To Leipzig

I'm typing this on my iPhone while waiting for dinner to arrive at my table. Silly, I know, but I somehow ended up at a posh hotel's bistro (the food is surprisingly cheap) and have nothing else to do. My entire outfit cost less than my neighbor's shoes, so out comes the prestige item! :P

Brotmarkt!

I am now in Leipzig after a couple hours by train. This day started with a trip to the Markt (market) portion of Dresden's Herbstfest (autumn festival) in the Altmarkt (old market). This weekend is a Brotmarkt (bread market), so the place smelled great. I had a Nutella crepe that was prepared in front of me, num! Had it been lunchtime or dinnertime, I would've picked up a roll or two for sandwiches. However, by then, I was well on my way to Leipzig.

I'm staying in what is perhaps the cutest little not-quite-hotel ever. It's located in one of the city's many passageways. These passages are really neat -- they're all over the place and host all sorts of businesses and shops. It's like a confusing secret world within the city. Every time you go into one, you find a new business, pub, or bar. Leipzig is fairly small, so I can't get too lost exploring, right?

I did a good bit of wandering today. This is a university town with a fairly young population. There is also evidence of youth subcultures that have so far been hidden, z.B., goths and punks. This is a big change from the other places I've visited. Perhaps I actually won't be the youngest person at the museums tomorrow? (Meh.)

In young people-related news, I am apparently able to screw up being hit on in any language. I'm perfectly fine with the kid going away, though. Didn't even have to scare him away with my status as a doctoral student! (Seriously, great party trick. Makes unwanted boys melt into thin air!)

Layers of building

I found the Thomaskirche today. It is where Bach spent his days, as well as the place where he was buried. Neat building, with its layers of history. I was there at a good time, too -- a woman was singing hymns with the organ. Pretty cool. I've been to so many churches since I got here that I'm afraid I will miss these grand, calming structures when I return to the States. We don't really have anything like them. Maybe huge libraries or museums, but I'm not sure they really compare.

I should probably head back now and post this. My Dresden photos are now uploadable, so I will update those posts with images. Spaß für alles!