About two seconds later, I was standing beside him saying something very similar. He'd told me yesterday that the forecast for today was calling for snow, so thankfully we'd gone down to the PX and I got an early birthday present. And looking out our window, I couldn't be happier that Rich had insisted that I get some snow boots!
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| My new snow boots! |
We got dressed and went with Gerald to look at an apartment that he's considering. I was so giddy about the snow that I took a couple of pics with my phone while we were waiting for the real estate agent to show.
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| How cute are these?! |
After we looked at the apartment, we went back to the PX and had lunch, then bought an umbrella. We'd planned a bit ahead when we'd left the Lodge this morning, so I had my camera with me and we left from lunch to walk downtown and check out the white wonderland!
A couple of things about taking photos with a DSLR when it's still snowing. First, snow is wet and small and melts into crevices where it shouldn't go (i.e., camera parts). Second, a plastic shopping bag used for protection of said DSLR only works for so long (i.e., until said bag is soaking wet and the water just spills into aforementioned camera parts). Third, a backpack-style camera bag is ideal for people like me who like to photograph while exploring outdoors and change lenses at a moment's notice...however, camera bags that aren't water resistant can only keep water away for so long. Rest assured, my camera is just fine and no accidents were had. But I worried over these things the entire time we were out walking. I still took as many photos as I could, while Rich so kindly held the new umbrella over me and the camera.
Note: The search for a water resistant backpack-style camera bag will commence soon.
Since both times we've ventured downtown before today have been in the immediate direction of the Marktkirche, Rich had planned a different route for this adventure. I took a few photos as we made our way.
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| I meant it when I said I wouldn't tire of iron fences. This time with snow! |
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| Oh, these trees. They're just so interesting to me. |
We made our first stop of the day with a view of St. Bonifatius, which is the central Catholic church in Wiesbaden. The main part of the church was built between 1844 and 1849, then the towers were completed in 1864. The roof, windows, and vault were damaged by an air raid in 1945 but were quickly repaired. This place is gorgeous.
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| The brick exterior of St. Bonifatius is a vibrant red, but the brightness is diminished by all the snow falling between me and the church! |
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| Some seriously intricate architecture. |
Next, we walked in the general direction of the Marktplatz but again, Rich had planned this route very carefully. Next stop? A store called The Depot. I'm in love. Imagine that Ikea's very petite and cute niece had a baby with the distressed vintage section at Hobby Lobby (you know the section with the wire baskets, wooden signs, and burlap?). This baby would be named the The Depot. We browsed for a while, then continued on.
And that's when Rich pointed to a certain store sign and just like that, my heart skipped a beat and I thought for a second that I might trip over my own boots trying to get to the door. Rich had stumbled across Idee der Creativmarkt's website while he was researching the Wiesbaden area, but now here I was on the outside looking in at all the happiness. Holy crafts, Martha Stewart. This place is an arts and crafts store, much smaller than Hobby Lobby but let's face it, when a girl like me who visited HL on a nearly weekly basis for years, then moves to Europe, she starts to have withdrawals. We went in--I went to heaven, and Rich faithfully followed. God love that man.
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| That is one serious cheesy grin on my face. |
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| The truth behind this pic: I'd looked at all the yarn and fabric and pretty markers on the first floor, not knowing that there was a second floor. Rich asked if I wanted to go upstairs, and when I saw this escalator he was pointing at I didn't speak. I just got on it. And at the moment that he snapped this, you know what I could see? PAPER. And anyone who knows me knows that this girl had just ascended to a worldly heaven. |
At this point, it was time for us to find a place to potty. Public restrooms in Germany are not as easily found as in the U.S. We tried the Visitor's Center where we've used the facilities before, but they'd literally closed just a couple of minutes before we reached it. We ended up going back to The Depot and asking an employee. She directed us to the coffee shop next door and we were successful in our mission. On our way out, we bought a bottle of water (I accidentally grabbed the kind with gas, but I'm afraid that I'm starting to kinda like it) and two chocolate chip croissants. Pastry heaven, let me tell you.
Our direction of travel led us, as always, through the Marktplatz and past the snow-covered Marktkirche and its surroundings:
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| I can't decide if I prefer this color version or the following b&w one. For some reason, I love b&w snow photos. |
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| The man who holds my hand, my heart, and my umbrella. |
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| Wonder what she's looking at up there? |
We pressed on, zigzagging through some pedestrian-only streets. So many bakeries, so many cool shops, so many cozy restaurants, so many bookstores, and so many expensive-looking hair salons. I recognized one of the shops, Butlers, from a Youtube video we'd watched that an American military couple had posted showing their favorite spots in town. Of course we went in to have a look. They had mostly kitchenware and seasonal decor, but walking space was sparse so neither of us wanted to stay long.
Our next stop was the Kochbrunnenplatz. And now, I'll take a minute to explain some German terminology. Our last name is Koch, which is a German name that literally means "cook" or "chef". We pronounce Koch like Cook, but the Germans pronounce it like Ko-, and then make a sound that sounds kinda like you have something in your throat you need to hack up. Gross, I know, but you get the picture right? Brunnen is a well or spring. And platz means place. (Remember the Marktplatz? Literally means market place!) So, the Kochbrunnenplatz is the place of a spring of boiling, or cooking, water.
Rich was especially excited to visit this hot spring, since it bears his family name. I took a few photos here and loved seeing him so happy!
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| Mr. Koch testing the 151 degree Fahrenheit spring. |
There was one last place that Rich had mapped out for our adventure, which is really two places in one: Wiesbaden Casino and the Kurhaus.
The casino was started in 1771 with public card games, then roulette was added a few years later. Some famous people gambled here, too. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, who wrote Crime and Punishment, gambled here, as did Richard Wagner and Elvis Presley. The casino was closed in 1872 when gambling became illegal. Meanwhile, Wiesbaden was becoming more popular as a spa city and was attracting people from far and wide to bathe in the hot springs that the ancient Romans first discovered. To accomodate the masses, the Kurhaus ("cure house") was completed in 1907 as a spa house. When gambling became legal again in 1949, the casino reopened in part of the Kurhaus. Today, Kurhaus serves as Wiesbaden's convention center and concert venue.
Kurpark, the outdoor grounds of Kurhaus, was a beautiful white sight to behold as we circled. By this time, there wasn't enough daylight left for me to get more than one good photo and my phone had already died. Thankfully, Rich had his brand spankin' new phone and he takes great pics. I can't wait to see what Spring brings here!
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| Streetlights are coming on! |
Kurpark circles around and nearly joins Warmer Damm, my favorite park in Wiesbaden! Darkness was settling in and it was time to head back to the Lodge. Once we got back, it took us both a while to warm up after being out in the cold for so long! I also emptied out my soaked camera bag and hung it to dry. But I'm not sorry. It was breathtaking.
Thank you for reading and spending some time with us today. Be sure to visit again tomorrow as there will be a special writing appearance by someone other than me!
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