On the Ground

 

Grüß Gott aus Bayern!

It's been rainy and relatively warm lately, with temps close to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I've not needed to wear my warmest coat in weeks. The weather continues to be quite variable, with the sun coming out between rainy spells. 

Most of the time, the sights to see are the ones you look up at, but there is something of interest wherever you look, and that includes the ground. The photo I've included here is what the typical pavement looks like in the Altstadt. There's no concrete on the ground anywhere, and the only macadam is at the bus plaza (Arnulfsplatz) where we catch one of the bus lines we usually take. 

The pattern in the second is less used, and mostly found on the eastern side of the Altstadt of Regensburg. I also saw the same kinds of paving stones used in the Altstadt of Nürnberg, and in photos of other parts of Germany. Germany is much older than the US, and has some tragic history, but the physical remnants of the past are often beautiful. 

Speaking of tragic history, at least Germany doesn't shy away from facing it. On the left are two brass plates embedded in the pavement just down the alleyway from the chapel. I wondered for a long time what these meant. A few months ago all the brass plates in the Altstadt had candles and flowers laid by them. I recently found out that these are memorials for Jews who died in the Holocaust. The plates are embedded outside the building where they were living before being carted off to concentration camps. 

Today is the eve of Theophany (Epiphany in the western church), and it is a public holiday tomorrow, at least in Bavaria, so everything but a few restaurants will be closed. That makes it convenient for the Orthodox on the new calendar, as the feast day is always a day off. 

Speaking of days off...all Germans are given 30 days of paid vacation a year, plus 16 or so public holidays. They seem to have a better work-life balance than we do in the US. They also get generous maternity and paternity leave. They pay more in taxes, particularly in the higher income brackets, but there is a feeling of community--that those who are better off help those with less. No one has to panic if they need a ride to the hospital in an ambulance. (We do, however, to the tune of 1,000+ Euros, as we're not part of their system). No one has medical debt, nor do young people have student debt. If they qualify academically for the university, they get most costs covered. In fact, all vocational and academic training is no cost to German citizens. Even a student from the US who can speak German at an advanced level (C-1 level) can attend college for free. 

Lastly, my German language class starts on Monday. Classes are Monday through Friday, 9 to noon. Pat got excused for health reasons. We didn't get the first half of the money back, but were given a voucher which we'll probably never use instead. It has turned out that we are not able to stay in Germany, but since we've paid for the classes and are under contract, I may as well attend and learn what I can. Maybe I can find a use for it back in Alaska. 

Bis bald!