A couple exursions at least

 


Schloss Falkenlust, Bruhl



Tuesday March 22:  Dear Germans, Why do you have to make things so complicated? :p Today we discussed reading the clock and that was confusing. From 5 after to 25 after you use nach (ie: Zehn nach eins, or Zwanzig nach drei). On the other side of the clock, you use vor . If you were to say 4:40, it would be Zwanzig vor funf, and 1:30 is halb Zwei and 1:35 is Funf nach halb zwei, which is opposite to what the “rules” say because nach is for the for the first half of the clock.....

After class I carried my bike down to the subway and went to Bonn then hopped on the train with the bike to Bruhl again. I was interested to see what else I could see.  Clemens August, the Archbishop who had them built, as I said before loved falconry, and had a hunting palace/retreat built not far from Schloss Augustusberg called Falkenlust. It was a ten minute bike ride away, including the last bit over really old and uneven cobblestones, very bumpy. The Schloss was a smaller version. I was the only one around for a tour so they gave me a sheet of paper giving a brief description of the rooms. I hate to put on these big felt slippers to protect the floor (which was very fun to slide around in) and the man just kept watched as I looked at the different rooms. And I found that I was actually alot more impressed in this one than the other. Augustusburg left you in awe but in comparison, there were a lot of the same symbols and not as much variety to say. Well, this one surprised me, it had very different themes and symbols! Of course there were still many images of falcons and hunting (since that was what it was meant for) but it surprised me to see beautiful Oriental paintings and themes on the wall in certain rooms, a room full of huge mirrors great satyr statues, other Greek gods and goddesses, lots of gold paint, etc.  It was a short and quick look but my eyes were widened and more intested in the variety. Up the stairs though, I befriended the other security man. I recognized he had a tinge of an Irish accent and asked him if I was right, and I was. He was very nice and we chatted for a bit and I told him about home and such.  He’s been her e for like 17 years now. So that was very nice to have a nice chat. There were walking trails all along the area, so strolled around for a bit (but you weren’t allowed to bike on them). I biked back to the Bruhl Centrum, looked at the shops and had a peffermintz Eis (ice cream) and hopped back on the train back to Bad Godesberg  home.

Wednesday March 23:  Today was 18 degrees and apparently it was almost minus 20 back home... that’s ridiculous!!! Well Happy Birthday to my mother! I didn’t do a whole lot today. I visited Elke and we had pizza and went for an Eis. After I was back home, I rewatched Cabaret, which I absolutely love! Plus it actually has a little bit more meaning since it’s based in Germany.



Beautiful Cemetaries

This is IT!

 Thursday March 24: After class I went and visited Elke and today she was getting new windows so all the installers were there. I did my homework then we went out for a Doner. After that, we walked to the cemetery where she lit a candle and added flowers to her past relatives. German cemeteries are much more wonderful and peaceful. You have to lease the area, but every stone area is taken care of and gardened (it’s a bigger deal and I love the idea). We also stopped at the burial where the man who invented eierlikor (egg liquor) so that was a very interesting fact. After, that we parted because I went home to get changed for the concert at the Harmonie. I took the bus there. WOW! They were better than I had ever expected! I had just by chance bought The Flying Eyes album in Bonn a few weeks ago, only to find out they were playing not far from where I live. They’re a psychedelic rock modern band; the singer sounds so much like Jim Morrison and they can be compared to the 13 Floor Elevators.  They had lots of energy (since I had find out they had a crappy flight here dealing with cancellations etc, I had found out from someone who knows them :p ) They’re from Maryland. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! And it was all the better that I knew already some of their songs (I think I knew more than anyone else there, and the fact I spoke English... since I found out later, they were more into the next artist). And also, It was such a wonderful treat when I realized they were playing Yer Blues !!!!!!(by the Beatles of course...not many from what I  saw realized that). After they finished I realized they were out signing so as I made sure I brought my record, I got it signed by the vocalist and he had already hear I was from Canada and told me we should keep in touch, because they’re coming back home later in the year! I also talked to the drummer and then when I went back in to see Beth Hart, the drummer almost scared the shit out me when he went and stood next beside me to watch Beth! (which he soon after left because his band members called him back). The crowd was much fuller for Beth Hart, the Germans seemed more interested.  She herself, was incredible! She reminded me of a modern Janis. But she really got me because they’re all real songs about real things (like about the crappiest house on the block that she bought in LA). She was also a real performer and a crowd pleaser and she had awesome tattoos! She definitely has wonderful talent and she deserves to be credited! Well after it ended I rushed outside to see when the next was coming (at 10:30) and so I just decided to stay there waiting. I was kind of disappointed in myself for leaving so quickly but I didn’t want to worry about missing the next one since it was late already and anyways I have class in the morning of course.





The Flying Eyes, Bonn

The Flying Eyes Tour

The Flying Eyes in Motion

Entranced, The Flying Eyes

Beth Hart, Bonn