The day began rainy and dreary, a good morning to sleep in, and so we did. Lysann had to work this morning, but we rested. After a late breakfast, we dressed in our rain gear and walked past the Kornmarkt & Topfmarkt to the Market Square. On Wednesdays, vendors set up stalls along the square, selling everything from fish, and meat, cheese and produce, plants and clothing, lingerie and scarves.

We walked to the Bruderkirche, or Friar's Church where Martin Luther met with his Altenburg friend, Spalatin, to discuss the Reformation. We did not enter, thinking it was closed, but Lysann later informed us it was indeed open, so tomorrow morning we will take a peek inside. We turned around, and walked back through the Market Square, passing the Rathaus, or Town Hall. There I found a jewelry store selling Pandora beads. We went in and looked through their collection, and I found a charm of a suitcase with luggage tags on it. Just the perfect memento of this grand European trip!

Still walking along the farmer's market and vendor's stalls, I noticed a lady selling lovely wood shavings in interesting designs, decorated with dried floral arrangements, and exclaimed to Darrel that I'd love to have one, but how to pack it in my suitcase? She spoke English, and asked us what we thought of the election results. Europeans are very favorable to Obama, as we have discovered. Well, they (and we) now have four more years!

From the market square, we walked in the drizzle to a small pond which leads into a larger pond or lake with a lovely promenade along its edge. Strolling down the walkway, we came to the Inselzoo, a small zoo on an island in the middle of the lake. It was open, so we walked across the bridge to the zoo and ambled around to see mandarin ducks, Hawaiian geese, black swans, pygmy goats, and more. Then we walked back up the hill to the hotel where we had lunch. A nice Altenburger beer was called for, warm soup (tomato for me, vegetable with sliced meat for D). We also ordered the Altenbuger zeigenkase (a local cheese), so when the waitress brought out a basket of bread accompanied by a little plate with a domed cover, we thought it was the cheese. After finishing it and our soup, out came another platter with fruit and at least six triangles of lovely cheese with caraway inside! It seems the first "cheese" wasn't cheese at all, but the fat Lysann let us try yesterday. Our "light lunch" had suddenly turned heavier! But still delicious. Two of the fruits I will ask Lysann about: one was bright red with little black seeds, so sweet and juicy, and the other was the little orange berry-like tomato we have enjoyed on the boat.

Lysann came around two, after school, and took us to her home in Ehrehain, a small village nearby. Stev's parents put an addition on their home, and that is where Stev and Lysann live. It is quaint and cozy and filled with the things they enjoy: Chinese figurines, Stev's bagpipes, Lysann's books and teaching materials, photos of family, plants and catci. We had a chance to meet Stev's mother, Diana Kolar, and her mother, Oma. Delightful, happy ladies.

Then to Kraschwitz to be reunited with Marlies, Lysann's mother. She looks just as she did those many years ago when she and Gottfried visited us. On our way, we passed the little village cemetery where, sadly, Gottfried is now buried. He is missed and we have many fond memories of him at our home. Driving on, we came across Sabrina, helping to bring in the horses from the field, and called out a hallo! Sabrina had visited us with Lysann's parents, and I remember taking her shopping in Ruckersville back home, looking for a saddle. We had a nice kaffeeklatch at Marlies' home with Renata, her 82-year old neighbor/friend, Sabrina who joined us with her sleeping 2-month old daughter, Lina, and Yvonne, Lysann's sister. Lysann had brought a yummy lemon cream cake, and there were many other little cakes to try, and coffee, of course, the best!

Then we took a little walk through the village as the sun was setting: to the kirche where Lysann was baptized, to Renata's home built in 1500s, by the pine tree in front of the church and the willow by the lake that Gottfried had planted, stopping by a neighbor's house who has done renovations to their historic half-timbered house, and a visit to Uncle Siegfried, Sabrina's father, to see the horses in the stable. What marvelous picture postcard moments!

But then, it was time to drive back to Altenburg for dinner in the Rathaus with Lysann. I had the best stuffed cabbage rolls since my mother made them, Darrel had Thuringen brats, and Lysann had a chicken cutlet. (and Lysann corrected me: Dresden is in Saxony, Altenberg is in Thuringen - I was a little confused yesterday).

We then went to Lysann's accordion orchestra rehearsal. The room's tall ceiling was ornately decorated with crown molding, and we met everyone in the orchestra, including the conductor, shaking hands with everyone. There were about 15 members, including a guitarist and an electric bass guitarist - all the others accordionists. Then the practice began for the Weihnachts-Konzert (Christmas concert) which they will present on 22 December. Some Christmas music, Canon in D and, to celebrate the birthdays of two orchestra members, the Tick-Tack Polka by Strauss and the Blue Tango which had me floating back to the hotel as it was the last song. A wonderful evening - Darrel's first time to sit through a rehearsal, and, although Lysann doesn't yet know it, I shot a little video clip of her during the rehearsal!

TOMORROW: Our last day in Germany and time with the family