Cute coasters and good beer at Paulaner
Nordfriedhof – beautiful cemetery in North Bonn
M and I have enjoyed living like retirees this week. We get up late, spend most of our days napping and/or reading, and taking walks. Today we came across what we thought was a park, which turned out to be the Nordfriedhof cemetery. Cemeteries in Germany are so beautiful, peaceful, and well maintained (so many trees!) that we’ve actually mistaken several for parks.
“Peaceful” just describes Nordfriedhof perfectly, and it was a nice place to sit and think about my Grandpa, actually, and his recent passing. It might sound a little morbid, but it was actually kind of comforting. As we walked, we read the names on the tombstones, wondered aloud about the people they had been, what they’d seen in their long or short lives. Somehow everything felt more connected and natural, rather than distant and sad – as can tend to be the case when life events happen while you’re far from home. (Though of course “home” has become wherever M is – he keeps me cozy, sane, and happy.)
Next, we needed a drink! So we trekked back into city center, to what has become one of our favorite spots – the Wirthaus Salvator, affiliated with the Paulaner brewery of Munich. We had some delicious dark beer, and indulged in two Schweinshaxe (pork knuckles). The waitresses wear traditional dirndl, and one lady in particular, with her matching maroon hair and lipstick, set against that blue dirndl, is all too perfect. She always indulges our German with a wink, and she pulls a lighter out of her bra to light the table’s candles. Now that’s service!
After rolling our bellies home, I finished the book Gone Girl. I am not really into murder mysteries, but this was a total page turner, and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor several times. I’m desperate to discuss it with someone, so M has sweetly agreed to read it. (And even though we are not Ben Affleck fans, and I do like the Yankees, this story is funny enough to charm us into seeing the movie, too.)
Trot Trot 