16th October 2005 - Day 13

It's Sunday again!

All shops (except bakeries which are opened in the morning, cafes and restaurants) are closed. So there's really no reason to go shopping.

Alex informed me that there's a Stadtführung Karlsruhe on today at 1400. Since I was free, had nothing to do, and didn't wish to rot in the hostel, I went.

The Treffpunkt for the Stadtführung is at the main entrance of the Karlsruhe Schloss. While waiting there, I saw some procession.

Seriously, I didn't know what this was for. I was just trigger happy.

I then joined the tour. The guide brought us to some garden near the palace but I've never been to. In this garden, there are plants from other parts of the world. Apparently, people in power in those days like to exchange plants with other kingdoms. I saw several palm trees that were in pots. Well, when the weather turns colder, they'll be brought into some greenhouse so that they won't die.

Is that a giant Aloe Vera?

Looks dreamy to me

The one tree with red leaves

More garden behind the building

After the walk in the garden, we went to some museum at Prinz Max Palais where we were shown a model of how Karlsruhe look like in 1834. I couldn't take the whole model. So here's a substitute for the model.

Karlsruhe Town Plan circa 1834

We went on further to Europaplatz, Ettlinger Tor and ended at Marktplatz. I shall leave the boring details out (because I wasn't really listening). On the Marktplaz, I saw this.

The blindfolded Grand Duke of Karlsruhe

There is some awareness week for the visually impaired and so all the statues in the city are blindfolded.

That pretty much concluded what I've done for this Sunday. After the tour, I went back to hostel to cook myself dinner and worry a bit about my losuy German and my coming Referat on Wednesday.

So, time to learn more about Konjunktiv I.