Exaudi Sunday

When we planned our trip, we picked Erfurt as our place to stay over a weekend so that we would have an opportunity to worship once again at Christ Lutheran where we had attended in 2007. But they were not there that day, instead worshipping elsewhere at a Kirchetage in Hannover.

Instead, we drove an hour to Mühlhausen and worshipped at the Kantatekirche where Pastor Kallensee serves.

 

The service began with a confessional service. Pr. Kallensee read the Ten Commandments, the Close of the Commandments, and a confessional address. Then we were absolved individually as we knelt at the altar.

There were only two readings, the appointed Epistle and Gospel. Despite the fact that there were only ten adults, three children, and us seven in attendance, the congregation spoke and sang boldly.

Pr. Kallensee graciously summarized his sermon for us in English prior to preaching in German. Pastor and congregation chanted the liturgy and the Sacrament was celebrated with great reverence. Only the chalice is offered and the people knelt around the altar without a railing.

Our opening hymn was On Christ's Ascension I Now Build, which the saints at Trinity, Waterville also sang on Sunday morning. After the service all the people greeted us warmly in their broken English. Before the service everyone had shaken our hands and greeted us as is their custom.

After pictures were taken (just as many by them as by us),

Pr. Kallensee invited us on a tour of Mühlhausen. He showed us the church J.S. Bach served as organist for one year and also where Luther preached.

 

We also saw the old city wall and other historic buildings. This city, like so many in Germany, is more than a thousand years old, full of history, joys, and sorrows. We will save those pictures for a future post.

Pr. Kallensee serves this congregation of forty as well as a congregation of sixty in Arnstadt, and a congregation of one hundred and twenty in Gotha. All were much bigger before the 1950's but Communist East Germany took its toll.

It was a joy to worship with the saints gathered in Mühlhausen. We speak different languages but we share the same love of Jesus Christ and the Lutheran faith.

 

Erfurt

You remember how I said this vacation could only go downhill? Well, it began falling right after I finished the strawberries because we went to the Crime and Punishment museum. Basically there was nothing in it that didn't disturb me, discounting the shame masks which were just mean, not horribly cruel. If you are wanting to go somewhere were you can see instruments of torture worthy of Sauron, than that's the place to go. 

But despite the museum, Rothenburg was a wonderful city and I was sad that we only got to spend one day there. We arrived in Erfurt on the evening of the 18th and spent the next day walking around the city. We took a tour auf Deutsch of the Augustinian monestary, which is were Luther was a monk for 6 years. So although it was cool to see, we didn't exactly get much out of it. There was a lady who translated the most important parts for us.

A bad picture of the cloister

Luther's cell

The monks would eat on the same side of the table because they were not allowed to talk and if they sat opposite each other they might try to comunicate with each other through their expressions. The monks carried their spoon with them all day, all the time and it was only taken away from them when they died. So having your spoon taken away was another way of saying you were dead.

I would tell you other interesting facts except, as I said before, the tour was in German so that was really about all I actually understood from the tour.

We also saw some of the churches in town that day, including the one with mom's favorite crucifix outside:

Abby, mom, Nate, and Ellie in front of the town square

 

Hannah

Ascension Day, Souvenirs, Walls, and a Night Watchman

On Thursday morning we left Reutte, Austria and drove to Oberammergau, Germany. As we left town, we noticed how no one seemed to be out and about. No cars, no walkers, no bicycle riders, not even the stores seemed to be opened. It then dawned on us that it was Ascension day and therefore a holiday. We were then concerned that all the shops in Oberammergau would also be closed and prepared Sam for the news.

When David and I came to Germany in 2007, we bought Samuel a walking stick in Oberammergau. He loved it and played with it all the time until it broke. His hopes were set on buying a new one to replace the broken one. We told him we hoped that the stores would be open, but that they might be closed and he might not be able to buy his new walking stick. He took the news better than we feared.

When we arrived, the town was quiet but we began walking to see. We heard music from the church and walked there to find that had we been just half an hour earlier we could have attended the service which featured a full choir and orchestra. Instead we stood outside and listened and chatted with a man who also was standing outside the door. After the service, there was a parade of the men dressed in full lederhosen and carrying rifles through the town. We watched and followed along with the other residents.

This is part of the cemetery surrounding the church:

 

Now that the service was done, most of the shops and restaurants were now open so we began looking around. David and I bought a crucifix as did Hannah, and yes Samuel found a walking stick. He was thrilled, and still is.

After lunch we climbed back into the Caravelle and travelled onto Rothenburg ob der Tauber with a stop at the Weiskirche. When we arrived there, it was packed and we didn't understand why. Apparently we are not the brightest bulbs in the socket, because there were so many there to attend the Ascencion service.

We waited about ten minutes for the people to exit and noticed how many of them were hikers or bikers. We were able to finally go in and see the church in the valley.

The left and right pages of the altar book:

 

The altar:

Part of the ceiling:

The organ:

 

We checked into our room in the little village of Detwang, located in the valley below Rothenburg, and then spent the evening exploring Rothenburg.

We walked around part of the wall.

 

Saw the clock tower from 1466 and watched the Meistertrunk (Master Draught) story:

 

 

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

On Thursday we left Reutte and the alps for Germany. All day Wednesday it has snowed, and everything was covered in a blanket of snow. On the way we stopped at Plansee, a gorgeous teal lake surrounded by the mountains. After a quick photoshoot, we got back in the car and continued our descent. 

This is what I love. The trees and moutains dusted with snow, the grass peaking up from under its blanket, the snow so white that it hurts to look at, but you can't tear your eyes away; your breath curling around you, the cold nipping at your fingers making you feel wide awake. It was so beautiful outside that dad pulled over and let me take a few pictures.

But no matter how much I wished it, we couldn't stay and I had to say goodbye to the mountains and the snow. The day when all the snow disappears is always a sorry day for me, but to have that day come because you left the cold?

We went on to Rothenburg, a medieval walled city that was built in the fourteenth century. It was very, very cool but the best parts?

Yes, that is indeed Narsil, sword of Elendil. It was in a store full of medieval weapons. There was also Excaliber, but I didn't take a picture. :)

 

And dad bought us two of these. All I can say is, this trip can only go downhill from here.

 

:)

Hannah

Erfurt

We are now in our hostel in Erfurt where we will rest our weary heads the next four nights.

Why yes all seven of us will be sharing one room.

It has been an amazing trip and Rome seems ions ago. We have loved everywhere we have been, and continually wish we had longer to stay in that place, exploring even deeper what the city and region has to offer.

 

Now we are in the Luther lands. We are looking forward to sharing with the children the sights of the reformation. Tonight after checking into the Opera Hostel, we walked to the main square (the picture at the top of the blog is of the main square which I took on our trip to Germany in 2007), and sat in a Biergarten eating a delicious Thrungian brat and washing it down with a yummy Maibach beer. As we walked back to our hostel, we enjoyed some delicious ice-cream.

It really was a lovely evening.

 

Oops

Just noticed that Hannah's post on Neuschwantstein didn't post in poem form. I'll try to get that figured out and repost so it is easier to read.

We spent a wonderful morning in Oberammergau and then drove to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. We had a lovely evening here and will continue to explore this medieval city tomorrow morning. We will rest our heads in Erfurt tomorrow night.

Thanks for reading about our trip. I hope you have enjoyed our posts. We will continue as time and Internet connections allow.

How Do We Get There From Here?

Traveling in a foreign country would be easier if you spoke the language. Otherwise it is all guidebooks, common sense, and trial and error (in our case, lots of trial and error)! In Rome the joke was that I was always looking down at my guidebook and up at the street names which are printed on the sides of the corner buildings. But, hey, what are you going to do when all the streets curve and change names every other intersection and you don't even know which way is which?

The Metro (subway) was relatively easy - only two lines in Rome, one north-south and the other east-west. The buses were another matter all together. Thankfully we didn't have to ride them much at all.

The train to Munich was interesting. How do you know which platform to go to? The train station in Rome is huge. Something like 30 platforms. It's a long way from one to another. We get there and see our train number, but no platform number. Just some seemingly random numbers and letters. I went and asked for help, but the man was very impatient with me. "Just watch board!" he kept saying. I didn't see how that would help. But then about ten minutes before we were to depart, the platform number comes up, and thankfully we were relatively near where we needed to be. We had 14 minutes in Bologna to transfer trains, but by then we understood. So we made it to Munich!

Then we got to rent a vehicle! A brand new Volkswagen Caravelle 9 passenger van! Manual transmission, of course. Automatics are only for us weird Americans. I hadn't driven a stick in over 14 years. Now I am on the third floor of an underground parking lot in downtown Munich in a big van. There was no room for error going up the round-abouts from level to level. I was sure that I would dent the vehicle before I even saw the light of day in it. Thankfully, I didn't! Killed it a few times, to be sure, but no dents.

Then it was the maze of streets in a foreign city with foreign signs. I must admit that I was quite worried about all this ever since I reserved the vehicle. It actually went much better than I feared it would. Again, good guidebooks and maps are essential.

The next day we were cruising down the Autobahn at a good clip towards Salzburg, Austria. The closer you pay attention to what other drivers are doing, the quicker you figure out what all the signs mean.

 

The VW is a six speed diesel. I absolutely love it. It comfortably seats nine, with a cavernous space for luggage behind the back seat. It makes our Honda Odyssey seem like a compact car. And yet, on the first tank - with a lot of city and mountain driving - we got nearly 28 mpg! Did I mention it's fun to drive? No wonder Europeans prefer manual transmissions!

Diesel is actually cheaper here than unleaded. I paid €1.464 per liter - about $7.379 per gallon. Still, I am absolutely loving driving here in Europe!

 

Things you hear while on vacation with my family

"You can really feel your butt muscles right now." -Mom, as we walked down a mountain.

"Ellie, the sign says no dogs are allowed, that means we can't bring you!" -Hannah, while we entered Neuschwanstein castle.

"This is no mine, this is a tomb." -Abby, on entering the Catacombs

"In order to enter our room you have to knock the National Treasure theme song, and answer any question we ask you with 'milk, and a warm blanket'." -Hannah and I, at the hostel in Munich.

"I don't think so, Tim." -Abby and Hannah, whenever I suggest something dumb.

"I feel like Katniss right now . . .I have burns on my back, my legs ache, and I'm dead tired." -Hannah in the car after a not-so-good night's sleep. (Dad's response: "Well, at least we know that ended well," with tons of sarcasm included.)

"We should write a murder mystery where the only clue is blood in the Scrabble tiles." -Hannah, while playing Scrabble.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Abby, as our plane landed in Rome.

"Hannah, she finds the flaws in all your dreams" -me, because it's true

"Oh, we're just going to get a beer." -Mom and Dad, who then showed up an hour and a half later having eaten steak and other such delicacies.

"Okay guys, walk down this path holding hands. No! Pretend like you like each other! Now freeze! Stop fighting!" -Hannah, trying to get a photo of Abby and Sam.

"We should write a spoof cover of 'Part of Me' by Katy Perry, 'cept it should be 'This is mahogany' all about Effie Trinket." Me, after hearing Part of Me in an Italian restaurant.

Every Lord of the Rings quote imaginable - Hannah, Abby, or I. Hannah has one for every occasion, which shouldn't surprised me.

"Hannah is sixteen, going on seventeen, she'll take care of you." -Me, in front of the original Sound of Music gazebo.

"But that can't be true! Martin Luther wasn't in Augsburg in 1518, and he didn't even go to the Diet of Augsburg..., he stayed behind, Melancthon went instead. And he wasn't under persecution, the imperial band wasn't even written until 1521!" -Dad, on a painting in Hohenschwangau. The painting implied that Luther stayed there while fleeing from persecution in Augsburg in 1518. You should have seen the tour guide's face, she was so surprised.

"And I'll include poetry for all the people obsessed with romance" "So mostly you" - me and Dad talking about the book I'm writing.

Ellie

Neuschwanstein Castle

The mountains rise like giants round
The mist enfolds their ancient mounds
A castle hides within their walls
As grand as mountains to the thralls

Whose hands brought forth the masterpiece
By order of a man of grief
King Ludwig, mad he was indeed
He listened to wants and not to needs

The throne room grand, is guarded by
The saints and kings depicted nigh
Above the place where king would sit
Is Jesus, Pax vobiscum sit

The chandelier hangs high above
Mosaic floors and guided stuff
The throne is gone, was never there
The king was dead too soon to care

The bedroom of the king is small
With intricate woodwork decorating all
The canopy of his bed is like the domes
Of the cathedrals you can see in Rome

A synthetic cave leads you on to the hall
Where music competitions are held every fall
With scenes of Wagner on everything
The composer much beloved by the king

The gold and precious gems adorn
Walls and halls now long forlorn
He lived there not for half a year
This castle that he held so dear

Unfit to rule he was declared
And sent to somewhere far from there
And dead was found not one day hence
And all thought it due recompense

The castle lone, unfinished lay
But not for long, for soon would they
Open its doors again, this time
Not for royal but common eyes

A museum it became, a museum it remains
For years to come, until today
And so, a waste for mad King Ludwig
A waste it's not for all the tourists


They didn't allow pictures in the castle so you'll have to let my poor poetry paint the picture. :)

 

Hannah