Excursion Nummer Eins

Last weekend we traveled to the lovely little town of Erfurt, a forty-minute train ride west from Jena. Things really bustle around here on Saturdays because everything is closed on Sundays. It is a mandatory day of rest and you can be fined for making too much noise doing things like recycling your glass bottles or mowing your lawn.

The trams and buses run right down the middle of the street, so you have to be aware of where you're walking at all times. I'm not always good in crowds, so there were many times when I felt my head would explode trying to watch kids and pedestrians and trams and figure out which way to go!

This is one of the oldest churches in Erfurt and the first one we encountered as we left the train station. I think construction on it began around 1300 A.D. Can you imagine what that was like? Every piece being worked and carried by hand?

Next we climbed to the top of a bell tower in another church, constructed around 1100 A.D. Up and around and up and around we went on a rickety old staircase, which Jonathon assured me was OSHA approved! The view from the top was nothing short of amazing as you can see. The whole expedition reminded me of a scene out of Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame.

There were six adults and six children under the age of nine in our party, so we spent quite a lot of time waiting for someone to catch up or pee or get a drink. My guy gets a little antsy when he's not moving, but what a great backdrop against which to take a rest.

I'm not much of a religious person, but the beauty of this cathedral was astounding. All the scrolled woodwork was hand-carved in the 15th century and the statues of the saints were gold-plated. This cathedral houses one of the largest organs I have ever seen in my life and I would love to hear it being played; the sound must resonante so sweetly against the 100+ foot domed ceiling.

The city was crawling with police in riot gear. It turns out there was a demonstration in front of the train station that day by the "far left". They were protesting the fact that the government would not let them "squat" in abandoned buildings in the city. From the number of police on the streets and helicopters in the air you would think it was a soccer game! It was way overkill if you ask me, but fascinating nonetheless.

This scene greeted us in the train station and of course we had to snap a few photos. The police did not like this and the guy on the left of the picture walked over to me and pointed at my camera and started asking me questions in German. I explained to him that I didn't speak Deutsch, I was an American tourist on my way back to Jena, and was it against the law to take pictures at a demonstration? He then asked to see my passport (which luckily Mark had brought along), grunted and turned around and went back into formation. It was then I learned tourists are supposed to carry their passports at all times. Okay. Carry your passport and don't recycle glass on Sundays. Got it. Anything else I should know?