last week my Hospitality Club friend Esther lent me her city bike, nickname: 'the old pickle', and we made the trek, roughly 30km to a small town a little north northeast from kassel called Hann. Münden. renowned for it's Fachwerk Häuser, half-timbered houses, the city was at one point a political center of germany. there's an interesting fella named Doktor Eisenbarth, who a long time ago was a roaming doctor who would set up a tent around the marketplace in different cities and heal the sick, apparently performing self-described miracles. at any rate, he would often visit Hann. Münden and in the end he passed away there. he would stay at an inn called 'zum wilden Mann', translated roughly to 'at the wild man'. restaurants and other businesses and houses didn't have numbers at the time but descriptions. they might have a wreath hanging outside or something and be called 'at the wreath'. in Ulm, matt and i, and the other fellas in 2006, ate at a place called 'zum wilden Mann' and i've often wondered if there was just some looney bearded dude that would always hang out outside and the place just became known as 'at the wild man.' anyway, there's a funny tradition in Hann. Münden, where every saturday during the summer someone dresses up like Doktor Eisenbarth, just like santa claus in the mall during the christmas holiday, and you can go up and tell him what illness you have and supposedly he says 'eureka' or something and you're cured. all doubts aside, it sounds like a fun thing for a little town in which not much else happens. though the old town is amazing to just walk around in. and the bike path along the Fulda river is beautiful and totally separate from the street. just watch out for all the bugs that make their way into your mouth. i'm no longer a vegetarian after all the flies i ate.