Monday, March 9, 2009

Third day in Germany + Pictures

So here I am, in Rheine in an internet cafe.
The keyboard is totally different from what I'm used to, so don't mind spelling errors. (the signs like @ and _ are all in different locations, and they switched around y and z).
So after I updated last time a lot of things have happened. The same evening I wrote the previous update I also went out with the son of the family to a "keet" where I met some of his friends and had some beers and fun.
Next morning I set out again after having some tea and a good breakfast (thanks again!), on my way to the border. So after having walked around 23 km or so (don't recall exactly) I stumbled into an underwater road, and there was no possible way to go across the forest/river to Germany. Great way to be welcomed ;). But I fought right through the forest, jumped some streams here and there, and finally made it. To then find out that I was trespassing, and that entering that forest was illegal. So I walked some more and rang some doors to ask for a place to stay (all in German :O). At the first adress I tried I failed, because the man had a sick mother and a young daughter. So I tried some other houses and got rejected for other reasons. Then the guy from the first house came driving up behind me and said for me to get in. We went to a monistary where I had passed by earlier, and after a lot of waiting and asking it turned out I could sleep there, and someone would meet me after the service.
So I went to the service(is that the correct word?) and afterwards waited to meet the guy. He was a friendly guy named Petrus, and after showing me my room we went to dinner. I'll quickly summarize it all now, and not go into too much detail, otherwise I'll be here tomorrow morning. All in all I found it really intruiging to see the priests/brothers very lively and funny during off-time (=dinner/breakfast) and very monotone and serious in the services and in prayer. It was an interesting experience, but the way they prayed didn't really appeal to me personally, too emotionless. (I think God would want us to be happy and live our lives to the fullest withouth beeing greedy). So the next day after breakfast and having been showed a Brazilian museum they had, I set out again through Bad Bentheim to a small town between there and Rheine. There I knocked on a door and got a no because the parents weren't home, but I should try the other side of the road. So I did, and found myself meeting a lovely family. I could stay there and they where really hospitable and nice, and I felt good and comfortable. They showed me their farm, and explained to me how they grew pigs, and what happened to them and how they used the pig's excraments for power production. It was a lot less evil-looking and small than I had anticipated, and even though I think Biologocal food is better, this didn't startle me much. We had some drinks that evening and interesting/funny conversations about selling children on e-bay and other fun stuff.
After a good night's sleep I woke up at around 8:30 to take a shower and then have breakfast with the mom and dad of the family.
Then I set out to Rheine to find out if the Hermansweg is better than the Toddenweg and why, and to find an internet cafe.
And now I'm thinking in German all the time, and I find that annoying :P.

So that's it basically!
I love you all, and I'm doing all right.
Oh, and I have looooads of pictures :).














































4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice pics; great going. Is that a blister on your heel??
Love Papadick

Unknown said...

Ha wandelaar, het lijkt je beter te gaan dan in Nederland. Gelukkig! De gastvrijheid is zo te lezen ook fijner. Je tweede week nog maar en al zo veel mee gemaakt. Je eerste klooster tijdens je voettocht.... een goede voorbereiding voor Rome! Elke stap brengt je dichter bij.......
good goan liesbeth

Anonymous said...

Lieve Ilja,
Geweldig dat het zo goed lijkt te gaan, geen pijn meer?
Het wil soms niet: een comment posten, omdat die lettertjes ter beveiliging niet komen opdagen. Je kan ze uitzetten. Goed idee om ook plaatsen te gaan bekijken, anders wordt het wel erg racen, en ben je er straks nog met een maandje of 3! Ik ben blij dat je zulke mooie fotoos maakt, die van je schaduw heb ik geprint. Kun je er ook iets bij zette, wat het is enzo? Liefs. Moems

Anonymous said...

Lieve Ilja,

toch maar een Nederlands berichtje, want ik vind Nederlands toch wel ietsje makkelijker dan Duits of Engels xD
Geweldig, waar je loopt, welke mensen je tegenkomt..fijn dat wij ook mogen meegenieten van je mooie foto's =D

Denk aan je!
Liefsss
Marianne