Erlangen

Erlangen is a little college town about 10 minutes away from Herzogenaurach. From what I've seen, it has to be at least 8 times the size, and I think it also has the Germany Headquarters for siemens. There is a daily farmers type market, and it has all of the charm of a German town, but with a little bit of the metropolitan love. On friday I mentioned to one of my colleagues (an American who works with the hip & trendy shoes) that I was thinking about going to Erlangen. She kind of turned up her nose & said "We never think to go more than a few minutes away to go out to eat..." and I responded with "well it's not like there are a whole lot of choices in Herzo!" to which she responded "well *I* live in Nuremberg." Hmm...noted. She officially snubbed Erlangen. Too bad. I think it's a totally sweet town. When I got back to the hotel after work, I asked the woman at the front desk if they had a map to Erlangen. She kind of looked at me blankly, so I said I have a map, can you show me how to go? She looked and kind of gave a half attempt at pointing to roads then said, "then you are in Erlangen." So I said, which part of Erlangen is best if I want to walk around and eat? She responded with that same puzzled look as my colleague and said "eat? Oh, I guess go to the center. There are smoky bars there. I don't go to Erlangen, I live in Nuremberg!". Ohh...poor Erlangen! Snubbed not once but twice!!! Okay then, I was all the more determined to go! They deserve a little bit of love!!! After all, compared to Herzo it is down right happening!!! Granted Nuremberg is just another 10 minutes further down the road, but they get a whole lotta love...so sometimes you gotta give a little bit to the little guy too!

So off I went, and miraculously, not only did I find my way pretty easily, but I found my way to the exact same parking garage I parked in the last time I was here 2 years ago. I remember it clearly, because it was just 1 month after starting my adoption paperwork, and when I was leaving the parking garage, I walked by a clothing store where I bought the first two shirts for Sprout- two pink short sleeve shirts. Can't believe it's already been 2 years and still it's "going to happen later" and not now. Okay, back to trip stories.

One thing I enjoy about revisiting places I've been is the memories that come back to you when you are in that place. It happens when I'm in Vermont, it happens in China, and it happens in Germany. So the wonderful memory I recalled when in Erlangen yesterday was that the last time I was here the weather was a bit warmer, and I stopped at a creperie on the street. I had a crepe with nutella and sour cherries....oh it was perfect! The weather was beautiful, the crepe was the most amazing ever, I was floating on the clouds because after more than half a year trying to decided if I could become a single Mama to a little sprout, I had finally made the decision and was on my way! I had two little shirts in a bag in my hand, was savoring an amazing tasting crepe, and had the sun on my face! What a perfect memory of a perfect day!

I can't say that I have such a perfect experience this time- it's perfectly lovely but not nearly as exciting as that! I went to Erlangen in search of some good photos...here is what I came up with.

I really really love shutters on windows in Europe. I don't understand the "decorative" shutters in the US- we had them on my house growing up, I see them in Portland, they're around, but after years now of seeing the functional ones in Europe, I just appreciate them so much more! I really love when functional things are beautiful, and Shutters in Europe seem to fit that description most of the time.
I'm not a religious person by any means, although I do consider myself somewhat spiritual, just on a different level. However, I adore looking at houses of worship of every variety. Christian Churches, Bhuddist Temples, Jewish Synagogues- I find beauty and wonder in all of them. I think that buildings can take on the feeling of the people inside them- religious instututional buildings are filled day in and day out with so many feelings an emotion, how can you not feel it, regardless of your faith? It's the same in someone's home- once someone has lived in a house for enough years, it has the "feeling" of them. For years I felt like my house was not "warm" enough- but after 4 or 5 years living there, I felt like it really reflected the person I am. And I don't think it's just in what goes into my house, I think it takes on a bit of the people who live there. It takes time for a building to absorb energy- and I think religious buildings that are often used for hundreds of years, have had plenty of time to absorb energy of thousands of thousands of people. What an amazing history they have seen!
I'm also a little bit of a fanatic about doorways. Architectural details in general are very exciting to photograph, particularly in Europe where they are so well done.
I think this was a restaurant- I totally dig the teal blue shutters!!!
this is the back of the church in the photos above. I didn't go in as it was evening and I'm sure it was closed, but I was surprised to see a sweet little courtyard with a fountain in the area behind the church.
I'm not really sure what this guy is doing to the fish. If he's catching it bare handed...way to go!
Signs in Europe are often quite clever- or at least beautiful. Maybe Europeans don't see them as clever but as "ordinary"- but to me, they are downright clever. This was the only sign for this business, I have no idea what this store sells, but my money would absolutely be on WINE. Can you imagine a place like this in the US with no sign showing the name of the shop? Imagine telling a tourist "oh yeah, go to the hanging grapes shop at the corner of SW 9th & Morrison." But it totally works in Germany...LOVE this guy. He had a friend, incidentally. There was one on each side of a doorway to a resaurant. There was a woman in the restaurant (eating) who was sitting in the window watching me as I was taking photos. I took quite a few as I futzed with the light, so I looked up a few times and each time she was still staring at me. I gave her a little smile but no reaction. So, she either was not actually looking at me (it was an empty courtyard except for me), or she was trying to figure out why someone would be taking a picture of this guy on the left side of the door. Or...she was thinking "crazy tourists..."