Date Night

So, remember my excitement about those dance lessons that we were beginning back here? Things have certainly not worked out the way that we had planned. Due to some really infrequent dance studio hours it was hard to match up a night the class was happening to a night that we had free (and so did a babysitter!). After a couple weeks of working to get the stars aligned we finally did it! We were running a little late for the dance lesson, but we were going to make it. It would have been great except that when we arrived we discovered that the dance studio we thought was open and running that day was in fact closed.

We scanned the files tucked away in our brain of things to do in downtown Bremen in the evening. Having already eaten, the only thing we could think of was a movie; which neither of us were in the mood for (we very clearly need a better reserve of date-night OUT ideas). After some thought we decided we would take advantage of the beautiful weather, grab some dessert and then just explore. The goal was to find any and every street that we had never walked down, go in new stores, find new restaurants to try, new buildings with interesting architecture and anything else that was new. 

For dessert we opted for something to take on the road - gelato, which we have had many times before but this time we got it from a new gelato place.  

First up, we were reminded how much we love walking around so many historical buildings. To be walking down the street and see this beautiful church firmly ahead. It's a magnificent feeling to be able to look around and see history. 

Then it was under the archways of the town hall (which is a UNESCO world heritage site).

Sometimes the mix of the old and new here is quite stunning. Like these two buildings joined by a walking bridge.

A short while into our walk we found ourselves in the Bible Garden. It is a pretty little nook tucked away behind the church. It is filled with plants that are part of stories in the Bible. It is also a nice little escape from the bustling tramline just outside the entrance gates.

Then we walked on to der Schnoor - a place that we had yet to explore in the entire year that we have lived here!

Before we got into the really touristy part of der Schnoor we admired the art school...

The unique homes...

and the eery looking santa standing inside the shop door at the year-round Christmas store.

And then it was on to the quaint, narrow, house-lined cobble stone streets of the touristic Schnoor. Being there mid-week allowed for nicely cleared streets for us to meander around. 

The homes in this area are centuries old and are said to have belonged primarily to fishermen as a tributary of the Weser River used to run to here.

A lot of the area has been gorgeously restored with intricate detailing...

with statues, restaurants and plenty of different shops.

Of course the Bremen Town Musicians made a few appearances.

We had a good laugh about this particular post card that was pasted to a restaurant window.

After exploring Der Schnoor it was down to the river side. With the sun setting in front of us, it made for a beautiful walk under the archways. And we were able to watch a nice variety of boats glide past us as we strolled along.

After the riverside we stumbled on one very funky looking playground. We're little kids at heart - seriously. Within seconds Jason was giddily running up to go down the slide and I started climbing the things around.

All that walking sure made us a tad hungry so we went and enjoyed some appetizers at Vapianos which we learned was started in Germany - never would have guessed!

Though, our walk would not have been complete without admiring some traditional German wear, just in time for the festivals.

It was a fun night and a reminder of how much there is that we love about this city. Not only are there incredible people here, but it is just a nice, clean, historical city that is fun to take an evening stroll in.