March 23-2007
Weimar is lovely..the train ride between Berlin and here was very pretty and at times I wanted to say "WOW" outloud. The hostel is more like staying in a communal hippie house than the sort of hostel I am used to but it is sort of cool, though I think I want more anonymity or privacy or something. Luckily, there was a problem with my booking and I can only stay here tonight.
This is the kind of Germany I have dreamed about..narrow, winding streests-cobblestones-cute shops, brightly painted houses in pinks and yellows and blues. It would be nice if it stopped raining, but even walking around Weimar with an umbrella would seem charming.
I took a little stroll and then instinct told me to go into a certain restaurant. I had to share a table with two different couples at different points. I actually enjoyed that..talking about ourselves. The waiter didn't speak any English but I managed to communicate what I wanted to him anyway. Not many people in Weimar (except in the hostel) speak English so it is a little tricky. The waiter seemed like a character out of a comedy skit. He was running to and fro with dishes of hot food and take orders and sometimes he seemed very serious and other times he had a big smile on his face. He was very animated. The menu was both on a table and was also shown as a slideshow on a tv screen- HILARIOUS! I had sauerbraten and rot kohl and a potato ball. It was very good and now I have heart burn.
March 24, 07
So, Kai found me a nice guest flat next door at the neighbors. It is a really nice little place and breakfast (large breakfast) is included. It is only like 40 euro per night which is reasonable. Unfortuantely, the neighbors that rent out/own these flats are sort of hostile towards the hostel...if the guests of the hostel make too much noise, Kai says that the neighbors always call the police, so the neighbors are a thorn in his side. I apologized for staying with the "enemy" neighbors, but Kai just laughed. He has let me keep the key to the hostel though I am not staying there. He said I can come and hang out with them when I am sick of being alone. Kai has been running this hostel for 10 years and he is very mellow and gentle and nothing seems to ruffle his feathers at all. He is, perhaps, the coolest German I have met on my trip so far.
I walked around Weimar for awhile today. Went to the tourist info center in some sort of mall and got a map. There happened to be a fashion show going on which made me laugh for some reason. Models strutting around to bad 70's disco. I walked past Schillers house (don't know much about him) and went into the Bauhaus museum which was a little disappointing but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. The Goethe House/Museum (my main reason for coming to Weimar) was closing at 4pm and it was already 3, so I decided to go back the next day so I wouldnt be rushed.
In the evening I ate at the "Texas" bar and restaurant. I had to go there, well, because what is a Weimar version of TEXAS? The menus were in English and I ordered a cheeseburger which was decent. ONce again I found myself sharing a table with two different couples and two different times...neither of them spoke English (trust me, I asked in German) and so we all ignored each other. The decor inside was cheesy old west/log-cabin..fake fur pelts on e wall, etc. I see people always bringing their dogs into the restaurants and I think this is so cool. It is considered so unhygenic in America but I don't see the problem in it.
I miss Larry. I want to call him but I am afraid to try to figure out how to use a pay phone or a phone card. Jesus, I need to get over all these stupid fears. So, I ended up going out with Kai to have a few beers and he is a nice guy and a good listener. He was grateful to leave the hostel as he rarely does. I told him all about mom and Sarah and he talked about his son, etc. I never got to formally say "goodbye" to him, which is a shame, because I really liked him!!
I finally went to see Goethe's house. It was fascinating and I took my time. I had an audio headset so I did a self guided tour. Later that day I sat in a large, pretty park and just let the sun hit my face. It felt good after so much rain in Berlin.
My last night I watched German tv...pretty funny to me. They have a cartoon called "suicidal squirrels"...it is supposed to be funny but I found it incredibly disturbing.
