A Hidden Beauty

There is a small town located 20 minutes by train from Frankfurt called Darmstadt, please correct me if I'm wrong but I rather say this is a town not a city, but this isn't just a town for me this was the special one. Back to summer 2011 when I was on eurotrip across Germany I visited Darmstadt before I went back to Indonesia. The reason I had to because I have to visit my niece who was study there, wait, I'm not that old my niece still older than me anyway.

Back to the story, I arrived at Frankfurt's main station at 6 O'clock in the morning, then continued my trip to Darmstadt. It was a long non-stop trip from Copenghagen to Darmstadt via Hamburg. In the station I wait for 5 to 10 minutes before my niece picked me up then head back to her apartment. Since the day went on heavy downpour, after took a shower I feel it was time to take some nap, the rain on summer days was bad but I need those one that day. It was the best daydream I've ever had while in Europe.

When the sun back shine we went to Darmstadt tourist information on Luisenplatz that shining with varies of shopping centre and crossroad of many tram and bus' routes, then began our journey for a day. First place we went to St. Ludwig Church, it looks like a big dome, and on the wall there's a twelve sculpture about some history, but I don't understand it very well, and on the ceiling there's a glass looking like one eye, gives you some another dimension in the church. After a while we moved outside the church and live a little walks along the boulevard to the city square.

When you walks in Europe there must be some schloss on your stops, so we stopped at schloss museum, takes some memorable picture then walk throughout Marktplatz. When in Marktplatz I still remember the feelings takes me back over a centuries before time, it feels so ancient but in a good way. We continued our walks pass the Darmstadtium, then got into some parks and university that I forgot the name. And just after some random walks I encountered a magical place surrounded by summer's colours, just like in fairy tale name Prince George's Garden and Palace. It was looks like palace from a far, but it was really small building with library inside. And the best things was you may borrow some books from there without any registration or something, just read or take some books then put it back when you're done.

I was glad to see so many flowers from the garden, it was the summer pictured memories that I really want to keep all my life. The last place we went to a place of arts if I could simplify it, but before that we went pass an well-known artsy apartment architecture in Darmstadt. They called it waldspiral, like there's no intervention from engineers there, everything about it just so artsy.

It was the same feeling I had when I walked throughout the Ernst Ludwig's House, Russian Chapel, Platanenhain, Russian Chapel, Matildenhohe and surrounds this is what I feel about Darmstadt, when you walk through this city all day the feeling in you is change it may takes you upside down but in a strange way. . My niece once said that, there's an element found in this city called Darmstadium. This city is also known for its University and science but you can't split those unique arts from this city. So I love this city because in a day you won't feel bored about it, there's something different on the corner, it would be another surprises for you.

August 2011.

Baltic Sea's Summer Breeze

I've never had a thoughts before that European countries would be my first foreign countries trips around the world. And still can't believe that I could crossed the Baltic Sea before I turned 20. I've been dreaming to explore the world all my life, and last year I officially started it. I still remember the feeling clearly, I can't describe it, it's a bunch of first timer feeling. I'm sure everyone already had one thing similiar like mine. It was happened on the early of August 2011.

Last year I had to go to Copenhagen, Denmark to attend one of International Medical Organization Confrence. A week before the confrence me and my colleagues went to Germany and Austria for small Eurotrip. On the morning of first day of confrence we took a bus to Copenhagen from Berlin and crossed the Baltic Sea by Scandlines ferry, from Rostock to Gedser. It took about 1 hour to crossed Baltic Sea, we're getting excited when we off the bus, and run to Panoramic Salon even when some of the passengers choose to stay inside and enjoy their meal. I pushed the door heavily and directly stroked by frozen summer's wind. I thought it was just summer breeze but in fact the wind blows pretty hard on my face. I stayed for about 5-10 minutes outside, took some photos then warmed up my body inside.

7 days later I took train from Kobenhavn Train Station to Frankfurt, and again for the first time I saw train getting on ferry to crossed the island. I thought when I ride train the railway was going under the sea or tunnel, but I was amazed by the fact the train was on the ferry. Because it was a lovely evening on Baltic Sea, still freezing like the first time I came, but in different situation. The evening was romantic and surrounded by crowd but remain in silence in my head. People calmly watching the sun goes down and could feel the frozen breeze kisses our faces.

I wish I could stay for another minutes, but I choosed to keep the moment for a while and rushed inside to save my fingers from hypothermia. And the golden sunset escorted me back to the mainland with the view of rainbow and lines of windmill.

August 2011.