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Published: July 20th 2011
I woke up in Kassel the most rested I had been in a while and I had even dreamt! I was running low on clean clothes so I asked Helmar if I could wash a load in his washer. He is such a kind fellow and proceeded to get the washer ready to be used, I had no idea it was such a long process or I would have thought twice about asking! He had to find the cables, then run them along the hallway, and then find the right plug and plug it in. Luckily I already had my laundry sorted into “everything in the bag goes . . . including the bag” so that made it a little easier. I was going to be so happy that I had a backpack full of clean clothes and maybe I wouldn’t feel like I smelled so bad all of the time. That feeling was deflated several hours later when Helmar proudly told me he switched everything into the dryer and it was done. . . Oh no . . . as my clothes were just barely fitting before, now that they were dried they were too small, and I still had
a week left before I went back to the States and I didn’t have any pants to wear!
While my clothes were still in the safety of the washer we had gone down stairs to Rebecca’s, Helmar’s daughter, apartment for breakfast. She speaks very good English and is just a delight to be around! As usual the breakfast spread was amazing with sausages, wurst, cheeses and more cheeses, dips, breads, pastries, vegetables, jams, jellies, and the list goes on! By the time breakfast was over I was stuffed! So.Much.Food!
Derrick and I made jokes that while German food is awesome, we just felt like going back to sleep after eating, but no rest for those who have limited time to see everything! Helmar had us in his Mini Cooper soon after breakfast and we were off to the Old City of Hannover Spitz (I think the second word was Spitz . . . .) it was a little bit out of the town of Kassel. Once we got there I understood why Helmar wanted to take us here, it was all original construction since this town never received any bombing. It was so interesting to see the old
architecture of the buildings and how they aren’t quite straight anymore and some of the houses bow out at the sides, but they look sturdy! The houses also have old German inscriptions along the window line of the different floors of the building. Another cool thing about the town is it is the hometown of the first Anesthesiologist, Dr.Eisenbart! He realized that by bonking people in the back of the head that they passed out and it made for a much nicer surgery for everyone.
Not soon after we arrived in the town Helmar said he was thirsty and we then all sat down at a café outside the town’s clock tower. He asked what we wanted to drink, I got an eistee (ice tea) and Derrick and Helmar got Coke light (diet coke). I am so glad I got the Icetea since the others drinks were huge! They served the diet coke in beer steins that almost held a liter! They each had almost a liter of coke! Derrick was having trouble finishing his coke when the waiter came back out carrying 3 giant pizzas! Derrick and I just looked at each other, I told him that I
swore I just told the waiter “thank you” when I spoke my little bit of German! (is “Danke” and “I would like 3 giant pizzas” the same in Deutch?!) It turns out that Helmar thought we looked hungry again (we could have gone 5 days without eating after the breakfast we had just a few hours earlier) and ordered us each a pizza. I wasn’t hungry at all but it would have been rude not to eat it and once I started I found more room as the pizza was very good!
We ate all of our pizza (I have no idea how) and Helmar started to feed the crusts to the pigeons (I am pretty sure everyone was giving us dirty looks for attracting the birds). At one point he gave the pigeons a fairly large piece and they were pecking away at it so viciously it that they actually managed to fling it from the ground up and over our table narrowly missing Derricks face! Derrick then says “look at those pigeons, they look so frustrated!” I laughed so hard since I thought they were happy to get fed, but I guess when a piece of pizza
is flung at your face by a pigeon you could call them frustrated.
Derrick and I then went on an adventure to find a bathroom (and I saw a pair of pants that weren’t too expensive since all I had left was a pair of exercise shorts!). This was no easy task as there weren’t any public toilets and most of the restaurants had closed including the one we were eating at. I hurried up and bought my pants (they are so comfy!) and went back to the clock tower where Helmar was still sitting because there is a little show every day at noon and 3, and Helmar didn’t want us to miss it.
As the clock struck three (we had been sitting there since 12:30, drinking massive cokes, eating massive pizzas, and feeding frustrated birds) Dr.Eisenbart and friends came out of the tower. The carvings depicted a man in a chair with a bandage on his head, someone behind him with a large hammer (not kidding), and Dr.Eisenbart in front of the man extracting a tooth! As the music plays (they have a full on song that kids learn in school) the man getting “the treatment”
is waving his arms and legs, the guy with the hammer is swinging it getting ready to gonk the guy, and Dr.Eisenbart has the tooth in the visegrips! (I can’t make this stuff up!) The “show” went on for a good 5 or so minutes and Helmar is swaying back and forth humming along to the song, I think he was the most excited to see it!
After the “show” it was back on to find a WC, Derrick and I were hesitant to just go into a random restaurant and use their bathroom, but Helmar assured us it would be fine. He led us into an open but empty restaurant and chattered in German to someone in the back and then showed us to the bathroom. After leaving the restaurant I found Derrick and Helmar outside. Derrick then told me that when he was leaving he tried to use to use some German and he poked his head into the kitchen and said “Danke,” and in the “no good deed goes unpunished” law a lady we presume owned the restaurant came up to him and started yelling at him in German. When he gave the international “look” she
Detlef's backyard
Grilling up some good things!then said “you don’t speaka de Deutch eh? Then I yell at you in English!” and proceeded to ream him out for using the restroom without being a patron (Helmar was nowhere to be found, and we still have no idea what he said when we first entered the restaurant). Luckily I snuck out unscathed.
That was it for our high adventure in Hannover Spitz, we left and went back to Helmars apartment to get ready for the next part of our day, a BBQ at Derrick’s Uncle Detlef’s house (Alina’s Dad).
We got back and I looked up trains for our trip to Holland the next day then got ready and we all went over for the BBQ. It turns out that one of Alina’s friends is from PA and has been studying in Germany and is spending the last of her time in Germany at Alina’s house, so it was a BBQ for American visitors!
Of course there was food, food, and more great food! We had a great time and it was a nice treat that almost everyone spoke really good English! Detlef did slip up instead of asking if one of Derricks Uncles back
in the States “shaved” his hair, he asked if he “shared” his hair, and he did this several times! It was hilarious and we all (including Detlef) laughed each time he slipped up. It was a late night but it didn’t feel like it since it doesn’t get dark here until 11 pm!
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Harshad
non-member comment
Is Hannover Spitz a part of Hannover or Kassel
Hi, I happened to come across blog yesterday when google let me to your page for the words: 'giving away clothes in Kassel'. If you don't mind me asking, could you please clarify where this HannoverSpitz place is. Is it a part of Hannover or closer to Kassel but has 'Hannover' in the name. I'm living in Kassel for a while and haven't encountered this seemingly beautiful place yet. I feel it's worth a visit. Please let me know. It would be of great help. Cheers!