First week in Halle.

Yesterday marked our first full week in Halle and things have been going quite well. Spring has finally come to Germany and the weather has been BEAUTIFUL! It has been the perfect temperature and everyone has been outside taking full advantage of it. Beth and I have been taking lots of walks to explore the city.
Our week started with some more time off since "the Burg" was closed for Easter and the next Monday. It was nice to have some time to really settle into our new flats, do laundry, etc. We also were able to really start to learn our way around town and find some fun areas. One of my favorites so far is an island in the river that has a little train for kids to ride. Of course Beth and I rode it too.
Tuesday we got up early and finally started working in the studio. It felt good to get clay under my fingernails again, although it did take a while to get used to working in a new place.
The Burg is really amazing. The lay out is like a giant square of buildings with a huge court-yard in the center (as can be seen in the picture to the right). The court-yard is beautiful and has rosebushes that line most of the sidewalks. Apparently they will all start to bloom while we're here! We've had so much fun sitting out there for lunch and seeing everyone who walks by.
The other main part of the Burg is actually the remains of an old ccastle that is way up on a cliff. The only part left is a large square tower that has a look-out area and a bell at the top. There is a really great view of Halle from the top and it was really fun to walk around all of the old foundations. Some of the other students told us that after 6 you can jump the gate and sneak up to this area at night to see the sun set, which is definitely on our to do list.
Wednesday Heidi Grew and her husband Scott (who we met in Berlin) came to give an artist talk, which even though it was in German was fun to see. We also went to a pub with them and the other professors afterwards which was a lot of fun. It was really nice to get to know them all a little better. We're fortunate to have such nice people to work with.
The rest of the week was mostly spent in the studio until Friday evening when we went to a cook-out thrown by some of the Burg's former students who graduated. It was across the river in a side of town we hadn't been to yet so we had fun seeing a new area. We also found out when we got there that the hosts of the party had actually studied in Athens through our exchange program several years ago! It was really cool to hear about their experiences and they were curious to her how things had changed since. After people started leaving we were invited to another party by another ceramic student from the Burg, Hannis. It was great to meet other young people, and many of them were very excited to try their English out on us.

Saturday Beth and I slept in, then got up and went to the market area of town to check out some of the stores. Unfortunately, we didn't realize how early stores close here (between 4 and 6 on Saturday), so our time was cut a bit short. Even though it's a little hard to get used to, I really like how things close early and are closed all day on Sunday because it really forces people to spend time with their family and friends. People seem to really value time to relax, which is something many Americans need to work on. I know the trip has already been a great change of pace from my usual "work-a-holic" lifestyle. Speaking of...I think it's time to go relax a bit. :)the front of "the Burg"another "Burg" buildingthe church at the end of the road I live onthe water-tower at the other end of my street!This one's for Carolyn.