Wednesday took us on an excursion to nearby Bielefeld. Our main attraction: a castle! A few of us took Switches for the ride, so we easily passed the time with some Smash Bros. Coming in the station, we were met with lovely weather, and we walked through a lively street fair on the way to the castle.
Sparrenburg castle sits on top a high peak, and it’s tower reaches even higher. Needless to say, we got quite the workout. Our tour guide led us around the exterior with details about the fortress’s long history, followed by a dive into the catacombs. Under the castle, we trekked through tunnels and explored several dark stone rooms. After the tour, we climbed the central tower and enjoyed a great view of the surrounding area.
In our few days in Paderborn, I managed to get people excited to try “Spaghetti Ice Cream,” a treat I learned about long ago in my German class. Our local friends helped track down the best ice cream cafe in Bielefeld for us to enjoy it properly. The treat itself is traditionally just vanilla ice cream, pressed into the shape of noodles, with fruit sauce and white chocolate imitating tomato and parmesan. This particular cafe had four whole pages of their menu dedicated to different varieties, and everyone ate well.
