this is just a quick update on whats been happening since I returned to Germany. In short not much except drowning under piles of journal articles I’m reading for my thesis. Since I moved into a new place besides filling up the bare walls with new photos I have managed to escape my larger (yay) room once or twice. Notably to another Medieval market in Marburg this time, which was much smaller, had some more activities for kids and for the ladies, tattooed men dressed in pinned together holey strips of leather and fishnets playing an older version of the bagpipes. It wasn’t quite worth the entrance fee, but it was hard not to smile at the cheering crowd (all women) under the small music stage!

An afternoon later I became lost in a maze of junk in a Flea Market, searching for random treasures (none found, or at least none I need or can take with me when I leave so were left gathering dust). Apparently its a monthly thing, so I cant wait to return!

And the best part (of which I have no pictures) occurred just this morning after a brisk uphill cycle brought us into a forest filled with rope bridges, zip-lines, climbing nets, ladders and other (extremely exhausting) stages winding their way around and between the trees. Thankfully on the one day where Giessen broke out of its winter weather slump and it was a good ten degrees warmer. I plan to go again if only to admire the view whizzing down a 460 meter long zip wire through gaps in the forest and over sprawling meadows. I’ll be back (with my camera)!