Exploring Germany

Library and bus stop.

It is strange to be able to walk down the street in Germany and not be talked to or even waved at.  In Benin, everyone either says hello, or the kids call out "yovo".  Even in Canada, people will often nod and smile or say "hello" to strangers, but in Germany, people tend to keep to themselves.  After being with people almost constantly for two months, it does seem isolating.  The weather is so cold that my friend had to lend me a winter jacket.  Everyone here does not seem to mind the temperature, and in reality, it is not that cold.  But compared to sitting out on the ship docked in Benin on Sunday, at +30C, being here in -4C is a huge shock to my body.  I can once again see my breath outside, there is frost on the grass and trees, and my mouth and joints have become stiff from the cold.

My friend's apartment is quite cozy and exactly what I would imagine a nice European apartment to be.

The flag of Benin hanging on the wall made the apartment just that much cozier, bringing back wonderful memories.

This is the view from the balcony.  It is still warm enough during the wintertime for some greenery in the yards, and most plants do not totally freeze during the winter as I am used to.

Bike riding toward downtown with beautiful lakes and grass all around.

Every bike ride to the city centre took us by this lake.  I am amazed that people can ride their bicycles all year round, as there is minimal snow.

|My friend, Theresa, invited me to stay in her apartment with her, and she borrowed another bicycle for me to use.  We drove (by bike) into the city centre of her town, and walked around the Christmas market.  The German word for Christmas market is Weihnachtsmarkt.  After lunch, we met up with a group of people for a tour of the city.  Everyone could speak German, except for me, so the tour was in German with either the guide or Theresa translating for me.

The tram in the city centre.  The Weihnachtsmarkt is held in this square.

City Hall.  Portions of this building are at least 600 years old.

Another view of City Hall.

It is incredible to see buildings that are hundreds of years old.  In Canada, which is only 149 years old, almost everything is fairly "new".  In Germany, however, centuries old buildings are constructed extremely well, and not only are still standing, but are often entirely functional for everyday use.  On our tour, we had the opportunity to travel down some beautiful small streets and learn about people who lived in this area in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

What a cute little shop!

These buildings built close together are so cute!

This shop was my favourite, with little knickknacks and handmade crafts.  The store is very narrow and squeezed between two other buildings.

It got progressively colder as the day got darker, and most stores or restaurants tended to have chairs outside and their doors propped open.  To a Canadian, this is such a foreign concept.  Some restaurants in Canada have a patio that is opened during the summertime, but it is far too cold in the winter to sit down and have a coffee outdoors.  After being in Benin at 25-30C weather, the cold was hard to bear.  Thankfully we found a nice indoor restaurant and got some soup and coffee to warm us up.  Theresa's friend joined us and brought some more layers for me to keep warm!  We finished at the restaurant and then set out to enjoy more of the Christmas market.

I was so grateful that this cafe was warm and had indoor seating so I could thaw my fingers and toes!

To finish off the day, we bought some hot chocolate at the Weihnachtsmarkt.