Bremen

Visiting Meike, Carsten, Mieke and Caja

28.07.2007 - 29.07.2007 19 °C
View The Big Trip 2007 on sabrinakam's travel map.

Have you heard about the 'Bremer Stadtmusikanten' (Town Musicians of Bremen), a fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm, where four overworked and ageing animals, a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster, making their way to Bremen. Then you know at least something about Bremen. The city was established by Charlemagne in 787 and was back then known as the 'Rome of the North', because it was used as the main base for Christianising Scandinavia. In 1358 Bremen was ready to join the Hanseatic League and in 1646 it became a free imperial city, a status it sort of still enjoys today as a 'Free Hanseatic City' (Freie Hansestadt Bremen).

The mid-size city of Bremen (550.000 inhabitants) offers a wonderfully relaxing short break, with its unexpectly impressive old town centre - with Art Nouveau and medieval buildings alike -, shop-lined mini-maritime quarter and lots of cafes and restaurants. Everything is within walking distance.

You might wonder why I am praising this city this much. Well, it's no wonder, I have been studying and living in Bremen for four years and had, of course, an excelent time as a student. During my studies I made many friends (lovely people) and one very special one is, Meike. We became best friends and enjoyed our student life together, with all that entails. After our studies Meike married to Carsten and they got two kids, Mieke, who became my godchild, and Caja.

The reason for visiting Bremen was, of course, to visit Meike, Carsten, Mieke and Caja, the Lilje family.They live in Liliental, in the nothern part of Bremen, in a lovely house. We arrived on Saturday and had fun, talking, playing games, eating good food and walking in the rain. Well, the weather wasn't too pleasant, it rained almost all the time. But equipped with an umbrella, it wasn't too much of a problem. On Sunday we had breakfast in the city centre of Bremen and we strolled around in the Schnoor quarter, a former maritime and then red-light district, which today has a quaint maze of restaurants, cafes and boutique shops. We even found a Christmas shop, a strange thing to see in the middle of summer.