When I picture “Europe” in my mind, I think Leipzig is what I see. It’s first impressions were a little bad, but second impressions were great. After exiting the train station, we were told it was a walking city, and after several of my fellow travelers nearly got hit by cars and bikes, I figured we were only told that because we were expected to walk. After crossing several streets crowded with angry drivers, we reached a stone road blocked off with bollards. We crossed through them, and I feel like a lot of people let out a sigh of relief that the cars could not physically follow us to try to slam into us. Like I said, first impression not so stellar. The second impression, however, set the (impossible) standard for what I wanted every European city we visited to be henceforth. Settling into the hostel was uneventful, but after that was squared away, me and a group of my brave companions embarked out on a quest to find lunch. We went to a “jazz” bar, which was a bust, as there was no jazz and the food was very expensive. We wandered around, and settled on an Italian restaurant. They only took cash, so we kept looking. With the aid of google maps, we found another that seemed like a nice cheap replacement. It took a few minutes before we found the graffiti-covered cigarette-littered part of the street that the restaurant belonged to. Let. Me. Tell. You. I had the best tortellini I have ever eaten, or will ever eat again. In the heat and passion of the moment, I compared it to making out with God himself. That tortellini bewitched me, body and soul; I will never be the same again, and life feels a little empty knowing I may never go back.
On the topic of life changing experiences, I did encounter what will forever be a core memory in Leipzig. In “Bach’s church” (Saint Thomas Church) we attended an organ concert. It was bitterly cold and there was singing and praying; and truthfully, I was so freezing that I admit I didn’t truly appreciate it. But very soon after we got a private tour of the same organs used, that was the core memory part. Just walking up and getting close to the first organ was a chilling experience. I knew it was something I’d never get to do again, and not many people will get to do at all. But wait- it gets better. We got an interesting demonstration where I learned what “pulling out all the stops” meant, and I felt a little silly I hadn’t known until just then. After that, some German whispering was exchanged, and suddenly someone was showing a picture of the organ performance major in our group to the musician who was just performing the demonstration. This student was invited to play, and I honestly didn’t have any idea how it would go. I hadn’t ever heard him play, so I was blown away when the first time listening was on a very loud and beautiful organ in “Bach’s church.” On an organ that would be considered to be “Bach’s perfect organ.” If I had been sitting ground level, and heard our student group member playing, I would have thought he was a professional, getting paid the big bucks to play at such a very famous church. I think everyone was proud, and he got many congratulations afterwards. I think it’s exciting that one day I’ll be able to say, “yeah, I went to the same school as him when I was in college. He’s pretty cool.”
My favorite planned musical experience occurred in Leipzig as well. It was only a little chamber wind ensemble in a small room, where we were sitting in little plastic moveable seats, but it was what I had really been waiting for. I can appreciate an orchestra, I really can. I can appreciate opera music. But to finally hear the instruments that I’m so accustomed to, especially so close, was a very welcoming feeling. I was so overjoyed at this wind instrument representation, that I was holding in the urge to shout, “I play horn too!”
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