Lots of Walking

Liebe Freunden und Freundinen,

Greetings on another warm, sunny day in Bavaria! 

It's been 9 days, now, since we landed, and we've learned so much, and one of the things we've learned is that there is so much more to learn. Things we automatically do in our country without thinking require thought and planning in another. I can feel for new people in our country, now. What's easy for us is hard for them.

Pat has been sick with the flu (or Covid?), and has not felt like going out. So, I've been making little excursions of my own into the Altstadt. Yesterday, I wanted to check out a thrift store. I'm sad to say, they don't compare to Bishop's Attic. But across the street I discovered a Euro Store, comparable to our Dollar Store. I found some useful things, including a calendar for 2024. The German week starts on a Monday, and ends with Saturday and Sunday on the right. That's going to take some getting used to, as what I think is Wednesday in the middle of the week, is going to be Thursday, and so on. 

Today I went in quest of a post office so I could buy stamps to send birthday cards to the US. It wasn't where the map said it was, and so I got to go around

asking, 'Können Sie mir sagen, wo die Postamt ist?' I wound up walking to the train station. I can't tell you how far that is, but I know today I broke my distance record for walking with my new knee, and so far getting away with it. Then I decided to walk to St. Peter's Cathedral (Dom) to catch my bus there, and take the opportunity to look around. The bus that winds through the Altstadt is a little green one, not the big, snazzy ones that run through the rest of the city. 

Pictured here is on the south side. One of the spires is being restored, thus the wooden structure on the left. Just past that is a wooden door, through which you can enter the Dom. I've always wanted to see a Gothic cathedral, and I can tell you it is breathtaking. Building began in 1280 and was completed in 1520. Can you imagine?

Today's visit was just a fly-by. When Pat is better, we plan to spend more time looking around. They hold services here, and there are signs that say not to walk around or take pictures during them. Before today, the only vaulted ceilings I saw were in art history books. 

The pillars in the Dom are massive, which they'd have to be to hold up such a ceiling. I marvel at the skill and materials it took to build it, and that we don't begin to rival that in the modern world. I had to reach out and touch the cold stone, to make a connection with these people from the Middle Ages who took generations to build this masterpiece. 

Stained glass windows, another marvel, helped make this building seem light and airy, despite the heavy pillars and other stone work. They give concerts in here, both a famous boys' choir, and with the massive pipe organs. I hope to attend both kinds. 

Since I couldn't find the bus stop at the Dom Plaza (it passed me right by as I was standing on the curb outside the Dom), I watched it go up the winding streets and alleyways to the next stop, at which I caught the next one. Since they run every 10 minutes during the weekdays, so it's no big deal to miss one. I'm so thankful for a knee that can walk as much as I did today. 

On the walk from the bus stop at home, I spied the mail being delivered. They do it on a fancy bicycle! I don't know what they do in the winter, however.