Leipzig to the Rescue

Ben and I had a terrible experience changing trains in Berlin.  In the 6 minute transfer from our train from Kiel, a thief pick-pocketed Ben's wallet, containing all our cash, both our debit cards, and Ben's credit card.  Words can hardly express how upset we were with ourselves.  We had foolishly become lax and were not using our secure money belt - Ben's wallet was just in his pocket.  Also, I had given him my debit card the day before just for convenience.  We broke every rule for safe travel and spent our time on the train in self-recrimination and calling our banks.

Our reason for traveling to Leipzig was to visit Ruth, Marcel and one-year old Frieder (daughter, son-in-law and grandson of our dear friends Hildegard and Matthias).  We had just enough Euros to buy bus tickets to their flat.  Marcel and Frieder were there to greet us, and Marcel's concern for us, and Frieder's happy grins, gave us solace.

Ruth was at work, so Marcel got us settled and immediately loaned us Euros to get us by.  He proposed a brisk evening walking tour of downtown Leipzig, with Frieder in his capacious stroller.  A native of Leipzig, Marcel told us about his personal experience with German reunification.  He was 10 years old when the Berlin Wall was dismantled.  But the peace movement actually started years before in Leipzig when people started meeting and praying in St. Nicholas church.  Peace marches grew in number, until tens of thousands quietly protested the GDR rule.  People bravely took their children, hoping the government would surely not attack them.

Marcel's life changed radically after reunification.  His East German teachers, who toed the repressive government line, were all replaced.  He suddenly had opportunity to excell.  

Our evening tour takes us through the central platz and Marcel points out important buildings and churches.  In the distance we can see the clean modern architecture of the Catholic Church where he and Ruth got married.

Underneath the very modern buildings of the University are a catacomb of bars and cafes.  40+ years ago students cleaned out the ruined spaces and claimed them as their own.  

The warren of ancient rooms remind us of ancient underground caves we explored in Italy.

Marcel takes us to a lively area of restaurants with outside tables and we settle on Italian.  Our waiter is a humorless older Italian guy, oblivious to Frieder's hunger.  Marcel lets Frieder roam around and explore and I feel jumpy watching him totter and tumble on the cobblestone plaza, confidently wandering among smiling diners. Frieder is getting fussy.  Unable to get our waiter's attention,  Frieder and I visit the kitchen where the cook cuts him a small slice of bread.  Mollified for a bit, when it arrives he devours the pasta carbonara ordered just for him.  We enjoy our delicious pasta and thank our lucky stars that gracious Marcel and Ruth have taken us in.  It is time to get Frieder home to bed.