Life's a Stitch

25 (!) years ago, eldest daughter Elina participated in a three month high school exchange program in Germany. At her school in North Vancouver she met one of the German students, Lotta. Since then we have hosted Lotta’s sister, Betty, and become friends with her parents, Ingrid and Ulrich. Our family members and friends have visited each other in both countries, and a visit was long overdue. 

One day’s outing included getting together with their friends, Maria and Gerherd, whose daughter also visited us in Canada. We met up at Schloss-Erbhof in Thedinghausen where there is an arboretum, museum, and the Romance Restaurant. 

The story, a tragic love tale of love, condensed: the Lutheran archbishop meets woman on the estate of her husband. The year before he dies, the husband bequeaths the estate to the archbishop in return for favours. In 1619 archbishop builds a castle for the widow, who happens to be his mistress. After moving in she dies in the following year. 

The next stop was Verden, a quaint town on the Vesser river, to visit two churches in different styles. We started with the dom, the Cathedral of St. Mary and St Celia, built between 1290 and 1490 in the Gothic style.

It is home to the statue of the “petrified man.” Legend says the sexton embezzled from the church and when he had to appear before the bishop and authorities he swore his innocence while invoking the devil to prove it. There were three howls and evil laughter and the devil appeared, grabbing the man and hurling him through the cathedral wall where he turned to stone halfway through.

St. Andreas, a Romanesque church built in the 900’s was our next stop. We always appreciate the simplicity of this era.

A final stop was the cafe at the Schröder Obstplantagen, an organic orchard with a tiny coffee shop, but plenty of outside tables. We ordered three different apple cakes. 

With the first bite came the deluge of a sudden thunder storm. We were able to run to the shop and sit at its only table where we met the manager who had stories to tell about her family’s experiences in Canada. She was so cheerful despite the impact the rain was having on her business. Two more pieces of cake arrived at our table and the rest of the pot of coffee. 

The rain let up and she took us on a tour of the property. Her son let her know that she needed to be working instead of socializing! She was working, just not what he had in mind.

It was a long, but satisfying day of getting together with long term friends (notice I didn’t say “old” friends), sightseeing and learning.