Heidelberg - Around Town

Most of the places in Heidelberg are walkable if you like walking or cycling. The town is pedestrian and cycle friendly. We opted for the bus since we were in the suburbs. A day ticket is the best deal - it lets you use the bus or tram as many times during the day as you want.

We walked along the Neckar River (meaning Wild Water). It is a pleasant walk, with picnic spots, or for water sports. It has a clear view of the picturesque Castle and Old Town. You can spot some creative graffiti or stop for a chat with the ducks on the shore.

Going further along the river, you'll see the old Bridge which was built in 1742. The statue of Prince Elector Karl Theodor is there to honor him for building of the bridge. Once you get off the bridge towards the old university, you'll see another statue - the "Brückenaff" (or bridge ape). The legend surrounding this curious statue tells us that it symbolizes the fact that neither the city-dwellers nor the people who lived outside the city were better than the other, and that they should look over their shoulder as they cross the bridge to remember this.

Hauptstraße is the main street in the Old Town, lined on both sides with shops and restaurants. About a mile long, it is supposed to be Germany's longest market street. We were there at a time when they were celebrating the 400th anniversary of the marriage of Frederick V to Elizabeth Stuart.

On Valentine’s Day, the 14th February 1613, Frederick V of the House of Wittelsbach and the English king’s daughter Elizabeth Stuart got married in London at the age of 16. In the same year, they left England by ship and traveled over Den Haag, where Frederick visited his uncle Moritz of Orange, to Heidelberg. Frederick's return home with his bride was an event of international standing at the time. The couple was welcomed by the cheering population of Heidelberg and a celebration of several days’ duration took place at the Heidelberg Castle, which also included a huge fireworks display. This is the starting signal for today’s illuminations of Heidelberg Castle. (Source)

The town had been decked up with old world style markets and people in period costume. The tents showed how people traded in ancient times, and there were some games to play as well. There was even a display of some magnificent birds of prey.

We sampled as many varieties of food as we could handle - fries,apple chips, wienerschnitzel, and gelato. There are numerous stores selling books new and used (it is a university town after all), and since it is a pet-friendly country, don't be surprised to see dogs browsing in stores or resting comfortably under the table at a restaurant.

There are different market squares in the area.

The Marktplatz has a fountain with a statue of Hercules on a column, built between 1703 and 1706. This hero of Greek myths, known for his strength, symbolizes the heroic efforts that Heidelberg’s residents made to rebuild their devastated city in the years after 1700. The Hercules statue in the fountain today is a replica, however; the original is in safekeeping in the Kurpfälzisches Museum. There are several outdoor cafés and in pleasant weather is a good place for a beer.

 The Kornmarkt (Corn Market), this market square, as its name implies, was once used for the collection and trade of agricultural goods. It is home to the Madonna statue that was erected in 1718 by the Jesuits, to try to motivate the people of Heidelberg to switch to Catholicism. The Count Elector had been, since 1685, trying to get his subjects to come back to the Catholic faith, and the Jesuits were very supportive; they published leaflets, organized pilgrimages, and put up other statues of the Virgin Mary as well. The Count, try as he may, was unable to persuade many of the Protestants, who chose instead to emigrate to other areas of the country rather than changing their beliefs.

The large building complex of the University Library was erected in 1901, previously it had been a monastery. The main sights, the facades pointing to the east and to the south, are abundantly decorated by sculptures, structuring architectural details and plant ornaments extending all the way up to the roof. The two sculptures flanking the main entrance at the "Plöck" were created by Prof. Hermann Volz (Art Academy of Karlsruhe). They both symbolize the intentions of the University Library: Prometheus (left) gave mankind fire and knowledge. The woman and the child (right) stand for the passing on of wisdom from one generation to the next. The two masks, one laughing and one crying, symbolize comedy and tragedy. An inscription refers to Grand Duke Friedrich of Baden who, being sovereign, also was the university's chancellor and thus sponsor and promoter of the new building. Baden's coat of arms therefore had to be included in the building's architecture. Portraits of the Prince Electors are to be found above the windows.

The Church of the Holy Spirit is located in the marketplace. The Heiliggeistkirche (Holy Ghost Church) was built from 1344 to 1441, its tower completed in 1544. It was the burial place of 55 Prince Electors and hosted the famous Bibliotheca Palatina until 1623. The church frequently changed its religious denomination and was used at different times by Catholics as well as Protestants. Even a partition barrier was erected in 1706 because both denominations wanted to hold service here. For 230 years, the barrier stayed in its place until it was removed in 1936. Today, the Church of the Holy Spirit is a Protestant Church.

We were to attend an organ concert here, but we arrived exactly 2 minutes late and found the gate closed. But could hear the music which sounded entrancing.

The Zum Ritter St. Georg hotel is the oldest building around and one of the few houses of Heidelberg to survive the demolitions during the Wars of Succession. . The cloth dealer Carolus Belier and his wife Francina had it build in the year 1592; today, the venerable gable house of sandstone, full of fluted columns and ornately carved window blocks, is a listing building. 

There are other interesting things to spot in nooks and crannies and the narrow lanes - like the statue of Madonna with child embedded in a building, or the building that marks the water levels during the floods in the area. If you have the time and patience, there are many things to explore even in this tiny place.

The street ends at Bismarckplatz which is the hub for trains and trams as well. This is a more modern area and has larger stores, a mall, and some restaurants. It's a good place to sit and watch the city, especially towards the evening.

Be prepared to walk a lot here, and wear comfortable shoes with god cushioning for the stone-paved streets. There is no better way to explore this town than by walking. Language wasn't a big issue especially in the popular sites since it is a student town with many speaking a splattering of English (but then we were with people who spoke German so don't take my word for it).

Antler Project

Deer shed their antlers or lose them in territorial fights so it is quite common to find one lying around where there are herds of them.

This particular one had been at my parents' home for a decade and when I brought it home I felt that the natural tone just blended in and wasn't noticeable. It needed some punch. After a quick browsing of colour palettes, I settled on Payne's grey, magenta, and gold in acrylic. I found bottled colours easier to apply than spray paint. 

I used masking tape to demarcate the colours but because of the ridges on the antler there were small gaps because of which some colour leaked through. Don't worry too much. After the paint dries, just touch up the lines with a fine brush. I used 3 to 4 coats of paint. Remember to wait overnight for the paint to dry before removing the tape and applying it to another painted area.

Idyllic Heidelberg - Getting There

My sister's been studying in Heidelberg University for a year now, and before winter set in, we wanted to visit. There isn't a lot to do or see within the small city and that suited us just fine. It would be a relaxing trip.

The visa process wasn't as drawn out as long as we had all the paperwork. Since we were staying with my sister, we needed a letter (emailed) from her stating that, the dates we would be there, and her contact details along with a copy of her student visa. We were going to Paris after that for 4 days, but since the main reason for visiting was to meet my sister in Germany, we applied at the German embassy.

We also needed confirmed air tickets, insurance, and complete booked itinerary. For financial proof, my husband showed his bank account statements for the last 6 months (no minimum balance required as such but it helps to have a minimum of Rs 1lakh in credit), IT return form for last 3 years, salary slips for last 6 months, and a letter from his office stating he's been working with them and his leave for the travel period has been approved. The visa form is available for download online. I applied from Bombay and their helpline was readily available to clarify any doubts I had. I was told that I could collect the passports in 3 days, but when I drove all the way there in the pouring rain and peak traffic, I was told it wasn't ready to be collected as yet. This was a common occurrence as I found out later. Thankfully we had applied a month in advance and had time to spare unlike some in the line who were to leave the same evening and still hadn't gotten their passports back. The next day I called before setting out, and thankfully they told me it was ready for pick up. I only found out the visa had been approved after I got my passport....valid only for the dates of our travel, not a day more.

We had opted for Turkish Airlines since the direct flights had spiked their rates by over Rs 15,000 per ticket. But we found that it suited us because we could step out and stretch our legs and get into a cleaner, more modern flight from Istanbul to Frankfurt. All airlines have one of their oldest carriers and grouchy stewardesses on the India leg of the flight - but then again, they have good reason to. The flight had better leg room and only 3 seats in the middle row. The food and in-flight entertainment was also better than most other airlines.

We reached Frankfurt early in the morning and the immigration lines moved quickly. The lady at immigration was the friendliest we've ever come across, actually making time for small talk while going through the paperwork. Carry the invitation letter or hotel reservation for your stay, and return tickets to show at immigration. They might also ask to see how much cash you are carrying (they won't count it but will ask you to show it). The airport is huge and easy to get lost. Thankfully we had someone picking us up so we didn't have to navigate the bus or rail system.

The autobahn stretches out for miles, and it took us about 2 hours to reach Heidelberg. the weather was pleasant in August and in the quiet, scenic surroundings we didn't even feel the tiredness of the long journey. We quickly freshened up, picked up a picnic basket with some beer, grabbed some doner kebabs from a nearby restaurant, and walked to the Nekkar River picnic area just 10 minutes away by walk (but we took much longer stopping to admire the quaint houses with flowers overflowing from every balcony). We had the place all to ourselves that day.

Our apartment in Bombay faces the hill and apart form the screaming children we barely hear much noise (unless it's festival time and everyone has loudspeakers on full), but here, you could hear a pin drop. We had a restful sleep.

Things to do on a Rainy Day - Painted Ceramics

I had been wanting to learn pottery for a while now, but as soon as I could find the time, the pottery class went under renovation. I found the next best thing though - ceramic painting.

A hobby store - Hobby Ideas - has pre-formed ceramic items that you can paint. Once you're done colouring, they bake it for you. 

I picked up 2 coffee mugs to paint (for Rs. 800 each that includes clolours and baking). I choose coffee mugs on the basis of their handles, and this one was comfortable to hold. But I didn't have time to sit in-store to complete my project so I took it home along with some ceramic paint.

At home, I realised that if I had planned my design in advance, I would have a better selection of colours instead of the random ones I picked up. But I made do with what I had. 

For the yellow mug, I outlined the design with a pencil, but it was hard to blend the lines in with colour. So the blue one which I did next was completely freehand. I painted two coats of colour hoping to avoid brush marks, but it didn't help much. The finished colouring is much deeper that it was pre-baking.

They say that these hand-painted items shouldn't be washed in a dishwasher, but I did and the colour seems to hold fine.

My mornings with my coffee just got brighter!

This Week in Zentangle

I've been doodling almost everyday with my new pens and new journal. I try to not look at designs on the Internet, but I find myself repeating some of the patterns I already know. I've been making an effort to come up with variations on my own. It works most of the times, but sometimes it doesn't match up to the expectations. Live and learn!

UPDATE: With my new pens and journal, I've gone on a One-Zentangle-a-Day spree. Instead of uploading the images here every week, I've pinned them on Pinterest. Some even in colour.

Zentangle Upgrade

I had been using a regular gel pen for my Zentangles previously, and although it was alright for larger patterns, it didn't do too well for detailed work. It also didn't give smooth, even lines.

Recently a friend recommended micro tip pens and it has made all the difference. The different sized tips make it easy for detailed drawings and for filling in spaces. It is much more stable and even. They also come in coloured inks - I plan to get them once I enter Phase III.

UPDATE: I made a kitty sister poster as well.