Culture seekers

My American friends and I here in Germany have tried our best to hit the cultural highlights in Germany. We have carried liter bottles of beer in the subway. We have tested the lukewarm carbonated mineral water that waiters bring by default when we are trying to re-hydrate. We have woven between crazed drivers on our bikes. We have even learned to separate our recyclables with precision.

One thing was missing: We have not seen an Opera.

Of course, this didn’t dawn on us until last weekend. My friend, Crystal, is leaving on Friday, so we only had four days to enrich our cultural experience.

This sort of procrastination is actually par for the course for us in Germany. We seem to always wait till the last minute to do something (i.e. buy train tickets), which then sends us into a panic of attempting to read matrixes of schedules and price lists on German Web sites.

The bottom line was – after I resorted to calculus in my attempt to find an option – there was nothing within our time frame in any of Berlin’s eight or so opera houses.

Instead, we decided to go to a Baroque-style concert (with the performers dressed in the style) in the Charlottenburg Castle. Yes, I know, it’s always a bummer to settle for anything that takes place in a castle. Last night, Irene, Crystal and I met for dinner, then headed over to the castle in a food-induced stupor (which also seems par for the course).

The advantage of a classical and baroque music concert is that it needs no translation. I let myself get carried away between the counterpoint of the violins and cellos and caught up in candle light. Occasionally, a woman singer appeared in a turquoise marshmallow of a dress to peal out melodies in a voice that sounded like diamonds look. There was also a man singer, though he wasn’t quite as impressive. At least we got a taste of opera.

Afterwards, I wrapped up in my scarf and pulled my hood over my head to make the trip to the subway station through crisp air that stubbornly seems to want to stay for the winter. As I stepped out of the towering wooden castle doors, I couldn’t help but think how I am going to miss it here.

Lessons learned: Bach knew what he was doing.