Day 8 – Train Travel & the Dünenhof

Josh Leo’s – A Month in Germany

English - August 14, 2005 04:59 - ★ - 1 rating
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Next Episode: Friendly Folks at the Dünenhof

Today was not the most exciting day of the trip. We caught an early morning train out of Marburg and started making our way up towards Cuxhaven. We transferred in Kassel and got on the ICE the InterCityExpress is a really fast train that streaks across the country. We made a few other transfers and finally arrived in Cuxhaven. One of dirk’s friends picked us up from the train station and drove us to the Dünenehof. We arrived around dinner time.

I had heard plenty of stories and even saw photos and videos of this place but it was all so different than what I imagined. I didn’t really understand what the purpose of the place was. There were students working there, they were all Christians but I got the impression that it wasn’t a religious getaway for families. It just seemed to be a resort where all the workers were Christians. I think the two things that really left an impression on me right away was that the staff members (who were all my age or younger) were just walking around drinking beer and hanging out. I found this kind of interesting because most Christian organizations are kind of strict about those kind of things. The other thing that struck me was that there weren’t any adults around in charge of these people, no managers who were constantly watching over the workings of the facility. I was impressed that all these young people were responsible enough to take care of things themselves and that the adults who ran things trusted them enough to leave them alone to do their work.

After people finished preparing, serving, and cleaning up from the meal they served to the visitors, I got a chance to meet some of them. I ate some leftover lasagna while chatting with some of the folks here. I quickly made a connection with the ones who spoke English. As it got dark I followed the group to a field just a short walk behind the facility. A large tent stood in the center of the field with a soft glow of light and music floating through the open door. Outside were a few game booths. I took a hand at a shooting game and didn’t win anything. And I made sure to give a taste of the local bratwurst. I peeked into the tent (you had to pay an admission to enter and drink beer) I saw people sitting around tables drinking beer and enjoying themselves. It was the cutest little festival that I have ever seen. They crowned the local “Flower Queen” and then we walked back to the Dünenhof.

I started talked with some of the guys there who spoke English, Giving Dirk a break and allowing him to talk in German to some folks. We finished out the night by smoking a Shisha in one of the guys rooms. I enjoyed that everyone there was still speaking English mostly for my benefit. After that, Dirk and I went to bed, prayed together, and fell asleep.

Google Earth Placemarks for Day 5: Open this map