Tried "hackspeter" - raw ground meat with chopped onions that you spread like jam on bread - it is actually very tasty though you have to be up early to go to the butchers to get it fresh, along with a stop at the bakery for the great buns and breads. After "fruhstuk" we headed over to the Achim Farmer's Market with flowers, produce, eggs, cheese, fresh fish, food stalls - everything you would need for your weekly shopping. I also took a tour through the butchers shop with the vast variety of deli cuts, sausages and meats - smelled spicy and smoky. I guess one of the reasons the cold cuts are so great is the old family recipes and few preservatives as they are constantly made fresh.
Next stop was the City of Bremen and the old town centre. Mercedes just happened to be having a celebration of their 125 anniversary with a display of old vehicles, eats and entertainment. Tried "labskaus" - mashed potatoes with raw ground meat, herring and a pickle topped with a fried egg. It looks like a dog's breakfast but tastes great. I also enjoyed the entertainment, a cajun/bayou english group that I could sing along to. Mercedes has a production plant near Bremen and employs a lot of people in the area.
We headed back onto the square to see the four musicians of Bremen, statue of Roland the Protector, the old Rathaus (name for the mayor/council chambers) and over to the Dom cathedral where protesters were out front and the doors were closed for a service. We headed into "Schnoor" the oldest section of town with narow cobblestone streets lined with shops (including a stop at the Hachez Bremer specialty chocolate shop). We ended up at Schruters, one of the best restaurants in Bremen, early enough to snag a table in the sunny covered courtyard for a cozy and relaxing lunch. It seems wherever we go Janne runs into friends and the restaurant was no exception as her good friend arrived with her family as well...it gives the feeling that wherever you go it is like a friendly small village, as you greet your friends.
Our next point to see was Bottcherstrasse, not quite the spelling but you would need a German keyboard to get it right. It was designed down to every detail in the early 1900's by Hoetger, with renaissance reflections and with niches for artwork. We were treated to the Gockinspiel concert (bells) while a relief panel rotated highlighting conquerers of the ocean (ie. Lindberg and the first flight over).
We headed back to the parkade via the walk of fame with hand prints of famous Bremers - arts, sports, etc.
Next stop was for coffee at the home of friends, Jurgen and Wilma. The couple transformed the 1882 barn along with the farmhouse where Wilma was raised into their lovely home. The kitchen and livingroom is an open, airy design with traces of its previous barn use in the wooded pillars chewed by the cows. From there we drove through the pastoral scenery to Worpswede Backenhoff from Vogeler - home/retreat/gallery of the artist and an area with a vibrant arts community. We stopped long enough in town for a little shopping and I bought a set of prints that depict much of the north rural scenery.
Our drive continued into the moor lands where we stopped at a small museum about peat moss harvesting - killing, hard work for those whose livelihood depended on it. As the sun was setting we drove back to Achim and supper - German beer, wurst and potato salad.
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