GUCK MAL -------->

Translation: Check it out! ---------------->

I would like to thank the many u-tube tutorials out there for helping me figure out how this slide show function works. I could not have done it without your help. I spent waaaaaaaay too long doing this, but hopefully it’ll give you all a nice sense of my surroundings here in Heidelberg. I remember Joe Swayze (happily retired Nobles photography teacher) saying never to shoot our photo assignments on our way to school. Alas, that is exactly what I did.

Some of the photos are a bit on the fuzzy side, and some are even aimed towards the ground. But I wanted to leave them in for “authenticity” – it must have been an interesting sight watching me bike one-handed and taking pictures with the other... The hardest part was breaking one-handed at stop lights (don't worry, Mom - all is well that ends well and I won't do it again). Also I pretended that I knew no German when I received bad looks from other bikers around me. They had every right to scold (cultural insensitivity on my part?) but I do feel quite proud of my accomplishment. AND, what’s more, I was only ten minutes late to class today! Perhaps Deutschland will turn me into a punctual person after all....

My day went as follows: After a good (beautiful and sunny as you can see in the photos) day of classes, an afternoon of reading Stefan Zweig (with dictionary) in the Marsteilhof, a cafeteria by the University known for being the ONLY cheap place to eat in Heidelberg, a great dinner here in the apartment, a long, sweaty frisbee practice with the Heidees in Eppelheim, and finally a quiet late-evening bike ride home, I am just about kaputt.

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The caption that I would recite to all of you while excitedly showing you the slideshow:

Die Pendelzeit

Start: Rohrbach

Finish: Heidelberger Paedagogium, Neuenheim

During my rides into town I encounter the following...

... occasionally, I see an American soldier commuting to "work" (at the barracks? training?) in full uniform, riding a tiny blue bicycle.

... two kindergartens with miniature kindergarten commuters!

... for some reason, there is a high instance of tombstone manufacturers along the way. If any unfortunate mishaps occur here in Heidelberg, I can refer you to two particularly nice headstone makers.

... while the road-rage here seems minimal, I do encounter quite a bit of bike-rage. Luckily, there are traffic lights specifically for bikers, so the cars do not bother us and we do not bother them. The other bikers on the other hand... at least I am equipped with a chirping bell to express my aggression when I need to.

… an interesting encounter: rising gas prices. It’s too small to see, but the diesel at the Freie Tankstelle is 1,44.9 Euros per liter and the super is 1,48.9 Euros per liter; at the shell the diesel is 1,45 and the super is 1,50. Hmmmmm, that makes our gas look rather cheap…I am definitely glad to be biking.

... some charming obstacles, including a large construction site. AND, the infamous charming little playground where "they" (any adult around regardless of whether they live there or not) yell at you if you do not get off and walk your bike. On a bike you are a menacing danger to the children playing in the sandbox at 8am in the morning (there aren't ever any, trust me).

... and of course, beautiful scenery, houses, and new details to notice everyday. Crossing the bridge into Neuenheim and seeing the Schloss (castle) and the river is a particular highlight.