Penny! comes to Visit (Halle and Berlin)

Post date: Dec 07, 2016 5:52:54 PM

In the continued theme of “when you live in Germany people tend to visit you” my friend Penny came to visit! We became friends relatively recently but immediately hit it off, and I hope this is merely the beginning of a long and fabulous relationship. She also holds the distinction of the first visitor to come visit me in Halle! So we ate well, drank well, and colored in pictures while watching Netflix on my couch. Because that’s how I roll.

The first afternoon, we decided to knock off one of the Halle attractions I haven’t been to yet, the Moritzburg Castle. It is one of the few places in Halle damaged by The War (WWII), after a bombing the roof collapsed and was rebuilt in a very modern style AFTER the communists left (~1995). But the interior is the really interesting part, as it is host to an art museum with frequently rotating exhibits.

Sadly, I actually hate museums, so after 15 minutes pocking around we bought some gluwein and high-tailed it out of there. But before we could leave in the courtyard there was clearly a something going on. This fire pit was lit (with a guy with the most amazing blow torch)(not pictured)(sadly).

However, there was a religious looking fellow on the back of a horse, for some reason unknown to me... the quality of his costume seemed to suggest that he was dressed up as someone, rather than actually being a religious figure himself. I clearly have no idea what's going on.

And children paraded into the courtyard, holding these lanterns. Was the religious guy luring them into the castle? Were they lighting the way for Baby Jesus? Were they lighting their own bright futures? I don’t speak German yet, so I have absolutely no idea.

On Saturday we headed to Leipzig for my first roller derby officiating in Germany! I jam timed, and was complemented by the skaters as being both clear and professional. It was also Penny’s first roller derby experience! Which is awesome.

On Sunday we headed to Berlin. Penny had an early morning flight back to London on Monday morning, so we needed to be in Berlin Sunday night anyway, might as well make a day of it! And while walking around/exploring we ran into these fine people playing Swiss Horns. I’m actually not sure if these are culturally Swiss or German, but the group were pretty adorable.

Penny had the misfortune of coming to visit the weekend after the 2016 presidential election. I was stunned/upset/in a raw state of disbelief. And we spent the weekend talking through the ramifications of the elections, and trying to crawl into the mindset of a Trump voter (this required no small amount of mental gymnastics). By “talking through” I mean I talked a TON while Penny patiently listened a lot. It put me in an infinitely better head space. Also, we saw a guy tagging this in a park in Berlin, which seemed appropriate.

My friend Bryan is a tour guide in Berlin and I often hit him up for recommendations when I’m in town. When I asked what two lazy ladies could do on a Sunday in Berlin, his response: Mauer Park. It’s an awesome flea market/music scene/lazy afternoon kind of place to hang out. Not pictured: the best hot chocolate ever, delicious sausages, and the strangest Tex Mex in all of Berlin.

Penny also likes to travel, so this will likely not be the last we hear of her. Also, although I had a blast, we managed to not take a single photo of the two of us… well played team. Well. Played.