The town of Hamlin (English spelling), or Hameln (German spelling), very much seems as though it has sprung out of a fairy tale story. In fact, the story of the Pied Piper originated in this town and there is evidence of that all over the place, from bronze rats in the pavement to decorative motifs on the buildings. Once again, it was the people who made this visit so special. Our hosts, who graciously organized a wonderful house concert for us in their home, outdid themselves in showing us (in a very short amount of time) highlights that few ‘tourists’ would have the opportunity to see. Case in point: climbing up the spiral stone bell tower of a thousand year old church, then traversing the bat infested attic and climbing the rest of the way up the steeple to a view that was beyond stunning and breathtaking. Sigh. We must return.