German Wednesday Bits

– After staying indoors yesterday, I was ready to get out and make the most of my Wednesday. I went to Mainz and Wiesbaden and really did have a pretty good day. I finally made it to the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz; I guess I’ve only ever been there on Mondays in the past, when most museums are closed. It was interesting, and now I know that they keep their Gutenberg Bible collection in a giant vault. With some biiig doors.
– I’d been looking for a camera bag for some time, and I hadn’t been able to find a ready-made one that was just-right enough to justify spending money, but I couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to make my own, with all the padding and zips I’d want. So when I saw this one in a camera store in Mainz on Monday, I was tempted to buy it, but everybody knows it’s dumb to buy something in Europe if the same thing is sold in the US (it’s always more expensive here). Some internet searching led me to believe that that particular Crumpler bag is actually only sold in Germany, though, so I excitedly purchased it this morning (in white, and NOT for 50 euros, thankfully). It’s just what I wanted — something made for a camera, with no extra ‘bag’ to weigh me down, yet with enough space for my wallet, keys, etc. Perfekt.
– I also had a much less stressful conversation with the camera shop salesperson, as I first asked if I could try out the bag with my own camera and then apologized for my German being so horrible (in German, of course — I might sound like an idiot, but I did study the language for seven years, so it’s not like I can’t speak at all). He simply said, ‘Kein Problem!’ and that was that. He still had to put up with my butchering, and I had to ask him to repeat things, but at least my crapness was out in the open. A life lesson, that.
– Wiesbaden sure is a pretty town. It’s hard to know where to start; there’s a lot to look at. Mainz and Wiesbaden are situated on opposite sides of the Rhein, and I think Mainz will always be first in my heart. I had the absolute delight of chatting with somebody who’s currently living in Mainz (though she’s originally from further north in Germany) while I was at the bookfair, and when we were talking about the area, she gave a little eyeroll when she said, ‘Wiesbaden’ — just as I would when talking about ‘St Paul‘. Like, ‘Man, those guys are weird over there!’ Maybe it’s just because I come from a river-divided metro area, but I find mock rivalries like that very funny and charming. Wiesbaden, indeed.
– I bought some organic applesauce the other day, and when I had some for the second time this evening, I had to check the ingredients. It’s made of only apples, but the texture is so unlike any applesauce I’ve ever had; I would have sworn it contained… agar or something. It’s just a bit too smooth and silky. I had to stand in the kitchen and perform scientific evaluations of it by the spoonful, straight from the jar. You know me: anything for science.