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Published: August 14th 2005
St. Lorenzkirche
Nürnberg's Lorenzkirche, the church that has become the center attraction in which the winter Christkindlesmarkt is situated around.Arrival Abroad
My long awaited trip to reconnect with family, friends, and to log in new experiences under my already seasoned travel pro belt, has finally begun! From the time I bought my plane ticket to the day of departure, I have been waiting in anticipation for this day. It has been three years since I've returned to my homeland of Germany - far too long than I care to admit. For someone who has grown accustomed to spending summers abroad, being on lockdown in a full-time job feels like burning weights on my soul.
Thankfully the young guy sitting next to me on the plane was a good looking Swed. He had just returned from a surfing adventure in South America and was on his way back home. I guess he hadn't been in the company of a woman in quite some time because he felt the need to hold my hand half the flight - and I decidedly let him.
The plane safely touched down in Frankfurt, Germany on May 20th and, like a child on Christmas Day, I had the meshing of quiet anticipation and sultry excitement brewing inside of me. I would be seeing
St. Lorenzkirche 2
Detail of the doorway to Lorenzkirche my family soon! As I walked out to the sidewalk of the airport, I saw him. This hulky man of 6'2 coming my way with a sideways grin plastered onto his face. I ran up and embraced my uncle, Hartmut, then turned around and recieved a large embrace by my aunt Nora. After several minutes of meticulously making mental notes of how I've grown up, we packed into the car and headed to my grandmother's house in Nürnberg, Germany - a good two hour car ride away on the Autobahn and the main hub of northern Bavaria.
The ride was easy and nostalgic. In between snippets of conversation and catching each other up on our lives, I viewed the German countryside. The scenery and beauty and fresh serenity instantly brought tears to my eyes - I have never been in the presence of anything that has moved me in such a way as this. No man or love has ever compared or stolen my heart as Europe has. Everywhere I turned, there was a building or home that boasted architectural pride. There were deep, green valleys and vast mountainsides that seemed to push on the edges of reality. The
St. Lorenzkirche 3
Inside view of Lorenzkirche land looks like a postcard - only you can breathe it in when you are in the midst of it.
We arrive in Nürnberg and get settled into the house. This is the first time I have been in my grandmother's house since she had passed. It was unfortunate that I was unable to attend her funeral when it happened, but it was too expensive for the entire family to fly overseas. My mother went in place of us all but I didn't let her go without a good fight. In the end, I lost. I lost more than my grandmother. I lost a chance to say goodbye. So stepping into her house this time made me draw my breath in short. She was everywhere. The paper thin oyster shell chimes that slightly crashed together with the breeze in the doorway, the chair in the kitchen by the front window that she would sit in while enjoying her afternoon beer, the garden she kept so meticulous and vibrant, the strong German Catholic icons positioned all throughout the living room, the sun shining in through the balcony of the larger bedroom, rosaries hanging from any available space. She was there
Frauenkirche
Nürnberg's Frauenkirche, where my parents were married. and I could feel it. I broke down and cried for her and for everything she ever meant to me and everything she ever will.
That evening we all went to one of my favorite restaurants around the corner, Zeitenwende, which serves your very typical Bavarian food. After relishing in the foods I have missed for the past couple of years, I took in the town on our walk back home. Memories came flooding back to me, a rush of years upon years, one after the other, until they were not distinguishable anymore - just a collage of times that were. I started to wonder how all my childhood friends were doing when I found a letter for me waiting back at the house. It was from my girlfriend, Sandra, who I grew up with during my summers. Her family has always been close to mine, seeing as how they only live two blocks from each other. I stopped by her house to let her know I recieved her note and found it refreshing to see that she hadn't changed a bit. Her beautiful golden retriever, Amba, had significantly aged but her and her mom seemed to be doing
Shöner Brunnen
Shöner Brunnen or "Beautiful Fountain" was erected around 1385 but was replaced by a replica in the early 20th century. It has a sixty-two foot spire set into an octagonal pool. The pool is decorated with statues of philosphers, evangelists and churchfathers. The spire is decorated with statues of Electors, and Jewish and Christian heros. Set into the railings is a golden ring - turn it three times and your wishes will come true. well. While her mother still lived around the corner from my grandmother's house, Sandra had moved to Bremen, in northern Germany, to finish her schooling. I sat around in their living room trying to catch up on everything I had been missing. Friends of ours who were now married, others who now have children, some who have moved due to jobs or school. The reminiscing was good and being there back in their home felt great. It hurt to know that I couldn't change back time; couldn't go back to the summer when I was 12 and we were all running around the yard with super soakers; couldn't go back to the summer when I was 14 and had my first real love crush - back when it was innocent and pure; couldn't go back to the summer when I was 16 and running through the forests late at night playing Überfall. Time has seperated us all and it ached my heart to realize this.
The next day was a day spent in downtown Nürnberg, enjoying the cobblestone streets and beautiful sights and, of course, doing some shopping. Nora and Hartmut took Lindsey around town and gave her a
Heilig Geist Spital
In the centre of Nürnberg, alongside the river Pegnitz, is the Hospital of the Holy Spirit which was originally founded in 1332 but badly damaged during the Second World War. brief history lesson while I stood in line trying on clothes. I've been there so many times, I have the city memorized better than the back of my hand, so it was more of an opportunity for my family to share their knowledge of the area with Lins. Frauenkirche, the church my parents married at, is situated practically at the heart of the downtown area. It usually serves as an iconical point of reference but its beauty always makes me stop when I go to walk by it. I'm sure I am partial to it since it was my parent's wedding place and I find it so storybook-like when I look up at it from my insignificant spot on the street in front of it. The church has presence and it commands your attention.
As some people may already know, in the fifteenth century, Nürnberg became the favorite royal residence and seat of the first Diet called by each new emperor, and the city then functioned as the unofficial capital of Germany. It was the homeplace of the great Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer, who painted
Young Hare and
Praying Hands (this work has been a widely popular choice of
Kaiserberg
The cluster of buildings that forms the Kaiserberg is situated on the high ground in the north-east corner of the Aldstadt or "Old Town." The origins of the buildings go back to 1040. tattoo among men). In the nineteenth century, it became the focus for the Pan-German movement, and the Germanisches Nationalmuseum - the most important and extensive collection of the country's arts and crafts - was founded at this time. The city was given a horrifying twist during the Third Reich; even today the city's image is marred by its association with the regime, a tangible reminder of which survives in the weather-beaten Nazi architecture of suburban Luitpoldhain, site of the mass rallies and the Nürnberg trials. Despite its WWII stigma, the beauty of the streets and the comeliness of the houses is truly dazzling and the Altstadt remains alive with street theatre and music and remains a backdrop for the renowned month-long Christkindlesmarkt held every winter there.
After a day of sightseeing, shopping, and eating traditional Nürnberger bratwurst with beer, Lindsey and I met up with Sandra for an evening out on the town. To my surprise and shock, she had managed to round up quite a few of our friends who I were afraid had already moved on and away. The joy I had in seeing everyone cannot be described in words. My love for each and every one
Kaiserberg 2
View from the top, overlooking some of the Kaiserberg buildings. of them came pouring out wholeheartedly. Among those who were in for the long haul of drinking that evening were Michi and his wife, Sabine, Markus, Rolf, Holger and, of course, Sandra and Lins. It always seems to happen that upon reuniting with old friends, the drinks flow freely and the conversation becomes bountiful. Let's just say that I tempted the fates by mixing everything from beer to wine to liquor to schnapps and back to beer again. Laughter and stories filled the bar until it was time to go home. Sadly, I bid my farewell to all of them and we promised to keep in touch. That night I slept horribly - getting up every hour to get sick did not suit me well. Let's just say I spent the greater part of my morning on the bathroom floor, cuddling a roll of toilet paper and breaking out in cold sweats. Just goes to prove that hangovers will follow you around the world.
The next day we were off to Vienna, Austria on the train. . .
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