Leipzig

Today the CC students took a little trip to the city of Leipzig. It was the first time I'd traveled by myself in Germany. Okay, so it might also be the first time I've traveled alone abroad. In England, we formed somewhat of a buddy system. Whenever we went out, we were at least in pairs. It didn't matter if it was to the grocery store or to the night club. No one went home or out alone. In Germany, it isn't practical to do that. We aren't living together in groups of students. Each student from USC is assigned a family to live with. Most of the time, if you need or want to do something downtown, you can wait for your hosts to help you or go on your own. I opted to go on my own simply because my host was always doing something or working on school assignments. She printed off a map of the Strassenbahn, told me how to buy tickets and off I went! That map is my lifeline. I always keep it with me and I remember the routes which will take me back to the apartment. However, today was a day to venture on my own. I walked the 2km to the hauptbahnhoff and bought my ticket. Magdeburg has the option of buying tickets at an automatic machine or a counter. The machines won't let you have an open return ticket, which means you can come back at any time. There are also different speeds of trains. There are the ICE and the IC/EC trains. The ICE runs normal stops while the EC is an express that doesn't take as many stops. I took the EC on the way to Leipzig and the ICE on the way back. I'd definitely go with the fewer stops!






The traditional towns were set up so that there was a town hall in the town square and businesses/important buildings surrounding it. It is typical for there to be a town hall surrounded by pedestrian-only streets and courtyards. It's impractical to drive around cities such as Leipzig. You'd be unable to access half of the streets! Usually, the newer, paved streets are for cars and the older, stone streets are for walking. Bicycles are always welcomed no matter where you are!

Here we have Bach! The man of the hour. If there are two symbols of Leipzig, it would be Goethe and Bach. Herr Bach worked and is buried in Leipzig. He held concerts in Thomaskirche where he is buried today. I found out that after Bach died of a stroke, he was buried in an unmarked grave in St. John's churchyard. 150 years later, the bombing of WWII destroyed the church and unearthed Bach's remains. He was then moved to his present resting place inside of Thomaskirche where he is adored and remembered by all. I actually thought to myself, "I wonder if that is really him?" It's kind of like Martin Luther's remains in Wittenberg. People are unsure if it's really Martin Luther or if it is his best friend, but that is another post!


Here is the grave of Bach, located in the center of the church altar. Kind of creepy. Kind of blasphemous. Eh, I like it.


Here we have a major indoor shopping center.

One of the church towers. It was dark and hard to get good photos.

The local University had glass windows and reminded me of the Richland County Public Library in Columbia.
Bockwurst with curry ketchup and potato salad. Num-Nummy!
I have a thing for doors. The detailing! Oh, the detailing!

Typical streets.

Each city I've been to has some pretty unique and interesting manholes. I'm going to try to get a picture from every place I visit!

These pictures are out of order. Here is a nice sculpture from the hauptbahnhof in Magdeburg.

On the train!

I have to write about these bookbags because they are so awesome! When kids are younger (Grundschule) they have a particular type of books bag. It's harder an more square that the usual American ones and has a flap that opens over the top so that students can easily take out and put in school things. They are so different! However, they are also very, very expensive. I wanted to bring one home, but not for the usual price of 160 euros. Nope! They better last at least four years. I miss the days when a US bookbag was $14.00!

Here is a little someone named Ms. Sarah Nell. She is enjoying a typical German treat of Spaghetti Eis! It is vanilla ice cream pushed through a spaetzle press to make it look like noodles. It's like playdough being squeezed out of a mold- only you're supposed to eat it. The "noodles" are then topped with raspberry or strawberry sauce and sprinkled with saved white chocolate to look like parmesan cheese. Sadly, I don't like vanilla ice cream or white chocolate. So, I basically had an "adult beverage" disguised as ice cream.
Close up.
Amanda Claire had Lasagna Eis!
Prepare yourself because I failed to do so. This little concoction will make your nose burn! (Note the red face- okay so it was from being cold outside) It's chocolate ice cream with hazelnut balls swimming in all sorts of Bailey's! There was more alcohol than ice cream! Why are you looking at me like that? 24 is of legal age no matter where you go!

Here we have Nikolai Kirche. Unlike the other churches, this one was white and open with a lot of light.

I'm not going to hate on the green and pink decorations. I actually really like it.

Typical altar

I don't want to get the name for this wrong. I keep calling it the priest's house. I'm pretty sure it's something like the pulpit.

There was art everywhere! On the ceiling, walls, floors, in orders and crevasses! You couldn't get away from it!

It looks like a cake.

I am guilty of taking pictures of the names of places so I remember where I was.

What? No cushions on the pews?

Organ.

Now we get to the goods! Here we have statues dedicated to Goethe's characters of Faust and Mephistopheles. In this one, Faust is being arrested.

And here Faust is making his legendary deal with the devil. Goethe went to school in Leipzig. There was a restaurant below these statues where he would eat and drink. Goethe actually used this restaurant for the setting of Faust's deal with Mephistopheles. I was giddy with excitement!

The Leipzig hauptbahhoff was huge! It reminded me so much of King's Cross in London!

Yep, McClean. It's a public bathroom that can be accessed for one euro. And it was, in fact, McClean.


After going to bed late and getting up early, I had to top off with a cappuccino at McDonald's McCafe, which is completely different in Germany! They've basically taken a Starbucks and put it into the McDonald's. It was great.