Yes, who'd have figured Halle, of all places, would have a museum dedicated to the Fab Four, but they do, and it's quite a place. Three floors of an unassuming former residence on Alter Markt, filled to the brim with every sort of Beatle memorabilia one could imagine, (and many one could NOT). The Beatles vinyl records on the East German Amigo label were my favorite items. They were apparently issued until 1965, when the GDR (DDR) government decided the Fabs were too subversive and had a bad influence on East German youth.
After the Beatles Museum, the "kids" (Avery and his friend Calder, also visiting from Michigan) took all of us to the Handel Museum. Yes, that is Handel of "Handel's Messiah" fame. The museum is in the residence where the great composer and son of Halle lived as a youth. Now it is dedicated to his life and accomplishments, but also has an impressive collection of old string instruments (lutes, violins, violas, etc.) as well as harpsichords and clavinets. It so happens that Calder is an accomplished harpsichord and piano player. He and Avery would often play music together (Calder on keyboard, Avery on violin). Sone of the harpsichords and one clavinet are available for guests to play, so we all had a chance to tinker: Calder played some lovely tunes, Avery played a bit (Calder had taught Avery a little keyboard) and I plunked some ridiculous collection of notes loosely approximating a tune, sounding more like Thelonious Monk drunkenly playing "Louie Louie" on a clavinet. (I love music, but sadly am not a musician).
In the early evening, after some appetizers and a beer at a Greek restaurant called Hermes in which we encountered a slightly salty waiter who eventually warmed up, we met Avery's university friends Adrian and Lucia (pronounced WOOT-see-ya) and had dinner at a place called Le Feu. They are delightful and friendly young people who I hope were at least somewhat entertained by Avery's strange American family.
Our walk through the Halle city cemetery will have to wait for another post.
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