1) My eleventh grade class had an exam on Friday. I had the day off.
2) One of my Fulbright friends informed me that by becoming Facebook Friends with DeutscheBahn, you could purchase an unlimited amount of one-way train tickets to anywhere in Germany for 25 Euros (including ICE!), for travel between November 1 and December 15, but you had to buy before November 6th.
Three Day Weekend + having Thursday afternoons always free + ridiculously cheap train tickets = Time for an adventure!
I decided to visit Dan and Paul from Hendrix in Eichstätt! I needed an escape from the normalcy I am slowly beginning to feel in Mainz (not that normalcy is a bad thing, mind you), so a weekend in the Bavarian countryside sounded excellent. And it was.
I began my journey on Thursday afternoon, after I finished teaching for the week. I should first say that this adventure almost didn't happen. I really need to add 'memorize German holidays and festivals' to my list of things to do. Thursday, November 11, was the first day of Fastnacht (Carnival). You might be thinking, 'I thought Carnival was Mardi Gras?!'. Yep. But in the Catholic Rhineland, Carnival is considered a Fifth Season - tacked onto the four we know and love. November 11 at 11:11am is the official kick-off. Everyone parties all afternoon and into the evening, then quits until the 'traditional' Fastnacht season. Mainz happens to have the second-largest Fastnacht festivities in Germany (Köln has the largest).
Fastnacht Costumes
Schillerplatz is packed with people celebrating
So what does this mean for me? Schillerplatz hosted the party. I conveniently live very close to Schillerplatz, so I could walk to the festivities instead of having to take a bus or tram on the festival route and schedule. This became very inconvenient, however, when I attempted to take a tram to the Hauptbahnhof to catch my train to Eichstätt and none came. I stood at my stop twenty minutes early (it is a seven minute tram ride to the train station) and three - three! - trams did not come. Eight minutes before my scheduled departure a bus came. This was going to be a long shot. We arrived at the Hauptbahnhof and I ran. Of course, the steps were blocked off so light bulbs could be replaced, so I had to push my way up an overcrowded escalator. At the platform I practically plowed over the conductor as she blew her whistle, pushing my way on the train as the doors closed. She gave me a dirty look as I dropped my bag and panted for a moment, but then went on with her business. The rest of the train rides were pretty uneventful, and I was welcomed to Eichstätt by Dan around 8:30pm. After dropping off my bag at Dan's apartment, we went to Theka, a student bar, to hang out with a few of Dan's Italian friends. They also had visitors, so we had a pretty good group. We played a English/Italian/German hybrid of BS and chatted.
On Friday I went with Dan (and Paul) to Moral Theology class. It was quite interesting, especially since it was from both a German and (very) catholic perspective (Uni Eichstätt is a small catholic university). The Dan took me on a Grand Tour of Eischstätt. A few highlights:
-- Walking into the Dom (Cathedral) just as the organist began to practice. Free concert!
-- Seeing the 'secret' pond/stream where the fish for Eichstätt Fischerfest are raised. We fed the fish!
-- Going to a cloister that makes and sells alcohol. And, you know, we supported the cloister.
On Friday night we watched the Dortmund-Hamburg match with Dan's friend Hubertus and then we went to a party at the Boxerhalle. According to one of Dan's roommates, it was the biggest party of the year. It was pretty much the same as any other dance club techno-fest I've been to, but I had a good time. I'm usually too short for these type of parties. My head tends to come into contact with a lot of elbows. :\
On Saturday we went up to the Burg that overlooks Eichstätt, then went on a small hike through the surrounding area. The weather was perfect and we were able to see the entire town.
Eichstätt
Neighboring village
After our hike we took the train to Ingolstadt and met up with Dan's roommate, Tonja, who is from the area. We first went to a Bavarian restaurant for lunch, so I could sample the local delicacies. I had a Schweinhax'n (pork knuckle) with a Knödel (dumpling) and salad. It was beyond delicious. I haven't been that full in a long time. Then Tonja took us around the city. Highlights:
Old canons by the Neues Schloss (New Castle)
Donau at sunset
We went back to Eichstätt, relaxed and hung out with Paul for a bit. An apartment building nearby was having a party so we all went. I met a few more of Dan and Paul's friends and overall it was a good party. Sadly, I had to leave Dan and Paul early this morning to go back to Mainz. An excellent reunion.
Ein weiteres erfolgreiches Abenteuer!
Lg, Lauren
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