Oh, the shame

One of the sites to see in Rothenburg is the Crime and Punishment Museum, which has the feel of a 5th grade cut-and-paste poster board science project, and the content of a truly informative seminar or medieval law. My most favorite object was this "shame mask" that a person would have been required to wear publicly, standing in the town square, had he/she acted like a pig.

Speaking of shame . . .



In this photo, captioned "Let's Ride!", I totally look like a competent and proficient bike-rider, I mean look at that form. What this photo doesn't tell you is that 5 seconds into the four and a half hour bike tour around Berlin, I realized that I had not ridden a bike since maybe the 5th grade and I wasn't going to have an instantaneously easy time of not colliding with other bikers and metal poles, nor would I feel at ease riding in the street with cars and buses and crossing busy intersections. For extra fun, the seat was uncomfortable and too low, my gears were messed up, and the bell rang of its own accord at every small protuberance in the road. Cobbled streets, which are quite popular in Europe, evinced a continuous RING. No one would ride next to me -- not sure if it was the weaving, the scary bell ringing, or the sorry's! that put them off. I affectionately nick-named the experience the "4.5 hours of shame" and to this day, Dana will not tell me what she overheard the Australians in our group saying about us. But hey, everyone came out of it alive and satisfied. I also came out with a large bruise on my leg from an unfortunate pole collision and two spectacular, matching thumb blisters from really gripping on to those handlebars.

More favorite photos are posted on Flickr.