Christmas market

This is my first Christmas in Europe. I was really looking forward to it!.In many towns in Germany and Austria, Advent is usually ushered in with the opening of the Christmas market or "Weihnachtsmarkt".
The concept of a street market in the 4 weeks of Advent, first supposedly, originated in the Late Middle ages. These markets are generally held in the town square and adjacent pedestrian zones, the market sells food, drink, and seasonal items from open-air stalls, accompanied by traditional singing and dancing.

We went to the Esslingen Weihnachtsmarkt, which, this year was based on the theme of the "MittelAlt" or Middle Ages. We picked a Saturday evening and we were stormed by the crowds!. Never seen so many people at once in Germany!. The entire fest was held in the small town square.  The prime attraction for my son was the merry-go-around- he took 4 rounds on that!.

We  were joined by my distant cousin. Together, we sampled the famous "gluh wine" in both plain and apple flavors. Gluhwine is a hot(!!) red wine which is made with various spices and fruits. It was awesome!. I made up for missing the "svařák" (another hot wine) in Prague.

There were stalls selling all kinds of stuff- from woolen wear to home decor. 

Short lived summer of 2013

When things are scarce, they are precious. 

In Germany, sunlight is scarce. For someone, who has lived in the tropics all her life, it is hard to imagine, how something so basic as sunlight can be "scarce"!. But when you live a whole year in Europe, you begin to understand why the "whites" are so sun-crazy. 

In the summer of 2013, I remember, how I would go out to the park with my little one. He would cycle on his little balance bike all around the park. He would play in the sand, digging up dirt, with his sand toys. This summer, he finally conquered his fear of slides. He also learnt to climb ropes. Little did I realize then, how short lived sunny days can be here!.

Its now back to cold, gloomy, gray skies. It feels like the summer was almost not there!. One is left asking, "Wasn't it cold just a few months back and now its back again?!". The park is  now littered with the fall leaves. The weather is too cold to stay outside too long. The slide is almost always wet, from dew or rain. Sigh!. 

Tubingen in pictures

Tubingen is an university town situated on the Neckar river. The Neckar front is dotted with beautiful, medieval houses, some of which have been converted into fraternity houses.  

The Neckarinsel is a small island on the river, accessible by a flight of stairs leading down from the bridge across the river. It is home to flocks of pigeons, in numbers so daunting, that the municipality is now into birth control for pigeons!. 

Stiftskirche is a protestant church in the middle of Tubingen, which boasts of breath-taking Gothic architecture. The insides of the church have some amazing stained glass paintings.

Along the path towards the back of the Tubingen castle,  one can take in a bird's eye view of the town with its quaint houses and university buildings. The castle is home to a art museum, university campus and even an archery arena!.

In the town center or Alstadte, one can see a number of medieval houses, now mostly shops, selling anything from the latest fashion trends to home- made croquet works!. 

The town hall  or Rath haus is an architectural landmark in the town square, which has some wonderful sculptures on its structure and even an ornamental clock. 

Three cities, three days

We made a whirlwind car trip across Germany and the Czech Republic on a long weekend in late October. It started with a 6 hour drive to Berlin. After a restful sleep at night and a hearty breakfast in the morning, we embarked on exploring Berlin- 3 adults and 1 toddler.

We bought a group ticket for a day (just 16 euros!) at the nearest S-bahn. It was the easiest  and cheapest way to get around. Although I would have loved to try out an hop-on-hop-off or some other sight-seeing bus option,  I have been advised against this by many a traveler!. So, using a tourist map and public transport, we went around exploring Berlin.

Our first stop was Brandenburg Tor (Gate). It was just above the subway station. It is a beautiful 12 pillared monument, that has come to be the hallmark of Berlin. Atop the gate is a beautiful "Quadriga" or a 4 horse drawn chariot driven by the Roman goddess of victory- Victoria. The gate was built in the 1780s, as a symbol of peace, but has witnessed anything but that!.

The gate is walking distance from the German parliament- Reichstag. We walked the short distance to the Parliament house. The Reichstag is an imposing building in the midst of manicured lawns, with the words "Dem Deutschen Volke" proudly engraved on the front. There is a wonderful glass dome atop the parliament, which supposedly offers a bird's eye view of Berlin.

From the parliament, we headed back towards the Holocaust memorial, also within walking distance. On the way we passed a simple monument dedicated to the memory of the Sinti and Roma ("Gypsies") who were also killed in large numbers in the genocide. It was a deep black pit with constantly flowing water, situated in a clearing of  trees in the vicinity of the Reichstag. In that quaint, unassuming setting, one does get a feeling of sadness for the meaningless of of lives. There is a simple poem etched on the walls of the pond..

"Sucken in face

Extingushed eyes

Cold lips

Silence

A torn heart

without breath

without words

no tears"

Simple words that describe great emotion!.

The Holocaust memorial was no less poignant. The ground work of grey colored rectangle stone in different sizes doesn't strike a chord initially. But when one enters the underground museum, you are flooded with the sheer magnanimity of the criminal genocide. The stories of families torn apart are truly heart rendering. This place was seriously eye-opening. Every war must have a similar story.

It was nearly lunch time and in vain we searched for the elusive "Hitler's bunker"- the place where he supposedly committed suicide. But after a brief search, we were told that the place had been detonated and no longer existed!. It was now a underground parking lot for an apartment!.

Famished we sunk into the welcoming chairs of a Italian pizzeria for a meal of pizza and pasta. The wonderful thing about Berlin, was the food(international), the people (who converse with you in English) and the historical monuments.

Post lunch, we walked towards the Pergamon museum. We underestimated the distance from the Holocaust memorial, and had to walk quite a bit!. The museum is situated on a museum island (similar to Munich). The beautiful Berlin cathedral is situated close by and was a wonderful background for some memorable photographs.

Pergamon was worthy of the effort and expense to see it!. It had a superb collection, the most memorable were the frieze of the Pergamon altar and the Ishtar Gate of ancient Babylon. But my toddler was in no way awed by Pergamon and it was difficult to keep him out of trouble!.

Nearly dusk, we headed to the nearest subway. Our last stop for the day was the Berlin Wall memorial. Reaching the site after dark, we were disappointed to find the museum attached, had very little in terms of interactive media. The wall (or the last remaining remnant) was right outside the museum. Scribbled with graffiti, it wasn't much of a sight.

The next day, we headed towards Dresden by car. Starting out late(nearly afternoon), we couldn't hope to see much of Dresden. We spent some time in the military museum of Dresden. It was a huge place, with lots of information, but not for a tourist in a hurry!. The city of Dresden has a terrible world war history, being a major military base of the German army. It was bombed by allied forces, where more than 90% of the city was destroyed!. The city has been reconstructed since. Driving through the city at dusk, it is little wonder that this hidden gem of Germany, was once called the "Florence-on-the-Elbe"!.

A few hours of drive from Dresden, is Prague or Praha. Our last stop for the trip, we arrived tired and weary, late into the evening. We checked into a small hotel in the old town district, which had got rave reviews on Trip advisor, and it was not disappointing!. It was a refurbished mansion, now a star hotel, which was decorated with all kinds of stuff. It was warm and cozy. The view from the hotel window was awesome!- the beautiful Prague castle light up with bright lights and a host of other historical monuments!. It was like living in a medieval land of castles and mansions.

We had a scrumptious dinner, not far from the hotel. Food in Prague, like Berlin, was terrific on taste!. Walking through the narrow alleys of Prague's old town, I was struck by how wonderfully architecture had been preserved down the ages.

The next day morning, we embarked on yet another city tour. Prague is a city made for the tourist!. Everything, from the shops to the people to the food, is inviting the tourist and in fact screaming for attention!. Charles bridge is an iconic bridge built over the river Vltava and  was our first stop. There were scores of artists and musicians selling their wares. Its the sheer activity of the place that one finds most appealing. This time we climbed on a short two hour long bus tour with an audio guide, that showed us the landmarks of the city. It is the best way to see a lot of the city in a short span of time. We stopped for a brief time at the Prague castle, just in time to witness the change of guard. There was a beautiful cathedral inside the castle compound, that boasted of breath-taking stained glass paintings.

The most memorable vision of Prague was the famous astronomical clock, near which we settled down fro lunch. Every hour, it chimes and the twelve apostles of Christ can be seen, acknowledging the masses from their window above the clock!.

As I say "Tschuss" to Germany...

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. – Dalai Lama

Reading this saying today morning on one of my friend's Facebook status updates, made me reminisce about my last year in Germany. I have been very unlucky in more ways than I have been lucky, which is rather unusual for me. Usually there are always more good things to be thankful for, than bad memories while I leave a place. And I usually leave a city I have lived in, in good spirits. But this time, I don't feel the same.

Most of my time has been devoted to child care and living within the four walls of our apartment. Of course, They have been wonderful times- for the first time in my life I have taken out time and energy to spend with a child and that too at planning out meaningful activities, fun and learning time. But it does take a toll on you when there is no life beyond that!.

One of the best things about living here in Europe, was the traveling. Seeing new places always contributes to advancement. And some family trips were time well spent.

I always complain about the amount of time I have spent cooking, cleaning and doing household chores!. When the entire onus of the house management is on ones' shoulders, then even the last minutes before falling asleep, while lying in bed, are full of thoughts, planning out the next meal or essentials for the next day!.

I had an old school friend over at my place for lunch last weekend, who has lived in Germany for 5 years and plans to continue doing so. Of course, it helps that he is single and has no kids!. While he agreed with me that it is not easy to have a social life here, he did suggest that having hobbies helps!. Yes, thats a great idea to get started on friends and you need them here in this cold and grey country!. The ordinary guy on the street in Germany is very polite,  but not really friendly!. They don't make an effort to know more about you or your culture. And for some of them, my inability to speak Deustche is a put-off!. Yes. hobbies are a good way to start, but there was no time for one in all those months of child-care, cooking and cleaning!.

My worst experience has been while I had volunteered to do a clinical
observorship at a local hospital. One would assume that in a professional clinical set-up, I could get around with my knowledge of English!. I mean, thats why, they have an exception of the compulsory- knowledge- of-Deustche rule, for highly skilled professionals!. But, sadly, this was not the case. Not many Germans have mercy for the English speaker!- professional or otherwise!.

My greatest disappointment with Germany has been a sense of non- achievement in life beyond the four walls of my house. I was handicapped by my lack of knowledge of German. I was always tied down by the time cycles of my toddler. But perhaps,in the words of the Dalai Lama, maybe, its good that nothing happened for me here! or .. does that sound like sour grapes!. Time will tell!

As the sun sets on our  journey..

Lantern fest in Germany

I was introduced to the "Lantern fest" by my son's kindergarten. Lantern fest or St Martin's day, is an official Catholic holiday and falls on November 11th, but is celebrated anytime in early winter.  It is celebrated in the memory of a saint who was known for his kindness and love for children.

A few days before the proposed lantern walk, all the mothers, were called for a short interactive session, little before noon. We were shown how to make our own lanterns, with glazed paper, strips of colored paper and cardboard rings. It was fun for the kids. It was the first time my toddler was introduced to a "cut-and paste" activity. So far, I have always been wary of giving him the scissors. I was surprised to see, a few kids (only slightly older) handling the scissors like an expert! .

On the day of the lantern walk, we were called to come at dusk to the kindergarten. After a short time of eating cake and drinking, we lined up with the kids, lanterns in their hands. We lit a small electric candle and placed it inside the lantern. The kindergarten teachers handed out sheet of songs that everyone sang out loudly. When it was dark, the kids walked around the street with the lanterns in their hands.

TGIF-Thank God its Friday!

In Germany, I'm beginning to enjoy week"end" culture!.. There is no such concept in India for doctors. Of course, Sunday is a rest day, but it is not the same like getting a whole weekend off!. My husband is home by noon on fridays. Its the day of the week, he is most energetic about- "the weekend is here!". Also, the day when we are most likely to go out and have some fun!
So this weekend, we went to Stuttgart. No! not to that Indian store this time!. Did some proper shopping on King's street or Koenigstrasse (as the Germans call it), right it the middle of the city. Its a super place- so many people walking around, lots of brands on sale, lots of small eating joints and an occasional comedian or musician!. Its a perfect weekend pastime place- you can just walk along the cobbled street taking in the sights, or graze the lawns in front of the palace or steal a meal from the umpteen cafes on the road. Finally got done with some much-needed basic shopping in H&M.

We also met up with my hubby's friends in a quiet cafe off King's street- Kunstler bund. Lovely place for a quiet informal meeting with ol' friends!.Their Irish coffee was great as was their yogurt with fruits and honey. It had a lovely white and red theme, that i would love to emulate some where.

Wasted Efforts

A newspaper initiative in recent times is going out of its way to promote better ties between India and Pakistan by organizing Indo-Pak cultural meets including literature meets , song, dance and music shows in various cities across the subcontinent. Point is- will this in any way help in promote better ties? No and Never!..it will never take away the seeds of mistrust that are embedded in the minds of the population .. especially not if we have a Pak foreign minister blaring into the microphone, declaring in fanatic spirit his "hate for India" to a crowd of equally fanatic charged Pakistanis.To end our mutual mistrust stint that has been so since the inception of our countries, we need strong political and geographical strategy. The answer is to draw the borders,stop the terrorism and step-down the military offensives. All this campaign for "better cultural ties" is pure eyewash in the absence of a long-lasting solution!