The weather was beautiful. With nothing really to do, I started meandering through the streets. Hannover has a cool red line painted on the ground that snakes through the city, highlighting the key historic or cultural sites.
I spent a good amount of time on the canal, browsing through a fleamarket. I put a toy flintlock pistol (at least i think its a toy) with 1897 engraved on it. They don't make "toys" like this anymore.
Hannover is a very beautiful city; it was heavily bombed during World War II, and it seems like there was no mandate or concensus regarding its recontruction (please correct me!) as some buildings looked original, renovated to look original, or modern...all juxtaposed next to one another.
I rendezvoused with Tilmann and his two children. Don't ask me how they're related to my family: we'd have to be in the jungle to have a suitable family tree. We visited his prima store, where he both sells and builds pianos. After that we went home, had coffee and cake with his wife Petra, and then went on a 1 hour bike ride through an awesome park and through the city. Then back again for an awesome stir fry dinner. Super cool sons they have: you should see the way they open up their mouths and laugh when they're parents joke!
On Sunday we woke up early and drove to a Hiddestorf, a village south of Hannover. A true Volksfest, it was more about family and community than expensive timing devices or start gates. The Rübenlauf half marathon was (finally) a single loop course through farm pastures, black forests, backyards, streets,....Germany! There is such a real joy, a sense of "am i really here?" that I feel when I am running through towns and villages that have been here for centuries! I express my gratitude by saying "thank you-danke" to the kids and families who cheer the runners on. I am never bored, and won't wear headphones. I love the feeling of it all, hearing the sound of my feet pounding the ground competing with my breath, the birds in the sky, the other runners....
After about 2o minutes, I usually second-guess why I've paid money to do this.... "I'm not even a third of the way done!" Yet I think one reason why I run is is the knowledge that health is a gift and I want to take advantage of being able to walk while I have it. I think of my friend Kip Johnson and how hard he works 7 days a week just to walk. He's a better man than most.
After the race were multiple stations with free bread and jelly, a malz drink, baquettes with cheese, salami, and wine. After that feast, I went and bought 2 different homemade pastries: an apple "pie" and a "chocolate" cake that turned out to be so stuffed with poppyseeds it was black!
Getting back to Hamburg was long and complicated, but it was another great weekend. Thank you God!
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