Easter weekend: things heat up in Hannover

Bonfire in Garbsen

This post was almost entitled: "Mitfahrgelegentheit: the new way to hitchhike", since our chosen method to reach Hannover on Easter weekend was riding in the cars of strangers. This is not as dramatic as it sounds: in recent years, organised carpooling has sprung up in German as a clever, environmentally friendly way to beat exorbitant train fares. A week before Easter, Daniel stalked the carpooling site until he found two free seats in cars cruising between Hannover and Berlin on our dates, and secured our ride with a timely phone call. Somewhat similar to Humboldt Uni sport (see previous entry "Shaking it at Salsa"), these seats between major cities are snapped up within seconds. It's not difficult to understand why. For a return trip we each paid 28 Euros, saving around 50 euros over 600km. It is however recommended that you go to sleep and remain oblivious to the fact that you're hurtling along the Autobahn at 160km per hour squished into the backseat of a stranger's car.

We survived, and attended the whirlwind of Easter-related activities jammed into our sunny weekend in Garbsen, Hannover. Highlights included the traditional (pagan) Osterfeuer (Easter Fire), where I took great delight in being the only tourist among scores of Hannoveraners chomping on huge sausages and swigging local beer by the bonfire. Small children scampered between our legs collecting beer bottles, for which they made a very respectable 50 cents for every bottle returned - Pfandpiraten in training. Most of the village of Garbsen was there, including the fire brigade with two trucks on standby.

Mmm...Wurst at the Osterfeuer

Days were filled with bike riding through canola fields, eating hearty roast meat and dumplings for lunch with the extended family, playing cards and sipping on lemon tea accompanied by a huge a slice of homemade cake. Everything was so wonderfully wholesome and idyllic, I felt like I was in an Enid Blyton novel. Needless to say, I didn't crack open a law book all weekend and now have a strict plan to eat fruit and study all week.

For those of you sceptical of my ability to ride a bike, I've included the photographic evidence of my triumphant ride through Garbsen. I am dressed not in the traditional attire of the Garbsen population, but rather in an Indiana Jones hat belonging to Daniel's little brother, the only headgear that would fit my enormous head.  Since Germans don't seem to believe that the sun can burn you or that helmets are necessary (!), my options for hats that day were limited.