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So, later yesterday (see yesterday's entry), I went around looking for an Internet connection so that I could maintain my only link with the outside world (you) and send the necessary e-mails to the necessary people. I was told that I could find public, Internet-enabled computers at the library (Bücherei) in the town across the river. The next town over (Veitshöchheim) is connected to our town (Margetshöchheim) by a pedestrian bridge across the river Main. Unfortunately, the Bücherei was closed. Judging from the sign in front of the building and my limited knowledge of German, I believe that the sign said that the library wasn't open at all on Mondays. At breakfast the next morning, the topic came up about whether I found a computer. After explaining the ordeal, an interesting detail came up about such. Apparently, places don't set their hours according to personal convenience like in the United States. Their hours of operation is set by the government who tells them when to open and when to close.

So, <sarcasm>saddened by the prospect of not having a link to you</sarcasm>, I wandered around Veitshöchheim alone trying to get lost in a foreign city. I did not succeed. I was always able to find my way back from wherever I was. So, I returned to our home in Margetshöchheim where I got to work cooking food for the rest of the team since I volunteered for the job earlier in the day. Our meal consisted of cuts of pork along with a salad with yoghurt salad dressing. It was… different.

After dinner, we were told to do whatever. So, I decided to start on my American Government homework, but I started falling asleep. So, I decided to sleep around 20:00. I was awakened by something (I don't remember what it was.) during the evening. I could have sworn that it was around 4:00 because every single person in the house was asleep, and all was quiet, but, when I looked at the clock, it was only 21:00. I guess that everyone else was as sleep deprived as me from the æroplane ride. I went back to sleep, but I was again awakened by bells at 6:00 when the bells from the church right next to us sounded. It's unusual to hear bells every fifteen minutes. The churches here will blast bells to inform people of the time. These are normally just quick and informative bells. However, at certain times of the day (6:00 being one of them), the bells will sound for about two whole minutes. I'm not sure why this is the case. I think that it's some sort of call to mass, but I could be wrong. No matter the reason, I went back to bed again until 7:30.

I woke up; got out of bed. Against the roof, I hit my head. I fell down the stairs and drank a cup. Looking up, I noticed I was early.

I had breakfast which consisted of some German cereal and took a shower. Then, I walked over to the professors' home for our first class. The class went over basic German history and how it related to the art of Germany. We then hopped into the boxes and left to go to Würzburg proper. We parked the boxes in front of the Residence. The Residence was a palace in Würzburg. We walked up to the fountain in front of the Residence where a tour guide in a black tuxedo (which some described as “pimp”) was waiting for us. His name was Peter, and he spoke very good English. We stood by the fountain while he explained to us the history of Würzburg and the significance of the sculptures on the statue. While this was going on, there was a mass protest of medical students from the university protesting about the low wages given to doctors and medical professionals. I found it highly ironic that at protest of medical professionals, one of the songs playing was “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton. After that, we proceeded to enter a chapel of the Residence while the band broke into “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Inside the chapel, we all marvelled at the amazing artistry put forth into the chapel. Then, we exited the chapel into the Residence's French garden. Apparently, there are three gardens: a French garden, an Italian garden and an English garden. The Italian garden is terraced; the French garden is completely flat, and the English garden is practically a forest. After our short tour of the Residence (we'll have a much more extensive tour of the Residence in weeks to come), we set out on the city streets where we were shown the town's university (where X rays were first discovered in 1895). We then were shown countless buildings which I can't remember the details of each. It was explained to us that all of the buildings in the town were not very old. On 1945 March 16, the RAF led a bombing raid against the city of Würzburg which practically destroyed the city. Our tour guide explained that the bombing could be considered a terrorist act. Würzburg was bombed by the British fourteen days before American tanks rolled into town. The local view was that the bombing was done in retaliation for the German bombings of Britain during the war, and that there was no military purpose for attacking the city so late in the war. However, Dr. Ostrander explained later to us that other historians have a different view: the Nazis were using the Main river as a mobilisation point and needed to fortify Würzburg in order to make an offence against the Allies. Therefore, the city was levelled to prevent its fortification. Either way things actually went down, the point is that the city was practically burnt to the walls. Most of the brick and stone façades of the buildings survived, but the interiors were charred. So, the citizens began to rebuild the city using more modern techniques along with the classical ones. This was evidenced with the cathedral. Half of the roof of the cathedral collapsed. When the citizens rebuilt it, they left the remaining portion in the baroque style and rebuilt the other half in the Romanesque style. While we were in the cathedral, our tour guide said something to us that I probably won't forget: “We have the seeds of pacifism in our hearts. Hopefully, it will keep.” I guess that two wars will do that to a people. What will it take to finally do that to us?

After our tour, the first thing that I did after eating was to find some money. I went to an ATM and withdrew fifty euros from my account. I knew that I was going to need change because it spat back a fifty-euro bill. We went to a market where Dr. Ostrander gave us each five euros to spend on lunch. I ordered some bratwurst and a Coke (not wanting to try a beer yet). It was good. Yeah. Then, I went to a bank to get some change. I inquired about the phrase that I would need to use (Kanne ich Rückgeld haben?), and went off confident that I could do it without any English. I was wrong. I got the phrase correct and was understood, but was unprepared for the event when the teller would ask me how I would like my change back. Fortunately, he spoke English. Then, we went looking for an Internet Café. We found an establishment on the second floor of a very, very tiny mall. I sat down and placed my previous journal entry that I brought on my jump drive onto my website and realised that the website wasn't working properly, so I'll have to change that the next time that I go. Other than that, I checked my e-mail, sent a few, looked up what log off meant in German and logged off. No, I didn't read any of my friends blogs, but when you're metered by the minute, you have to have your priorities straight. So, I paid my fee and left. I walked around Würzburg trying once again to get lost, but I just couldn't do it. I spent the rest of the afternoon aimlessly wondering around town.

We eventually loaded into the boxes and headed back to Margetshöchheim. I took a short nap while other people made dinner. We had some spaghetti and salad. After dinner, I took a walk up the Main over in Veitshöchheim which was pretty uneventful and boring. Apparently, all the cool stuff in down the river. Anyway, I got back to the house and joined all of the other students in the parlour. They were all studying away for their first test tomorrow in Arts and Western Culture. However, I lucked out because I didn't have to take it, but I got my laptop and started to finish the American Government assignment that I started but didn't finish. Fate manifested itself again, and I put the laptop away to play a game of hearts with some others. I won. Then, I pulled the laptop back out to finish what I had started. Doing homework in the parlour was actually quite enjoyable. I was nice to work along to some music provided by an iPod while drinking a Coke. There was also the occasional interruption when we talked about musical tastes and theology concerning spiritual gifts and charismatic sects. With everyone else going off to bed, I left the group to go write in my journal. That's where I am now.