This past weekend we took a trip to Göttingen to visit a friend of Adrian’s and his family. We decided to take the more ‘scenic’ route which involved 2 trams and 2 regional trains, each way! We were able to get good seats and see some of the German countryside while en-route. We had a great time exploring this beautiful city and Sabrina had a blast playing with young Paul.
Göttingen was nearly untouched by Allied bombing in World War II. The inner city is a popluar tourist destination with shops, cafes, bars and eis (ice cream) shops! Adrian indulged in two ‘exotic’ eis flavors: orange basil and sesame. You can always count on Adrian to taste the most outrageous flavors. With the World Cup starting, we were able to catch a couple games on big screens in the town square. While walking through town, we saw beautiful architecture, the famous city wall and traditional half-timbered houses.
We also made a stop in front of the old town hall where a famous fountain was built in 1901. The statue is of a girl carrying a pair of geese, one in a basket and another in her right hand, standing below an intricate wrought iron canopy. What’s noteworthy, and makes the Gänseliesel fountain a famous landmark is the tradition connected where students at the University of Göttingen climb up to kiss the girl after gaining their doctorates and put a flower in her basket. In 1926 the town tried to crack down on the practice by forbidding kissers but that law doesn’t stop students celebrating their doctorate degrees in this time-honoured way.
During our visit, we played at some amazing speilplatz, went for a hike in the woods and hung out at a great Beer Festival with over 50 different beers available for sampling. Adrian satisfied his craving for an IPA and indulged in a liter of beer (photo evidence below)! Little Ms. Sabrina cut a rug dancing to the DJ’s tunes. It was lovely weekend and so nice to see more of this beautiful country before we head stateside in a few weeks!
