LEIPZIG
Monday, May 25th
Arrived in Leipzig where I have a room in a hostel with 4 other girls. Roaming the streets are Goths. Apparently, there was a goth convention this weekend and it turns out, 2 other girls who shared my room that night all attended the convention. Pretty cool :)
I only organized myself on the first evening and called it quits early after a activity-filled weekend, I needed a proper night's sleep.
Tuesday, May 26th
I got a late start, or rather a slow and relax start :)
I went to the Telegraph Café-Restaurant because it was recommended in my tour book. It had many German magazines and some English and French. The decor was very nice. There isn't much I can say other than it was relaxed and the food was good :)
On my way to the city centre, I stopped quickly by the Thomaskirche (church) where Bach is buried. He played the organ in this church. It was an impressive organ... completely forgot to take a picture.
In front of the market is the Alte Rathaus (the Old City Hall)
When I walked in, steam was being blown into the room... Humidity must be important to preserve the church, maybe?
I fell in love with the ceiling!
One, nature is being represented
Two, pink and green, just a great combination.. but for some reason, I couldn't stop associating it to Katy Perry (weird brain, brainwashed by the media)
This church also had an impressive organ
Nikolai Kirche from the outside (ignore finger)
Not far is the Speck's Hof , a commercial centre with the Höfe (courtyards) like in Berlin only these were indoors most of the time. Rain of shine, they want you to be shopping :P
Let me tell you a secret.. it works. I was swayed to shop :S
Finger again -_____-
Next stop, museum time. I really don't habitually enjoy museums, at all, but when one is alone there is no one to wait for or waiting for you so that makes it more enjoyable.
The Zeitgeschichtliches Forum has two free expositions: One on the GDR beginning to end and the other on the post during that period of time. It was great that it was free and it was super well set up..............but naturally it was almost exclusively in German. No recordings to listen to only the main description boards translated. I had to whip out my French-German mini-dictionary, but I still barely got the gist of it all. It's unfortunate because I really wanted to get educated on the subject. I feel like in Canadian high schools we really only quickly cover the First and Second World Wars where as in Europe they really get into detail.
A pretty Hof in from of an antique shop
The opera house with a sculpture of Bach (I think....) being constructed
The opera house from the front
From the back
Augustusplatz in front of the opera house
Leipzig's University... pretty awesome, more modern than McGill in a much older city, interesting
The panorama tour
Leipzig Hauptbahnhof
Hostel is right next to this place because the next couple of days will be spent visiting the main cities of Thüringen :)
Friday, May 29th
WEIMAR
Wednesday, May 27th
While entering the smaller cities in the Thüringen region, English is more and more scarce. Perfect opportunity to practice my German! I still start by asking if they speak English so they don't judge me to hard when I take out my broken German
Before visiting the city I took a bus to the Buchenwald (book-en-waalt) Memorial. It used to be a concentration camp before and during the Second World War and also a prison of sorts during the cold war. I was happy to get a recorded tour in English to really understand what went on during those gruesome times... so very gruesome things. Makes you wonder about humanity..
The first buildings in a semi-circle outside the concentration camp for workers
The gate to the concentration camp : Jedem am seine -- To each his own
The fence
All the housing for the inmates has been destroyed
This is what it looked like
View from below
Shoes in the on-site arts museum
I didn't take many pictures. I felt it was inappropriate and some things just downright upset me too much and I really did not want to take a picture. This. All of this. Never again.
As a pick me up, let's venture into the beautiful city of Weimar where important writers such as Goether, Schiller and Nietzsche (where my Basc 201 people at!?) lived.
Weimar is just a beautiful city. The building doesn't have to be important to be pretty. Here are some examples
Fancy tea!
My zucchini something or other (I couldn't read everything on the description but it was the meal of the day and only 6 euros so I went for it)
With a happy tummy, I ventured out to find pretty and important buildings
City Palace
Goethe and Schiller archives
I really enjoyed how pink these trees were
Don't ask me, I don't know why
In front of that building there was a belvedere, however the view is not so good
Someone needs to trim some tree....
Duchess Anna Amalia Library
I don't know if the library is named after her or if it used to be her personal library.
I would like to think it was the latter :P I mean it's right next to the Ducal Palace. The spoiled Duchess most have had the time to skip to her library through the park to read alone and pensively
Fürstenhaus (Ducal Palace)
Frauenplan (apparently the Goethehaus is here somewhere... I couldn't find it)
The Rathaus in front of the market :)
Schillerstrasse
Many great pedestrian streets in the Thüringen region, I found
Wittumspalais
Bauhaus: a design and architecture movement
inside the Bauhaus museum
Herderplatz in front of the City Church St. Paul & Peter
Inside the church
Weimarhalle, first real modern building! I was scared I had been transported to the past until then :P
Thursday, May 28th
Capital of Thuringia
Technological monument and museum
City hall
City hall from the side
The Domplatz coming up
In my trip to a couple European cities, this cathedral really surprised me the most as I came up to it
It really does evoke this grandness that makes humans feel so small
Inside the Mariendom
And just right outside of the churches I could see the St. Petersburg citadel
I heart parks
The entrance to said citadel
The view of the Domplatz
The view of the city :)
This run down old building made me remember that for all the beautiful and historical buildings that do get preserved there are probably many more that are abandoned and torn down to make way for new and better things (or because money is missing and you can't save them all ;P)
I love these pretty signs that stick out of the walls... unless it's written Macdonald's on them...
The Kämerbrücke is a bridge and it is quite particular
Just looks like a pretty street
With a lady knitting in traditional clothes (nbd)
Knitting is awesome btw. All the cool kids are doing it
Yes, just a run of the mill pedestrian street
Oh wait whaaaaat, it's a bridge with water flowing under
According the Europe on a Shoestring: "This enchanting medieval bridge is flanked by half-timbered shops - it's the only such structure north of the Alps."JENA
Thursday, May 28th
For the second half of my day, I went to a university city of Thuringia.
St. Michael Church
From what I gathered from the tourist information, Jena takes pride in their modern tower which houses a hotel, restaurant and shopping mall.
The Jen Tower ; 30 floors
You can pay to go up to the 28th floor
Whatta view... except I'm irrationally terrified of heights. Good job Michelle!
Here we can see the market and the church
Hey look a Green Roof. So coooooool
The tourist information clerk also told me that this street is where are the cool kids hang out... and me being a cool kid and everything... ok who am I kidding
Wagnergasse
Fraulein Meier Handcrafts Shop where I bought beautiful trinkets that I do not need but want very much :P
There were many handcrafted and artisinal products in the shops on this street. I walked into 4 shops just to look at all the beauty :D
The view from my table at the Stilbruch Cafe
and the best dessert of life
I finished my day in the Botanical Gardens
I love plants
The benches outdoors had the nicest quotes <3
"It is so nice that you exist"
"Time,
to pause,
to look around,
repeatedly,
for nature to delight (you)"
LEIPZIG
Friday, May 29th
Last day travelling on my own :)
I went to the Stasi-Museum where they explained the role of Leipzig in the reunification and the police before that time and all the crazy things that they did to control and spy on their citizens.
The funniest part was the costumes that the spies had to wear... and how terrible and noticeable they actually are:
This guy looks so cool and inconspicuous... (not)
My final stop was the park... as usual
The Johanapark : looking at the pond and the birds flying :)
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