This Is Still Life: January 2008

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Four Day Weekend

We just had a four-day weekend, in honor of Martin Luther King Day. We have yet to do any major traveling, though we do intend not to spend all of our time in Europe close to home. We have plans to go to Normandy and Poland sometime, and to learn as much history and culture as we can first-hand while we are here. There has been a lot of that within walking distance of our apartment. I am sure this is the case no matter where you live, you just have to keep your eyes open and your brain working. On this walk we ended up at a large cemetery. We have learned by observation that many Germans like solitude and privacy. We found the cemetery to reflect this as well. Many of the gravestones were surrounded by large shrubs, creating a strikingly peaceful atmosphere. The overcast skies definitely added to the somber feeling, as we wandered along the paths in near silence. We saw only one other couple in the whole place. In Germany it is very rare to see any hustle-and-bustle on Sundays; stores are closed, the streets are nearly empty, and especially in such a place as a cemetery there is little noise or activity.

We exited the cemetery by a back gate, and followed a path which led us to these fields, a favorite place for walking and giving the dogs some exercise.