Blogging from Germany: Sunday

Last night we had a seriously bad meal. So this is a warning: When in Mannheim, you see a Greek Restaurant across Mesplatz in front of the Altefeuerwache cafe-bar, avoid it like the plague. We should have run on seeing the plaster of Paris sculptures and fake fruit, but were worse for the wear and not especially savvy. 32 Euros down we are now super-savvy ;)

Sunday in Germany....

For someone from India the silence here is deafening and wonderful. On an average Sunday on St.Mark's Road, Bangalore, you would hear: traffic, auto's honking, people talking as they stream out of St.Mark's Cathedral or into Koshy's for appams and stew, a bit of a bustle around Zui's friend, Coconut Uncle, opposite K.C.Das, and other random sounds like crows cawing, someone at the pan stall spitting and so on.

But here, everything in closed and there is no traffic on the street till much later in the day. The only discernible sound is the glory of church bells from the various churches around us.  Just across the River Neckar and visible from our balcony is the Baroque CityKirche Konkordien.

I'm resuming this post almost 2 weeks later in Münster whose name originates in the Greek 'monasterion'. Münster had always been Catholic till a brief Protestant take over and then returned to being the Catholic city it is today. The exquisite St.Lambert's steeple is not far from the junges theatre offices. Florian told me that the cages one sees on the steeple are where the Anabaptists were tortured and killed. 

Last night as we walked back from the very groovy Pension Schmidt, we heard some music coming out of another church not far from Julia's home. So we stepped in. Fantastic! It was World Dance Day so the church interiors had been taken over by black and violet lights, hip hop crews and freestyle dancers. How wonderful to see something young and current co-exist with the Gothic nave, aisles and transept. No stress about religious sensitivites and sentiments, just a solid affirmation of life and the pursuit of happiness.

I like.