November 30 - We're in Heidelberg

Our flight was smooth and we landed on time. None of us got much sleep, but we vowed to make it an early night. After passport control and baggage claim, we found our driver, Thomas, who whisked us off down the autobahn to our hotel in Heidelberg. And there, waiting for us, was Angela. Lots of hugs and smiles!

A bit about the city - Heidelberg is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. About a quarter of its 160,000 inhabitants are students. Heidelberg University, founded in 1386, is Germany's oldest and one of Europe's most reputable universities. Angela’s husband, Peter Krumme, is a professor of history, literature and philosophy at the university. Heidelberg is a scientific hub in Germany and home to several internationally renowned research facilities adjacent to its university, including the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and four Max Planck Institutes. The city has also been a hub for the arts, especially literature, throughout the centuries, and it was designated a "City of Literature" by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

After settling in the hotel, we went for lunch because we were getting peckish. Breakfast on the plane had been a small yogurt and a pathetic stale croissant served in a paper bag. Peter was finished teaching for the day and was able to join us. “Loud” and “crazy” would be the right adjectives to describe the atmosphere. We got three different desserts and passed them around for sampling – I suspect this is going to be standard procedure from here on. After lunch, we found a technology store and several of us got SIM cards put in our phones so we can access internet data without paying exorbitant roaming charges.

We made a short visit to the Jesuit Church (Catholic) to look at the very evocative display about the effects on women of religion. The lighting was very dim and my pictures didn't properly show the figures. Suffice it to say, that it was very thought provoking.

Then we visited the Christmas Markets. Food, drink, crafts, music, rides, lights! It’s like a giant outdoor Christmas party. We were all feeling the effects of jet lag, so we didn’t do any buying. We need to be in top form for that activity. But we got our bearings and picked out some stalls to revisit tomorrow. We ducked into a grocery store to do a bit of price comparison. Prices here on things like fruits and vegetables are better than at home.

We had dinner at a restaurant near the hotel that specializes in schnitzel and spaetzle (a kind of noodle). Thumbs up all around. No need for dessert after the late lunch and besides, the hotel keeps a tray of chocolates by the front door. Back in our rooms by 8:00 p.m. Tomorrow will start with sleeping in, followed by a leisurely breakfast. We figured out our plan for the day over dinner. Stay tuned!Read more