Four Weeks, Four Countries, Ilka Cohen [manga ereader .TXT] 📗

picnic crowd all over the big Rosental meadow.
The last German weekend saw me at the railroad station again, but this time only to pick up a friend from Magdeburg, Ines, who had not been in Leipzig since her early teens. I was proud to show off my beloved hometown. City center for sure, then the southern part along Karl-Liebknecht-Straße. Might as well stop by the neighborhood where I grew up, then loop back to downtown and from there to our apartment in Gohlis for a snack and rest. Not too long because I still wanted to show the zoo window and the shopping mal at the railway station. And since there was an hour left, why not swing by the student club Moritzbastei… At which point Ines shyly mentioned her hurting feet. Guess I got carried away there a bit. But I think she liked it anyway.
My feet did not yet hurt, but my vocal chords had suffered from the virus and the constant talking. Nevertheless, I was up for a party at Andreas’ huge garden in Rückmarsdorf. Conny came along and drove us there. Marcus came too. But no Aaron – he had missed his connecting flight and had to spend the night in Munich. The party was such a success that we stayed till dawn. A bunch of middle-aged and some younger adults, all singing songs in English around a campfire all night long. Marcus was between irritation and amusement and managed to stay awake all night with us. His first all-nighter and at a younger age than I tried that.
Sunday, June 27, saw me completely voiceless, Aaron returning, but first more guests. My Dresden friends and former college roommates Kerstin and Uta came with their families. Another stroll through downtown until Aaron arrived. Later a visit to a medieval fest at a rural manor in Taucha, a very scenic and authentic setting for such an event. But almost completely deserted by visitors – after all, Germany was scheduled to play soccer in a little over an hour, and the nation was already gathered around their TVs or at public viewing events. We still saw most of it after our return home and celebrated a German victory together.

And then the last day in Leipzig had arrived, finished off in style with an Italian good-bye dinner at “La Locanda”. We climbed onto a train once more, went to Düsseldorf, picked up Marcus patiently waiting backpack at Lost & Found and stayed overnight at another hostel. Did not see much of Düsseldorf. Not a tourist destination anyway, but a very multicultural place, Turkish and Arabic stores and restaurants especially were everywhere. We even came by the Moroccan Cultural Center and thus concluded this year’s vacation with a glimpse of next year’s destination.


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Publication Date: 01-19-2012

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