Day 73 - Goodbye Lenin...

...hello, Pickles! If any of you have seen the movie "Goodbye Lenin", you may remember the quest for Spree Wald Gurken. Spree Wald, does in fact exist, and it is a very lovely place. At one point in its life, was a top producer of tiny pickles (still is), though the main economy today is probably tourism.

The area has been active since the middle ages. To this day, there are very few roads, and most traffic travels on the many arms of the river Spree. In the summer long, flat-bottom boats either poled (like English Punting) or with small motors ply the water. In the winter, small sleds pushed by hand carry locals around.

The area is recognized by UNESCO, and it easy to see why. We arrived by train. From the station, the town is a pleasant 1.5 kilometre walk through a small forest dotted with monuments. Emerging on the other side of the trees, it is easy to imagine oneself far away from the here and now. Cars do whiz by on the outskirts of the town, but the center is utterly quiet, but for voices, the swoosh of water through small loch gates, and the occasional putt-putt-putt of a boat motor. Apparently, nowhere else in Germany, perhaps Europe, has this convergence of so many river arms. As a result it is carefully regulated and conserved.

Which is not to say it entirely rejects the modern. As in Muenster, Spree Wald has an outdoor sculpture project. We took a boat tour along the waterways to see the area and to learn some of its history. Along with with the beautiful green landscape and history, sculptures surprised us at every turn. In the first one we saw, white forms stretched up out of the water. A little further along, an Ophelia floated just under the surface. Some sculptures were figurative, referencing old tales, others were abstract forms hovering over, along, or in the water.

Overall it was nice to find art in such an unexpected setting. That is one of the things I love best about Europe. The Arts are publicly funded, and widely supported. As a result, both cities and countryside are much more dynamic and lively. In Europe, unlike in the States, art is not the property of the elite few who can afford to go and see it, but rather it spills out into the streets (or in this case waterways), free to any passerby.

After our boatride, we had a lovely lunch at the main Estate. The meal featured local specialties, including, yes, Spree Wald pickles. Very tasty, and great company! (H, B, Cz) Throughout the meal, we could hear the local band playing around a corner of the river. Today it was a band playing old folk songs. Other days it is a choir or children's music group. Point is, there is always music in the air.

Inside the building itself (whose current incarnation is 18th century, but which has been around since the 12th), there is a museum to the history of Spree Wald. Of particular interest to Cz was the model of the town with a laser pointer one could direct over certain buildings to learn more about them. I was most interested in the costume exhibits. In earlier days, Spree Wald women wore elaborate headdresses and aprons in their ordinary lives. Even today, they still wear them for special occasions like weddings and religious holidays.

As stated earlier, we traveled there by train. Train travel in Europe, and particularly in Germany, is cheap, easy, and reliable. With the train, you can get nearly anywhere in with a minimum of hassle. We traveled on a family weekend pass, which basically meant that all four of us could ride any train in the DB system except the high-speed ones, anywhere in Germany we would have wanted to go. I will miss both the good public transportation and the family when we return home.