On the right is the "Alte Waage" the five storied, jettied, weigh house in Braunschweig. This reconstruction was completed in 1992, as the original, built beside the St Andreaskirche in 1543, was completely destroyed in the last war. We met J in the botanical gardens and the three of us started our city walk with a wander along the bank of the River Oker, passing under the beautiful bridges, and passing the theatre and art museum, and then wandering through the St Magniviertal with its lovely church and street cafes. We walked back to "Graff" my favourite bookshop, where, in the cafe, we drank coffee and nattered. A good time was had by all! On Friday morning we had an early start when P and I went to Leipzig by train for the day. The journey took 2.25 hours, and passed through beautiful, flat countryside and interesting old towns which once stood in the former DDR. We passed through Magdeburg, with its two steepled Cathedral, one clad in scaffolding for major repairs. We arrived safely at Leipzig station, the biggest railway station in Europe with its bustling travellers and shoppers. The station is on the upper level, but on the two lower floors are shopping malls, cafes and fast food outlets. The main entrance hall is large enough to be a concert hall holding a full orchestra and audience, a very impressive place indeed.
We had a wonderful day, visiting both churches where Bach worked as cantor, and also got a flavour of the city, with lunch in a very pleasant cafe, sitting outside in the fresh air under a huge, square umbrella. A nearby statue of Goethe kept an eye on us both. We arrived back in Timmerlah at 9pm, with both of us gasping for a good cup of English tea.
Johann Sebastian Bach stands outside the Thomaskirche.
Bach's tomb, with the 15th century, gold covered triptych altar in the background.
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