Leipzig Long Time
The train ride was lengthy and felt like forever but thankfully the bar car serves wine. Fall is vibrantly in the air and countryside, is speckled with evergreens, vibrant yellows, muted oranges, accompanied by glowing reds and maroons. Sprawling hills dotted with houses, an abundance of fields, cemeteries, little sheds that look like seeds on a landscape passing by. All coming down together into streams at their lowest crevice. The more north we go the more yellow the leaves shine and the more dominant the farms become. Then more orange become more lively than the muted tones behind us.
I am pleasantly pleased to catch a long glimpse of a field with the lone tree. Even more intriguing is the lone bench at the trunk of that tree. It so piqued my interested that it brought to notice multiple sightings of single benches in fields or under a tree that’s away from the forest. I can’t help but wonder. Who are these people that use these benches? Are they for special occasions? Ahh but the scenery changes as it tends to do when one is on a train. We pass a village of small one room “shacks” on the valley of vine covered hills surrounded by trees with a vibrant burnt orange leaves. That morphs into vineyards sprinkled along the higher parts of hills. Perhaps because it feels like sort of a homecoming that the clouds look different. They seem to embodied what artists of long ago captured on canvas with oil to later decorate the walls of a museums.
Our first day in Leipzig is one of rain and reminiscing. Our first stop was a mural I had admired from our last adventure here and of course one our favorite spots, Cafe Riquet. From there we strolled through streets, along alleyways, and into covered corridors that turn the outdoor market into a covered arcade of delights coupled with graffiti. It definitely gives the sense of belonging. For such an old city, with an incredible and varied past, the vibe just makes you feel welcome.
Our home for the time here is in a new area we had to to encounter. On the way there we decided to stop off at a pub near the location to meet our host. Airbnb rocks y’all. It has an air of solid dive bar and the name is something involving stars. We walk in and spy with our little eyes something that looks like where we will be sitting. After popping down on two barstools that spin, at a 6 stool bar, we promptly order “Beer”. We then cheers, take a deep breath, and discover that in some areas of the world, people can and do still smoke in bars. For the first time in a while, we are disappointed in our decision to order the Grosse bier.
Thankfully we have practiced the necessary life skills required to quickly dispose of our large bevy’s of brew and hurry along. We make our way towards our home for the next week, and after a few faulty tries, we knock on the correct door. Our host is amazing, sweet, and an enthusiastic, knowledgeable local. She also has a washer which is a home run for us at this point. Our clothes still smell like the laundry soap from Reims. She assures us there is plenty of coffee and we officially call the day a success!
After waking up refreshed and excited to see the city again, we head off to spend more time reacquainting ourselves with the city center and public transportation. Longwinded side note, the trains in Leipzig are great and very efficient. They are also intimidating because they stop in the middle of the street, which means you have to cross lanes of traffic to board them. Weirdest part about all of it, is that people driving cars know to stop behind the train to make sure passenger pedestrians are safe. What a joy it must be to live in the future #amiright
The city center is as glorious as we remember and after checking up on our tried and true homies, we venture to some new places. We hit up a coffee shop that rivals the N’espresso store in Zurich, and end up sauntering to a wine restaurant Weinwirtschaft that had piqued our (let’s be honest MY) interest last year but felt it was going to be too touristy. We roll the dice and ask for a table with blankets, because apparently in this region it’s completely acceptable to sit outside in the cold and have dinner and drinks. The most incredible part of this place’s location is the that it is directly across from St. Thomas Church.
Not to fan girl too much about this, but lets face it. Squeals aren’t as loud typed as they are in person so here we go. Bach. As in Johann. Sebastian. BACH. Y’all he worked at this church! The maestro himself used to walk to right where I was sitting and have a drink, or braid hay, or whatever folks did back then to unwind from work. I literally starred at his statue for several unbroken moments. It was glorious! We had full intention of departing after a drink or two and going elsewhere but the wonderful conversation was just as good as the beer and wine selections. We ended up staying there for hours enjoying the surroundings as much as each other company. Ze Sigh!
Not quite frozen Fan Girl
They keep blankets on hand specially for outdoor fall diners.
Beverages. Bach. Best Life.
