Laundry Day

So today I officially ran out of clean clothes and there is no laundromat in Weimar. I went to Müeller's and bought a bottle of dish detergent, came back to my room, filled the sink up with hot water and went to work!! My hands now look like prunes!! I have my clothes hanging up all over the place air drying. Sometimes you do what you gotta do to get by!

In Weimar...

We arrived in Weimar Friday morning and then took a tour of the city. My instructor told us that we would have no internet access here but of course the entire group raised hell so guess what...we got access!!! Some of the group went to Munich for the weekend and some went to Prague. Me, David and Kyle stayed back in Weimar. Today Kyle and I are going SHOPPING...my favorite past time :) I also have to catch up on my journal entries...it is due to Dr. Noll, our program instructor, in a few days...YIKES! I get back to the states June 5 and then begin summer classes on June 10...FUN! I'm looking forward to a relaxing last weekend in Germany...

Last Night in Berlin

Tonight we are packing up and getting ready to move to the next city. Tomorrow we will be traveling to Weimar by train. On Friday we are taking a city tour of Dresden and Saturday and Sunday are free days. My roommate and I have been discussing going to Prague, Czech Republic for the free weekend but we are both exhausted from all the activities!

Long day/ Lots of Walking/ $1 to pee?

Today we literally walked like 10 miles! I miss my 4Runner soooo much! I am sick and tired of walking and taking the train everywhere. Today we went to House of the Wannsee Conference in Potsdam--the site where Hitler and his cabinet met to discuss the ultimate solution--genocide of the Jewish race. It is a very lovely home that has been turned into a museum. Afterwards we ate lunch at good old McDonald's and did a little shopping. I had to go to the bathroom soooo bad the entire time we were shopping so I finally went at the train station on the way home...I had to pay ! EURO!!! I was like OMG $1 to pee??? But it was clean so I paid and used it. Tomorrow is a free day. I am planning to do laundry and pack up my things. On Thursday we will be traveling to Weimar. This weekend coming up is our free weekend. My room mate and I have discussed going to Prague but we're not sure yet...

Historic Berlin & $4 cokes

Today we took a walking tour of historic Berlin. We visited several sites related to Hitler and the Third Reich including the Berlin Wall, the Gastapo headquarters and the bunker where Hitler spent his last days and commited suicide. We also visited the Holocaust memorial site. It was rainy and windy but we still had fun. We ate lunch at The Augustiner. I am so sick and tired of bread, butter, and sausage. They eat sausage every kind of way...baked, boiled, grilled, etc. Also they charge $4 for a coke at a restaurant and give you NO refills. Things in Europe are very expensive!!!

Good Times

Last night the whole group went to the Beer Garden around the corner from our hotel. We had an absolute blast drinking, laughing and having fun! I couldn't ask for a better group of people to travel with :)

Laundry Day

Today was a free day. Most of the group visited the Berlin Zoo but me and Kyle did laundry and went out to eat at this restaraunt called Barbeque II with David. The food was good!! I had rumpsteak, a baked potato and corn on the cob...very American! We asked for ice in our cokes and they gave us one measely piece. I just don't understand how these people drink hot drinks and no iced sweet tea!!!

Ravensbruck

On Saturday we visited the ruins of Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. We got to see the incinerator where the burned the dead bodies. The inhumanity and pure evilness of the situation is absolutely shocking. The concentration camp is less than a few miles outside of the town and I know the townspeople must have smelled the stench of dead bodies decaying and burning in the air.

Missing Home

I miss home!!!! 2 weeks...

Settling into Berlin

Today we took the train to Berlin. When we first arrived at the train station this morning I had a carry on bag and a suitcase. As our train began to take off I realized that I was missing something. I looked out the window and saw my carry on bag (with my lap top inside it) sitting on the bench. I was screaming and banging on the windows but it was too late. Dr. Noll called someone he knew to go pick it up for me and thez did. I won't be able to get my bag back for 2 weeks and I feel like a piece of me is missing. But I will move foreward and enjoy the rest of my vacation. It was a 5 hour trip but it didn't seem that long. David, Meredith, Kyle and I spent the first hour and a half in the bistro car eating lunch and then the rest of the time laughing over the latest issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. Meredith is really funny and I love being around her. Our new hotel is nice and we don't have to share showers at this hotel...YES!!!! Dr. Johnson gave us a short tour of Berlin and then we ate dinner at a pub. Tomorrow we are visiting Ravensbruck Concentration Camp.

Love in Germany

One very beautiful German custom happens every spring. If a guy loves a girl he goes out into the forest, cuts down the tree, attaches a heart with the girl's name written on it and ribbons to the tree and then posts the tree on her house. When you walk around the streets of Germany you will see these "Decrees of Love" everywhere! It is very sweet :)

Lost & Found Eurail Pass...Packing up for Berlin!

Last night we watched a movie about World War I, Germany and the battle at Ramagen Bridge. The battle actually took place in Germany on the Rhine River a few miles down from my hotel. Today we went on a cruise of the Rhine River and got to see what was left of the Ramagen Bridge. The actual bridge fell during the battle but the posts are still up. We cruised to the city of Lindz, the sister city of Marietta, Georgia. They actual have a tribute to Marietta at the city gates! Lindz is a nice, quiet, slow town. We ate lunch, went shopping and watched a man blow glass at a glass making shop. Tonight I was packing up for our trip to Berlin tomorrow and I could not find my Eurail pass. I was so upset. I looked through all of my stuff!!! I looked online to find the cost of a replacement and it was like $200 Euros! I started freaking out because that's like $350 USD. I had made up in my mind that I was going home--that Dr. Noll was going to change my flight to Tomorrow! Seriously. I was so done with Germany. I went back through all my stuff one last time and found it. I was so RELIEVED! Now I am all packed up and looking forward to our trip to Berlin tomorrow. We have a free day on Sunday and Wednesday and I am looking forward to it!! Berlin is one of the biggest cities in the world. Next weekend is our free weekend. My room mate, Kyle, and I have been discussing possible locations...maybe Prague? Hopefully we will get it all figured out tonight!!!! :)

Ivy's Birthday!

Tonight a girl named Ivy in our study abroad group had a birthday. We got all dressed up and went to a lovely dinner. I ordered the rump steak with fried potatoes, garden salad, and garlic bread. It was absolutely delicious! Afterward, David and I took a walk down to Kaiser Grocery Store. I got a fresh chocolate ice cream cone from the stand outside of the grocery store. It was chocolate bliss...creamy and cool! After ice cream we headed back to the hotel and down to the Beer Garden to continue Ivy's birthday celebration. The whole group had a blast singing and joking and laughing. I am really settling into Konigswinter. On Friday we are relocating to Berlin for a week. Week 1: Konigswinter, Week 2: Berlin, Week 3: Weimar. Right now I am planning a trip for our free weekend. It is between Prague or France, whichever is cheapest. I am not looking to spend too much money, I just want to see the sights!

Jaagermeister Shots :)

Last night we went down to the beer garden and met some European college students who are vising Konigswinter for a conference. They were really nice and spoke good English. One of the guys, Jakob, bought me shots. I had my first Jaagermeister shot!!! It went down smooth!! We had a blast!! I' ready for part 2 tonight!!! Today we visited a broadcasting network and a history museum in Bonn...it was pretty boring. I would rather be outdoors hiking! Tonight we are going to dinner for Ivy's birthday. She is a member of the study abroad program. Afterward we are heading to the Beer Garden, downstairs in the hotel basement, to continue the celebration!! I am excited!!! :)

Drachenfel's Haufen (Dragon's Mountain)

Today we hiked up Dragon's Mountain. That is my biggest accomplishment of 2010! It was sooooo steep! My calves and thighs are killing me right now. The hike paid off because the views were GREAT! There is a restaurant on top of the mountain where we had beers and ice cream to celebrate our victory! Pictures: The New Dragon Castle & Old Castle Ruins

Sunday Funday

Today we took a tour of the city of Aachen. It was very beautiful and the food was GREAT! For lunch we bought sausage sandwiches and steak fries from a stand on the street. They have their own special ketchup that is a borderline between ketchup and bbq sauce. We ate ice cream at this little parlor in front of the cathedral and it was absolutely delicious. It was much sweeter and creamier than ice cream from the U.S. Tonight David and I ate dinner at this little restaurant about a half a mile walk up from the hotel. I had spaghetti and David had Duner Durum...its a wrap with lamb, cabbage and peppers. It sounds gross but it is VERY tasty. I ate one for dinner yesterday! Tomorrow we are hiking up the mountain to Dragon Castle. I swear we have been walking like 20 miles a day!! But the exercise is good :)

Misfortune in Bonn/Sunrise in the Basement

Breakfast was fresh baked bread and butter...I am so tired of bread...ugh! We were missing home at lunch time and decided to eat something very familiar--Mcdonald's! We took a tour of the city of Bonn. It is the 19th largest city in Germany and absolutely AMAZING!!! They have great shopping stores and a McDonald's on every corner. I lost my camera...so no photos today :( I didn't even allow my self to get upset, I just found an electronics store and bought another one. I also bought a prepaid phone so I can call home. My cell phone doesn't work over here :( Despite all the minor setbacks, I'm staying positive. Tomorrow morning we are taking a 2 hour drive to Aachen and then touring the city. Hopefully on one of our free days I can take the train back to Bonn and take all those pictures I lost over again! After a long day in Bonn we went to a festival downtown in Konigswinter and then came back to the hotel. David's brother is stationed over here in Germany in the US military and he came by the hotel with his wife and kids! They are sooooo adorable!! After they left we headed down to the basement of the hotel where there is a bar called "The Beer Garden". Our whole group sat around drinking German beer, laughing and having a good time! I hate beer so I had a few fruity drinks. Me and David have been sitting around reflecting about life for the last hour but now my eye lids are getting heavy...time for bed!! 2 days down, 22 to go

Octopus Tentacles in my Salad!!!

One very interesting aspect about German cuisine is that they eat a hot lunch and a cold dinner, whereas Americans usually eat a cold, light lunch and a hot dinner. At dinner tonight they served several assortments of fresh baked bread, different cheeses, stuffed black olives, cold sausages, butter, salads (zucchini and tomato/artichokes and tomato/kraut, seafood) and cold cuts (sandwich meat). The seafood salad had crab and purple octopus tentacles. Needless to say, I didn't eat it!! Now it's 5:14am (11:14pm US) and I still haven't adjusted to the time difference. We have breakfast from 7:45-8:45am and then we are heading to Bonn for a city tour at 9:30am. I am looking forward to taking some great pictures when we get there!

First Day in Germany

The flight to Germany was 9 hours long. I fell asleep about an hour after takeoff and woke up an hour before we landed. The plane we flew on was cramped and the food was gross of course. When we arrived at Frankfurt Airport we got our passports stamped—my first stamp—and then collected our luggage. The taxis were Mercedes and BMWs. Everyone over here drives a nice car. The first town we are staying in is Konigswinter. It is on the outskirts of Bonn. Konigswinter is a small town about an hour outside of Frankfurt. It is a small town that reminds you of that area of Disney World where the “It’s a Small World” ride is. The streets are very narrow and one way. There are little bakeries and private shops everywhere. You won’t find any international food chains (McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s) in Konigswinter, which is a bummer because I am not a big fan of German cuisine. For lunch we ate our hotel. They served this really tasty baked chicken with mashed potatoes, spinach, carrots, salad bar and crepes. Crepes are a very popular dessert here in Germany. When you are walking through the streets you’ll see little carts where you can get a crepe with any type of fruit and also whip cream on top. Crepes are similar to funnel cakes in taste. After a 9 hour flight, 1 hour drive and a long walking tour of Konigswinter I am about to pass out!

Pictures

Walking Tour of Konigswinter...I took all of the wonderful pictures myself!!!

Pictures

Arrival at the Atlanta Airport, Walking Tour of Konigswinter

Less than 24 hours!!

It is 3:48am and my alarm is set for 6:30am...I am NOT sleepy! I will be driving up to Atlanta in the morning 8am, eating lunch at Whole Foods (my favorite place ever) and then heading to the airport. We have to be there by 2 and we will begin boarding the plane at 5. I put my suitcase on the scale and it weights 53lbs...the airport maximum is 50lbs...In the morning I have to take out some stuff that I really don't need...but I feel I need it all. I have magazines, a novel and my iPod for entertainment. But hopefully I will sleep a majority of the grueling 9 hour flight...ugg!! This is really happening....I am going to Germany :)

1 Day!!!

I leave for Germany tomorrow and I am super excited!!!! My suitcase is sooooo heavy; I need to go back throughout and take out the things I don't really need (although I feel that I really need all of it). I am going to have to wear the same clothes for 3 weeks...SUCKS! But everyone else will be doing the same thing (I hope) so it won't really matter anyways. My mother hasn't given me my spending money yet and I'm anxious...hopefully at least $2K...I mean I will be there for 3 weeks. The trip fee includes Breakfast and Lunch Monday-Friday so I am gonna eat alot at lunch time so I don't have to spend too much eating dinner at night. Plus you know we'll be going to pubs and I will be sampling their world famous beers haha! This is gonna be too fun! Well I have laundry to do, final packing, loading up my car and a few errands in town to run today. Tonight is my last night at church...hopefully they don't make a big scene about my trip and make me come up to the front and gift me with a bible...lol! You know how that goes!!

3 DAYS!

I will be leaving Atlanta Airport this Thursday, May 9, 2010 at 6:30pm! We will be landing in Frankfurt, Germany Friday, May 10 at 9am Germany time/2am Eastern time. I am not done packing or writing my 2 6-page research papers. I took 2 English classes during the spring semester that burnt me out and sucked all the juice out of my brain so basically I have writers block right now! I am going to stay up all night tonight and finish those papers. I am going to spend Monday and Tuesday packing and then Wednesday just chillaxing...Thursday morning I'll be driving up to Atlanta!