The Summer of '93

Freefalling

Dionisis  shared with me that he and his younger brother Giannis were very close. They were so different in looks and personality. Dionisis was studying at Heidelberg University. I liked the fact that I had finished studying Software Engineering and he was studying Medical informatics. I knew it was difficult for him to have two weeks off but I had learnt from his letters that he had had to study constantly. His work ethic was relentless and I felt bad for steering him away. That said, I felt that he needed it. Dionisis was torn. He knew he needed it too. But he'd been studying there for over four years. We shared a common interest of computing but I sensed there was an air of superiority from him in that I think he felt he was more academic than I had been. I knew life in Academia but I knew from having been in a relationship with a PhD student that it is not well paid and the pace of life is very different from mine. That said, he was proud of the fact that he was travelling the world, presenting his papers. I admired his achievements but I had my own. He came from money. I had financed my own studies through sheer bloody mindedness and wilful determination. We just had different ways of approaching our studies and careers.

The following morning we had dropped by the University and I waited outside for him. I knew he was as quick as he could be. I wanted to explore the lab but didn't dare ask. I wanted to see what his University was like, compared with the one I had attended.

After breakfast we visited Gerhard and Reiner, Dionisis' friends. Reiner was tall, dark and bearded. He was quiet and having met him, it would take a lot of drawing him out as I expected that he was  difficult to get to know. That lack of understanding was compounded by my absence of vocabulary but we made up for it with acknowledgment through smiles.

The language issue was difficult as the cross conversations were thick and fast and of course I was the only non-German speaker. When we arrived they gave us biscuits and coffee. We then went to Mannheim in Reiner's car. Reiner had the most amazing car; it had the most unusual layout inside.

Mannheim reminded me of one huge chessboard. I noticed that the cities were badged with the City's coat of arms. Mannheim had a red crowned rampant golden lion on black and was laid out like Edinburgh in its planning. However it was different in that each road and street was numbered. I presumed this followed the likes of New York.

"Do you think that New York stole this idea from Germany or Germany stole it from New York?"

"Well," said Gerhard proudly "America is the New world. I think Germany is older!"

"Look" said Dionisis, 'this is a famous landmark, der Wasserturm". It was a beautiful water tower.

"Hey Dionisis, isn't that like the one in Athens in the old Agora?" I had only just visited it recently.

Dionisis burst out laughing.

It was so tall and imposing, in my favourite style; baroque. It's styling had tritons and mermaids on it. It was just beautiful.

The buildings were set up to have a U shaped style with circular gardens. There were noticeably lots of Greek styled buildings. 

Dionisis explained that "There was a movement which wanted to keep and revive the Greek way of life. " My comment was not so silly then! At the Castle, I went inside to use a bathroom. The toilets were so strange. I hadn't realised but the Germans had meat at the epicentre of their diet (not a pleasant gourmet experience for a vegetarian like me). For that reason the shape of them apparently was designed for analysis of your own poo for worms before you flushed. Yuck! But there were fresh roses and hand moisturiser which was rather luxurious in the basin area.

The castle was all lit up in yellow that evening.

The plan was for us to visit an astronomy lecture.