Visiting Family in Germany Part 3

I am sitting in their living room in Melbeck right now as the opera "Carmen" plays in full volume in the background. Today when sitting down for breakfast I learned that Suzanne was feeling ill, so she stayed at home today while Jasper and I went to the concert in Hamburg. The concert hall was just beautiful! It was all white inside with gold design lining the walls and an open glass ceiling. Before the concert started, we sat in the lower section to hear the conductor speak about the concert, and some background information about Richard Wager, one of the three composers we heard from this afternoon, the other two being Spohr and Hadyn. Of course I didn't understand a word other than the occasional "die" "ein" "das" "und" and "nicht", but I still laughed every time he said a joke because everyone else in the audience would crack up and it's literally impossible not to laugh when everyone around you is. Also, when Jasper would introduce me to friends who regularly attend the concerts as well, I would say "Hello", which is basically the same as "Hallo", so they would all think I could speak German, and then I would just see Jasper shake his head at them and say "nicht"...too bad, I wish I had practiced a bit more before coming, I have been missing out on so many conversations. Anyways, the concert was fantastic, and from the first glide of the bow across the violin strings, I had goosebumps. An especially impressive bit was when a young violin soloist joined the stage and played magnificently, and so dramatically, you could really feel his passion for the music. With each second, the music grew stronger and stronger until by the very end when he threw his arm and bow upwards to signal the end, the audience was on the edge of their seats eager for every coming note. During intermission, we went to the beautiful dining rooms with huge glass windows that looked out over the city, to drink a glass of juice and talk with his acquaintances. After the show had finished, we went to Jasper's sister, Verena's house. Her daughter, Katarina is about 29 and was at home too. They were extremely friendly, and Verena spoke quite a bit of English but were disappointed that I spoke no German. They served us coffee, juice, a fruity-layered cake, and chocolates and biscuits! We talked all about many different things, but they often switched to German unconsciously and I got lost instantly. However, I thought maybe I was getting a little more comfortable with the language until my very confused experience on the drive home from Hamburg. On the way out I had noticed a yellow side which read "Ausfahrt" and had used that as a marker of being close to Melbeck. So, I was very confused when on the way home I saw this sign, and Jasper kept driving much farther than I thought Melbeck was past this "town". Then, I saw another yellow sigh leading to "Ausfahrt", and wait, another!! Okay, are these all leading back to the same point, I am getting pretty mixed-up. When I asked Jasper where exactly Ausfahrt is located, he got quite a kick out of that. Unbeknownst  to me, this magical, unreachable paradise of "Ausfahrt" goes by another name: "exit".
I'm gonna try to remember that one. Maybe i'll write in on the back of my hand.
Anyways, when we got home I relaxed in my room for a bit, and then Suzanne joined us for dinner. Tonight we had cooked carrots, potatoes, and pork. For dessert, we enjoyed the last of the jam-like dessert. I can sense withdrawals from this heavenly treat as soon as I get back to Barcelona.
Tomorrow Jasper and I will tour Lübeck while Suzanne rests for another day at home. Looking at pictures online, the village looks very nice, so I am looking forward to exploring a bit. Right now we will share another glass of German wine while listening to the rest of Carmen, so I must go. More tomorrow!
Meghan