Wochenende am Rhein

Right now I'm constantly on the lookout for things to do that a normal tourist in Deutschland or Europe in general would miss. As a particularly perceptive friend once told me, I tend to be attracted to wandering and doing things on a big scale, so I thought it might be cool to try to ground myself a little more here. The experience sounds like the opposite of the typical whirlwind tour of Europe, which means it is something few people get here.

In that vein, I spent the weekend with Hendrik and his family, getting some home-cooked (i.e. far better than my shoddy leftover-making) meals and checking out some sites near their home that were really fantastic. Hendrik had organized a bike trip to the Rhein for the kids at the church youth center where he used to work in high school, so I joined the ride and ended up having one of my better experiences yet in Deutschland. The banks of the Rhein are surrounded by open parks, farmland and protected forests near Hendrik's home, so needless to say the scenery was beautiful despite the overcast sky. After a ferry ride to the far bank, I got to learn about the games Germans play when they're young and tour medieval Zons with the kids. Zons is an ancient walled town, complete with cozy pubs and cafes, traditional Niederrheinische architecture and a great ice cream place. The best part was that I felt like I actually could connect with the kids, especially since the guys wanted to know about American baseball.

The next day I visited the Augustusschloss in Bruehl with Hendrik and his parents. It's an 18th-century rococo palace built for a minor German baron or prince, and the influences of Versailles are all over the gardens and interior. Indeed, the amount of sculpture, paintings, magnificent furnishings and colorful marble reaches almost hysterical levels. In addition, it also served as the venue for official state visits to West Germany in the Cold War era, so there was an interesting exhibition with everything from medals presentented to German Kanzlers by foreign dignitaries to the special, fully automated toilet that Queen Elizabeth II had installed there for her stay.

A much needed visual and aesthetic break was provided by the nearby Max Ernst Museum. Ernst was one of Germany's top surrealists and dadaists of the 20th century, and he's my new favorite sculptor at the moment. This museum, mostly devoted to a chronological exhibition of Ernst's work, has a great collection of the fantastical figures and animals he sculpted, many of which show the influences of the years he spent in Arizona as an expat. Just one work is shown at left.

The best part about the weekend, though, was hanging out with Hendrik and his friends. They're a cool, relaxed group and great to practice German with. Many of his friends are in his major of special education in Koeln, but one of his old high school friends is a DJ, so it was interesting to hear what Germans want spun at their discos and parties. One of the hardest decisions I have to make here is planning time for both traveling around and making time for these people, who have really been kind in letting me into their lives and social circles a little. I've found that once you learn the language, at times it's hard to forget that you're just visiting.