We are all finishing the weirdest, the craziest year now. Everybody on the planet is in the same boat: no travel, no visiting one’s nearest and dearest, lots of restrictions, the complete unpredictability from day to day – and dire news. But in spite of all that’s happening, there is always Love, Hope, Faith.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Planet Earth!
It’s Spring!
Our long stay in Mainz is coming to the end, and I am looking at my photos, sifting through impressions. The overall feeling is positive, in spite of the hurricanes and the virus. Indeed, news today reads like an apocalypse. But life always goes on. As usual my experiences are good – and various. Cheating at stores is a big fat NO, nobody likes being deceived. People are very friendly and helpful even though sometimes they are wary of foreigners. My ungrammatical German is fine for communication. I can confidently buy foods, visit a pharmacy, brave the post office. Only once an old woman standing behind me in line suddenly asked, in German, “You are English? I will go ahead of you because I am local!” Maybe she was in a hurry; maybe she had some unpleasant clashes with people from other countries; or maybe she was not all there. I let her step in front of me. All the people working behind the counters are invariably helpful and professional.
Quite often I am able to help visitors to this lovely town. There is an ongoing construction right by the main train station’s west exit, with the site carefully fenced in. Due to the machinery one cannot follow the GPS to their destination because they simply cannot see the narrow passageway in between fences. “Do you know where the B&B Hotel is?” Two stranded young women from the UK stood there helplessly. They peeked dubiously into the long narrow passage and asked me if it was safe to walk through it, meaning both the construction and the chance encounters with undesirable elements. I suggested mildly that they do not walk alone late at night, good advice for young women in any country. The day being Sunday, I also told them that everything was closed, if they wanted some food their best chance was the train station where the Rossman all-purpose store and numerous bakeries are always open. “But where’s the city, how does one get to the Old Town?” That’s easy, just walk through that same passageway, it is safe during the day,through the station to the other exit, and you emerge right in front of the main town. Crossing the square is a challenge as there is lots of traffic but no traffic lights. Obviously people and drivers are used to it, pedestrians stop and wait for a large bus to pass by, or those same buses brake and let people cross the square. Then it is Bahnhofstrasse, Train Station Street, which takes one to one of the main city squares. The Cathedral is seen to the left; the church with Chagall Windows is up the street to your right. It is easy to find one’s way. The Rhine River is more or less straight ahead, past the Cathedral. The market is in full swing every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday; in Saturdays it is so crowded it is a bit hard to get through it. The market is quite an attraction, besides being the place where the locals and visitors buy produce, enjoy foods sold at many hot foods counters, and simply stare or socialize.
Most bakeries began to sell the local specialty this week: Plunder tart is a sweet puff pastry with very light cream and glazed strawberries on top. Traditionally it is sold close to Easter; there are also plenty of chocolate eggs and bunnies in all sizes, both individual and in pretty boxes. Most shop windows are getting decorated in anticipation of the holiday season.
If you have no specific aims for the day, strolling along, looking around at whatever the town offers is one of the best ways to spend the remaining days of your stay. The sun comes out, it is really warm, and people smile without any other cause to feel happy than the coming of spring.
Snow in Mainz.
Yesterday afternoon I chanced to glance out the window and almost fainted. It was snowing! The forecast said possible snow, melting on its way down, look up. And yet there it was in spite of the forecasts, falling all the way down, covering green lawns and bushes, parked cars and roofs. It melted on the roads yet kept coming; in a short while I heard the characteristic scrunching sound the traffic made getting through the sudden slush. Wow, it was the first time this winter, when Spring was already declared, when seasonal sales were in full swing, when the town Carnival was over. Mother Nature at her best, merrily not just sprinkling but unloading huge helpings of the white stuff everywhere. It stopped quickly, I looked down at my favorite green bushes now all clothed in heavy snow blankets. Pedestrians walked carefully; cyclists went on foot, their bicycles by their side.
Today, the sun is shining, the sky is blue, the snow is almost gone. My bushes are fine, all washed up and sparkling. The roads are clear and dry. It is five degrees above zero according to forecast, but it feels much warmer due to the sun and absence of wInd. Well, mostly: once you turn towards the Rhine the wind starts flirting around, I can feel the pompon swinging on top of my hat, and see girls who prefer to walk hatless clutch at their hair which seems to fly away in every direction.
There are still some remnants of the festival, mostly broken glass in some places. Hopefully it will be swept away soon. All the shops are open, their usual hours back to normal. I don’t window-shop but rather window observe. The formation of the prices, the ways they are determined fascinate me though I have no idea how it is done. To my not very knowledgeable eye for instance all the head and neck scarves so popular now look similar. Yet some cost from €3-4 at a sale to €30 at a different store. When I finger them I could almost swear that the fabric is the same; the size certainly is. The sales rush, as I am pleasantly surprised to discover, reached wools and yarns too. I stopped by at the handicrafts section at Karstadt on a hunch. It is one of the pricier stores, and yet here I found some very pretty yarns at the same price I saw in some €1 shops but of much better quality.
Food shopping is a must; any family woman knows that though one can buy anything and everything daily, Friday is certainly the best day for shopping because everything is freshly delivered by every weekend in every store. Saturday is also fine. It is a market day too when the locals stock up for the week. The woman behind the hot foods counter obviously recognizes me and patiently waits for my laborious German. I oblige. Actually I can say “Drei Putenfrikadellen mit Ketchup bitte” almost as well as any local customer, but what’s the fun in that? The young woman smiles at me kindly when she hands me my package. I smile back. We wish each other a good day.
The sun is amazing, the mood lifts up by itself, people smile more and stop to stare around, to enjoy the greenery. Some small clumps of snow persist by the curbs but they will be gone very soon.
The joy of living can be felt as an almost tangible presence in the air.
The Aftermath.
The morning after any celebration is familiar to anybody who has to deal with the aftermath. The hurricanes did not wreak havoc in this region, but the town carnival definitely left an imprint. First of all there are all the decorations, the fencing, the numerous vendors’ tables and tents, and portable toilets. The cobblestones are literally covered with the debris, the sidewalks and squares are littered with used paper cups, plates, and unfortunately broken glass, besides the usual paraphernalia of confetti, Bright garlands, multicolored scarves, head gear, flags and who knows what else. All the businesses, all the shops, supermarkets and department stores alike were closed on Monday. Next day lots of mothers and grandmothers, some with grandfathers in tow, rush along to buy up foods to replenish their seriously diminished stocks at home. One has to tread carefully so as not to slip or twist one’s ankles on tiny liquor bottles strewn along the pavements.
The city services are out in full force. It looks like hundreds of sanitation workers are busy cleaning up, sweeping the streets and squares. Others dismantle the temporary constructions erected for the feast. They are all. Dry efficient and very professional, their actions fast and assured. The town needs to return back to its normal life. The process of helping citizens safely navigate the streets is quite impressive, and one cannot help but admire the diligent workers. The security are also still there, partly due to the attack in Volkmarsen which as Deatsche Welle tells me left over fifty people injured, many of them children It is very sad and unimaginable. What kind of mentality makes someone attack peaceful citizens during their holiday?..
Inside the stores, the clerks are busy restocking the shelves. Beer and snacks sections are practically empty. The rest is more or less back to normal. I get fresh fruits and vegetables, some meats and dairy products, breads. Outside, the sun comes out, and the town suddenly looks dewy beautiful. The pretty formula from the daily weather forecast pops up in my head: “ At times a showe or two”. I love that. Luckily for me, no shower or two falls on my head while I am out and about, which is fortunate because I have full bags in both hands. Tuesday is declared Fastnacht, Feast Night. I am not sure what it entails but it is clear that unless you love boisterous crowds you better stay inside.
Mainz Carnival.
The locals call it “The Fifth Season”. The festivities start on Wednesday February 19, though the official announcements state February 20 as the beginning of the Carnival. There are plenty of events which continue through the weekend and overflow into next week! There are food and drinks stands all over the center of town, people walk, run and dance dressed up, their faces painted, wearing wigs of crazy colors, bright hats, animal costumes, military uniforms of the former centuries and lots of other stuff. Monday February 24 is called Rosen Monntag, it is the day when Grandmothers paint their faces, don hats and wigs, and do whatever they like on the central square in front of the Cathedral. Celebrations can be heard everywhere, but the nights are quiet. There are lots of police and various security services in all the public places. On Tuesday the Carnival continues gradually floating into the final night; on Wednesday there is an official closing of the festivities, with the symbolic “burial” of the Carnival until the next year.
What I did not expect on Monday was the fact that everything is closed. Shops including food stores, pharmacies, many cafes and restaurants. Since I needed some food I went into the main train station in which there are several options, besides the bakeries and various McCafes.
A REWE Express store is a recent addition; one can find most essentials like some cheese, ham, dairy products. There is also a decent hot foods counter. Ah, that’s where I got an unpleasant surprise, and I want to warn all my fellow travelers. My German is not too good but I can say most simple phrases correctly, and I know by experience that I am understood. I asked the woman who was conducting a brisk trade at the counter to give me four chicken legs and a slice of meat. She very quickly packed everything into paper bags, told the male cashier ( who was wearing a nice exotic wig) “Vier Schenkel”, FOUR legs, he charged me accordingly. It never even occurred to me to open up the bag and check. Only at home I discovered that she put only three portions, not four, into the bag. Imagine the feeling, when you are expecting four people for lunch, and you managed to buy more or less everything you need, only to see that you have less food than you thought. The natural irritation at being cheated, especially on such a festive day. I would like to tell all those shop clerks who cheat: tourists are not super rich, they are hard working people! You the cheater are responsible for spoiling my mood, for creating problems for me, for giving us visitors the wrong picture of this lovely town and this amazing carnival! If I wanted to give you a tip of €2 for a total purchase of €7.60, I would have done so. What you are doing is stealing.
I am very glad I had this nice walk, and saw all those beautiful citizens of this town who light-heartedly celebrate their own traditions. Even the somber statue of Gutenberg, the inventor of book printing who was born and died in this place, is crowned with that festive bright hat. And I appreciate this wonderful custom of devoting the day to Grandmothers. 
After the Hurricane.
Yesterday evening was the last hurricane warning, mostly about gusts of wind and sudden showers. Today, we got a glorious sunny morning, though the weather still changes very quickly. The one thing that definitely suffered is my head; judging by people’s faces, I am not the only one who feels the after effects of that huge natural cataclysm. But hey today is another day! While it’s not raining or gusting, one can go out and enjoy. The market near the cathedral is almost in full swing. If the weather is as forecast, it will be even larger tomorrow, on Saturday. Though Deutsche Welle tells me that the Germans are not “ big for Valentine’s Day”, they do follow the universal tradition – plenty of flowers, heart-shaped sweets, chocolates and pastry can be seen everywhere. Or maybe they simply love the shape of ❤️.
It’s really warmer, and the weekend should be even better. I took a long walk, all the way to the Rhine, admired the views and took some pictures. There is a nice slice of the old town, some pretty old buildings nestled between several modern structures, with the cathedral towers seen right behind. I love those glimpses which occur all over the place, the old and the new together. And the river itself, eternally flowing, oblivious to humanity. Wiesbaden can be seen on the other bank. An impossibly long tour boat is chugging along slowly. What I also wanted to capture is the sky, the clouds hanging low, yet one can see that probably the worst is now over. The sun persists in coming out, and everything seems much lighter, more cheerful at once.
The Hurricane!
After our wonderful quiet trip to Worms we were quite astonished to read the hurricane news on Sunday. I looked at the photos of the deluge and winds in the UK, read the warnings for other countries, and began to check the updates in <dw.com>, Deutsche Welle, a very reliable and coherent site which publishes the latest news in English. It was clear the Sabine/Ciara was fast moving from the North across the country bringing havoc. Several airports cancelled or delayed many flights, Deutsche Bahn the railway warned passengers to delay their prospective trips, and the general sensible advice was, Stay home if you don’t really need to get out.
I ran to the train station, the only place in town where shops are open on Sundays, and bought a few missing necessities like eggs and breads. It took me probably half an hour, and how the world around managed to change in that short time! Do you know those moments when Nature itself seems to hunch down and keep extremely quiet? That was it, the calm before the storm. We watched it from our window. Strong gusts of wind attacked our favorite large green bushes down below; for quite some time we thought they would be torn out of the ground and born away. Heavy rain lashed against the windows, stopped and commenced again. The street was totally deserted. And it was really dark.
We kept in contact with our daughter who went to Kiel on Saturday. She intended to stay the whole weekend but cancelled her plans when she watched the news and rushed to the train station. On her way back she heard the announcement that as of noon, half an hour later, all trains North were cancelled until further notice. Thank God she managed to get home in the nick of time!
As always happens in such cases, we checked on our nearest and dearest during the day. At night I woke up several times to the wailing of the wind. In the morning we realized that we did not hear the usual hum of trains. We could see those gusts of wind by the way the trees kept swaying; everything looked wet. The sun kept pushing its way through the heavy dark clouds, then disappeared again. I checked the forecast and went out early, to do some food shopping and to see how things were. At first I optimistically thought that maybe I should simply go straight to REWE near the station, buy up foods, bring them back home, then go out again to buy some other stuff I needed. But once I was inside the station… There were crowds of would-be passengers, many of them staring at the time-table above. My German is not very good but I can deduce the meaning of Verspaetung, delayed or late. It accompanied every line. The announcement in the bottom mostly informed that long-distance trains were cancelled or delayed. The announcements via the radio system obviously informed passengers about the same inconveniences.
It was a bit difficult to get though the crowds, especially that one of the escalators didn’t work and the stairs down below were cordoned off, with a large repairs machine blocking the way.
I got outside, ran to REWE in between the spattering of rain drops. The hot meals counter was already in full operating mode and customers were rather obviously stocking up. I bought some foods too. Lots of shop assistants kept running back and forth stocking and restocking the shelves. No shortage of foods but perhaps it is a purely psychological phenomenon: when there is a natural cataclysm, everybody prefers to be prepared to stay put.
It was clear that my original idea of getting out twice was not the best one under the circumstances, so I put my purchases into two bags and went on to a different store. There I experienced a familiar episode: I put €5 note into the little money dish by the cashier, carefully counted out 47 cents. The woman took my change and said, “Five euros?” I told her I already gave her the money. Now this is something I can say in several languages, since the situation is the same in any country. She told me I didn’t, I repeated I did. The man behind me in line said mildly, “Here it is”, and showed her the note which she did not yet put into the till. Maybe it was an honest mistake on her part. But it always makes me wonder, because those dishes by the machine are there for the exact purpose of customers putting their money in it, right? We parted in a very civilized way.
I came back laden with foods and goods, confident that we can now survive the day, no matter what the weather is. It is really weird outside, now it is raining, I was told it was literally pouring a little distance away yet here it was just a shower. Then the sun peeks out again, with those huge black clouds still hanging low looking ready to burst. The wind comes and goes in gusts. It is all supposed to end by tonight or tomorrow morning. No victims reported here, no destruction. I read about Frankfurt cathedral, hopefully the damage to its roof is not too bad.
When Nature unleashes its might, one realizes how fragile and how precious human life is.
Worms, Germany.
Worms is a small town less than half an hour’s train ride from Mainz; one can also use the S-Bahn, it will take you about forty minutes. Worms is a popular tourist destination for many reasons. If you are a history buff you will want to see it because it vies for the title of the most ancient European Town. The claim is for several thousand years of existence I believe. It is known that a settlement existed on the lovely banks of the Rhine River long before regular and reliable chronicles appeared. This is also the Niebelungen site, you actually see the sign right there at the train station. Ah, now this I needed to see to finally set some obsolete demons at rest.
Niebelungen, I know from my university course of literature, was a Medieval German epic which describes the amazing feats of many warriors like Siegfried and the warrior women like Kriemhild and Bruenhild. It is believed that the events go back to the fifth or sixth century, while the composition of this epic poem, the very first one to be written in German, was done circa 1200. Yes, quite a long time ago. There were also plenty of supernatural creatures both good and bad. As befits the good heroes all the warriors performed lots of good and great deeds. The main hero Siegfried in the poem comes to the town of Worms because he wants to marry Kriemhild; her brother agrees, on the condition that Siegfried help him procure Bruenhild’s hand in marriage. Boys meet girls, and the adventures begin.
My own knowledge and the memories I needed to quell all come from the same source, my university lecturer who was not only a specialist on the literature of the period, he was also writing his Ph.D. Thesis on the theme, and thus was full of a mazing knowledge. Unfortunately he expected us, second year students, most of us still in our teens, to learn all the data by heart. Who loved whom, who committed treason, whose sword horse servant was called what… Oh how we hated the epic poem.
What saved me was the magnificent thunderous music composed by German composer Richard Wagner in the nineteenth century. Who doesn’t recognize the amazing fluid notes of The Flight of the Valkyries! If you don’t remember it offhand, click on YouTube and listen to the opening melody, if one can call it that. When my father first simply sang those notes to me, I had a epiphany. If somebody could study the whole poem and create those unearthly lovely sounds, I could at least read it and try to memorize the stupid facts as per our teacher’s demands. When I frankly told him at the exam that I can hear those Valkyries in my head thanks to Wagner, he beamed. He asked me punctually to enumerate all the characters and all the names. While signing up my student list, marking my result Excellent, he said good-naturedly: “If you ever find yourself in Worms be sure to look up those sites!” At the time I thought, uncharitably, “In your dreams!”
And yet there I was today, looking for the celebrated Niebelungen Thurm, the guard tower which was erected centuries ago on the bank of the Rhine, and to this day stands proud and tall right by the bridge across the river. The cars stream through the gate of the ancient structure which gives one a really weird sensation of watching the Time flow! I also saw the Niebelungen museum, though I did not have the courage to visit it; and I noticed the street names, like Kriemhildestrasse. Imagine, after all those centuries!
The cathedral, the locals say, is even more impressive than the one in Cologne. To me it looked probably not comparable. The style is completely different, and the rose stone makes it clearly one of those southern churches which can be found in the region, like in Mainz. It is certainly huge, very elaborate, the Gothic interspersed and intertwined with the Romanesque. Inside it is vast, with beautiful stained glass windows, some of which are rather modern in execution and design. The first church was erected in the same place maybe in the beginning of the Christian Era, then it was rebuilt, renovated, destroyed and rebuilt again. It is believed that the cathedral mostly dates back to the 12-13th centuries, with parts of it again reconstructed and restored after WWII. It was the venue for numerous Roman Diets, diets being not the way one eats but the meetings of legates or prelates or all the representatives of the Ancient Rome and the Pope. Yes, it was all part of the Roman Empire, until it collapsed of course.
During one of the Diets Martin Luther, the German church reformer of the sixteenth century, was tried. He refused to relinquish his views and suffered a terrible fate of ex-communication, but at least he was not burned alive. His sins were numerous: he translated the Bible into German, so that it became accessible to the people of his country; and he married a nun, thus establishing a tradition for the clergy to get married and lead a normal family life, as opposed to the celibacy laws in Catholicism. His ex-communication happened in 1521, almost 500 years ago. He was also the founder of Lutheranism, a new branch of Christianity which many Europeans followed. His greatest sin was his fight against the strict rules and restrictions of the Roman Version of Catholicism, his insistence on human rights.
As was and still is customary in the region, the monks living in the cathedral grounds had a vineyard. That was where they invented a particular brand of very light sweet wine known today as Liebfraumilch, the milk of our beloved lady. The Virgin Mary is indeed a much revered lady in Worms. Her statues erected in various epochs decorate the city; a beautiful fifteenth century church is devoted to her. The wine gradually became a mass produced brand mostly exported to other countries. As a modern German Frau explained to me, it is too sweet for the new millennium tastes. I guess my tastes are not very modern.
Worms is a nice place to have a day trip to if you are in the area of course. The train station itself looks like a lovely historical monument. A dragon ready to fly high up near the Two Hall building will make you smile. And anywhere you oook you will see the past carefully,preserved, with the new buildings harmoniously forming an ensemble.
Marc Chagall Windows.
It is easy to find the St. Stephan’s Church with its famous blue stained glass windows; the signs, Chagall Fenster, are everywhere. The church dates back to times immemorial; the windows were created by the celebrated painter Marc Chagall in the 1980’s. I have seen his creations in various countries. Here in Mainz, they are different. It seems that there are many more of them than in other places, though I cannot be sure. I know that some of the smaller ones were finished by other painters. They are located all over the church, in the center, around the whole vast inner space, in the back. You think you have seen all of them, but turn around and you will find a few more tucked away here and there. The most colorful ones are in the center, behind the pulpit and the altarpiece. They are like a scene from every favorite fairy tale, partly because to the right and in between two sets of those huge panes are the organ pipes which look like a cascade, a waterfall, with the magical blue tints reflected on the silver pipes. In fact the color blue which we all know is a reflection of the sky acquires a whole new meaning, with all the tints and shades constantly changing due to the outside light, coalescing together or suddenly separating into unique little shapes and shades, like a children’s toy kaleidoscope. The process is endless. People come into the church, sit down on a bench… and simply look.
I knew I wanted to see them again, and from my last experience I also realized that I needed some time to prepare for the spectacle. A visit to St. Stephan’s requires a certain mood. You cannot for instance rush in on your way to a party or during your mundane shopping walk. No, you need to set aside some time, to walk there, climbing the rather steep streets, to take a breath once you find yourself on the square, and then enter. By the way entrance is free. You can buy some booklets inside or drop 50 cents into a box and light a candle in memory of your loved ones. But you don’t have to pay for seeing the amazing magnificent play of the color blue.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Marc Chagall’s modernistic paintings still remain a closed book for me. But his lovely blue windows are a sight to behold.
HSpring is here!
For someone used to a long cold winter, February 1 is probably not the beginning of spring, but it definitely is that here in Mainz. I stumble on the reminder everywhere including the new roll of toilet paper 🙂 Welcome spring! It was raining all night, everything looks freshly washed. A bush outside burst into bloom, I think it’s called forsythia, those small yellow flowers yet no leaves. But there are plenty of evergreens around to compensate. Very warm days influence everybody and everything. Once the rain stopped the cafes opened their doors and waiters ran around arranging tables and chairs outside. Customers flock to every place where they can sit, if necessary wrap their legs into blankets provided, and enjoy not only their breakfast or lunch but also the balmy air and the views. What can be more attractive than seeing smiling passers-by, hearing school kids of all ages burst into spontaneous laughter. There is definitely a spring in everyone’s step, an eagerness to stroll, to run, to move.
I went to the embankment, to look at the Rhine River. It looks majestic, flowing in its eternal way. The sun comes out from behind the clouds and everything changes for a few seconds. There is a whiff of the new season. Parents with babies in strollers walk sedately or rush along on their many errands, using the chance to enjoy the clear skies, the absence of rain. Very old couples move slowly, stopping often, helping each other. At noon there are lines of people at every food counter in the street, in a shop and at the train station. Nobody pushes or tries to cut the line, people seem to be better disposed toward their fellow humans. What a difference a warm day makes!
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