was spiced heavily, soaked or tenderized. Oh and don’t forget the beer, there is always beer.

Munich! Munich! How thou bustling streets impress me...

Tuesday- Today we got an earlier start and grabbed a pastry on the way out of Ulm. We headed down the autobahn to Munich and arrived around 11:30. We rushed through the Altstadt and barely made it in time to see the Glockenspiel (a huge 2 story clock depicting a German duel and dance) at the Markenplatz. The city center was bustling, full of every demographic. I really like Munich because it is a nice mix of old and new. There are contemporary building nestled between cathedrals that are 500 years old. Although the contrast is stark it adds unique character to the city. We went to the city market and wow….it was cool. There were tons of stalls selling vegetables and fruits, hundreds of varieties that I had never heard of, and lots of meat and cheese stalls too. We then headed north to the Hofbrauhaus, the most famous beer hall in Germany where we sat back and soaked in the Ompah band while sipping on a Pilsner. Then we walked across the city to the neue pinokatech, an art museum that houses some of the most notable European artist of the last millennium. IT WAS CLOSED. Queue the rain( literally ). Extremely disappointed, we hailed a cab and returned to the car. I am now back in Ulm, and I think I may go explore the old city some tonight. I have found that Germans lifestyles are very similar to Americans but they seem to have one thing right that we don’t…they know what’s really important in life and they take time to enjoy it. I hope that if I bring anything back, it is that mindset. Well, goodnight….sleep tightJ

* Sorry about some spelling errors, I’m not sure exactly how to spell some of the place name

A very good start

Hallo! (That’s german for “Hello”)

So I am writing this blog as much for my benefit as any because I won’t be able to remember all the fine details in 5 years and maybe this account of my adventures will keep the memories fresh, (so look at this as being my pensieve just minus the magic and other cool stuff.)

Friday/Saturday- The flight here was flawless, no delays or layovers and the distance wasn’t even that bad. We flew from PTI to Washington then to Frankfurt. From Frankfurt we left United and boarded Lufthansa to fly south to Munich. I must say that Germany first impressed me in its airport bathroom where I discovered that they have solved the age old problem and have invented the perfect urinal. No backsplash or anything….absolutely beautiful. After meeting up with Meems, Peeps discovered that his luggage was MIA. We leave, slightly flustered, but still excited. Thanks to peeps we grabbed the keys to a shweet BMW Xi “Wagen” and headed west to our first stop, Ulm. Ulm will be our hub for the next few days as we venture into the German Countryside. Centrally located, Ulm has some merit of its own; Home of Albert Einstein and the World’s tallest steeple. Once we arrive we eat dinner on the Danube and hit the sack. With one hour of sleep after the past 40 I am wiped out.

Sunday – Let me just say that if you ever travel to Germany make sure you have all that you need on Saturday because come Sunday the country goes on lockdown ( how the Sabbath should be treated everywhere.) Excluding the masses exciting the churches I saw very few people today. We explored the Ulm Cathedral, full of towering columns and stained glass dating back 7 centuries, and then got in the car and drove west. We stopped in Tubingen, a small medieval town nestled between two rivers and guarded by the magnificent castle perched on the crags above. The town was divided by a large hill (where the castle sat) and was connected by a cool tunnel. The Altstadt (old town) was full of stucco and half-timber buildings that dated back several centuries. It is crazy to think that almost everything I touch here is older than anything in the United States. The castle was open for touring (exploration) and it even was holding archery classes. From Tubingen we headed towards the black forest. Taking the BF Crest Trail (a lot like the Blue ridge parkway) we meandered through dense hemlock Groves and across the Hornburg, one of Germany’s tallest peaks. Once on the other side we reached Mumilesse (a small mountain lake rumored to house water spirits). Descending from the mountain tops we spotted a “wasserfall” and…. I had to stop hahah. At the end of the BF crest trail we entered Baden-Baden, a spa town built in the late 1800’s and still a prominent hangout for the region’s snots. With no interest in a couple of hot springs we crossed the Rhine into France. It was crazy, there was no border patrol what so ever. We just slid right in…and back out. Paris was another 500km, and I didn’t really think of anything else worth seeing on a tight schedule…Back to Ulm for the night.

Monday- Today we got a little earlier start but it was quickly forfeited by our lengthy breakfast (over here they almost sanctify meal times, they are a time of extended socializing, hearty meals and great beer). Once we were back in the car we headed north on the Autobahn. We were flying! (so I thought, until I saw cars passing us at blistering speeds….150mph+) When we reached Rothenburg I thought I must be dreaming. It was that fairy tale town, you know like the Shire meets Tuscany? The Altstadt is completely untouched by time, the streets are lined with half-timber houses equipped with geranium filled window boxes. The Town is surrounded by a Rampart/Wall and river. Although it is like a relic among ruins it is completely inhabited. We visited the Cathedral where the reliquary of the Holy Blood resides and some of St. James’ remains if I’m not mistaken. The cathedral in itself is gorgeous with its ornate stained glass and vaulted ceiling. We also shopped at the Christmas market which was cool… Meems could’ve spent eternity in it. After eating a snowball (signature Rothenburg treat) we headed south down the romantic road past rolling fields and hamlets to Harburg. Once there we visited the Harburg Castle that loomed over the town and I even got the chance to throw up my ENO for a little afternoon rest. As the sunset we returned to Ulm, ate supper at The Einstein Restaurant and now I’m sitting here at 2 am writing this.

I hope y’all are all doing well and I will see you soon!

"I'm so humble"

       One of the virtues that is easily overlooked is humility and it is overlooked by definition. When considering humility in our daily lives we need to look at our motivations; are they selfless or are they designed with us in mind? Do I attend Church or volunteer at Crisis Control Ministries because I love Jesus and want to serve or is it because I want to say "Look at me, look at how great of a Christian I am!"
       There is a critical fault in our thought process that is groomed and perfected throughout our lives. This idea of self recogniton reaches it's culmination during your senior year of high school when colleges and scholarship organizations ask you to list all of your achievements. Now I am not saying that you shouldn't be proud of the good things you do but don't let that pride be what makes you perform the action. Let the pride come as a result, as a product of the satisfacton you get from helping others.
       If we boast our humility then we are not humble at all, we are the inverse of humble. How do we expect anyone to want to join the Church if from the outside we look like a group of pious, hypocritical nags? I dont think I would want to enter any sanctuary filled with vultures like that. I am not just attacking the church, I am attacking myself. I think every once in a while we all need a sobering moment where we realize how insignificant we really are. We have to be brought down out of the clouds, low enough that we can see the land spread out below us, the big picture. We are as important as the whole we create and as insignificant as the singular we try to be. This post is my brick, bringing me to reality. What's your brick? Are you holding it? Or ignoring it? Are you convincing yourself that you're recognition is as important as the work you did to recieve it? Let go of the weght, actually, throw it out of the basket and watch as your hot air ballon falls below the cloudline. I promise the view is much better below the clouds than in them.