spazieren, spazieren, essen, spazieren

I forgot to mention that this whole adventure began by seeing robert redford at the airport. he looks really, really old. I'm not sure what kind of sign seeing robert redford at the start of your journey could be, but thus ours began.

Yesterday at 11:38, we took a train from Copenhagen to Germany. This involved, at one point, parking the train at the bottom of a ferry and sailing across the sea from one country to the other. Due to being asleep, I had missed the memo that we were suddenly on a boat, and I couldn't figure out why we were parked in this large garage looking thing. I finally got out to investigate (everyone else in my car had left, including my dad), went up some stairs, and....water??? confusion, then clarity. Alles klar...wir fahren mit dem schiff nach Deutschland! Super. After arriving in Germany, we had 3 more train transfers to accomplish before making it to Kiel, where I am hastily writing at present.

I heart Kiel. It is a super city. It's a huge harbor town with the largest system of canal locks in the world, a bajillion boats, and other nice things.

Random Kiel moments:

§ eating white asparagus at the Ratskeller next to the Rathaus. This very expensive asparagus dish was supposed to be fish, according to my usually very reliable father. It turns out this time...it was not.

§ drinking my first beer, the famous Duckstein sort. Also, the nonalcoholic sort (fear not, righteousness monitors!)

§ trying not once, not twice, but four times today to go to the Mormon church. DC had to stop me from climbing in a half open window because no one would answer the door. Running into the missionaries later in the day, learning that the church had in fact moved to a new building. Aaargh. Scoring Das Buch Mormon off them anyways.

§ watching several generations of guys do some remote controlled sailing on a course in this little lake. It was a BEAUTIFUL day, amazing spring weather (we were stopped later in the day by this woman who wanted to do a radio spot with us talking about how gorgeous it was outside).

§ also watching an awesome game of kayak water polo in the canal. This is officially the coolest sport EVER.

§ walking about 12 miles up the canal and back through the woodsy parks, seeing all the other Germans out and about ón their Sunday. Really lovely.

§ ending the day with Balkan food that I've been LONGING for since last I ate it in September 2003. I found this Restaurant Dubrovnik serving Balkan specialties, and I stuffed myself with cevapcici and pljeskavica, my two favoritest things ever from Bosnia and Serbia (Serbia by way of Slovenija, to be exact). Happy happy am I.

Tomorrow, a few more Kiel adventures to be had with a parked U-boot, and then we're off to Lübeck.

Deutschland freut mich!