Oct. 16, 2010

Ah the city of Heidelberg. There was so much to see I don’t think it is possible to do it all in one day. The group was getting smaller and smaller because everyone had their own travels to attend to. Hannah E., Aaron, Steve and Phil had already gone on their way to Amsterdam. So all that are left to see Heidelberg are us girls (Kirsten, Kristen, Kacey, Hannah D. and myself). We were given a tour of a few interesting things in the city. First we went to the University and were shown the “studentenkarzer” or in English, the “student prison.” This “prison” is famous to the students in Heidelberg.Originally it was used for a method of discipline. You would be sent there if you were misbehaving in or out of class. We were read a list of common reasons for a student to be sent to the prison, some of which were; tipped off the hat of a police officer, shouts and sings in the streets at night, is found drunk on the campus, and so on. But it soon became the “cool” thing to do, to see if you could get into the students prison. These dorm rooms were covered with the students graffiti and artwork. A tradition was to paint the silhouettes of each student that stayed there. 

We made our way from the university over to the castle, in a roundabout way (after wondering through the main street, and to a church or two. This castle was redesigned (foolishly) by a later king to make it “prettier.” He broke down many of its amazing wall and put in terraces for gardens and such. It was prettier indeed, but when war broke out, this castle was like a playground for the enemy. They climbed up the terraces like they were a jungle-gyms. So much for that brilliant plan, huh there king! This castle has an extensive wine cellar, in which the worlds largest (I am told) wine barrel resides. On the top of this wine barrel there is room for 25 people to dance, and those aren’t just statistics, I was up there, and there is definitely room for 25 people to move around, at least! 

After dinner at the Jegendherberge, we got all dressed up to go out to the Hard Rock Cafe there in Heidelberg. I would have to say that Heidelberg has the smallest Hard Rock known to man kind! Ha! There were so many people crowded in there you felt like you were having a heat flash and the music (which was primarily death metal, not even rock!) was way too loud. I sound like an old woman, but it’s all true. Ask any one of us and we will be happy to tell you the same. Though it was fun to get dressed up and go out for a change. We are always so busy and either too tired to go out in the evenings or we are studying through the night. Well Heidelberg, you have served us well, maybe not for your Hard Rock, but for your German culture. Thank you oh so much!