Valpo Voyager

Student Stories from Around the World

Category: Germany (page 20 of 26)

Remnants of the ancient settlement on the Bodensee at the “Pfahlbau Museum.”

Catch up blog Part 1 of 2! Hiking to Würmlingen / Bodensee Class Trip

October 11, 2011 / / 0 Comments

As of last Friday, our five-week intensive German course is finished. Now that I’m done studying everything there is to know about German grammar, I finally have some time to catch up on my blogging – but unfortunately not too much, because I’m leaving for Vienna in eight hours!

It’s been awhile since my last post, but I’ll try my best to write a little bit about some of the things I’ve done over the past few weeks! Because of how many things I want to write about (and the fact that it is 5 AM and I haven’t gone to sleep yet) this will have to be part one of two “catch up” entries, but part two will have to wait until I am back from Vienna!

September 18th – Trek to Würmlingen
As I mentioned in my last blog, the five of us Valpo Tübingen students became hopelessly lost in the woods on the way to visit the Brixners – longtime friends and professors of Valparaiso University. As of earlier this year, the Brixners retired from their jobs as professors at the VU Reutlingen program, and they were awarded with honorary doctorates from President Heckler at the graduation commencement in May. They absolutely love Valpo students, and even though they no longer work with them on a daily basis, they invited us to their house for dinner.

Emily and I in the middle of a field. (Dancing to entertain ourselves. We were so bored and lost.)

Mr. and Mrs. Brixner live in a town called Würmlingen – which although only a few minutes by car, is about a 1.5 hour hike through the forest from Tübingen. According to the Brixners, it is tradition that when students are invited to their house for dinner that they hike from Tübingen, along a path that originates near the castle. We were told by many that the path was clearly marked, and that finding our way would be absolutely no problem. In reality, it was anything but clearly marked! We had even read three sets of directions before setting out for Würmlingen.

The church we should have walked past. Zoomed in from a very far distance.

The path began as a concrete road, which turned into a concrete path, which became a gravel path, and eventually a dirt trail through the forest, splitting off into a multitude of unmarked forks every few minutes along the way. We were pretty successful with guessing which fork to take initially, until we made a small mistake. Luckily, we came across a woman hiking through the forest, who directed us back to the right path, and told us which signs to follow. We weren’t that far astray, so five minutes later, and we were back on the right track.

We continued onward for awhile before coming to a point where the trail split into three paths. A sign that read “Würmlingen” hung indecisively and unhelpfully between two of the paths, and after much discussion and some disagreement, we decided to take the path to the right. It was wrong, and added an extra hour and a half to our trip. So rather than visiting a picturesque, well-known chapel on top of a mountain shortly before arriving at the Brixners’ house, we took a much more pastoral route. Instead, we saw horse farms, streams, empty fields, towns, and an unfamiliar train station before realizing that we had arrived in the wrong place.

After walking about 45 minutes along the side of a road connecting the towns, we finally ended up in a neighborhood where sweet Mrs. Brixner was pacing the sidewalks in search of the five lost Americans for whom she had spent the day cooking. It was a little embarrassing, but they were happy to see and feed us nonetheless! After touring their house and garden and being entertained by Mr. Brixner’s stories, we were served the best German meal I’ve ever had – consisting of potato salad, meat, salad, and ice cream cake.

September 28th – Class trip to the lake of Constance
On September 28th our entire Deutsch Kompakt Kurs (German Compact Course) took a trip to the “Bodensee” (Lake of Constance) and the city of “Konstanz.” The Bodensee is one of the largest lakes in Europe, as well as one of southern Germany’s largest sources of drinking water.

Rococo Church Exterior

We began our tour with a stop at a Rococo-style Church close to Konstanz, right next to the water. The exterior, although beautiful, wasn’t particularly “churchy” looking, but the inside was absolutely stunning. Some people don’t like the Rococo style due to the complete sensory-overload decorations that adorn every centimeter of the interior, but I found it fascinating. Absolutely everywhere you could lay eyes upon was in some way decorative. Sitting through a long sermon during a church service there would be no problem – there’s so much to look at!

Complete sensory overload! Rococo church interior

From the Rococo church we hiked along the lake for about 30 minutes until we reached the “Pfahlbau Museum.” Here we learned about the Bronze and Stone Age settlements that were discovered dating back to 850 BC. Because the forest was so extremely thick, an entire village of wooden, thatched-roofed houses was built directly over the water on stilts. Some of the original buildings remain and some are recreations, but it was still very interesting to see and learn about. The tour guide was slightly difficult to understand at times, but I think I took most of the important details away from the experience.

Remnants of the ancient settlement on the Bodensee at the “Pfahlbau Museum.”

The next stop was a tour of Meersburg Castle, which happens to be the oldest currently-inhabited castle in Europe. The lakeside castle was a very important location during the reformation, but it is perhaps better known as the home of German Poetess, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff.

Part of the Castle Exterior

 

Looking out the castle window! Bedroom of the famous German poetess!

We ended our day with a ferry-ride to the city of Konstanz, where we were given the chance to explore the city before joining for dinner at a Turkish restaurant. Some people in the course took advantage of the free time and crossed the border into Switzerland, but I decided to stay in Konstanz and see some of the sights, landmarks, and churches in the city itself.

Yet another giant, old, beautiful, European church! Konstanz.

 

The Bodensee, and flags of the states and countries that border it

That’s all for now! I’m off to bed so I can wake up in a few hours, shove some clothes in a backpack, and be out the door en route to the airport.

Bis dann!

 

Volksfest in Stuttgart

October 3, 2011 / / 0 Comments

So it’s officially October here in Germany. And what does that mean? Oh yeah, Oktoberfest, of course!

Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany is probably the most famous, but there are Bierfests all over the country. After consulting with some German friends, we learned that making the trip to Munich might not be worth it. It was purportedly quite the experience, but very touristy, there’s nowhere left to spend the night, and everything is really expensive.

Instead, everyone suggested that we make a point to go to the Cannstatter Volksfest – Stuttgart’s version of “Oktoberfest” and the second largest Bierfest in the world.  They told us that there weren’t very many tourists, and it was probably the most authentic experience we could have.

On Saturday we decided to take the train into Stuttgart do a little shopping and then meet up with some other people from our German course at the fairgrounds.

We ate lunch at a café that serves traditional schwabisch food, just to complete the experience. Unfortunately we had terrible service.  Because customers here are expected to tip much less, there isn’t as much pressure for “service with a smile.”

Eventually we made our way to the Cannstatter Wasen – the grounds where the Volksfest is held. It was huge! There were rides and tents and food and toys and games and anything else you could dream of!

Canstatter Wasen

American Burgers! - "The Giant Hamburger"

Las Vegas!

Behind all the typical “carnival rides” they had giant beer tents that seat thousands of people. But these aren’t just like temporary cheap-o tents. These are like hardcore buildings they take up and down every year. And everything inside is done up to nines. It was surreal!

Dinkel Acker

 

The tent we were in

At first we had some difficulties meeting up with our friends from the course because it was so huge! We tried calling and texting but the German cell phone network kept crashing. That’s how many people there were at this Bierfest. The cell phones didn’t work. How crazy is that!?

Eventually we met up and sat with a bunch of German students. Because the Germans are pretty serious about their Bier consumption, they were pretty friendly.

Inside the tent

Panorama

We turned out to be one of the main attractions of the evening, with all the Germans taking turns teaching us all the traditional drinking songs. They showed us how to stand up and dance on the tables, as well as how to “properly” hold a Maß (1 Liter) of Bier.

The whole festival really reminded me of the smaller Galas or Fairs held in America around the Fourth of July. It was really an experience and I met some more German friends in the process!

 

 

Click! Here I come!

September 29, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Lichtenstein

Last weekend was the weekend of palaces, castles, and fortresses for me. It’s been one of my favorite parts of traveling so far, being able to see all the cool sights and beautiful nature of Germany. On Friday, our class ended at noon, so we decided to spend the afternoon at Lichtenstein Castle, only a short bus ride and a steep hike away. Lichtenstein Castle, not country. And in no way related to Heath Ledger as Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein. Sadly. But the hike was incredibly beautiful, like walking through a Tolkein novel, with moss-covered rocks and castle ruins on the way up. The castle itself was also beautiful. It was built only a few hundred years ago, and was based on the description of a castle in a book. Even though it was fairly small, it still held all the awesomeness of a castle. Really, they’re pretty dang cool.

When we got back to Reutlingen that night, I decided that I really wanted to go somewhere over the weekend, because we have German Rail passes that expire next week. Since it was the night before I needed a hostel, reservations were hard to find online, and I tried several cities before finding one that would work. The first one I found was in Würzburg, a town in northern Bavaria, so without really knowing what the town had to offer, I decided to go for it! And then after reading about the town and being there, I’ve decided that randomly picking a city on a hostel website can turn out to be an amazing weekend. Even if you do have to go by yourself because the rest of your group is lazy.

Residenz

After wandering the city for a bit, I headed to the Würzburg Residenz, the palace constructed for two prince-bishops and finished in the early 18th century. The largest fresco in the world is located there, and actually is pretty funny. It depicts the four “continents” of the world, with Europe as the most modernized, and the Americas as this backwards place. Each nation had its own symbolic creature, and I found it amusing that the American scene depicted a native American woman riding an alligator. Pretty interesting stuff right there. But it was also a beautiful palace inside and out. It even had the typical palace mirror room, a room made entirely of mirrors with paint and embellishings on them.

I also hiked up a hill covered in vineyards for wine to the old Fortress Marienberg. I didn’t take a tour, so I didn’t get inside the buildings of the fortress, but even being on the grounds and in the courtyards was impressive. It gave a full view over the river Main and the downtown area of Würzburg. I also got to see the outsides of beautiful churches downtown and relax on a really old bridge over the river that had huge statues of religious figures.

The old bridge, the Main river, and Fortress Marienberg

By then it was getting dark, so I tried to find my hostel. Try being a key word. The map online definitely led me to the middle of a park. Across the river from where the hostel is. I have no idea how that one worked out. But eventually I got directions and made it safe and sound. And the benefit of traveling alone kicked in when I met another American study abroad student, because we felt a little safer walking around town and comparing our experiences so far and drinking wine with at least a hundred others on the old bridge. I think that’s one of the best parts really, getting to meet people from all over the world, or who are studying all over the world (this girl was in Luxembourg).

The next day I headed out to stop at Dachau to see the concentration camp before getting into Reutlingen. But since that didn’t have the same exciting emotions as the rest of my weekend, I’ll save it for another post. Moral of this story: travel wherever chance takes you, because you’ll never know what and who you’re missing out on if you don’t!

My Wohnheim

Adventures Walking Back to Neuhaldenstraße

September 27, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Getting home at night is always an adventure. For example, I usually end up stranded in a neighboring village, being followed by a creepy bum or getting rained on halfway through my journey. My luck with the whole process is just really subpar.

Why I expected today to be any different is beyond me.

The day started off decently enough. I woke up early to visit a German high school, but it turned out that our teacher had mixed up the dates. So it was back to regular old class for us.

Our school day ended with a few presentations done by members from the class, the last of which was a presentation from Zach and his group on the topic of German wine.

As luck would have it, another obnoxious American spilled wine all over the front of my shirt. I should have taken that as a sign.

My Wohnheim

After class I headed back to “Neuhaldenstrasse” (not Neuhalde) to finish some things and change my clothes.

About three blocks from my Wohnheim the obligatorily stressful part of my journey reared its ugly head. Right as I turned the corner an old woman collapsed in front of me.

Really? Why do these things always happen to me!?

I ran to her and helped her regain her bearings a bit. Another student behind me rushed to her other side. Together we helped her turn around and sit on the half wall she had collided with on her way down.

Suddenly, Germans started coming from everywhere! Everyone was so willing to help! Even though the Germans generally keep to themselves, they jumped right in when they were needed.

Soon, a middle-aged woman took control of the situation and sent everyone except the other student and me away. It became clear that the woman had nicked up her arm pretty badly. She started bleeding onto her sandals and onto the sidewalk.

After a short debate, the three of us decided that an ambulance wasn’t necessary, but that we would take her home to call her general practice physician. I wasn’t entirely comfortable with this decision, but being an exchange student I didn’t exactly have much say in it. I was in a state of shock about what had just happened, and wasn’t quite equipped with the vocabulary I needed to argue this point with them.

We got her to her feet and eventually had her explain the directions to her home a couple blocks away.

Once there we worked on cleaning up her arm and trying to get ahold of a family member. She mentioned that the only person looking after her was her daughter, and we eventually got her to tell us her daughter’s number. Despite a couple of tries, the number never went through.

The older woman began to get annoyed that we were encouraging her to sit down and wanted us to leave. However, none of us thought it was a good idea to leave her alone.

We couldn’t find the number for her family doctor, and sat for a while considering what options we had left. Soon enough, the woman in charge noticed a church bulletin on a coffee table. She must have been familiar with the church because she immediately formulated a plan.

She began speaking really quickly (in schwabisch- the regional dialect) and began relaying directions to the other student and me. Although I didn’t quite pick up everything she said, I got the gist that she wanted us to get the older woman to sit down while the middle-aged woman ran to get information from the church.

After about an hour of this whole situation, the middle-aged woman figured it would be okay if the other student and I left. She was able to get in contact with some family or friends that would check in often.

On my way back to my Wohnheim I found my arms covered in blood and dirt, my pulse still a little high and maybe just a little bit proud that I had navigated this entire situation in German.

Looking back now on the whole situation, I’m reminded of the good in people. No one had to stay with her, they could have simply called the police and left. But instead this middle-aged woman decided to spend her entire afternoon helping this other woman find help.

But I’m also reminded of why I want to go into medicine. There is just something about the feeling of knowing you made a difference in someone’s life, even if that difference is simply asking if someone is okay, holding their hand, and walking them home.

 

Language Retreat! A Week in Blaubeuren

September 24, 2011 / / 0 Comments

First of all, sorry for not having posted anything in an extremely long time! Our German course here is really starting to pick up, and lately we’ve had more tests, projects, presentations, and homework than we’ve known what to do with. Other than all of the work (which is really helping our German skills very much), the course itself has been very enjoyable.

 

The best part so far, in my opinion, was definitely last week. On Sunday, September 11th we departed for a weeklong “language retreat” of sorts in Blaubeuren, a small town in the Alb mountains about an hour away from Tübingen. The University of Tübingen has conference/retreat center in Blaubeuren, where we were housed in single, double, and triple rooms. Our accommodations were comparable to a pretty nice hotel, and the food they served us was amazing – absolutely no comparison to the cheap groceries we have become accustomed to here in Tübingen. Because I am gluten intolerant, they would even cook me special meals and place them out on the buffet line with a little sign that said ,,Glutenfrei” (Gluten Free.) Our classes and tutorial sessions continued as normal with the exception of a three-hour midday break, which we often used to explore as much of the city as we could before running back. Although the workload didn’t decrease, we still all found time to be social and expand a little bit beyond our regular friend groups that have formed over the past few weeks. In Tübingen we typically only spend time with the other students in our class, but I really enjoyed having more opportunities to branch out and meet some people from the other two classes.

 

A view of the "Heinrich Fabri Institut" where we spent a week in Blaubeuren. (The three tan buildings in the back are where we stayed and took classes.)

 

Anyway, the city of Blaubeuren is named after its most famous landmark, known as the “Blautopf,” which translates literally to “Blue Pot” (or “Blue Bowl”.) The picturesque Blautopf is a crystal-blue spring that feeds the Blau River, which eventually flows into the Danube in nearby Ulm. The vibrant blue color is the result of a high concentration of limestone, and it reminded me instantly of the bright-blue Caribbean water on the beach in Cozumel. The spring itself is approximately 70 feet deep, and serves as the entrance to an extensive underground cave system. Unfortunately, these caves have only been explored a handful of times by experienced scuba divers. There have been a number of fatalities and accidents while exploring, so permission to scuba dive in the Blautopf is seldom granted.

 

The crystal-blue Blautopf

The picturesque Blautopf and Mill

 

The surrounding landscape is not only beautiful, but historically significant as well. In addition to the underwater caves, there are also many caves in the surrounding mountains where ancient artifacts have been found. Among the most notable of these artifacts are the oldest piece of artwork ever discovered (a small sculpture called, “Lion Man,”) and the world’s oldest known musical instrument, both of which date back approximately 40,000 years ago. These and many other artifacts are housed in Blaubeuren’s “Urgeschichtliches Museum” (Pre-history Museum) – a small but interesting museum full of exhibits about the caves and the ancient neanderthals who inhabited them.

 

The world's oldest known piece of art. The Löwenmensch. (Lion Man)

 

Another one of our day excursions was a hike to the ruins of an old castle in the mountains that overlook the small, pastoral town of Blaubeuren. After a couple hours of hiking we finally reached the tiny castle, and the view was breathtaking. It vaguely reminded me of climbing to the top of Yosemite falls in California and looking out over Yosemite Valley, however, the Alb Mountains are not nearly as high.

 

A view of the Ruins

"Inside" the Castle Ruins

The Castle (to the right on top of the rocky cliffs)

 

The next day we all took the train to nearby Ulm, where there was also no shortage of picturesque views. Ulm is a small city of 105,000 that is famous for the church located in  its city center. Construction on the “Ulmer Münster” (The Minster of Ulm) began in 1377, and it became the world’s tallest church tower upon completion in the late 1800’s, a record it still holds today. It was constructed in the gothic style of architecture, so gargoyles and flying buttresses are in no short supply. Many of us took advantage of the opportunity to climb the hundreds of stairs to the top of the tower where there is a very small observation deck. So small, actually, that we were stuck for about 25 minutes at the top because the influx of tourists caused a traffic jam in the narrow spiral staircase. Afterwards, we crossed the river into Bavaria where we ate dinner at a nice Biergarten before taking the train back for the night.

 

The Ulmer Münster

 

A closeup view of the Flying Buttress architecture

 

Minster Interior

 

Looking up towards the staircase column and observation deck

Traffic Jam! Rachel and Jake stuck in the staircase waiting to get to the Observation Deck

View from the tower. Ulm (Baden-Württemberg) and New Ulm (Bavaria) separated by the Danube River

 

Our last night in Blaubeuren was concluded by a visit to an “Internatschule” (Boarding School). The school is attended by students from 9th to 13th grade, and is housed in a Monastery that was founded in 1085 by Catholic monks. The Monastery is yet another truly historical landmark in Blaubeuren, and became protestant during the height of the Reformation. The architecture was absolutely stunning – I was really jealous of the students who get to live and go to school there!

 

A view of the Monastery

The Blautopf with the Monastery in the background

So after we had made our way through the touristy part of the monastery and into the boarding school, we were welcomed by the students into their bar. That’s right – their school has a bar. We were explained that the “Internatsbar” is somewhat of an experiment, for the purpose of teaching kids how to responsibly enjoy alcohol at a young age. The more I thought about it, the more I actually really liked the idea. There was no hard liquor – only beer, wine, champagne, and soda, and it is only open on Thursdays until 11:00 PM. In Germany, the drinking age for beer, wine, and champagne is 16, while the age limit for hard liquor is 18, so the younger students are of course not allowed to have alcohol. This was a pretty stark contrast to America, where “Alcohol” is a forbidden swearword in public schools, not to be uttered by a single underage soul. I think our high drinking age presents many problems, in particular, the fact that many people don’t know how to responsibly enjoy it once they are old enough because alcohol is such a taboo subject in America. I have no idea how well the experiment is working for them, but I think it’s a very interesting concept at any rate.

 

We spent a couple hours visiting with the students, and had a lot of interesting conversations. Some were more interested than others to meet the “international college students from Tübingen,” but the questions they asked us about our home countries were interesting, and good conversation starters. We, in turn, got to learn about their experiences living at a boarding school away from home, which was also very interesting. A few lucky members of our group were even offered tours of the students’ living quarters.

 

I think that pretty much sums up last week! I have a couple more things I’d like to blog about, which I’m hoping I can get to on Tuesday night. On Monday I have another big grammar test, and on Tuesday I have to give a presentation (by memory) about German Wine. I guess I know what I’ll spend all of tomorrow doing! On Wednesday we are taking a class trip to the Bodensee (“The Lake of Constance”) in the south between Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

 

Today, Hannah, Rachel, Emily, Jake and I walked to the home of the Brixners, longtime friends of VU and former professors for the VU Reutlingen program. There we were very hospitably served with one of the best dinners I have had in a long time. My next blog will be about our experiences there, and our 3.5 hour walk through the woods. Needless to say we got hopelessly lost.

 

That’s all for now!

 

Bis dann!

Cologne and Heidelberg

September 24, 2011 / / 0 Comments

So after our completely amazing Berlin trip, we had to decide where to go that could compare in the least to our last few days. We decided on Cologne (Köln, in German) because of its incredibly massive cathedral. And indeed, the first thing we see as we step out of the train station was this incredibly massive cathedral. That doesn’t even begin to describe the monstrously huge intricate structure blotting out the skyline. It was absolutely beautiful, but the first reaction was naturally “oh my freaking gosh that is so freaking big.” Or something along those lines.

IT'S SO BIG

But since it was already night by the time we got to Köln, we couldn’t go inside until the next day. And we put it off until we had visited other sights the city had to offer. Like the Lindt chocolate museum. With its free chocolate tasting along the way. And chocolate cake and hot chocolate afterwards in the Lindt chocolate cafe. And more chocolate. And an insane chocolate overload afterwards. Totally worth it, though. So to work off our body’s protestations, we wandered around the Stadtmitte for a bit and found a wooden handiwork shop, which had intricate cuckoo clocks and wooden figurines covering the walls. It really was a typical German shop, and I was fascinated by the craftsmanship that went into everything.

Inside the Cathedral

 

THEN we finally got into the cathedral. It was so enormous, and so marvelous. Did I mention enormous? And beautiful. Words really can’t describe how amazing it was, so you’ll just have to check out all my pictures on Picasa (link: picasaweb.google.com). But you can see a few here. And once we had wandered the main part, we climbed way, way too many stairs to one of the two tallest towers to check out the view, and to see again just how enormous the cathedral is. The view really was amazing once we caught our breath, especially since it overlooks the Rhine river.

After making our way downstairs again, we split up to explore on our own. I decided to first check out the Roman-German museum (since Romans occupied most of Germany way back when). Although it didn’t actually give me much history, it did give me a chance to see tons of artifacts from olden days, many from 1st to 3rd century A.D., as well as some older pieces. After steeping myself in history, I went to the Rhine river to sit on the bank and relax for a while. A few minutes later a guy came to sit with me, and we ended up talking in German (brokenly on my part) for a good half hour or 45 minutes. And of everything in Köln, this was one that will stay with me the most, sitting on the banks of a beautiful river practicing my German skills. (German language classes should consider this method, it’s very effective). And that night for dinner we found a restaurant on the edge of the river from which to admire the view.

 

Heidelburg Castle

 

Matt on top of a vat of wine. Believe me now that it's the biggest one in the world?

The next morning we set off for Heidelberg on our way to Reutlingen. I had actually seen this town before when I visited Germany with my family 3 years ago. But seeing it again brought new experiences, naturally. I was still impressed with the famous bridge across the Rhine, and with the outside views of the castle of Heidelberg. However, the inside of the castle was disappointing, because you could only go into the courtyard, and there wasn’t much to see from there. Except, of course, the largest vat of wine in the world. But Heidelberg as a town is still worth the trip, because it is just absolutely beautiful, in the typical German old-town beauty.

That’s it for our Berlin trip! But right now I’m touring Würzburg, a town in northern Bavaria, so be sure to keep up with the blog in the next few days to hear about more of my travels! Bis dann!

 

 

The Coolest City in the World

September 19, 2011 / / 0 Comments

The title might be a misnomer. I obviously haven’t visited every city in the world. But I’ve traveled a lot, and by far the coolest one I’ve seen is Berlin. The Reutlingen program brought us to Berlin for a “class” trip for 5 days, and during that time we were able to explore Berlin and learn about all of its crazy and important history and its culture. And even though we didn’t have class per say, just being in that city and touring around and talking to people was so much more informative than sitting in a classroom. So here I’m gonna outline a bit of what we did while there.

We arrived in the late afternoon on Friday, and were set free to explore on our own til the following morning. First order of business after a long train ride was dinner, so we wandered around until we found a typical German restaurant that looked good. Turns out we made the best decision of the day right there, their crispy baked half duck and apfelstrudel was AMAZING. And even despite all the restaurants in Berlin, it was so good that we had to return later that week.

Brandenburg Gate

Wall museum and remnants of the wall

The next morning we met up with Professor Malchow to take a guided tour of the city. During the extremely interesting  tour, we got to see the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag (the German Parliament building), parts of the old Berlin wall, Checkpoint Charlie, and the square where the famous photos of Hitler speaking to gathered ranks of Nazis were taken, among many many other places. The tour guide also taught us about the deep history of Berlin, from the Hohenzollern dynasty to Nazi dominance and through the end of the Cold War. It was amazing to see all the places where some of the most well-known history actually happened. That night, a few of us decided it would be really cool to go see an opera or a classical concert or something of the sort, so we found that the famous Deutsche Oper (German Opera) was putting on Das Rheingold that night. Which I had seen as part  of my German 351 class a year ago broadcasted live from Chicago. But seeing it in person (and in Germany!) was so much cooler.

One of the palaces from the bottom of their terraced garden (!)

The next day we took a day (well, afternoon) trip to Potsdam, about a half hour train ride from Berlin. We had heard there was a pretty cool palace there from Frederick the Great called Sansoucci. Pretty cool doesn’t even begin to describe it. We spent about four hours there that afternoon, and didn’t even go inside any of the three gorgeous palaces on the grounds. In my opinion, the gardens themselves are the best part about it. We literally spent all four hours exploring the grounds, and never got bored or ran out of things to explore. It truly was beautiful and amazing (and I took so so so many pictures–you can see them on my Picasa account). In fact, before we left the last day we decided to spend another few hours there.

The next day (Monday) we decided we should actually go inside a few of the sights and museums in the old Eastern part of Berlin, where most of the history is. So we headed to the Berliner Dom (Cathedral), and it was incredibly beautiful. And when we climbed countless steps to reach the top balcony on the outside, we were able to see a lot of the city and overlooked the courtyard where the famous Nazi demonstrations/gatherings were held. Once we finished there, we found some of Berlin’s specialty food, currywurst, which is spicy sausage with sauce served with a roll. It definitely lived up to its expectation. After nourishment, we were on a roll (pun not intended), so we headed to the Reichstag to see if we could get in. Of course they need a reservation 3 days in advance, so we couldn’t.. But we chilled on the vast lawn in front of it for a while. And got a brochure that told us everything we’d need to know about Germany’s Parliament. And on our way back to the hotel we passed by the Prussian Victory Pillar and decided to have a look. Once we finally made it to the top, the view over the big park that surrounded it was amazing. And on our way up we got to see the histories of many important buildings worldwide.

Inside the Berliner Dom

The square that the famous pictures of Nazis always are in. Hitler spoke from the steps on the right.

Our last full day there we visited Checkpoint Charlie as part of our “official” program. It’s really touristy, and not actually as important in the grand scheme of things as America makes it out to be (after all it is the famous American checkpoint, and we’ve got to keep our American pride!) But parts of it still were interesting, and we learned a lot of the history of the wall. I was then going to explore the German History Museum, which is supposedly one of the best museums to visit, but decided a nap was more necessary.. So instead we hit up the Hard Rock Cafe in Berlin after a few hours relaxation. And guess what?? They actually serve free tap water if you want it! Nowhere else in Germany does! It was a little taste of home in a huge foreign city.

Checkpoint Charlie!

Since it was our last night there, a few of us grabbed some drinks and went to sit in a market square to listen to street musicians playing and watch fire twirlers twirling. And nothing made it better than seeing the beautiful architecture lit up at night on the side of the Spree river, along with the culture all around us. Despite us not taking part in Berlin’s great nightlife like we did almost every other night, it was a great relaxing way to have one last hoo-rah in the cultural center and mix of Germanic outdoor eating and relaxation with deep history and with a big city, the great mix that makes Berlin the coolest city in the world.

Like I mentioned earlier, after seeing Potsdam again, we headed away from Berlin the next day (much to everyone’s sadness. The theme of our lives right now is that we still want to be in Berlin). But to hear about our next two days of adventure before making it back to Reutlingen you will have to wait til the next post! Bis dann!

"Stay on Red. Be a role model for children."

“The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” of Germany

September 11, 2011 / / 1 Comment

As compared to Americans, Germans live very different lives. After being here for a little over a month, there are many things about the German culture that I have come to love! There is so much here that us Americans can learn from. But there are also things that I find ridiculous here in Germany. So without further adieu, here is my list of the good, the bad and the ugly of Germany.

The Good:

Solar Panel Screen in my dorm

Solar Power: Alternative energy is huge here in Germany. Almost every other house here in Tuebingen has solar panels, and my entire dorm building is solar powered! In the entranceway to my dorm there is a big screen that tells how much energy the panels have collected today. Motion detectors control all the lights in the building so no energy is wasted by keeping the lights on all the time. It’s a great concept that America could learn so much from!

Pfand Symbol

Pfand Symbol

Pfand: When you buy a bottle of water or soda here in Germany, they charge you a little bit extra for what they call “Pfand.” It loosely translates to “collateral” or “security (deposit).” But after you finish your drink, you simply take the empty bottle back to vending machines located in every supermarket and you get your “Pfand” back! Not only does it encourage people to recycle because they want the “Pfand” from the bottle, but it also is a great way for students to buy snacks! We save up all our “Pfand Flaschen” (bottles you can get money back for) and then go and buy chocolate with the money we get back.

Responsibility with alcohol: In the United States, most people are very sensitive about alcohol. Children are shielded from it and taught in school about how dangerous it is. Of course there is truth in those warnings, but in general there is a very “taboo” sense around drinking. Here in Germany they are completely open about it. There are kids who are 14 or 16 years old having a beer in a Biergarten and nobody thinks twice about it! However, because there is more of a loose atmosphere around drinking, Germans handle alcohol more responsibly. (Of course this is only my opinion and many might disagree.) When I have gone out to parties or bars here in Tuebingen, the majority of people drink simply to have a good time, not to overindulge or for the purpose of “getting drunk.” (See Stephanie’s post about alcohol in Germany here.)

Bus in Tuebingen

Public Transportation: The bus and train systems here in Germany are phenomenal. Although they can get a little pricey, you can take a bus or train to almost anywhere in the country. Even little towns in the countryside are connected to bigger cities by rail, and if not, there’s for sure a bus that will take you to a city where you can find a train. In America our public transportation is very scattered and not as comprehensive. Even here in Tuebingen (a midsized city but hardly a major hub) the bus system runs all the time and would rival that of American cities 3 or 4 times its size.

The Bad:

Crosswalks: Here in Germany the little light that tells you whether or not pedestrians can cross at an intersection is held in such high esteem that every German will always, ALWAYS obey what it says. It could be the middle of the night on a one-way street with no cars in sight. But people will wait. And wait. And wait. And wait until the pedestrian light turns green. It drives me nuts! To top it off they even try to guilt you with signs that translate to “Be an example. Stay on red, go on green,” and “Don’t walk on red. Be a role model for children.” God forbid you ever see that there are no cars, buses or bikes in sight and cross the street on red! Then you’ll have people yelling at you left and right! Okay Germans, I get that you want to keep everyone safe, but I don’t need a little light to tell me what I can see with my own two eyes.

"Be an example. Stay on Red, Go on Green"

"Stay on Red. Be a role model for children."

Bureaucracy: A stereotype of the German people is that they are very orderly. They take this organization to the extreme with their paperwork. There is a form to fill out for EVERYTHING here in Germany. You want a student ID? Here are 4 different packets to fill out. You want to eat in the cafeteria? Another form. You want a pre-paid cell phone (it doesn’t even come with a contract!) and you must also fill out form after form after form. This bureaucracy culminated in a process called “Immatrikulation” (matriculating = enrolling in the University). This huge process took days to prepare for – and that was with help from the International office here in Tuebingen. I’m so sick of paperwork right now; I can’t even begin to explain my frustration.

Powdered Soap/Paying for Bathrooms: Who knew there was such a thing?! Powdered soap? In the cafeteria, on the train and in other public places powdered soap is everywhere. Not only is it disgusting in theory, but also in its application. I feel like I’m washing my hands with sand, and at the end they still don’t feel clean. The Germans really need to use liquid soap across the board. I mean, is it really THAT much more expensive? Also, I pretty much believe that you shouldn’t have to pay to perform natural bodily functions like breathing or going to the bathroom. But no, you have to go to the bathroom in the train station? That’ll be 1 Euro. In a tourist district? 1.50 Euro.

The Ugly:

Body Odor: In America I’d never really notice many people that didn’t bathe regularly. With the exceptions being a men’s locker room or a middle school hallway, most people at home have the whole personal hygiene thing down. But here? Probably about a dozen times a day you’ll get a whiff of rank body odor. Walking down the street, on the train, in an elevator, standing in line at the supermarket. It’s everywhere. I am looking forward to winter simply because there won’t be as much B.O. floating around.

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I hope that none of that came across as particularly bitter, but there are some things that begin to wear on your nerves when you’re in a foreign country.

This next week I’ll be on a retreat for my intensive German class, so I won’t be able to update this blog or my twitter until next weekend. Until then, all the best!

Tschüß!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from the Castle Park where we spent many of our "Summer" days.

The end of “Summer”

September 11, 2011 / / 0 Comments

With the beginning of the “Deutsch Kompakt Kurs” this Monday came the end of my two-week summer vacation in Germany. After the hardest semester of my life this spring and an exhausting summer full of hard work and preparation for my year abroad, it was really nice to have a few weeks to myself to relax and settle in to my new “home” in Tübingen. Yes, indeed, my few short days of summer are over.

View from the Castle Park where we spent many of our "Summer" days.

The week began pretty slow, with some bureaucratic paperwork, a placement test, and a dinner for everyone in the course to get to know each other. Then on Wednesday at 9:00 AM sharp, we all hit the ground running at our first day of German Grammar bootcamp. The class Jake and I were placed into can be relatively difficult (in my opinion,) as well as slightly intimidating at times. One of our classmates is a Norwegian with a bachelors degree in German, who as you could imagine, speaks nearly flawlessly. Another one is a Swedish girl who grew up in Switzerland speaking German her whole life. Us Americans in the course are not quite there yet…

Rachel and I climbing the steps up to the castle!

Luckily, everyone in the course is extremely nice and friendly. The atmosphere is very comfortable, so nobody feels shy to speak up in class – we’re all of the understanding that as a bunch of foreigners here to learn German, we will all inherently make lots of mistakes. Sometimes it seems strange to speak German when the five of us Valpo students are together, or when we are with other Americans. It is much easier, however, to speak it with Koreans, Swedes, Belgians, Russians, and Brazilians, for example. (All you have to do is pretend they don’t speak English… Which they all do.) All in all, I’ve gotten to know a lot of very interesting people, and I’ve really learned a lot in the last week.

 

For this blog post, I’ve decided to do a “Top Ten” list of sorts, consisting of things I learned / found interesting / observed etc. this past week. Naturally, I learned a lot of new grammatical rules and conversational German phrases, but I’ll leave most of those out for the sake of not boring the non-German major blog readers. Many of the things listed below have something to do with the cultures represented in our course, as these are the people I’ve been talking to / getting to know over the last week!

 

1) Scandinavians (minus the Finns, i.e. Norwegians, Swedes, and the Danes) can all speak to each other and understand each other in their native languages. The three languages are pronounced very differently (almost as if they are dialects of the same language) but are still very similar. So similar, that the three nationalities have no problem communicating as long as they speak slow enough to “translate.” There’s also a really neat saying meaning, “Thanks for today,” that the Scandinavians say to each other at the end of the day that is also somewhat similar in each of the three languages.

 

2) Although Europeans in general are known for their ability to speak multiple languages, the Belgians and the Dutch are particularly well-known for their language abilities. For example, many Belgians can speak four languages (one Belgian girl in another class can speak six.) Because Belgium is such a small country, nearly everyone can speak both Flemish and French, regardless of whether they come from the French-speaking region, or the Flemish. They begin learning English at a very young age, and many then choose to learn German and perhaps even more languages. This fascinates me more and more each day as I attempt to learn my second language. Learning German has given me a very strong appreciation of multi-lingual people, because learning a language can feel very deceivingly and unbelievably difficult.

 

3) In German, there are two ways to say “you:” “Sie,” when you want to be formal, and “Du” when you are speaking casually with a family member, friend, or someone who has given you permission to speak to them on a more personal level. The distinction between “Sie” and “Du” is often times a very difficult one that hinges on multiple factors. As we were explained, using “Du” with someone is like a gift: if you are speaking to a superior, coworkers, someone older than you, or those with authority, you should always begin with “Sie.” If and when they tell you it is okay to use “Du,” (which depending on the situation, can be a big deal) it is impolite and rude to continue saying “Sie,” against their wishes. When speaking to kids, family members or other students you always use “Du,” but here are some of the more interesting distinctions we learned between the two forms:

  • When hiking in the mountains, you always greet passersby with “Sie,” unless you are higher in elevation than 1500 meters above sea level, in which case you always use “Du.”
  • Certain political parties in Germany have adopted either one or the other forms of you. For example, the more conservative CDU and FDP parties use Sie, and the more liberal Greens, SPD, and the “Lefts” use du. This applies not only to politicians and those who work for the political parties, but sometimes to the voters as well. An example directly from our teacher: If you typically vote Green, (as the majority of people actually do in this region of Germany,) and you know somebody to be CDU, you probably wouldn’t want to introduce yourself immediately as a Green voter by using “Du.”

 

4) (This one isn’t something I “learned,” per se, more something I’ve observed and find interesting.) Many countries, such as Brazil, are much more lax about citizenship than the United States, and allow for multiple citizenships and passports. One girl in our class is from Brazil, for example, and because her great-grandmother came from Italy, she is eligible for an Italian passport – which she is currently waiting to receive by mail. Just Imagine: how many people would love to have dual citizenship in the United States because their great-grandparents were born in another country? I might be wrong, but I don’t think it’s even possible anymore to have dual citizenship if your parents are from another country, much less grandparents or great-grandparents.

 

5) The alcohol laws across Europe are interesting, and quite varied. In Germany, it is apparently no problem to walk around in public with alcohol, as long as you aren’t belligerently drunk and/or causing problems. Last night, for example, a big group of us from Deutsch Kompakt went out for dinner. Afterwards, we found a bar where they were selling “Cocktails to Go,” for €5. We each bought one, and drank them as we sat on the steps near the marketplace for nearly three hours. In the United States, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find “Cocktails to Go,” (especially with our culture being dependent on cars and driving) or municipalities that would allow the free roaming around in public with Piña Coladas. I’ve always found it crazy that in Indiana, it is illegal to buy alcohol on Sundays. Surprisingly, in Norway, a country known to be quite liberal in comparison to the United States, you cannot buy alcohol not only on Sundays, but also after 8:00 PM on weekdays or after 6:00 PM on Saturdays.

 

6) Wifi is practically impossible to find here in Germany. This, and the fact that credit cards are often not accepted in the country home to Europe’s banking capital, are somewhat surprising to me. Germany is an extremely modernized country. In many ways, for example, its solid infrastructure and economy, I would say it is even more modernized than the United States. (Now gasp, and call me un-American. Just kidding. Kind of.) Still, it has somehow managed to leave widespread Wifi and credit/debit card acceptance in the dust. Interestingly enough, it’s not just us Americans who think this. A girl from New Zealand whom we met couldn’t understand why credit and debit cards are not widely accepted here, and the two Belgians in our class tried to take their laptops to Burger King in an unsuccessful search for Wifi.

 

7) Bureaucracy like you’ve never seen. The Germans love bureaucracy. The more complicated, the more forms, photos, permissions, numbers, passwords, and long lines, the better. Simple things like “Matriculating” that take 5 seconds in the United States can take much longer here. We were commiserating with the Belgians and Scandinavians about this as we stood in line with our envelope full of paperwork (complete with biometric photo) to register as official students – complete with internet access that will arrive in no less than one week. In other parts of Europe as well as at home, this is all done online. We login to DataVU, and click, “YES, I WILL be returning in Fall 2011” or, “NO, I will NOT be returning in Fall 2011.” Then we click to confirm our registration in all of our classes. Then we click “Submit.” Done. The Germans, however, love their paperwork and they love their personal contact. I guess I can see the benefit of personal contact in a world that seems to be losing its ability to interact with others. I just wish it would be a little less complicated and time-consuming. Oh, and did I mention that there is an “Exmatriculation” process that has to be completed when we leave next July?

 

8) English is truly the international language. It is so interesting to me that every time the Czech, Belgian, or Swedish students talk to each other, it is in a language that nobody else understands. When we Americans talk amongst ourselves in English, it’s not hard to see the heads turning and subtly leaning in to listen in on our conversation that everyone else can also understand. It fascinates me greatly that when the Italians have trouble speaking in German to the Danes, for example, or the Norwegians to the Czechs, they automatically switch to English to explain themselves. The Italians typically don’t learn Danish, just as the Danish typically don’t learn Italian, the Norwegians typically don’t learn Czech and the Czechs typically don’t learn Norwegian. They’re all here to learn German, a third or fourth language that is not their own, but when that fails they turn to their second or third foreign language: English. This presents a difficult challenge for Americans learning other languages (I mentioned this in my last entry,) but I also think it’s incredibly motivating to try hard to keep up with them!

 

Tomorrow we leave for our six-day-long class trip to Blaubeuren, a small town in the mountains where the University of Tübingen owns a house. From what we can tell it sounds like it will be a retreat or sorts, kind of a like a one-week German “camp,” complete with hikes to a waterfall. I don’t know much else, but I do know that I’ll be without internet until Friday. I’ll post an entry about the week upon my return!

 

Bis dann!

 

Rottenburg am Neckar (Rottenburg on the Neckar)

Day trip along the Neckar – Reutlingen and Rottenburg

September 4, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Yesterday the five of us decided to get another group day ticket for the train, and do some more exploring of the area. We started out in nearby Reutlingen, where the majority of Germany-bound Valpo students go to study abroad. Reutlingen, only about 12 minutes away by train, has a much more commercial look and feel to it which one notices immediately upon stepping out of the train.

 

Tübingen, a city famous for the university which opened its doors in the mid 1500s, has many small shops and cafes, but nothing quite like the department-store-lined-streets of Reutlingen. It was in one of these large stores (Galeria Kaufhof) where I finally located and purchased a french press coffee maker – something I have been actively searching for since we arrived here.

The Marienkirche in Reutlingen

The main reason we went to Reutlingen, however, was not to enable Zach’s morning cup of coffee addiction, but rather to visit the Reutlingen Weinfest (Wine Fest.) After two trips to the Stuttgart Weinfest, I was personally interested to see the one in Reutlingen, which started on Friday. (I think this must be the time of year for Weinfests, because they seem to be popping up everywhere.)

 

We didn’t sample any German wine this time, and although the Weinfest in Reutlingen was much smaller than in Stuttgart, I enjoyed it for all the same reasons. The atmosphere, first of all, was delightfully German – street performers playing the accordion serenade passersby, as they navigate the narrow passageways between the tents lining the narrow cobblestone streets. We tried to make reservations for dinner at a few of the restaurants which had tents there, but after learning that they were completely booked we settled for a nice big lunch instead. (How very German of us!)

Rachel and Hannah enjoying the Weinfest
Emily, Jake, and me at the Reutlingen Weinfest

The traditional Swabian food served at these Weinfests presents a reason in itself for visiting. I think any journalist from the Travel Channel would have a field day sampling and reviewing all the different cuisine of southwest Germany. Because I’m gluten intolerant, I asked the waitress for a recommendation of something made without wheat. She recommended an excellent salad made with Turkey, which I ordered along with a side of potato salad. The potato salad here has become one of my favorite things about Germany – it definitely tops the kind I like to get at home from the Piggly Wiggly. The salad was topped with corn, like most German salads are, which I find to be pretty interesting. The Germans don’t usually eat corn (no corn on the cob, etc.) because here it’s considered to be “animal food,” yet they sprinkle some on top of just about every salad you could possibly order.

 

Next we visited Reutlingen’s beautiful Marienkirche, an old, beautiful protestant church. If I’m correct, I believe it was heavily damaged during World War II, as Reutlingen was frequently bombed for its industry, but don’t quote me on that one. (I know for sure that Tübingen was unaffected during the war, as its local economy is based on the university rather than industry, which is why it has retained its medieval character throughout the years.) It was hard to get a decent picture from outside the church, as the narrow streets wouldn’t allow me to back far enough away to capture the whole building in one frame, but I did manage to get quite a few shots of the beautiful architecture from inside the building.

Looking towards the altar in the Marienkirche
A view of the organ and beautiful Gothic-style ceiling

 

After exploring the church, walking around the city, and doing some more shopping, we caught another train and went to Rottenburg. Rottenburg is much smaller than Tübingen or Reutlingen, but it shares the connection to Valparaiso University as a study abroad destination for those studying Church Music. By the time we got there it was around 6:00 PM, and just about everything was closed. The city, although quaint and beautiful, nestled along the Neckar River, felt eerily quiet and empty. Other than a few customers eating at a couple street cafes, we were the only ones walking through many of the tiny streets.

Rottenburg am Neckar (Rottenburg on the Neckar)

 

Nonetheless, we walked around until we had stumbled upon the marktplatz (marketplace), Rathaus (town hall), and St. Martin church, which we explored from the inside as well. The church’s interior felt much newer and more modern than any other European church I’ve ever visited, but it was a sight to see regardless. After we had taken a break to enjoy some watery €3 milkshakes, we headed back to the train station for the short ride back to Tübingen.

Rathaus and Marktplatz in Rottenburg
St. Martin Church

 

After learning so much about these cities and their connections to Valparaiso University, it was nice to see them in person and connect some images to my knowledge. Reutlingen, Tübingen, and Rottenburg are all very different and unique in their own ways, and it was fun to compare and contrast as we visited each city. I would sincerely encourage any Valpo student to come take advantage of the opportunity to study here in Germany’s southwest region of Swabia!

Houses along the Neckar
Old building in Rottenburg Marktplatz
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