Singing in German

Today we head to England. So we are figuring out the logistics of another plane flight, this one on Ryan Air. Yesterday, after several cups of coffee, lounging around in our bathrobes, John and Elizabeth went to a Unitarian discussion group, and David and I went out for lunch and a stroll. We only crossed the platz to an open air restaurant that Elizabeth had recommended for its salads. Then one street over to the Waermer Dom.

I am using David as a guest writer today. 

Carillon bells play a tune in the Marketplatz, outside our window, as I waken.  Church bells already announced the hour as 9 AM.  We are still recovering from jet lag.  Peculiar things happen, like waking at 1 AM and flip-flopping for an hour.  Well, 1 AM is 7 AM where I live most of the time, so the ole body is confused.  Kinda like the ole bod gets knotty joints and the royal physicians shake their heads and call it arthritis, have a nice day, learn to cope.  As dear Pastor Schmick once said long ago, and I think my own Pastor Dad agreed, "Getting old is NOT for the faint of heart!"

The weather has been beautiful for Germany, warm sun, and lots of it.  Ruth said England was to go through a heat wave.  We'll see.

Yesterday we attended a Vespers at the huge Lutheran Church in the Platz, where they have for 10 years been carefully working through all the known Bach Cantatas.     We got there a bit early and worked our way to the 5th row!  They spent the first half hour talking about the music (in German...), with musical examples from the soloists, choir, and orchestra.  Then, the Pastor took over and we had a full blown Vespers Service including homily in German, another half hour.  We sang the hymns best we could.   Then the musicians got back in place, and they sang the Cantata, another half hour.  and THEN, they gave a half hour of speeches, patting each other on the back I guess, patting Johann Sebastian Bach on the back, and generally smiling and talking proudly.  ALL THIS IN GERMAN, meaning I only understood "Bach" and little else.  It's OK.  A Calzone at the local Italian place rounded another fine day ON VACATION!