Bonn

The day had finally arrived to travel to that hallowed place, the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven. And so he dressed up finely that day in anticipation of this, his second voyage from Mechernich. It was a cold, windy, and drizzily day and he had borrowed an umbrella from his host, so he was prepared, yet the timing of that trip was unknown as to when the train would be departing the station, so the host had a look and determined that the train would be leaving in that moment. "Run, Benito, run!" He boarded the train just in time! Then had a little switch at Euscherchen, where he would later go shopping with his host, but for now... a girl sneezed on the way there and laughed, looking at Benito who also looked. They were school girls. Benito smiled and said something to the effect that it had been a large sneeze, and so it had.

Getting off to switch in Euscherchen, Benito looked and then looked again, finding that the train to Bonn was just under his nose. He ran to board it at the same time as a little girl from Africa. "Is this the train to Bonn?" asked Benito as the little girl rushed inside. "Yes" she had said, and so it was.

Having arrived in Bonn, Benito noted when the train would be coming back, and rushed toward the city. After wandering down a street for some ways, Benito came across the intersection for the cathedral. Ah, the Münster. Benito entered boldly, the door being held open for him by another wayward traveler. What a wonder this cathedral was when presented for Benito to espy. He noted the Holy Madonna & Child in the back of the pews and lit a candle right there and then, so that his time in Bonn might be blessed. Walking down the left-hand aisle, he sat down for a time, taking in the place and its frescoes on the walls. The lights turned on over the altar and Benito could make out a special design on the pulpit. After a long time or a short time, Benito got up and started to cross in front of the altar, when he noted an underground crypt, so he summoned his courage and went down the stairs into the crypt. It was brightly lit and there were different saints pictured on the walls, some with flowers underneath them. As a sign suggested, Benito knelt there in the crypt and said a prayer, again that his time in Bonn might be blessed and briefly thumbed through the prayer book. It was in German and Benito understood some words, such as 'A-men'. After his prayer, Benito took a few more pictures before departing on that rainy day in Bonn. He asked for some directions, then followed his own directions, and after a brief stop at a Bonn bakery, Benito headed down the University gardens. A row of trees formed a roof overhead as Benito walked. It was quite pleasant and then he had to cross a treacherous road, but Benito managed it with aplumb and then came into contact with some students at the University. He asked directions and the male counterpart told him to come along as he was walking that way. So Benito and his new companion went a-walking down the street singing, 'Hey wha-doo diddy hey what he doo!' Benito found out from the man that he was indeed a University student and that he had lived in the States for a time. In North Carolina, to be exact. After pointing Benito in the right direction, he departed with a handshake saying, 'Please enjoy your time in Germany!' Then, he was gone and Benito was left to walk all the way down to the mansion in the south of the city. It was also quite pleasant and Benito hummed to himself, singing a little diddy. Oh, how nice. Then he munched on his Brochenne, finding a little child and its mother, a girl on a bicycle, waiting at the stoplight, and a Muslim lady. At one point, Benito had to pass under an underpass where there was another small bakery and a place for making keys. A homeless man was stationed under the overpass and a man was handing out papers on the other side. Benito paid them all little heed, but continued on his quest. Arriving there finally, Benito found more ladies with baby-carriages and wished he had another Brochenne for the ducks that he found under the bridge. This was indeed a pleasant place and Benito took some pics before continuing on his merry way.

At the mansion, he took a right around it as some more University students passed by with their lunches, dressed in black, and Benito found his way around to the University's Botanical Gardens. There there were a few men smoking and talking up a storm in German. Benito, on the other hand, made for the roses and the nice little pond in the middle. He attempted to enter the greenhouse, but was denied, finding instead a coalition of the Uzbek-German Society! They found out that Benito was an American and started to celebrate, wanting to take multiple pictures with the ex-patriot. The girl was suddenly fascinated with Benito's camera and was asking him for advice on theirs. 'Cheers!' he said. The girl repeating her Thank-you's.

Immediately after exiting the gardens, Benito confronted a beautiful blonde maiden, asking her for directions. She did not know the answer which Benito sought and turned the corner before Benito could ask for her digits. He continued down this land for some time, passing by the 'Beethoven-Straße' and finding his way, after a long time or a short time, to the Romanische Museum, but not before stopping outside a Thai grocery store to consider his map. Benito stopped at the museum long enough to use the facility and attempt to question some elementary school students in German, as well as Russian, but at this Benito failed and finally just said, 'Cheusse'. Next, Benito went in totally the opposite direction from where he was supposed to go and ended up in an unknown neighborhood. Soon, Benito found his way again after consulting a pedestrian on the street just past the Haydn Straße.

Under the train station once again, Benito considered buying a sandwhich, then decided against it, going for a kaffee instead. Mmmmm.... Bonn, take two! A woman was advocating some on-line group or another and Benito asked her for directions. She pointed out the map to Benito, and he set out in search of the Thomas Münster Straße. But elected to stop by at the Tourist Information Center first in order to come around in the right direction. So, he entered into that mecca of Ludwig van Beethoven, to find original scores on display, as well as advertisements for various and sundry concerts. He questioned a dwarf, who lead him in the right direction, but not before having his piture taken with a blue statue of the musical patron saint of the city. He would later have another photo of himself with the statue in the central square, holding his pen as if he too could be the next Ludwig van...

After passing by a Chinese and an Italian restaurant, Benito came to the cemetary where both Robert and Clara Schumann, as well as Beethoven's mother, are buried. The first gate he tried was locked, but he did not stop there and continued around until he saw somebody exiting the premicise and made for the entrance. There he found some gravediggers which, of course, made Benito think of his favorite Shakespeare play, 'Hamlet', which the Shakespeare Theatre Company had performed in the park only the summer before. Benito had gone five times. And now, here he was with the gravediggers, who directed him to find Herr Schumann's gravesite, and there was much rejoicing. Benito continued along to find other graves of famous doctors since disappeared into the ground and now with a tomb left to mark their rememberance. Friday was a good day to visit the graveyard, Benito considered, and hummed a little diddy to himself, which he planned to compose in honor of Beethoven's mother. So that was how he spent his afternoon. Then, it was off to the Beethoven-Haus for some more ramblings.

After a long time or a short time, noting the McDonalds on the corner, Benito came to a bridge which passed over the Rhine (?) and took a left after passing by a bedding store from Napoli. Benito remarked at Bonn's 'Marriott Hotel' and considered that that would not be a bad way to spend the night. But Benito had a train to catch in any case, so it was not to be for the time being. Maybe in the future Benito could splurge, but now he had to find the house of one Ludwig van. Asking an elderly man for directions on the street, this same man escorted Benito once again to his destination, speaking an indecipherable German as they went. He waved to a fellow citizen who was lunching in another McDonalds and lead Benito right to the doorstep. Then, shook his hand and went off on his merry way. Benito was there at Beethoven's house.

Noting the paintings of Beethoven outside and the sign above the door, instructing Benito that this was indeed the house of one Ludwig van Beethoven, he entered in. Paying the some five euro's which Benito had saved from the previous museum, he entered into the museum shop to let loose his valuables in a locker. Entering into the garden, Benito was greeted by several busts of the artist, who was born in Bonn and was a church musician at the age of eleven. Benito sat for a time in the garden of Ludwig van Beethoven and wondered at how he created such works of brilliance and how he might one day do something similar (i.e. compose music). Well, that is how the creative mind worked. In one movie Benito had seen, Beethoven was pictured as having visited the lake-side on several occasions, going for long walks and composing as he went. This was how the music came to him.

Entering into the house of Ludwig van, he was greeted by the music which arose by a piano marked, 'Rürend ist verboden!' So, Benito dared not touch, but instead read a book about the museum and how different groups of musicians had presided over the workings and had established this most splendid museum in honor of Ludwig van Beethoven. After a tour upstairs of Beethoven's instruments, a concert downstairs of a futuristic opera in Italian, and a chocolate from the museum shop, Benito made for the train once again, stopping in the marketplace for some Turkish yogurt. (Or was it Greek?) No matter, Benito had some more adventures on the train before arriving back in Mechernich. What a good time he had had in Bonn!