Well, today Sasha, one of the coordinators from Germany here in Emmen, Netherlands had a birthday today...but more about that in a minute.
First, let me tell you about "the TOWER". I was talking to Rene, a coordinator from here in Holland, about the strange tower I saw out in the Dutch countryside. I thought it may have been a church or old observation tower. It was a tower all right - dig this, IT IS A WATER TOWER! That is why it was out in a sheep pasture. He said that when they become obsolete, the city (or village) council will sell them - sometimes for 1 Euro (about $1.30). You have to pay the upkeep and show plans and have them approved of what you want to do with it - build a hotel, live in it - whatever..... I thought this was way cool.
Then, I got a lesson on windmills. He use to be a windmill operator apprentice.... He was telling me what I thought was a brace behind the windmill is actually the direction adjustment to keep the blades at an angle to the wind direction (just like a sailboat). It is adjusted by hand winches made of wood.
This is the adjustment frame.....He was telling me that if they were not adjusted, the top to the windmmill is just resting on wood that is greased with animal fat (so that it can rotate around), so the top of the windmill would blow off.
So, Sunday I had to get out of the hotel room and away from the PC for a little while and since I had looked up the little town that I was at on Saturday, off to Meppen, Germany I went again....
Well, I went to the church that was over 1000 years old. I mean, how often do you get to go to a church that was founded in 1010. I went to services in Westminster, but I figured I had to go see this one again. There is such ancient history here that everyone thinks I am a nut groovin' on a church that is just 1000 years old....
Nobody was around, so I sauntered on in and grooved on the interior. Here is the alter.
Looking towards the rear of the church, this was the pipe organ. The foundation of St. Vitus Church goes back to the St. Ludger (742-809).
Then I walked down the square.......
And decided to get out of the rain. So, I went to the Town Hall again. The stones towards the bottom of the town hall originate from the year 1408. The building has been enlarged and changed into the renaissance-style between 1601 and 1605 (the newer brick).
Well, it WAS raining outside, so may as well climb the circular stairwell inside....
and have a coffee in a building that was remodeled when America was still a British Colony ya know.....
Then went over and checked out the Stadtmuseum which is a musuem and was built in 1805.
The cannon out front was from 1752.
Also went back over and checked out the Windthorst Gymnasium which is a Jesuit school built in 1642.
Well, most of the cafes were closed on Sunday, so back across the River Ems and headed back towards Holland....
And jumped off the highway right before leaving Germany and found this village of Schoninghadorf and this neat place to eat....
The little white haired German lady could not speak english. I can't speak German (nor read it on the menu) so I just closed the menu and motioned for her to just bring me what she thought was good. Well, I wound up with Jagerschnitzel....AWESOME....should just call it chicken fried steak with a brown onion gravey though. Well, I guess Jagerschnitzel is shorter.....
It was a good day and went back to the hotel and kept working after a NICE little break.
Got up today and Arnold and Joke, the owners of the Boerland Stads-Hotel that I am staying at must be tired of me plodding back and forth in my sleeping britches for cups of coffee, so he just sends a pot back to my room with me first thing - that way he doesn't have to see me scratch since it takes both hands to carry the tray. See, checking out the VRCC in the mornings.
Oh yeah, I bet you were wondering about Sasha and his birthday. Like I said he is German and is a coordinator in the office and one heck of a nice kid. Sunday was his 29th birthday and we celebrated it today. Now this is cool. His mother owns a restraunt in Wilsum, Germany. The Cafe am Muhlenteich. She wanted to know what he wanted for his birthday and he told her 3 cakes to share with the office. I mean, how cool?!? Home made professional cakes from Germany.
Which one would you try? The German cheesecake? This was not what we think of when we think of cheese cake. This was more of a Cheese CAKE.
Or the apple German thingie????
Or the cream and orange German thingie?????
Well, you know me.....Grab a cup of coffee and go FOR ALL THREE!!!!! I MEAN THEY WERE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
So, what do you get a German kid on his 29th birthday? Beer of course.....(This is Frederiek and Sasha).
So anyway, got to groove in a church, got to know more about the tower and grooved on some German cakes for Sasha's birthday. Put on the iPod afterwards and kept working while listening to some Outlaws.
Tommorow I am off to Assen so I get to drive around in the Dutch countryside some more. Oh yeah baby.......
Havin' a ball......Sure beats Angola which I will be back in a few weeks....but this has been cool for sure and for certain.
Who knows, maybe find another church or even a WATER TOWER....
