Yesterday, Fabi and I rode the bus to das neue Rathaus "the New Town Hall". (The buses here are pretty much the same as in America, except they give you change, you have more space, and you don't have to worry about sitting/stepping in gum or bodily fluids. The other big difference is that they - the drivers - drive like maniacs so people must brace themselves for the very real chance of ending up on the floor.)
At the Rathaus (pictured above), I met a Polish student who will be studying through the Erasmus Scholars programs at Uni-Osnabrück. I failed to catch his name, as I was so excited to meet another Austauschschuler "Exchange Student", that I forgot to ask. It was beautiful though. You can ride to the very top into the dome of the Rathaus in an elevator that slants to go along the contour of the dome. From there, there are four levels that you can choose to climb to (or not) via steps. The view from the dome is amazing (as seen below, except with the capacity for a 360 degree view).
After the Rathaus, we went on the to the Maschsee, home of the most disgustingly huge carp I have ever seen. I'm getting Gänsehaut (lit. "Goose Skin" - "Goose Bumps") just thinking about them. No lie, if they wanted to, they probably could have fit my entire leg in their mouths, at least up to my knee!
The best part of Saturday was church and a concert. Church was followed by a PHENOMENAL concert by die Klosterbrüder "The Cloister Brothers" an all male comedy choir. Selections included hilarious and suggestive songs from many eras, and - much to my surprise - a couple English selections (Barbara Ann, In the Jungle, and Dust in the Wind). They were incredibly entertaining, and afterwards I added to the list of odd things I've tried and liked at the table of snacks and desserts that they had.
List of Odd Foods I Have Eaten Thusfar in Deutschland:
1. Leberkäs - lit. "Liver Cheese", which contains no liver and no cheese
2. Bregenwurst - "Brain Sausage", soft & spreadable, may or may not have brain in it - not sure
3. Matjes - pickled salt herring, which I ate on bread with onions and sweet gherkin pickles
much more to come, I'm only on day three......
Yesterday was very different from Saturday.
Per my request, we visited the site of the old Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, the most infamous camp on German soil, most of which was destroyed by burnings initiated by the Allied forces who felt it necessary as typhoid fever, and the lice that carried it, were rampant. Unlike other camps, as I am told and as I can imagine, this one is much more peaceful today. The real shock is when you realize that the gently rolling hills are actually mass graves for 1,000... 5,000... 6,000... victims whose bodies were littered across the ground at the time of the camp's liberation on April 15, 1945.
It is hard to imagine, even in person, the atrocities that took place there, but the museum and tours led by its staff do a nice job of helping with that. It was very moving, and all of us agreed afterwards that it felt like we had worked all day, because it was so emotionally intense and draining.
I have to run now, and get ready for the new day. We're going exploring, buying my train ticket to Osnabrück, and just generally seeing more of Hannover! Here's to another great day!
Tschüß!
"Bye!"
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