Being There, Seeing There

In Heidelberg 

On Saturday, after Bible study, we has the afternoon free to see things. We had visited the castle ruins a couple of times already on other visits, so we decided to stroll the old town. One of our group, a native German, joined us in our walk to the city center. In our conversation, she told us that Heidelberg was not bombed to smithereens, as was every other significant city in Germany, because an American general in charge of those decisions had gone to school there, as had his friends, so he had a fondness for it, and spared it. So goes history: everything is somebody’s story. A whim here, an antipathy there, and you survive or get smashed. So, unlike other German cities, which are carefully reconstructed to look original, Heidelberg actually is original. 

The hostel was on the other side of the river, so we first had to find a bridge.

The first of many breweries we saw in the city. 

We wanted to check out a light store, but we couldn’t quiiiiiiiite find what we liked. 

We decided the styles were just a liiiiiiitle off for our setting.

You know?

You can’t see the sign on the roof, but this is the Bayer building. And you must not say “bay-er”, but “bahy-er.”  I was corrected. 

Street Musik

Heidelberg has the most bookstores in Germany. It’s like the Oxford of the continent. It is a very ancient university town, too, which explains a lot.

A side street we had to check out. And peek in the church at the end. 

Simple but elegant. 

The organ in the narthex end.

A hospital. The old one. There is a huge modern sprawling one on the other side of the river, with ambulances screaming up every few minutes. This old one is more peaceful.

A square with old villas encircling it. 

On one side is this building where Herr Bunsen invented his burner. 

… or at least he lived there awhile. 

Church

Next to the “High Girls School.” 

… to be continued….