whatever: Oh hay Ben

Ben (my brother) has come to visit me in Heidelberg!

But first an update on some photos before that - I've met up with a few other RISE students (the scholarship that is paying for me to work here in Germany), and it's been nice to get to know/hang out with them.
So, of course, we went to the castle again.

More schlossin':

Various heads on the side of the wall

One of the RISE students from Quebec, Pier-Luc, decided to climb a tree. Why not? It took a few tries, but in the end it was (mostly) successful.

Walking through the Old Town, this store sells liquor from pretty much any kind of fruit.
Including strawberry. YUM. Also Chocolate Chili liquor? Ponder.

My attempted photograph of a firework during the "Castle Burning," which is basically a fireworks show commemorating the castle having been burnt down in the past. YAY BURNING CASTLE LET'S PARTY

A delicious wheat beer and an amazing looking banana split ordered by another RISEr in the old town.

And now... OH HAI BEN

What a champ.
Not that he took the wrong tram to get to my house or anything. w/e, rite?

We took the scenic jaunt up to the Philosophenweg ("Philosopher's Walk), which is a road on the hill overlooking the city through various vineyards/black forest awesomeness.
And apparently some awareness of political issues:

"Heute schon philosophiert?" means "Have you philosophized today?" and the sign behind the creepy statue on a bicycle with a fish hanging from it (again, because why not??) essentially says "Is this how you want your grandchildren to remember you in 1000 years?"

And some cool graffiti:

There's been a lot of cool graffiti around - I'll try to get more pictures.

Maturity abounds.

Yesterday we took the train to Stuttgart, but in the Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof (main train station), there was none other than the Marlboro man to look down upon us:

#hediedoflungcancer#discontinuedintheUS#w/e

Stuttgart! Hoorah.

At the time there was a music festival type thing going on, and this awesome band called "Danny and the Wonderbras," self described as 50s Rock 'n' Roll, played songs by artists including The Beatles, Chuck Berry, and... Uncle Cracker. Remember? Swim through your veins like a fish in the sea? Yes. Much better in a blues 50s rock shuffle style, I'd say.