German Weather...

So. Today is May 31st. At home in Massachusetts it is currently in the 80s and 90s (Fahrenheit people!), sunny, warm, and summery. At home in Germany it is currently 40s and 50s, rainy, windy, and overcast. Hmm... That does not feel like summer to me!

At least the weather is making it easier to enjoy being inside doing homework and blogging... and makes the sunny days THAT MUCH MORE enjoyable :) Like yesterday- when I took an impromptu trip to Strasbourg, France. Because when you live in Europe you can do things like that- just day trip to another country! A post on that will come... after I catch you all up on my fairy tale travel schedule!

Edit:
Today is June first and the Neckar River that bisects Heidelberg is completely flooded! That means A LOT of rain!
Second Edit!  Today is June 2 and I have officially been abroad for 100 days...and only 58 days to go... :(

Prague April 19-21

Dobrý den! Hallo! Salut! Hola! Hej! Yassou! Ok- that last one I had to use google translate for, but these are the ways to say hello in all the countries I have visited so far on my journeys! Pretty cool that none of those are English :) until this upcoming weekend when I will go and visit some family!

Catch up round two:
Dobrý den is the Czech way of saying good day! This was the first of two Czech words that I learned while traveling there. I was lucky enough to have a native Czech free walking tour guide showing me all the famous sites when I first arrived in Prague, and she taught our group how to say hello and thank you (
děkuji) among many other things. I cannot believe that this trip was over a month ago- I cannot get a hold of time these days! On Friday I flew out early in the morning and was ready to explore Prague alone until my good friend arrived that evening. Traveling alone, once an unthinkable demon, has now become somewhat normal for me. Taking the train to Frankfurt airport, figuring out times, schedules, transfers, READING MAPS, etc. is no longer a scary concept. In fact- I have begun to really enjoy the process! Not only that... but I am now quite a boss lightweight packer. I haven't checked a bag SINCE arriving! Anyways- the real point, after that little self pat on the back, is the feeling of exploring a foreign city alone. It is really a completely different feeling. You don't have to make the classic remarks of- 'oh wow look at that! That's the most beautiful (insert famous touristy sight here) that I have ever seen!' or pretend to be interested in seeing a certain sight just because you know it will please your travel buddy(s). You eat when and what you want (which on this fist day in Prague was a GLORIOUS chocolate crepe- more on that a little later), and you can move through the city at your own pace. Not that I would give up traveling with friends or family- but it was a really nice realization to have on that sunny day in Prague.

Main Square in the Old Town

Church in the Old Town

The Charles Bridge

Astronomical Clock!

When I first arrive in a city my first order of affairs is always to find my hostel. When exploring a new city I like to use my hostel as a starting point to the mental map that I will create during my travels there. Orienting yourself to the city with your hostel in mind, I have found, works really well for me and my navigation. The Hostel we stayed at in Prague was an interesting mix. So far it is my second favorite hostel (Behind only the Mezcal in Dresden) because it was spacious, had personal lockers, had a full kitchen and bathroom, and had only three people in a six bedroom suite. The hostel also had a nice view of a quaint church and courtyard! Unfortunately- the hostel was, lets say, not in a well lit area of town and not near the touristy bars and sights.

After finding my hostel and settling in,  I went for a walk towards the main town square. I immediately discovered why Prague is known for its beauty! The main square, filled with two churches, a large open central (naturally cobblestoned) space with a Jan Hus (criticized Church indulgences pre Martin Luther!) statue, and of course the astronomical clock! After taking all of this in I was able to notice all the food vendors set up along the outsides of the square selling traditional czech food. It looked very similar to German food- bread, sausages, beer, and potato salads! But then I saw the marvelous chocolate crepe stand and KNEW I had to get some! Prague was the first place I traveled to that was not on the Euro (their currency is about 25 Koruna for every 1 euro), making prices seem almost meaningless. I ordered a chocolate banana crepe for 65 Koruna (does no one else think that sounds ABSURD?!) and what I received was a glorious masterpiece and a show. The crepe was massive and given to me with one mini napkin and a large paper plate. I took my crepe to the astronomical clock to sit and people watch until the free tour started. Unfortunately, the tables were turned and I was the item of people watching instead of the other way around. I quickly realized, far too late, that one napkin would be far insufficient for tackling the beast I had ordered. The chocolate was melting out of the crepe from all ends, was sticking to the plate, and had covered my hands. All around me globs of chocolate were falling (LUCKILY the only causality of mine was my travel purse!) and people were staring. I had a few people walk by and seemed to mock me in their native languages- casually making a fool of myself in a foreign country. Oh well!

Jewish Clock- moves opposite to our 12 hour clock!

Kafka Statue

View from the Astronomical Clock Tower

The free walking tour began on the hour- right after watching the astronomical clock show. Unlike in Munich, this show was only about 15 seconds long but similarly disappointing. I am not sure what I was expecting from these clocks, but they did not live up to their hypes! The free walking tour was fabulous! I met three other young study abroad travelers like myself, saw all of the major sites, and got some history and fun facts about all of them too :)

On Saturday, after S had arrived, we decided to take over Prague via tower climbing! I am pretty sure we left no high point in the city unclimbed- and it was awesome! We started the day with breakfast at a little bakery. I had my first language barrier issue of my entire time abroad here. I ordered a 'pesto' sandwich (you know- mozzarella, tomato, pesto on delicious bread? Typical European breakfast of champions), but what I received was an 'espresso'. Easy mix up with devastating consequences for a non-coffee drinker. I tried it black, with all the milk she gave me, and all the sugar and it was still totally undrinkable. Fortunately, that was the only failure of the day! We walked through the main square over the Charles bridge and went to Saint Pauls and the Prague Castle (largest one in Europe!). Both were massive and breathtaking- Prague is the first place I have really seen the classic green topped buildings, which was a nice change from the red roofs of Germany. We got lunch at a traditional Czech restaurant to try out the food (very VERY similar to German food) and some hot mulled wine!

There she is!

It is really impossible to photograph massive beautiful structures...

St. Pauls!

After lunch we went to a Dali Exhibit which was pretty cool! It was a lot of his lesser known works, and we were able to pick out some of his recurring muses (long legged elephants, clocks, naked women... the usual). We climbed to the top of the metronome (where both Stalin and Michael Jackson statues had previously stood) hill, Petrin Hill, and the tower near the balcony where communism was officially renounced in the Czech Republic after the velvet revolution in Wenceslas Square. We ended our day at the KGB museum. The KGB museum was a once in a lifetime opportunity for many reasons, mostly because of the man who runs it. He was a very stereotypical Russian who was proud of all the artifacts he had collected over the years. He gave us a private tour of his entire collection complete with dates, stories, and posing for pictures with guns, outfits, and the like. It was definitely not a typical museum outing- which made it was better :)
That evening we met up with my friend S and her friend E for a night out. We ate dinner at an Italian place, then got to see where S lived in Prague! Her apartment was HUGE and in such an awesome location. We then went to a club called MeetFactory. I honestly do not have any words to describe this place other than fabulous, hipster, and artsy. The bottom floor was a dance floor filled with people happily dancing stag. The upstairs rooms (this was a house!) had all different art exhibits, tye dyeing, karaoke (which we nailed!), movies, and the like. The theme of the night was Native American- so upon entering we were given feathers and a club night survival tin filled with goodies like a cigarette, unknown herbs and pills, matches etc. Outside the club was a fire. RIDICULOUS BUT AMAZING. After MeetFactory we went to a bar that was completely underground and had tunnels connecting the rooms. A seriously cool experience.

Quote of my travels

Fred and Ginger dancing buildings

MeetFactory!

On Sunday we spent the entire morning exploring the Jewish Quarter of Prague. We went into all of the synagogues, cemeteries, and memorials. The most different was the synagogue modeled after the Spanish Alhambra- it was gorgeous inside! The most moving was the Pinkas cemetary, where the walls were covered in Holocaust victims names and birth and death dates. Prague is definitely a place I could explore more- it was such a different city with a mix of history, beauty, and a vibrant feel! Until next time!

Spanish Synagoge

:) Bye for now Prague!

German Football

So football (soccer!) is huge in Germany! After experiencing my first viewing I would even say that each game is more popular than even the Superbowl. My roommate, R, invited me to watch the Bayern Munchen-Barcelona home game at the local mensa. A mensa is the same as a dining hall, although it is unfortunately not all you can eat like home at UMASS. It is pay by weight, but the food is pretty good and discounted for students! Anyways, we walked into the mensa and it was PACKED. Not a single seat in the place, and people were already forming standing areas for the game. It was so full that the mensa ran out of beer glasses. Usually this wouldn't be a big deal- all beer in America can be drank equally out of a can, glass bottle, or poured into a stine depending on personal preference. However, in Germany (the land of beer!) this is not the case. Weissbier or beer made from wheat instead of or in addition to barley. Weissbier has its own specific glass and pouring style. The beer must be pouring with the glass and at angle so it does not foam much (typical!). When the bottle has about one quarter of beer left you stop pouring and return both the beer bottle and glass to horizontal. You swirl the beer bottle so that all of the yeast is collected, then finish the pour with a foam cap. Weissbier is easily recognizable by its cloudy appearance from the yeast- so people can tell if you are a pouring novice! When I returned from the bar with no Weissbier glass I was both questioned and stared at- as if I had just done something embarrassing like slipped and fallen! Beer is serious business in Germany.
Anyways- the game starts and the entire room is attentive. Every bad pass, missed attempt, or shot on goal was cheered or booed. Every goal scored was accompanied by woops, standing, cheering, and conversation. I have never seen a spectator sport with such energy before- especially not at a local cafeteria! If I went to a DC on football Sunday it would be a very different scene. Luckily Bayern won 4-0, so moral was up and everyone was happy! I am not sure I would have enjoyed my first soccer experience as much if i had gone the other way!
The other thing that amazed me about the experience- recycling. Germans have got it right. Every beer bottle that night was returned for recycling. At the counter where you bought your beer, you also returned it for a 20 cent refund on your student ID card. At half time people went up to the counter with six or seven beers, and used the refund to pay for their next round! It was incredible how recycling was just a part of their drinking experience. Not only is it much better for the environment, but also for the clean up crew after the game and each students wallet! Having the mensa directly collect the bottles makes it so much more convenient- and if things are convenient then they will happen.

Maulbronne and Wine Tasting

Sunday, after returning home from Munich late the night before, we all got up early to go on the first exchange student excursion! For 20 Euros we got a tour of the best preserved monastery in Germany, an afternoon in 70 degree weather in a bustling town, a castle and crown jewel tour, and a wine tasting.

Maulbronne was in a complex of traditional German homes- the stereotypical old style town. It was glorious to see! It was kind of how I was expecting Heidelberg to look when I first was told about its beauty. The monastery itself was interesting, but I was too tired to pay attention to our tour guide (not to mention it was in German- making it even easier to zone out). The most interesting thing that I remember from the monastery is how cold the insides of the cloister were. Outside was the first beautiful and sunny day I had experienced in Germany, but inside the stone was freezing cold.

After the monastery we stopped in an adorable town just below a mountainside filled with castles. The town had a canal through it, with two water wheels for power! Very sustainable! Since it was a Sunday, the town center was filled with a market and lots of locals shopping and enjoying the sun. Experiencing the atmosphere  of the first tastes of German summer was something I will never forget! People were smiling, laughing, and eating ice cream! Ice cream in Europe: soft serve is more like cool whip! It is not quite as cold, and more soft and milky? I have no idea how to describe it- but when I had it for the first time in COPENHAGEN (coming soon to a blog near this one) it was definitely a shocking surprise. I think I will have to try it again before I can make a judgement call on whether or not it beats the DQ twist in a cone. Another thing they have: spaghetti ice! Five scoops put through a strainer like apparatus to make a gigantic bowl of ice cream in the shape of spaghetti. To complete the bowl they put strawberry sauce (tomato sauce!) on top! I was lucky enough to try some of the others who got it- delicious! After ice cream- we hiked up to the castle :) Not as impressive as Heidelberg- but beautiful nonetheless! A side note on the word beautiful: I have no idea if you are reading this RH but if you are- YOU are the one who taught me how to spell that word in the second grade and I still use your trick! B-E-A-UTIFUL. Funny what little things stick with us years later...

The town had a market AND a fashion show!

Castle on a cliff

After the castle we were taken on a tour of the wine vineyards! I have never seen so many grapes in my life... rows and rows of crucified twigs hanging on wires and wooden sticks! They extended forever. I learned that the soil the grapes are in (aka what minerals and such) has a huge impact on the taste of the wine. We were all allowed to sample six wines, accompanying a large plate of bread and cheese. I unfortunately did not care for any of the wines- but a fun experience anyways! With each glass, the server (as well as our entire group) became a little more tipsy. Each glass was a little bit larger than the last one- and by the last glass he was refilling for a second round! The room got progressively more boisterous and it was hilarious to see everyone transition from tired to drunk and happy. We were all feeling very American at that moment- so in true fashion we finished our entire plate of bread and cheese first. Oops! We cared more for the food than the wine ;)

Like I said- forever!

:)

From the Science Museum to the Hofbrauhaus to Dachau

April 11th-13th I was in Munich with my UMASS friends here in Germany (ironic right- but I swear we all met in Europe!). We arrived and decided to go on our own walking tour of the city. Our hostel was really close to the train station, so once we oriented ourselves we trekked towards the altstadt. On our walk over we stepped into every church we could possibly find! They were all beautiful- each for their own reason. The Catholic ones were decked with trills, gold, carvings, and impressive altars. The Protestant one (the south of Germany is mostly Catholic while the North is more Protestant historically) was a stark contrast. It was white and pink and green while being simple in its clean lines and lack of dare I say 'overdone' beauty.

See the difference?!

WOW!

Yeah that is a dead body

After getting to know the city through walking, we decided to visit the Science museum since the weather was a little bit iffy. All of us were expecting something similar to the Boston Museum of Science with interactive, fun learning. Unfortunately, that was not what we got. Luckily though the langweilig science museum only set us back three euro. We were all tired from walking, so decided to take a dinner break at a local beer hall. The restaurant had very few free seats, so we decided to sit at a bench with two older men. Luckily for us, one of them was a native from Munich who was willing to chat! He suggested what beer we should try and told us what was a traditional Munich dish (which G ordered!). It was really nice to know that we found a place where locals hang out, and got to hear some of his insights into the city. He suggested the beer museum (surprise surprise!), but we unfortunately ran out of time.

Astronomical clock outside the museum

The next day we were determined to see the Glockenspiel! It is the most known tourist attraction in Munich, and may have been the best... some time ago. Even though it was a bit disappointing- still something that needed to be seen! After watching the 15 minute show we went to Nymphenburg Palace! The palace was gorgeous inside and had beautiful gardens surrounding it as well. It was about a 25 minute S-bahn ride outside of the city. S-Bahns are pretty common here in Germany. They are subway trains that are above ground and run on tracks throughout the town. Most smaller cities do not even have underground systems, but Munich did. We got lucky in that Munich has a two day deal- 10 euro for up to five people! That means for our round trip to Nymphenburg and Dachau we each only payed 2 euro... SCORE!

Neu Rathaus

Nymphenburg

The main entry way to the palace rooms

That evening we got Mexican food and some much needed fajitas! It had been a over a month of eating at only German restaurants- so this was a welcome change for all of us! After the fajitas we decided to hit up the Hofbrauhaus. This is the main brewery in Munich, consisting of two floors of beer halls. The downstairs has the gift shop (yeah- a gift shop for a beer hall!) and a long corridor like room filled with family style picnic benches. Walking in there was overwhelming- it was packed, noisy, and cheery. We thought we were going to have to leave since there were no seats, but luckily we found a staircase to a second floor! The second floor had a stage in the front of the beer hall where traditional Bavarian dance and whip music was being performed! The age of the dancers ranged from 12 to 40 and was a mix of men and women. Only young men performed the whip songs. We decided to settle up there for 2 liters of glorious Hofbrauhaus original beer. A group of older German (like OLDER) kept trying to talk to us and staring, so we decided to move back downstairs. We found that it had cleared out a bit and were able to find a seat. We met some friends who invited us to a club close by- all in all an excellent evening!

First drink of the evening!

The next day we walked to the Hof and English gardens- they were gigantic! So big that people were surfing in the river running through the garden- something I did not expect to see while in Germany! Unfortunately we did not have much time to spend there, and will definitely be one of the first places I go back to in munich if I get the chance! Next we took a half hour S-Bahn to Dachau, a concentration camp set just outside of Munich. Almost as if by fate- as soon as we walked through the gate it started to rain. Dachau was very plain, and inside all of the old barracks and prisons had excellent exhibits. It was probably one of the best historical museums I have ever been to- spanning World War 1 to the present day. It was well organized (unlike a lot of European museums- I have noticed they are more into cramming in information rather than making it visually appealing and accessible) and had a mix of fact, personal story, and photographs. It is amazing how much a site like that can move you. The most startling part of it all was just how close residential homes were to the iron gates. 

English Gardens

Work makes you free

After Dachau, we all returned by train to Heidelberg (not without a last minute purchase of a DELICIOUS train station sweet, sugar waffle-YUM!) in order to prepare for our excursion the next day!

Dresden, Bastei, Berlin

This past weekend marked my halfway point through my study abroad journey. Can time slow down now?

Dresden:
6:30am we departed Heidelberg in a very uncomfortable bus filled with grumpy exchange students. We arrived in Dresden in the early afternoon and were able to explore the old town. Dresden was demolished after a series of bombings in 1945, and has since been restored and renovated to its former glory. Dresden was my first interaction with East Germany- and I loved it! It had a beautiful old center, with an opera house (thinking of you A!), many churches, bridges, parks, and museums. During our free time we walked around the town fair- which had a lot of food, shopping, and general German cheeriness.

Frauen Church and Martin Luther

May pole!

L and I rode the Ferris wheel at the fair we stumbled upon :)

We returned to our hostel for a chaotic filling in of rooms. The hostel, Mezcalero, was by far the best I have stayed at! It had a wonderful location on the other side of the bridge from the old town near a lot of nightlife. Not only was the location good, but I ended up in a room with a full living area, kitchen, and my own room with a double bed! WOW! Oh- and did I mention the breakfast (that was included) included crepes? Yeah... definitely the best hostel ever. I was separated from G, K, and J and ended up rooming with some really nice erasmus students! They all only speak German to each other, so it was a really nice opportunity to practice my speaking, and to practice listening to others! They included me in their dinner plans, and we all went out to an Italienisch restaurant after having a glass of wine in the common room together. We planned to all go out together afterwards, but found Dresden night life to be a little bit strange. Instead of seeing bars and clubs, we just saw lots and lots of people drinking together on the streets of Dresden. Apparently no one goes to bars or clubs there... they just hang out on the streets. Knowing we all had to get up early the next day, we got one beer at a bar downtown and then turned in early.
The next day we went to the Alte Meister museum which had a great collection of art. Art museums aren't my personal favorite- but this one was small and not too overwhelming. It also had an attached porcelain museum since porcelain was invented in Dresden! The porcelain was beautiful, white and blue in all diferent shapes and functions. I was hanging out with two girls from Bulgaria, and they asked if I wanted to skip out of the museum a little early to explore the bridges. I am glad I did- seeing Dresden from the other side of the water was breathtaking!

Overlooking the art museum's gardens

Opera!

The bridge!

After Dresden we set off for a completely different scene. We went to Sachsische Schweiz and Bastei. I am not sure that anyone on the trip was expecting what we were about to experience. This place was high elevation forest with hoodoos and a beautiful bridge overlooking the Elbe river. Not only was this place breathtaking, but we also were able to experience a thunderstorm while exploring these rocky hikes. I luckily had my umbrella, but most were soaked but the large raindrops. The storm moved through quickly, and left a beautiful scene of mist that we looked down upon in the valley below us. The day we were there was a national holiday. Apparently, on national holidays Germans use their time off to drink, sing, and hike in the forests- what a magical tradition!

First lookoout

Just dancing on the trail

Bastei

Raindrops kept falling on my head

The Elbe

Climbing things!

Our drunken German friend... this picture took about 15 minutes to take because of all the laughter!

What a beauty! The bridge aint bad either!

The cool kids sit in the back of the bus

And we were off to Berlin!

Berlin: First stop was the wall and East side gallery. I was surprised at how moving seeing all the art was- and standing on the line that divided a city for so long. The art was so international and deep- I was really impressed by the entire experience! For dinner we all ventured onto Oreoburger street (Oranienburger strasse as the Germans say ;) for some wonderful Indian food. I got aloo gobhi, papadams, naan, and a long island iced tea. Fabulous! I also saw my first strippers on the streets- weird.

We both got our passports stamped!

This was not the only TV character they saw in Berlin

INDIAN FOOD

The next day we went on a tour of the old city for the entire morning. Berlin is huge! Even driving from our hostel to the Berlin Dome took about an hour- nuts! The old part of the city is beautiful, even though most told me not to expect much from Berlin's architecture I still found it mystifying. I actually am surprised I am not yet sick of the Baroque European architecture- maybe it is one of those things that will never get old! We saw Humbolt University, the memorial for the burned books, the Holocaust memorials, the Berlin Dome, the construction site (more like demolition site) of the castle, and Museum island. After lunch in the touristy souvenir shop district we took a boat tour from Friedrichsbridge to the Hauptbahnhof and back. It was nice to see Berlin from the waterways- since the city is filled with bridges and water crossings. After the boat tour we went to the Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust museum, and the German Reichstag dome and Bundestag. These three things were probably my favorite individual activities- all so different from the other and rich in history. The Brandenburg Gate is the symbol of Berlin. The Holocaust memorial was a large area devoted to black stone slabs of different height laid out in a grid of uneven ground. Seeing the German government building, and reading about the history of its survival through the division of Berlin, was a once in a lifetime experience.

Holocaust Memorial

Berlin dome!

MARX HIMSELF

From the boat ride

The boat!

Crosses for those who were killed on the wall

Holocaust memorial

Brandenburg!

Reichstag

Pondering while in the dome above the Reichstag

STAR WARS

That evening we went to a local Italian place, but oddly ordered omlettes! It was cheap comfort food at its finest! One of the girls in our group was Turkish, and so was our waiter. At the end of our meal he gave us all a 'present' of a shot of licorice flavored alcohol with coffee beans. Most were unable to contain their disgust- but it was an adorable gesture nonetheless :) We then attempted to go to possibly the coolest club on the face of the planet, but were rejected at the door for having too much and too baggy of clothing on... oh well!
The next day we went  inside the Berliner Dome and onto Museum Island and got to see the Pergamon museum, which houses Mediterranean and Middle Eastern historical artifacts. The museum was layed out such that the artifacts were not in glass cases, but were assembled on the walls- making you feel like you were really in the time period! After that we stumbled upon an open air market- and had a very unfortunate and unsanitary lunch of burgers with a side of hatred from those serving us. We finally had free time in the city of Berlin- which I used to explore on foot what I had been driving through for the past few days. The coolest thing I saw on this solo adventure? Fresh made candy- it was a show with free samples!
On Sunday we visited the Checkpoint Charlie museum, where the American sector of West Berlin met the East Berlin sector, and the continued home. The bus ride was twelve hours long with all the stops and traffic- making us all very grumpy and exhausted upon returning to Heidelberg at 1am (a full circle form our 6:30am departure!

Pergamon fun!

Candy that was about to become leaf shaped!