Reformationstag

This work is perched above the door to the administrative building here on campus in Oberursel, Germany.


Sole gratia, sole fide, sole scriptura.

Trage Christus in die Welt

This small Catholic church was right off the main square, or Hauptmarkt, in Trier. They had a small courtyard outside the door of the church between the church and the square. As you exited "out into the world," this sign was above the door. Translation: "Carry Christ into the world." The sign reminded me of the, "You are now entering the mission field," sign at my home church in Texas. I know it can almost sound cliche, but that sign always served as a reminder to me. I like how my friend David used to phrase it at the end of a worship service at the CRAVE in St. Louis: "The service is ended, but let your worship continue. Go in peace." Trage Christus in die Welt.

Trier

Trier has the distinction of being the oldest city in Germany, having been continuously settled for more than 2000 years. (Not to be confused with New Trier, Minnesota.)

The Trier Cathedral.

The Constantine Basilica. A spectacular Roman building from the 4th century. Currently an Evangelical Church.

This piece was situated just in front of the pulpit in the Basilica. I was fascinated by it; I must have taken more than 40 photos. It's a space dedicated to silent prayer, with stools situated around it and a place to buy candles. The text is from Matthew 28.20b: "Jesu spricht: Und siehe, ich bin bei euch alle Tage bis an der Welt Ende." [Jesus said, "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (ESV)."]

Porta Nigra. "The best preserved Roman structure in Germany." And Napoleon wanted to tear it down.

Bromo

I had the pleasure this weekend of reconnecting with an old friend.

I was constantly reminded how deficient I've been in keeping up with many of my friends, but also, how good it is to see them again. We spent the weekend reminiscing and catching up. I hadn't seen Bromo since February of 2000, at Fort Benning, Georgia. He's been living in Germany since 2001. This was the first time I've met his wife, Michaela (they were married in September, 2006).

I've kept up with Bromo through the regular updates in the "Don Letters" - compiled by St. John's University Alumni Chaplain, Father Don Talafous. I've been in Germany for nearly two months, but just last week looked him up. We had discussed getting together this weekend, before he heads back to Minnesota for Thanksgiving. Friday afternoon he called me up and asked if I could come down this weekend - this evening, perhaps? "I can be out the door in an hour," I said.

der Fuchstanz

The Fox Dance. I was sitting in my room after classes this afternoon, when "cabin fever" got the best of me. I threw a couple Nalgene bottles, some chocolate, and my rain jacket into my backpack and headed out the door. Just up the street from the Hochschule, the street ends and the Taunus forest begins. I walked down the hill, hopped the U-bahn to a trailhead a couple stops up, and walked into the woods. I decided to try a slight variation on the route I had taken two weeks ago. Before I entered the woods, I saw a display that read "7 C" (not quite 45 degrees Farenheit). It was a bit brisk, but not bad; refreshing, really. Being mid-afternoon on a Wednesday, I had the trails mostly to myself. The trees were beautiful. I love the contrast of Autumn colors against dark green pines. And, I don't mind the overcast Autumn skies at all. As I gained elevation, the temperature slowly dropped.

Now, I had heard about the Fuchstanz, but the name didn't register when I saw it on the signpost. Two hours and about 7-8 km later, the forest opened on a crossroads between several trails and revealed a spot two other Americans, independently, had told me about. Though neither could tell me exactly how to get there, they each had told me about their affinity for hiking in the woods above Oberursel and about this restaurant that can only be reached by trail. (Apparently, the proprieters are allowed to take autos back there for logistical reasons, but the rest of us must go "zum Fuß.") The place is called "Fuchstanz," or "Fox Dance," auf Englisch. It's really two restaurants situated across the trail from eachother. One called, "Fuchstanz," and one called, "zum Fuchstanz." I chose the shorter moniker.

Sure enough, inside were several stuffed fox and fox pelts. Inside I also found my first cup of Glühwein this Autumn. Glühwein is a great cold weather drink. I think it's also called "hot mulled wine," in English. Red wine based, with fruit juice and spices, served hot. It really hits the spot on a cold day. The restaurant was empty except for the proprieters, two old German men, and an old (presumably) German dog. After my cup of Glühwein, I headed back out into the brisk air. I was ready to head back down hill, with a warm belly and a smile. It was significantly colder on top of the hill. [There's an elevation gain of 250-300 meters (close to 900 feet).] The air was cold enough to make your chin numb and your pee steam. (Sorry for that imagery, but the guys from northern climates know what I'm talking about.) With that, enjoy the photos! Good stuff.

Paris and Back in 26 Hours

Saturday morning my alarm went of at 3:30 am. Breakfast at 4:00. Then nine of us - six South Africans, two Americans and one German - piled into a rented van and drove seven hours to Paris to watch South Africa versus England in the Rugby World Cup championship match. After a quick walking tour of the city - the Notre Dame Cathedral, a walk through the Louvre (we didn't go inside), the Arc d'Triumph - we finished at the Eifel Tower and hung out in the public viewing area. In a small enclave in front of the large screen, about 50 or so South African fans reveled ina sea of 20,000 drunken Englishmen. But, if I learned anything about rugby football, its fans are fun-loving and, for the most part, civil. Not civil in the sense that includes sober, though. I've never seen so much beer consumed or wasted (sprayed in the air and doused on each other). But, after the match, every English fan we encountered greeted us with "congratulations, well played." I can't imagine American football fans treating rivals with such civility. Following the match, we retuned to the van. Apparenly it went smoothely; I slept the whole way. We arrived home 26 hours after we departed. Paris was beautiful. Interesting. But, dirtier than I expected, and many of the cathedrals we visited were sadly run down. At any rate, Paris is still a beautiful city. One might spend a year there and still not experience everything properly.

Die Bekenntnisschriften der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche

My Book of Concord auf Deutsch arrived today from amazon.de.

Mainz (12.10.2007)

A quick day trip to the town of Mainz, southwest of Frankfurt on the Rhine. Pictured above is the Cathedral of Mainz. Construction began in 975 AD (without a "1" in front). St. Boniface passed through these parts in the 8th century (below) (artist's representation).

Eine Wanderung (A Hike)

Taunus. My new backyard.

Tübingen (02.10.2007)

Monday, 02 October, I had the chance to visit Tübingen, one of the oldest Universities in Germany, with Martin and Roland (Roland on the left, Martin on the right). My friend, Martin (an exchange student at the Seminary in St. Louis last year), will be studying there beginning this Fall.

Smart Car

Here's one of my favorite shots from the International Auto Show (IAA) in Frankfurt last weekend. They don't make them like this back home. This car - Smart Car - would fit in the back of my truck!



You see these bad boys all over Europe. Much better fuel economy than my truck, I'm sure!