Last time I wrote I was chillin' in a cafe in the middle of Bonn, waiting for Marijke (pictured over <---- there) to get out of class. I walked around for a while more, found a market, bartered for lunch, then met her at the train station. We went to Köln (Cologne) for a while because it was on the way back. Cologne is home to I believe the biggest cathedral in Germany. Its massive beyond belief. We were there for about 30 minutes or so, then went to Dortmund, her hometown. Her uncle was having a birthday party that night, so we went there. It was really fun to be around a German family. They talked to me a lot and were really nice. We went back to her parents house, where they had a bed for me. The next day we met up with Mats, anther exchange student I met in America, and explored Dortmund. They have the largest stadium in Germany for their team BVB 09 (Borussia Dortmund). 89,000 people can fit in it. It was also game day. On the train from her house to the town center, our car was filled with people wearing Schwarz und Gelb (black and yellow). There was one guy in the car with a guitar. He was playing BVB songs, and the entire car was singing with him. I think Dortmund loves there team more than any other city. They ended up in 5th this year, but made a European qualifying spot, and the town was nuts.
That night we ate dinner with her mom and sister and watched some German television and just hung out, like I was part of their family. The next day we explored Düsseldorf for a few hours, then I left. I only spoke German from Friday morning till late Sunday night. I was even thinking in German and... it was weird.
The next weekend was Rothenburg ob der Tauber. One of my favorite places. That picture on the right is from the walls an a park garden thing that sticks our, looking at another part of town. Meghan Mccall, a girl I went to high school with and learned German with is studying this semester in Germany too, so took this trip together. We first got into town and I got us a hotel right on the city square. The whole town within the old walls is great. Its all built to Medieval code, so its looks great. Our hotel even had old huge metal keys for the rooms. Spent the first day just walking around and exploring the town. That night we took the Nightwatchman's Tour. Its a guy who dresses like an old Nightwatchman and gives a great city tour at night. I did the English tour 2 years ago, but we were brave and did it in German. It was still hilarious.
The next day we got some breakfast and ate it on the walls. I found a place to sit with my feet dangling over the walls and just looked over the countryside. We spent the rest of the day also walking around and just looking at the shops. There was a festival of some sort celebrating the anniversary of the Romantic Road that runs through Rothenburg, so the town square was busy. There were guys dressed up in Lederhosen, Roman Guys, Musketeer looking guys, and all kinds of crazy stuff. If there was one part I regret about my lsat trip to Germany it was in Rothenburg. There is a bar called Zur Hölle (to hell). Its the oldest house in Rothenburg. Dad and I found out about it and tried to go, but it was closed. Don't worry Dad, I went there. Great asparagus soup. I felt great after that, because I finally closed the door on the long overdue nagging.
Here is me on the walls on the way out of the city. We finally got back to Marburg and I had time to give Meghan my city tour of Marburg before her train came. That Tuesday we grilled out. We are trying to teach Fritz how a real American BBQ feels like, with lots of people and meat and just fun. Ended up that night with 8 people dragging their bed mattresses to another building to watch Star Wars all night. Basically a huge sleepover like from my childhood. And of course, Joe Canada is rowdy, so he rolled over top of everyone multiple times from the hours of 12 to 4am.
That brings us to this weekend. Munich Part 2. Our bus and hostel was paid for by the University. We were there from Thursday till Sunday. Thursday night was Löwenbräukelller ( Lions Brew... Basement, but implies restaurant.) A 20 min. walk in the rain, but worth it. Friday we had a city tour, then explored and shopped. That night a few of us went with our two guides/helpers/leaders for the program and got to hang out with them. They are students too, so lots of fun. Saturday I decided to spend the day alone. I left about noon by myself and did not speak English for 6 hours. I did give 2 Germans directions to places though, so I must have blended in well. I also found a hunting and fishing museum. That was kinda cool. Then I went to the Agustinerkeller to watch the game. Standing room only, as Bayern Munich played Werder Bremen for the German Cup. Second half I met up with Alex, a guy here, and we went to an Australian themed bar to watch the second half. They won four nill! I had talked with some cops earlier in the day (by my own free will) and discovered there were no pubic viewings, on account of there being a huge church conference in the city and they were using all the parks, but was told if they won, where to find a huge street party. Nice cops.
Alex and I quickly got on the train and went there. We took part in cheers and learned all the chants for about an hour. Hundreds of people were there. Then I got a call, Meghan was in Munich too. So we met here her and a few friends and went out into the city.
I did find out that a 9 hour bus ride kills your soul. For the last 2 hours I moved up by Desa and we were making cloud shapes. That how boring it was. We discovered that they always look like animals. My reasoning... animal crackers, because they kind of look puffy sometimes. Then the sun was too bright and there were not enough clouds to make shapes. After 2 weeks of only clouds in Germany, we were complaining about it being too bright and not enough clouds, and how animal crackers ruin out creativity. The bus was was slowly killing us.
Pictured Meghan, Me, Lauren, and Alejandra.
Oh, and while out in Munich after the game I met a guy who would not believe I was not German. I even showed him my Iowa DL and he thought I did an exchange to Iowa. Thank you loud music for making my German sound good. I also met a guy at the Hofbräuhaus who made thought it was cool, because I now speak German with an accent from Hessen, the state I live in here. We learn high German, but I have a sweet accent to take back home. Meghan, who's German is normal, made fun of me a lot, but I know more German slang and insults and such now, and get along in a normal human conversation just fine. I learned my German on the streets... ish.
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