March 2015 Trip

We seem not to have used this blog for our trip in 2012.  But there is some good information here, so I am re-activating it. 

Those making this year's trip might want to look through the notes here - and realize that I will be adding others.  This would be a good place to send your family, so they can keep up with the plans and such.

Pastor Chris

Notes for 2010 Trip

Clothing for the Germany Trip:
I have had several folks ask me about clothing for the spring break trip to Germany. Here is my basic advice – take very little. You don't want to be lugging around a heavy case, and the Germans will think it excessive if you do. They wear their clothes many, many times before laundering. The cost of water is high. I wash my socks and underwear in the sink, hang on the radiator. I wear pants and shirts without washing. You should be able to get everything in an oversized book bag. I carry a 2.0 cubic liter/carry-on size bag.

Here is what I will take:
2 pair Khaki pants – these fit better over thermal underwear
1 pair Jeans
2 Long sleeve shirts
1 long-sleeved tee
Tees: 1 "under shirt" tee, 1 Clemson tee
Socks: 3 pair
Underwear: 3 pair
1 set thermal underwear!!!
Jacket: 1 - the type with a rain-resistant outer shell and removable liner.
DayHiker type shoes
Shower shoes (flip-flops)
(For the trip over I wear the Khaki pants, long sleeve shirt, jacket)

Here is my wife’s list:
Khakis: 2
Jeans: 3
Long sleeve crew neck shirts: 3
Fleece pullovers: 2
1 pair "silk" long underwear (for layering and pajamas)
Clemson Tee: 1
Socks: 4
Underwear: 4
Bras
Jacket w/ removable lining
1 hat, 1 pair gloves, 1 scarf
Day hiker boots
Tennis shoes

Luggage

We will be doing a lot of walking. We will be riding trains. Pick out a piece of luggage which you can easily carry. A backpack style works well. Roller bags do not.

The bag I carry is no longer available. Here is one very similar, though a bit larger. http://www.rei.com/product/786932.

Last time I took a backpacking type backpack. The one I took has a detachable day bag. This allowed me to have a smaller bag for day trips, but still only have one bag when we were traveling.


Luggage Tag
Make sure you do have a luggage tag on your bags. The paper ones at the airport are fine, but something more durable is better.

Here is the address for our first night in Germany:

Gästehäuser der Berliner Stadtmission
Lehrter Strasse 68
10557 Berlin
Germany
Tel. 0049 30 39835 011


Electricity

If you plan to use electricity while you are in Germany, you will need a converter. These are easy to find a rather cheap. You only need the standard "European" converter. NOTE: A converter is different from a plug adapter. The latter simply makes it possible for you to plug in the appliance.

Some appliances (like laptops) come with a converter inline (that is the little box in the middle of your electrical cord.) Cell phones typically do not. If you plug a cell phone charger without a converter, you are likely to burn it out.

You can recharge batteries with no problem, or power up a laptop. One thing that doesn't work so well is hairdryers. They require more amps than typically can be supplied with an over-the-counter converter. Many American hairdryers burn out quickly. In the past, our groups have simply gotten there and purchased a dryer there. You can get one for around 17 euros and share it with the group.

Money

A big question is what to do about money while traveling. It is really very simple and easy.

You can exchange USD for Euros at most American Banks. You can also do so at airports on either side of the ocean. You can take out Euros at the ATM's in Germany. There is a fee. You should check with your bank before you leave. You cannot get this information from the ATM’s in Germany.

I will get some Euros before I leave - probably 150 or so. My bank has a flat fee whether I get 100 or 10,000. So, I will be happy to get some for you, too.

Germans tend to use cash. They don't pull out the Debit card at every meal. Be considerate and plan to pay cash for your meals. If you want to use a credit card for souvenirs, that should work. But, you never know what that service fee is going to be.

If you are planning to use a credit or debit card, REMEMBER to call your bank before you leave and let them know that you will be in Germany. If they don't know this and charges appear, they may shut the card down.


Document Security

It is a good idea to purchase one of those Passport Pouches which hangs around your neck and goes under your clothing. Nothing is as precious to you, while abroad, as your passport. Mine is around my neck all the time (I put it under my pillow at night and hide it when I am in the shower - actually I hand mine to my wife and ask her to hold it till I return.) I also put my VISA Card in this pouch - provided I won't need it during the day. I plan out my day so as to minimize the times I will need to pull this pouch out.

I also make two copies of my passport. I put one in a separate bag so it won't disappear if the real one does. The second copy I leave with the secretary at the Church. (I will be asking all of you to bring me a copy for this purpose.) A copy at the Church means someone could FAX a copy to me, if I lose everything.

While speaking of documents - I also make two copies of my insurance card. Same drill as above. Make sure that your insurance has international travel coverage.

I also carry my SC Driver's License. This is a good, photo ID. I carry it separate from my Passport - loose one, got the other one.

I would also recommend that you take your University ID. Almost all the museums offer "Student Rates." With that ID, you are set.


Internet Access

There are internet cafes in the cities we will be visiting. There are not Wi-Fi hotspots; laptops are not all that useful – leave them at home. You can send messages home. I will also be sending quick notes to family and friends whenever I get to a terminal. Send me the addresses you want me to include in these notes back home. Forewarn folks, these will be quick notes assuring folks that we are okay. Get those addresses to me by March 1.


Cell Phones

Some cell phones do work in Europe. Mine does not. I will be obtaining a Tracfone, with a German number. I will send that number to the folks on the “family and friend” list mentioned above.

What travelers will see

I was asked to comment on what the groups will be doing, seeing, and the historical significance of each location. I will be brief.

You arrive in Berlin. The capital of Germany, there are many sights to see and places to visit. There is no "Luther" history associated with Berlin. Berlin is a rather young city. Many of its famous sites are actually previous City/States. You will have time to tour Berlin on your way back through. I recommend highly that you see the Memorial to the Murdered Jews (within walking distance to your Hostel) and that you travel to Checkpoint Charlie for some East/West Germany history.

You will spend most of your time in Eisleben. This is the town where Luther was born. There is a museum here, on the site where he is believed to have lived for his first year. Luther's father was a miner, working the mining regions around Eisleben. Pictured here is Sts. Peter and Paul, where Luther was baptized. There is actually an apartment in the top of that tower where the fire watchman lived. He had chickens and a goat up there. As late as the 1950's the youth group held meetings in those upstairs rooms.

Eisleben is in the region of Germany known as GDR - German Democratic Republic. Luther was back in Eisleben when he died. There was a dispute among the Princes about the schools. One tour guide said the dispute was education for girls. Luther believed this should be offered. A second museum in Eisleben is Luther's Death House.

From Eisleben we move o to Erfurt. This is the city where Luther was attending University. He had gone there to study law, but begin his long spiritual pilgrimage which resulted in his entering the monastery and becoming a monk. We will have a guided tour of the Augustinian Kloster. This Kloster now includes guest facilities. We will spend three nights sleeping in this Kloster.

If you watch the recent Luther movie, you will see many scenes from this monastery. Luther took his vows at the alter in the church. The floors he scrubs are on the Cloister walk.

Luther was still at the monastery when his superior informed him he would be sent to Wittenberg. There he would be allowed complete his Doctorate in Theology. He would also serve as pastor to the "town church." It is when Luther gets to Wittenberg that the Reformation begins.

As the Reformation debate heats up, Luther is called to Worms to defend his teachings. While his Prince had been guaranteed safe passage for Luther to and from Worms, when the meeting was over it was clear that Luther would be declared a heretic. This meant that anyone who found him and killed him would be considered doing a service to the Church. Prince Fredrick arranged for Luther to be "kidnapped" on his way home from Worms. Looking for a safe place to "hide" Luther, Fredrick arranges for him to be taken to a remote castle. This is where The Wartburg Castle figures into the Luther story. He stays here for almost a year. It is during these months that he began his translation of the New Testament into German.


The final stop on our tour will be Wittenberg. There are many sites here to see. The Augustinian Monastery where Luther lived as a monk became his home after the Reformation. This is the museum we will tour. There are also two historic churches.

The Castle Church is at one end of town. This church is connected to the castle where Fredrick lived. It is doubtful that Luther spent much time in this church, during his lifetime. This church was reserved for the Prince and his family. This is the church were priests were celebrating masses for pay (one of the practices which upset Luther.) There may have been as many as 18 altars in this church, with a team of 30+ priests assigned to do nothing other than celebrate private mass. Luther is buried in this church.



The Town Church is where Luther served as parish pastor. Here he preached and administered the sacraments. While the Castle Church has little original furnishings, the Town Church is authentic to the times of Luther.


The other site in Wittenberg worth seeing is the workshops of Lucas Cranach. Cranach painted the Reformation, as Luther was writing it. Many of the art pieces from this era are his. Be on the lookout, as you travel, for Cranach pieces. When you get to Wittenberg, take time to see his home and shop.


Sounds like a wonderful week! And very busy. Look up some websites and do additional discovery of your own.

Spring Break 2009

We are hoping to organize two weeks of visitors to Eisleben in Spring 2009. If you, or your campus ministry group, might be interested let Pastor Chris know.

service projects in Eisleben

The service projects are on all your minds, I'm sure. I'm sorry that it hasn't been pinned down for sure yet what everyone will be doing. What we do know is this:

Workers are needed at the Alterlutherschule, doing general clean-up things over there. The groups worked there last year as well, so Pastor Chris could give you a better idea of what that might look like than I could. The church library needs to be moved and organized a little bit. An apartment that belongs to the church needs painting, and, weather permitting, there is also some gardening work that needs to be done to get ready for spring.

The churches need to be cleaned after being locked up all winter. This responsibility will almost definitely fall on the Clemson/UNM group, at least for Petri-/Pauli-. Each of the other groups will likely send delegates to Alterlutherschule, and tackle the other jobs as possible.

I promise I will update as soon as I know for sure what you'll be doing.

internet cafe

There is an internet cafe in town, just down the street (toward the Marktplatz) from where you will be staying. It looked like they might have 6 computers, but not more than 10. The fee is 2Euro/hour, but you don't have to pay each hour up front. The first 15 minutes must be paid for, even if you only actually use the computer for 5 minutes; this will be 50Euro cents. After that, you pay in segments of five minutes.

more packing, laundry info

So, after a few conversations with Eisleben natives, it seems that there is no laundromat available here. We are still working on checking the availability of the washing facilities in the place we will be staying, but I'm willing to bet they won't let us use them willy-nilly. Please, don't bank on finding a place to do laundry.
However, I will encourage you yet again to pack light! I walked from my apartment (which is in the middle of the city) to the train station the other day, without luggage, and it took me almost 20 minutes. The place you will be staying is a little further on the other end of town. This means, when you get off the train, and you are tired, you will still have a 30-minute walk ahead of you, if you move somewhat quickly, WITH your baggage. Yes, there are certain things you need. But, if you're really honest with yourself, there are many things you will want to pack that you will not need (I know I brought waaaaaay too much stuff with me). Keep that haul in mind as you pack a second suitcase.

On the up side, the weather here is much nicer than I, personally, had anticipated. Most days, I have been fine in jeans, a long sleeved tee, and winter jacket. It does tend to be kinda wet, though--not really rainy, but just soggy pants-legs (but, then again, I wear my jeans far too long) and a damp cold. So, you know, that means you'll fewer jackets and such.