Puttin' the Free Pasta to Use

Thursday, Jan 18th

We started our time in Leipzig with a walking tour around the city. Being a smaller city, it didn't take nearly as long as the Prague tour, but we were still able to see the worthwhile sights in town including the main shopping mall and the University of Leipzig. After the tour, Aaron and I decided to check out the shopping scene. Walking into the first three or four stores, we realized that everything was far out of our price range. We were on the verge of giving up when we stumbled upon a gem which you may have seen in MariHa’s blog post: Primark. This clothing store has everything from street wear to suits, all for relatively cheap prices. After some price reductions the merchandise was truly a bargain; I got a scarf for €1! I also bought a cardigan here while Aaron got a nice vest. Content with our new purchases, we made our way back to the hostel in time to catch happy hour before the concert. The venue for the night, the Gewandhaus, was incredible. The seats wind around the central stage, allowing for 360 degree viewing. Our seats positioned us behind the orchestra so we got to see the conductor from a new angle. Couple this with an amazing musical performance and it's no surprise why this concert was Aaron's favorite one yet. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I have to say the fraction of the Benda quartet concert that I got to see still holds the number one spot in my book.

All smiles after a great concert.

Friday, Jan 19th

The first item on our agenda was a visit to the Bach museum right across the street from the St. Thomas Church. As to be expected, it was incredible to get to see the life and works of Bach in detail. We spent the better part of our morning and early afternoon here before we walked back to the hostel. On our way back we passed by the main plaza where an outdoor farmers market was going on. We decided we needed to stroll through the aisles of food stands and trucks, and it was during this time that Aaron and I had the idea to buy some fresh ingredients to make lunch. We settled on pasta since there was some of it up for grabs back at the hostel. After much deliberation, we purchased our ingredients: tomatoes, garlic, basil, and an herb roasted sausage. The process was a bit experimental since none of us had actually made tomato sauce from scratch before, but in the end it turned out perfectly. The only improvement we could have made would be more sauce.

The finished product.

We headed to St. Thomas Church after lunch to see a performance by the boys choir, some of whose members couldn't have been older than six. As Dr. Powell pointed out, it was awesome to see this choir perform Bach's music in the place in which it was originally performed. After the service, the group and I made our way to a brewery for a specially-catered buffet for our class. Not only was the food delicious, but they even graciously allowed us to take leftovers back with us. We made our way back to the hostel with stomachs and hands full of roast turkey, potato salad, pasta, and apple strudel.

Saturday, Jan 20th

We continued our streak of composer museums with a trip to the Mendelssohnhaus dedicated to Felix and his sister Fanny. The first exhibit here was a virtual orchestra which we got to conduct. Apart from this we got to see some of Felix’s work as a painter, a little-known side hobby of his to accompany his compositions. After this, Aaron and I walked back to the hostel with Dr. Powell before making our way to a spot called Prime Burger for lunch. We didn't have much time so we got the food to go and hurried towards the church for a liturgical service where parts of Bach's B minor Mass would be performed. Despite the occasional looks of judgment from the crowd of church-goers, our burgers made for a delicious way to pass the time spent waiting in line before the service. Following the service we received a brief tour of the inside of the church, during which we got to see Bach’s gravestone. We were then turned loose for our last evening in Leipzig, which we spent eating leftovers and partaking in happy hour at the hostel bar.

Record Store Excursion: Part 2

    With the good experiences I had in the Prague record stores, I had high hopes for the stores in Leipzig. Little did I know that I would have the best time at "Musikhaus Kietz," which was honestly the highlight of Leipzig for me. It was the last day before we travelled to Berlin, so I was desperate to find a record shop in order to fulfill my goal of going to one in each city. Musikhaus Kietz was a bit of a walk, and the coldness did not help our trek, but it was all worth it when I found some of the coolest records that I have never been able to find anywhere else...and trust me, I've looked hard! 
    On our way to the record store, we passed the square where there was a cook-off and live music. I visited the cook-off a few hours before and ordered my first bratwurst on the trip, and it definitely was not my last! There now was a giant stage in the middle with a woman who looked slightly like Joan Jett who invited a bunch of kids up on stage with her. It was not my kind of music, but it was fun to see all the people enjoying their bratwurst and the free concert. 




















    We continued on to find the store and after about 20 minutes of walking, we reached our destination. There was a lot to look at in this store, and it was probably the largest one out of the six I have checked out on the trip. It was cool to see records lining the walls and ceiling, as well as instruments that were hung up on the pillars in the center. There were a few retro hairdryer chairs inside as well, which seemed like a super-fly place to sit and listen to records.


    I noticed there was an abundance of modern bands I like on the shelves, but most were 20 euros and up. I ended buying three albums which were fairly inexpensive, and they were too important to pass up anyways. The first was a Francoise Hardy album, which is too hard to find for a decent price in the U.S., as they usually go for $40. I mean, she definitely is my favorite 1960's French pop/ Ye-Ye singer, but I am also cheap. It was a 2-record set, so it was definitely worth it, and the records were in perfect condition. The other two were the real gems.
     Lali Puna is an early 2000's German indie-electropop group, and it is such a challenge to even find their CDs anywhere! When I was searching through the "L" section, I saw two of Lali Puna's records, and I freaked. I ran over to my friends and tried to explain my excitement, but I guess it makes sense to find a German band in a German record store. At that point, I already had 3 records in my hand, and I could not let myself go overboard.
     I was talking to the record store clerk who was wearing a "Neu!" shirt, which is also a very cool German band. We had a conversation about the group, and then when he saw my Lali Puna records he became extremely surprised, saying something along the lines of "Wow, you know Lali Puna? Usually I thought Americans have bad taste!" I responded that Americans usually do have bad taste (no offense my fellow Americans, it was partly a joke, hehe), and that Lali Puna is my favorite German indie electropop band, along with The Notwist, Guther, and Ms. John Soda. He told me that those records were out of his own collection, and that even Germans are not familiar with Lali Puna or any of the other bands we talked about. This seemed odd to me, but it was nice to feel like I was in on a little German music secret. It was so refreshing to geek out about music with a local, and it was enlightening to understand what the music culture is like there. I got a handful of free stickers with the store logo on them, as well as a couple of free postcards too. What really surprised me was when the employee gave me a bag for free that usually costs 5 euros, and gave me a 10 euro discount on the records. Apparently there are discounts just for having "good taste." What an honor. It made me so happy to know that there are people all over the world who know and share the same love of underrated bands.

A lighter time and fare

Following the storm clouds of the first few days in Berlin, we explored the rich and cultured history of this old and beautiful country. We traveled to Wittenberg, filled with many a beautiful old building and an interesting story around every corner. We saw the places where the Protestant Reformation was sparked and grew into a flame. We found a printer, doing things the old way, setting print by hand. His face was old and leather-like, his demeanor happy and bright, his apron covered in an sooty blight, his hands, though as old as he was, seemed to bear a youthful and vigorous might. This printer, who intrigued me so was an object of time, his shoulders hunched from making work so fine, when we made our purchases his eyes shined, the experience over, we made our goodbyes. His shop was filled with cards and portraits and sayings of Luther, many of which raised a laugh amongst our group. I myself found some postcards to bring home. After a long and complete tour, we were sat down to a very confusing lunch. Some of us needed Vegan, Some of is needed Vegetarian, Some of us wanted Chicken, and Some of us wanted pork. However, the waitresses just handed us plates expecting that we had remembered who had ordered what a few weeks ago. All of us were confused, and nothing was really accomplished in this regard until the end of lunch. In the meanwhile however, I held a staring contest with Aaron, which I won. I then took a gulp of the milk I had asked for, which apparently was caught on camera, and had since been known as victory milk. Needless to say, I was not in on the joke until Salzburg, because jokes fly over my head.  The day ended with us all waiting for a train that was late, so we finally arrived at 5:00, where we all found food and went to sleep.

The next day was action packed for me. The morning was filled with the Pergamon museum, and it’s beautiful reconstructions of Babylonian and Roman Architecture, art from all over the Muslim World, and artifacts from prehistory Assyria. After the museum, I traveled by public bus to the Mall of Berlin. Here I wandered and searched for Stieff, Food, and a Suitcase. I found all three of those things. I ate in the Food court there, which was hustling and bustling, where I had a Döner Kebap and good fries. I then found Steiff, which I discovered was vastly out of my price range. I then traveled to the lowest levels of the Mall, where I discovered a little store where I found a suitcase at 50% off. Good German make, with plenty of room to stuff all of my clothes into. I then made the decision to call it quits before the concert that night. After a prolonged nap I did not intend to take I decided to be industrious and moved my items into the suitcase. That night, we traveled to see the Berlin Philharmonic. Which. Was. Outstanding. There is a reason they are considered one of the premier orchestras in the world. Dr Powell later pointed out to me that not a single mistake had been made in the first half of the concert.

Friday was quite an open day, so me and Carl took the opportunity to look through the Mall of Berlin again, this time finding souvenirs and gifts for family and friends and riding a slide. Which I have to admit, was really fun. The night was then preoccupied with the Ballet Jewels, which was beautiful. The first act, Emeralds, seemed stiff and slow flowing. But, the second act, Rubies was much more lovely and lively. The dancers seemed to glow with a youthful demeanor, as if they had been doing that dance all their lives, and this was the first time they had an audience. The night after was filled with drink and song shared with friends.

The majority of the 27th was filled with traveling and a short break in Munich. That evening most of us traveled and explored the city before the concert that night. However, I found myself at the top of a hill on a slippery patch, and proceeded to tumble and injure myself against a wall down below. I then limped my way back to the hostel and stayed there for the night. Apparently I missed out on a beautiful concert by the Vienna Philharmonic. Even so, I still have experienced so much of Europe that a single concert will not dampen my mood, or my resolve to enjoy this trip.

A Time of Infamy

In our journeys through Berlin, one of the items that sticks with a person is the history behind its streets and rebuilt plazas and buildings. The dark history that everyone wishes to forget. But it is our duty as the living to remember the fates of the dead and dying, and learn from them. Prevent the past from becoming the present, learning from our mistakes. In Berlin, we took in a walking tour, which showed us some of the most important places in the history of Germany in the 20th Century. From the plaza where the great book burning occurred, to the parade route of the NSDAP, to the monument for the murdered Jews of Europe. We arrived at the place where the conductor of this vile symphony met his end, and at the place which was set aside to remember the atrocities of the past. But, we also saw the fruit of his actions, the dividing line of the world, the rubble of the work of centuries, and the bullet holes. Let the fruit of his actions remain a testament to his legacy, one of nothing but hollow victories, great loss, and ultimate failure.

The next day, we saw one of the pride and joys of the black-hearted conductor and his vile soloist, Sachsenhausen. Here, thousands met their end, many more were kept here in a squalor and entropy that would come to define this dark time. We bore as witnesses to a small glimpse of the past, one could only imagine the true conditions at the time, but all that remained was a recreation and a small part of the original. However, what it lacked in size and scale, the camp had no want for atmosphere. An aura of dread seemed to permeate the atmosphere so much so that many of us were visibly shaken after viewing the sites. One of the most haunting moments for me were the initial gate. Many times I had heard the words, seen a picture, or seen a movie recreation, but none of them compared to the cold iron writing of “Arbeit Macht Frei”. Inside a miniature museum within the camp, we found the graffiti of an artist who represented what was happening in the camp with an art style akin to rubber hose. Disturbing to say the least. A little later, we were lead to where the ovens were kept, and where Soviet soldiers by the thousands were killed, butchered, and burned. One of the greatest things that worked against me here was the overactive imagination I have. Standing in that place, I could see that path unfold before my eyes, see the industrial and cruel nature of that black hole.

All of this was a dark moment in this trip, but it was an even darker time in our history. I speak not only of the history in Europe, but the history of all mankind. Our culture, our science, our medicine, our very way of life was impacted by this time. Despite the pain of remembering the past, and the want to forget the evils of men dead and gone, we must always remember, not only the events that occurred, but the context by which they were committed, else we grow rosy-eyed as time wears on.

Leipzig: Packed full of Musical History

Hello all sorry I haven't been on top as I should have been with updates of my experiences of our trip so, for the most part my next few posts will be in the retrospective. This one will specifically be covering the highlights of my experiences in Leipzig, made famous by Bach and the Mendelssohn's. The first thing we did as soon as we got settled in Leipzig was visit the Bach statue in front of the St. Thomas church the church were Bach worked at for the last 30 years of his life. We would end up visiting it again the next day as we meet for to go to the Bach museum which had a massive collection of all things Bach including Bach's Box. Bach's Box  was in back of the Bach museum which really didn't help show how cool of a box it was. For it was the only piece of original furniture from his house in the museum, and it was recognized as such due to the fact that it has the same crest as Bach's family crest on the inside of the lid (you can also see this same crest all around Leipzig). The fallowing evening we went and saw Bach being preformed in the St.Thomas Church by the St. Thomas church's boys choir. It was absolutely amazing listen to Bach in the same church where he composed most of the music we listen to today. And afterward we got an unexpected tour of the church by one of Dr. Powell's friends where he explained the significance of all the stained glass art as well as sharing some interesting facts about the alter in the church.

Bach's Statue outside of the St. Thomas Church.

Bach's Box!

While we were in Leipzig we also went to the famous Mendelssohn house, home to Felix Mendelssohn. He was known as the man who brought back Bach from obscurity and truly recognized not only how good Bach was but also how important he was for his influence and effect on classic music that came after him. The ground floor of the house served as a sort of intractable exhibit that to much of our classes delight included a virtual orchestra that you could try your hand at conducting. The first floor of the house was set up as the original home that Felix Mendelssohn lived in with his wife and family. It even included a selection of his paintings, which I never knew about until seeing them myself. I was quite honestly surprised at his skill as painter for I have only ever heard about him in regards to his music. Finally that second ant last floor of the house featured a recently added exhibit on Fanny Mendelssohn, Felix's sister who although never recognized as much as her brother due to her gender was in many peoples opinion's on par or even better than her brother at composing. My favorite part of this floor was the exhibit on her famous work called "The Year", featuring the original 12 manuscripts corresponding to each of the twelve month celebrating a happy memory of her and her husband experienced during each of them that that year. The manuscript were also exceptionally beautiful as Fanny's husband was a painter and personally illustrated each one of the manuscripts. Overall, it was amazing experiencing first hand the vast amount of music history and importance contained in such as small town as Leipzig.

One of Felix Mendelssohn's Original Watercolors.

Fanny's "The Year".

The Virtual Orchestral as Shown off by Carl.

Record Store Excursion: Part 1

     I had one main goal on this trip when it came to how I planned to spend my free time: to go to as many record stores as I can, at least one for each city. This has been a goal for all my travel adventures in order to add to my collection of record store stickers, t-shirts, and of course, the records themselves. The last time I traveled it was to Chicago, and my dad and I ended up going to four or five record stores in one day, staying until closing for each of them...Mom was not too happy about that when we told her how we spent our time, haha! (I apologize in advance, there are more record store posts to come, but I will make sure to add in other adventures too.) Some may say that it's an addiction when they find out that I go to these stores about every two weeks. Sometimes I feel a bit guilty for dragging my friends with me when they have no means of playing records or CDs, but each store has its own unique atmosphere and music selection. It is fun to discover new music in that setting while meeting other vinyl enthusiasts. So far, my friends have enjoyed the record stores we've visited on the trip...I think 🤣.  I was telling them that after every time we leave a record store, I feel like myself again, and it makes me feel the most at home on this European trip. There's no other place that can bring me as much comfort and happiness.
As a person who owns more than 300 records with about six record players at home, I know it can be quite the process to haul this medium of music around! I was trying to be extra careful not to buy too many records for the sake of my back, these things are not light!

     My story starts in Prague, with the first store called "Phono." It was closed when we arrived, so we stopped in a neighboring bookstore, filled with eclectic and inexpensive finds. I was drawn to the old photographs and postcards, some of them dating back to the 1920's! Mine were mainly from the 1960's with one of a castle that was taken in the 40's. My favorites were the ones of the Bulgarian journalists with the old-fashioned technological equipment. When we were purchasing these photos and postcards, the man who owned the store gave us great stories about each photo, making us appreciate them more when knowing the information behind them (there were newspaper clippings attached to the back of a few, but we could not understand it). We asked him to translate the writing on the back of the 1940's castle postcard. The receiver turned out to be a child who was ill in a Czech hospital, and the family member was sending them get-well wishes. It is peculiar how other people's lives and personal writings can end up anywhere, but it was fun for me to speculate about their lives and what may have happened to them. With only a small piece of information on a postcard, it is interesting to imagine what could have been.
     It was finally 10:00am after we left the store, so we could then check out Phono. In the window, there were styrofoam heads spinning on turntables, which I thought was a pretty neat and eye-catching decoration. Another decoration that stood out was a giant record needle on the wall, which was painted with bold, bright abstract shapes.


It was fun showing my friends how the listening station worked as we all took turns listening to albums we love, or ones that caught our attention. I flipped through the cheapo 45's because they were much easier to fit in my backpack, being less than half the size of a regular record. I found one that looked like a groovy 60's Czechoslovakian singer, but turns out it did not sound as good as another one I picked out. Both were only about 50 cents, so I decided to swap the record into the cover that looked cooler (oops haha). I became nervous when I was checking out and the worker was inspecting each record inside. He apparently did not notice (or did not care) that the record didn't match the sleeve *phew*. The others I bought were a psychedelic British band called The Kumari, and an instrumental Czech 45. I discovered a few album cover gems in the bargain bin, but my favorite was the one of an alcoholic beverage with headphones on. It seemed too silly to listen to, but I had a good laugh 😊🍺.



My favorite part of being in this record store was when I complimented the worker on his T-shirt that displayed the store's logo, and I asked if they had any for sale. He said no, and when I was starting to become a little disappointed, the second worker said he was cleaning out the back closet last week and found exactly 10 T-shirts, all in women's sizes. What luck!! I chose an bright orange one that had the logo in the middle, and they gave it to me about $13. It was a good feeling to know that I came to that store at just the right time.

 More music things in Prague:
  Later in the week, we went to the John Lennon wall which was originally a symbol of protest against the communist regime, and after Lennon's death in 1980, people painted him on it, due to his association with spreading peace. My family and I love the Beatles, and I thought the wall itself was an interesting and moving piece of art, holding many layers and colors which gave it a depth that required a lot of focus.


Speaking of more Beatles-related happenings, we came upon another record store after getting caught in a rainstorm and almost being blown off the Charles Bridge. It was called "Disco Duck." We were the only ones in there, and the owner was playing The Beatles album, "Revolver." It was fun to sing along to the songs, and search for any Czech Beatles covers. However, the albums were more expensive, and they did not have any merchandise with the store logo on it, but I did pick up a business card and a Prague record store map. Unfortunately, this was the last day in Prague so I could not use the map, but if I ever happen to go back, I am now more prepared!

Both Sides Now: A Throwback to Prague

Seventeen days ago, we set out to cross the border into the Czech Republic, each of us looking like our own pack mules. It is not the easiest to travel with a backpack the size of my own torso, but the train had a comfy atmosphere. The window seat provided me with a glimpse into the shifting landscape, the Vienna scenery drifting away and the rugged hills with small cottage-like homes emerging. The rural land was decorated with colorful clothes pinned up on lines stretching from tree to tree. Linens and tree bows lightly danced in the wind as the train passed by, rustling the quiet town only for a moment that became blurred by the speed. It was a peaceful experience to rest my head against the glass, imagining the lives of those who lived in the places tucked in-between the hillsides, hidden from the bustle of the city that we would soon approach. Caroline sat next to me with her classical guitar tucked under her arm as she started to strum the chords to Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock,” which created a beautiful backdrop to the incredible scenery I was lucky enough to become lost in. We gushed about our love for Joni’s musical genius, and sang covers (hence the song reference in this title).  Dr. Powell stopped by, commenting that our train car was the “party car,” because of the music, and he even played about three chords before checking on the other students. I would not quite describe the ride as a party, but it certainly was fun when Caroline and I took turns playing folk music. We made up our own songs, and pretended we were on a tour bus with our make-believe band, while most everyone else rested their eyes and dozed off for a little while.

Dr. Powell rocking out on guitar

The same night, we made our way over the beautiful Charles Bridge, admiring the elaborate architecture emphasized by glowing lights that could have tricked anyone into thinking they were in a fairytale. It was time to see the Czech Philharmonic at the Rudolfinium, which was only a short walk from the end of the bridge. However, a few of us were stopped by a “bird-man,” who had trained fancy, fluffy white pigeons to sit on those who were willing to participate. Caroline had four birds on her outstretched arms as I took the photos, knowing it would be an amazing opportunity for a blog post. The man started speaking in Czech, encouraging me to have the birds on my arm. I was hesitant, because first of all, I was uncertain if it would cost money, and second of all, I did NOT want to be pooped on before the orchestra concert! Standing there, not sure of what to do, the birds kept multiplying on my arm in each photo, until the final one was placed on the top my head. We later laughed at the photos, as it was obvious I was too cautious to move an inch of my body or face, and the only thing that seemed to change in the pictures were the amount of birds.

Bird Progression

We hurried to the Rudolfinium, and took our seats inside the gorgeous building. I still would consider this concert to be my favorite on the trip, as I was the most engaged during the entire performance. It seemed so different from the concerts in Vienna, in which I usually found myself zoning out, almost on the brink of dozing off. The first thing that I noticed was that this orchestra had much more female performers: 14 in total. I observed the way all of the musicians were dressed, their body language, facial expressions and overall how they engaged with each of the pieces they played. One violinist had fiery red hair, another was wearing a black patterned-off the shoulder gown, and a cello player sported a bold fohawk. I suppose I was used to performers wearing the exact same clothing, but it was refreshing to see the musicians incorporating their individual styles to spice up the all-black required attire. Before, most of the other orchestras had a very serious feeling to how they engaged with the music, but the musicians in this concert seemed to be having fun and were more fluid with their expressivity. I was drawn in by the flurried movements of the strings, the strong sounds of the French horns, and especially the complexity and loudness of the piccolo parts. It almost seemed as if each instrument had a solo, which made it easier for me to focus on each instrument and what they contributed to the overall sound. The strange note combinations were grandiose and chaotic in the most unnerving and beautifully odd way, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout the show. Awestruck, I did not want the concert to end. When it did, I was charmed by the way the conductor gave the female performers the flowers out of the bouquet he received. I laughed when he ran out of flowers, only left to give one of the musicians a little green fern instead.

Salzburg has been a breath of fresh air

I’ve been a little drained, physically and emotionally, since Berlin. Traveling definitely takes a lot out of you, but, although I am feeling a bit under the weather now, I am feeling much more excited and rejuvenated after our first full day in Salzburg, Austria. We began the day with a mass at Salzburg Central Cathedral, which was where Mozart was baptized (262 years ago today!). Being raised Catholic, I had some idea of what to expect of this mass, unfortunately, I could not understand a word of it. However, I loved listening to the choir that sang up on the balcony behind us, in front of one of the largest organs I’ve ever seen. It honestly almost felt ethereal, the way their voices sounded in this gigantic cathedral, echoing on and on.

Following the mass, we met with our guide for a walking tour around Salzburg. Although she went off on some tangents at times, she was extremely sweet and provided us with really cool, entertaining information. One of the squares in old town Salzburg was actually used in the sound of music, for multiple scenes. The fountain in the middle of the square is one that Julie Andrews splashes in a one point in the movie (it’s been a while since I’ve seen it and I can’t remember exactly which scene it was). Unfortunately we were unable to see it in person today because about 3/4s of it is covered for the winter in order to protect it from the cold. We also found the home that Mozart was born in, and the coffee shop he would go to just about everyday (even though he constantly wrote about how much he disliked it).

Once the tour was over, a small group of us adventured up a long sent of stairs, and a some more stairs, up high enough that we could see out over Salzburg, and it was absolutely gorgeous, definitely the best part of my day today. Every few minutes I’d need to stop to take a picture, I couldn’t get enough of it. It was also super nice to be able to walk through trees and away from the city for a bit, be in fresh air, away from smoke and cars and noise (although I’ve noticed that each place we’ve been to in Europe so far has been much quieter than most places I've been in the states). After finishing what was essentially a long (although not completely arduous) hike, we went down to a little food stand that was selling pretzels. Rather than the type of bread-y, salty pretzels we'd expected, we found sweet pastries in the shape of pretzels - misleading, but still really great.

In the evening we went to a performance by the English Baroque Soloists, which was exciting for me because this is the group that I did my presentation on at the beginning of the term. So, I may be slightly biased, but it was really awesome to see the group, and their conductor, John Eliot Gardiner, in person, and listen to them play beautiful pieces composed by Mozart. Overall today has been really fun for me, a breath of fresh air, both literally and figuratively, during this trip. These are really the days I love, experiencing new things, being around people I can laugh with and being outdoors, appreciating beautiful scenery.

Covered fountain featured in the Sound of Music

 One of the five organs in the Cathedral (there is another much larger one in the background)

 Mozart's home

 View of Salzburg during our hike

  View of Salzburg during our hike

 View from our hike (I'm not sure if this is still Salzburg or not)

 Almond hazelnut pastry pretzel

EBS for Mozart Week (that is a Harpsichord sadly blocking my view)

Biertrinker Checking In

     Hey guys, Biertrinker here. A lot of my posts have been really focused on the social parts of this trip. This post though, like many others will truly delve deep into the educational and emotional experiences we were lucky enough to be a part of. 

     If anyone is not prepared for the emotional and sad experiences I will share, I would like to ask you to skip the next paragraph and read on to the paragraph afterward. I’m giving this warning in case there could be any information that might cause a serious trigger in someone. I will be talking about my experiences in Berlin. So here we go.

• remember, skip next paragraph if you are not ready to read about some emotional experiences relating to our Second World War.

     Alright, here we go. If you’re reading this you are very brave. I’m not just saying that as an overreaction, things are tough to hear about the past actions of the human race. That being said, my group and I had the opportunity to experience the memories and horrors of one of the concentration camps used during the Second World War. This concentration camp is just outside of the city of Berlin and is called Sachsenhausen. It was not one of the death camps that are generally recognized when you hear the words “concentration camp”, but that does not take away from the horrors experienced there. All I can take away from that experience is sadness and a mind full of wishing that this had never happened. I will never understand why all this had to happen, but I wanted to educate myself so in the future, we can stop this kind of act. In the camp, we saw the barracks, the housing for soldiers, and the grounds and walls of the camp. It was an experience to say the least. Learning about the work days, housing situations, and abuse that was in this camp hurt my heart. We had all been educated before on this tragedy and horrible time, but experiencing the camp itself made it much too real. It almost made me mad. Actually, it did make me mad. So many emotions but anger was the leading emotion. This was a mix of hating what had happened, hating the reaction towards it, and hating that all we can do is mourn the losses when all you can do is wish that you could’ve stopped this. Just a side note, things like this still happen to this day. This is not some irregular event, if you want to know more about some other situations like this, feel free to look up the Rohingya people and the ethnic cleansing they are going through. I’m not saying this just to depress anyone, I’m saying it because it is a sad reality that can always be avoided or stopped. That was why I was more angry than sad going through this camp. Thank you for reading that, I know it is hard to process, but we can move on to the happier side of the trip. 

     Well, hello to those who read that paragraph and those who did not. I will now be talking about the rest of my experiences in Germany and will be focusing on the much more uplifting parts of it. For performances in Berlin, we were scheduled to see the famously known opera, Don Giovani, the very talented clarinetist, Sabine Meyer, and also quite possibly the worlds best orchestra groups, the Berlin Philharmonic. Unfortunately, due to scheduling errors (not Dr. Powell's fault), we were unable to see Don Giovani, very sad I know. But, we did get to enjoy the jazzy side of music with the performance of Sabine Meyer and her lovely Quintet. I was very surprised when that performance came along, because it was after the visit to the concentration camp, and I really didn’t think anything would be grand enough to bring back the happy vibes, but Sabine Meyer really helped. The recital was very uplifting and put me in a very good mood, as they played a lot of uplifting and beautiful music, including a suite from Firebird, and even a song from the famous musical, Westside Story. That performance was very nice, and I got to sit in the second row of the music hall to see that, the closest I had been to the stage so far on the trip. Of course, that changed when I got a front row seat to sit right behind the Berlin Philharmonic. That concert was unbelievable, we were so close you could hear everything, even the conductors loud and nearly obnoxious breathing. But besides that part the concern was lovely, and I doubt I’ll ever experience something like that again. Not my number one performance, and doesn’t take the whole cake, but definitely gets a big slice. 

     Thanks for listening to my grand trip to Berlin, hope you got a lot out of this post. Next post will be about Leipzig and my trip around the small city, including the trip to the Bach museum and also listening to a fantastic boys choir that Bach himself first conducted. 

Wittenberg!

Usually I am on top of checking our itinerary and knowing what to expect of the day, but last Wednesday I was not as prepared. I knew that we’d be taking a train to Wittenberg, but it didn’t occur to me that where we were going meant that we would be learning about Martin Luther and walking around the area he lived in. Despite my lack of preparedness, I am so glad that we got to go on a walking tour and listen to our guide talk to us about Wittenberg, as well as the influential people that lived here. About a year and a half ago I took a class called Lutheran Traditions back at PLU, so I was familiar with most of the information that was being explained to me by the guide. However, because I hadn’t actually thought about the class in a while, I’d forgotten a lot of the info. because of this, it was really cool and refreshing to be reminded of the things I’d already learned about Luther and his colleagues, and gain some more detailed info him and Wittenberg that I did not already know. 

It was definitely amazing to be in a place that Luther had lived and worked in. Even though I am not Lutheran or focusing on the religion or Luther in my education, I still really appreciated being there. Learning about a person that has had such a great influence, and such a positive (and negative, he was not the biggest fan of Jewish people because they would not convert to his beliefs) affect on so many people, does not quite compare to being able to learn about them (again) in a place that that influential person had actually been for a period of their lifetime. We ended up going to the church that Luther has been said to have nailed his 95 theses to the door of, and is now buried under with his friend and working partner, Phillip Melanchthon, which was amazing to see. Wittenberg overall was extremely charming and beautiful to look at as well.

Because we traveled to Wittenberg by train, we did our best to catch the one back to Berlin on time. Sadly, the train we needed to take was an hour later than expected, so the 24 of us patiently (and after a while not so patiently) waited at the platform. Even though I really wanted to be on a train back to our hostel at the time, I also felt some joy in waiting and appreciating the awesome (and at times interesting) group I have now been traveling with for about 3 weeks, and appreciating the place I am in and the places I have been in on this trip. It’s the little things that really make something, like silly conversations, or conversations about music, or exploring small shops in new places. I’ve really enjoyed those aspects about this trip.

 Phillip Melanchthon's home

Cranach family home (a statue of Lucas Cranach the Elder, who painted many portraits of Luther, is on the right hand side of this picture) 

 All Saint's Church/Schlosskirche (Castle Church)/Reformation Memorial Church

 (Martin Luther)

 (Phillip Melanchthon)

 Bike racks

 Train Station

The Hills are Alive!

we traveled on a train for nearly 8 hours then arrived in Salzburg. We saw the monestary where part of the Sound of Music was filmed and we also saw the Vienna Philharmonic again, this time with literal front row seats! That’s about all our day consisted of.

Berlin was hard, but important

The first couple of days in Berlin were heavy. On Monday we had about a 4 hour walking tour that provided a lot of interesting and important information about the history of Berlin, the people that have resided here, and Nazi reign in Germany. Before getting into the influence of Hitler and the Nazi’s, the tour guide gave us info on many well known buildings in the area, like the Berliner Dom and the Alte Nationalgalerie. He explained that many of those that designed these buildings gained inspiration from already existing buildings in other areas of the world. For example, the Berliner Dom was designed based off of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, and the Alte National Gallery off of the Parthenon in Greece. Once again I was amazed at the architectural design in these two buildings and the many other surrounding all throughout Berlin.

 Alte Nationalgalerie (and Brett)

Berliner Dom (and our tour guide)

Further on into the tour, our guide lead us to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, which we were able to walk through for a few minutes. From the outside it looked like an interesting piece of art, a little ominous, but nowhere near as emotional as expected. As I took a few steps into the memorial, I felt curiosity in what I was about to experience, but the further in I went, the more I felt like I was in a maze, and the more anxious I felt, which was strange because everywhere I turned was an exit out, all far away, but still there. It was definitely a strange experience, feeling like what I'd just walked into was much more than it seemed, something inescapable, not knowing who or what would turn the corner or pass me by. It was a very sobering experience, not something to be taken lightly. On the sidewalk outside of the memorial were instructions explaining that the memorial should be walked through slowly, and I couldn't imagine doing anything else. This was not only due to respect for what the memorial represented, but because I couldn't distance myself or detach myself from focusing on the importance of the memorial or just feeling (On a separate day I went back to walk through it again since we only had a few minutes the first time, and aside from my own thoughts and at times silence, all I could hear were screams of kids running through and playing what sounded like Marco Polo). Something that our tour guide told us that really resonated with me was that this memorial was not finished until it has been walked through, which I completely agree with. Surface level, it is effective in getting across that so many people were affected by the terror that occurred, but it is really so much more than that, and not something that can be felt or understood without also walking through and taking time to feel, whatever it is the memorial might make you feel. If anyone ever has the chance to go to Berlin in the future, please walk through this memorial, and take your time (And, look at the Memorial to the Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism, which is right across the street, and the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Victims of National Socialism).

 Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (outside)

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (inside)

 Memorial  to the Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism

Tuesday was another full day of information about the Holocaust. By 11am we’d begun our tour through the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Oranienburg. Immediately upon walking into the camp I could feel the emotion and weight I felt while walking through the memorial the day before, but on a much higher level, it felt so much more real. Rather than being closely surrounded by large slabs of concrete towering over me, I was instead surrounded by multiple lookout towers along the inner perimeter of the camp. Either way I felt I was still being watched, with places to go and space to move around, but the feeling of being trapped remained. Being in a real concentration camp was much different than just standing inside of a room reading information about the Holocaust or seeing pictures of those affected by it or involved in it. I couldn't stop thinking about how cold I was, too. It was probably around 30 degrees (Fahrenheit) that day, and we were told that those in the camp suffered weather below zero in essentially nothing but pants and a shirt, and I was covered in layers of clothing, wool socks, a beanie, and a scarf. I could not even begin to imagine the emotions these people were feeling, and the fear they experienced here, at one of the many camps in Europe (I'm not including any pictures of the camp here because I couldn't bring myself to take any).

It’s been interesting to learn about the sociopolitical climate that many great musicians and composers have been living and working through the past 100 years or so, and even during the lifetimes of greats like Bach and Mozart. While the music world continued to grow and flourish, the lives of those affected by Nazi rule were ending, tragically.  

While learning about the world of music has been really fun, it’s also extremely important to learn about the events that took place in the cities we’ve visited and be aware of the history that is embedded there, both in connection with this class and separate from it.