On Tuesday we rode the horses early and Lena, Simone, and I headed off to the city of Munster in the afternoon! It was one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. It was a lovely day, about 9 degrees (I now operate in Celsius when it comes to both cooking and the weather) and sunny! We drove around the perimeter of the city and I saw the buildings occupied by the University of Munster, a school with roughly 39,000 students and one of the best medical programs in the country, including the incredible Schloss (castle) building that was once the palace of German Prince Bishops. The Schloss of Munster was built between 1767 and 1787 but had to be almost entirely reconstructed after World War II. In fact, most of the incredible historic buildings in Munster were destroyed during the war. Good job, Hitler, you got all the nicest buildings in Germany bombed because you wanted to be the king of the world. What he really should have done is just go live in the Schloss of Munster! I would certainly feel like a queen if I lived there! The Schloss is not open for public tours because it is used exclusively by the University for teaching. Those lucky German students! Other wonderful Munster landmarks include the Aasee Lake, a massive lake in the middle of the city that covers almost 100 acres of land; the Rathaus (Town Hall), an incredible Gothic building from the 14th century that was also destroyed during the war but entirely restored to its original form in the 1950s. The Peace Treaty of Westphalia that ended the Thirty Years' War was signed in the Rathaus in 1648! There are several amazing churches in Munster, including St. Paul's Dom (Cathedral), a 13th century building that took 40 years to complete. The cathedral's most remarkable feature is an intricate astronomical clock decorated in the 1530s by Ludger tom Ring the Elder, a painter from Munster. Apparently he's very famous, but all I know about him is that he has a confusing name and a knack for painting clocks. A slightly smaller but no less remarkable church in Munster is St. Lamberti Church, located right at the end of the main Prinzipalmarkt Street in the heart of the city. It was built in 1375 and its hall-style construction is the most common type of church style found in the Westphalia region of Germany. On a slightly morbid note, the lower part of the church houses three iron cages that were used to display the bodies of Anabaptist cult leaders in the 1530s! I'm very glad I didn't get to see those.
After getting a taste of Munster's history, Lena, Simone, and I walked around Prinzipalmarkt Street where all the best shops in the city are located! We went to bakeries, clothing stores, and even Starbucks (of course). I wouldn't have even noticed the Starbucks because, let's be realistic, they're EVERYWHERE! However, when Lena spotted the big green sign she shouted "Starbucks!!!" and went running towards it. Apparently Starbucks cafes are still considered exotic in Germany and, because Warstein is not blessed with one, getting a chai tea latte was quite a treat for Lena. After our marvelous Starbucks adventure, we went to Hussel Confiserie, which Lena told me is the best candy store in Germany. The shelves were stocked like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory and I picked up a few treats to bring back home. My sister Frances has a passion for Haribo gummy bears, so I can't wait to find out if Hussel gummy bears will be her new favorite candy!
After a few hours of shopping, Lena, Simone, and I finished out the evening by going to a delicious Italian restaurant called Vapiano. It is a chain restaurant that serves fast, gourmet Italian food and I actually went to another Vapiano in Dusseldorf with Lena and Christoffer on my very first night in Germany. It feels so long ago that I sat in the Gatwick Airport, waiting for my flight and wondering what lay ahead for me in the coming months. I have certainly enjoyed my time here and I can't believe there are only two weeks left before I fly home to Georgia. I may not sprechen sie Deutch, but I definitely have a little German spirit in me at this point! I will miss living in Warstein... with all the beer... and tractors.
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