EuroLIfe: Day 143

Ordinarily, the weather in Jena leaves much to be desired. It has been quite a bit sunnier since January, and we have appreciated that, but the typical day is overcast, chilly and dreary. However, when my parents came to Jena, the sun came with them. It was incredible! We had a week of warm, sunny, downright delightful weather. This was really a very nice surprise; I had been a bit worried that, after visiting in February, my parents might never again return to Germany. Instead, they left convinced that the weather in Jena is sunny and wonderful and not something to be complained about.

After church on Sunday--which my parents gamely braved, despite the service being entirely in Germany--we set off for Jenzig. (There are some pictures of the hill itself in an earlier post for those who are interested.) Actually, in all honesty, we first stopped for some pastries and then set off for Jenzig. One can't hike without sustenance.

It's about a 60 minutes walk from our apartment to the top of Jenzig, and the last 25 minutes or so is a fairly steep climb. It was so warm I actually wished I had worn shorts! Once up top, we were richly rewarded for our efforts. Given the sunny, warm weather and the German tendency to be outside and hiking, the beer garden was rather crowded. Once a table opened up, we grabbed it and were able to really relax, enjoy the view, and eat some delicious German food. It was such a clear day, you could see all of the many valleys with the little villages tucked into them, not to mention the city of Jena itself. The food was really exceptionally good, and I had the best non-alcoholic beer that I've had yet. (At restaurants, the water comes in such a tiny glass, and for less money you can get a giant non-alcoholic beer, so I've become quite the connoisseur.)

I don't believe the staff at this little beer garden anticipated the weather, or the crowd, so the service was quite slow, even on German standards. Apart from hunger problems, which were mostly my own, this was actually kind of nice. We spent a long time just talking, observing, and enjoying the fresh air.

After lunch, we walked around a bit on the top of Jenzig, and then headed back home for a nice evening in. The photo on the left gives some idea of what the view is like from Jenzig. Imagine this, but in nearly every direction and for as far as you can see. Jena is really a very nice little city, in a beautiful area, and it's fun to have visitors to show around; it reminds me to appreciate my surroundings.