Today we drove about 45 minutes from Gescher to the beautiful city of Munster. We rented bikes (there are more bikes than residents in Munster!) and began our tour of the city in the old center. There is some fascinating history here. The Rathaus (city hall) is where the peace agreement to end the Thirty Years War was signed in the Middle Ages. The church, with its gothic steeple, was built around 1000 AD. During the Reformation, 3 men were tortured, killed, and hung in cages near the top of the steeple for speaking against the church. We toured the church and learned about its history including how it was bombed in WW II and then restored.

After touring the old town we headed off to explore the rest of the city. Munster has a beautiful university, a peaceful (but busy) promenade for biking and walking and a lovely lake with sailboats and paddle boats. We stopped for lunch at a lakeside restaurant and then rode around the lake before resting in the park and watching the people. Did I mention that it was over 35 degrees again today?!

We returned to Gescher, had a rest and then were treated to Olaf's BBQ hamburgers. It was the first time he had ever made burgers and was nervous that they wouldn't be good enough for the Canadians. He had nothing to worry about! After dinner, we sat on the deck and visited, sharing many laughs until after midnight. I'm sure the neighbours will be happy to see the noisy Canadians leave!