herumfahren

Noodle walked me to the bus stop early early in the morning. My train ticket worked by days... so I bought 4 days of travel. Each 00:01 to midnight. Riding with free changes from one side of Germany to the other, I think checking out a few cities on the way is the obvious best use of time.

Stuttgart for shopping, wandering, and a few churches:Cologne to see the (arguably) most celebrated cathedral in Germany:
We learned about this Gothic guy in our German architecture course...

So the Cologne central train station had a few differences to others that I am familiar with. In addition to a weird luggage storage system (there are standardized day-use lockers, which are highly convenient might I add, at almost all central train stations), I also couldn't find a big, backlit map with tourist interest points. I was just about to ask someone where I could find the Koelner Dom when I decided to wander on my own.

And thank goodness. I walk outside the open entry/exit and looked up to my left to see an unobstructed side view of this massive cathedral. It was really amazing. I bet the Germans just think it's so funny that one of the greatest tourist attractions of the country is literally on the same lot as the not-so-romantic central point of transit. Actually, now that I think about it, that would have been the ultimate people-watching area to sit and relax. Noted.

konstanz am bodensee

I went to visit Michelle, aka Noodle, at her place in Konstanz. She's been studying in Germany for almost a year now; first semester in Tübingen. The train ride down was a slow 10 hours, but it wasn't so bad, especially when we wound through beautiful hills of the Black Forest on the last leg.

Noodle met me at the train station, still early-ish in the morning, and I think she was just a little bit happy to see me :)So it's much sunnier than it seems in this picture... We went together with some kids from her program every day to this area just outside of her dorm to lay in the grass with all the sunbathers and walk down the paved ramp into the crystal-clear bodensee to swim with the current.After a weekend of fun, I decided to stay until Tuesday morning, knowing that the train ride back would be just as long. Of course, Noodle had class on Monday morning so I walked around the city and met her for a nice lunch in the city center. This is from the main church tower in Konstanz. Those little hills are Switzerland:

märchenwochenende

So I haven't been writing because I haven't been able to upload photos. Luckily, I remembered to check back in on this photo problem... and everything's back to normal!

I visited the Kroth family once more and they showed me a lovely weekend that turned out to be fairy tale themed... starting with a maaagiiicallll musical :)

The Brothers Grimm were born in Hanau and every year, the town holds a faily tale event, mainly centered around performances and musicals. We saw Dornröschen, or sleeping beauty, auf Deutsch, of course.

One day to Heidelberg with Marcus and Angela:

That evening to a street festival in Frankfurt for the regional (and delicious) apple wine:

And Steinau an der Straße, another town where the Brothers Grimm were raised:

ende des besuchs

Side view of Schloss Cecilienhof, complete with 55 unique brick chimneys. This is where the Potsdam Conference took place, headed by Truman, Churchill/Attlee, and Stalin. It's in a public garden along the water in the area of other little castles and monuments, etc. Nice.

One day after class, a group of 5 of us went up north of Berlin to visit another concentration camp, Buchenwald. Personally, I think that every time I visit anoter site of this nature, I am more and more affected by what happened there; this time resulting in a general feeling of urgency to leave. I decided that I won't try to see any more of the Holocaust - my eyes have been opened.

So, a sort of recovery train rideback into Berlin, straight to Under den Linden, the S-Bahn stop right by the Brandenburg Gate. We walked up to the Reichstag, this time at sunset.

The sun was setting just right, so you could see clearly into the plenary chamber.

I think the Reichstag is a must-see in Berlin, if not the must-see. So for me, it was a little bit intense to see such different sides of German history on one day...

The next day, Mitch came on our school tour to see Russian sides of Potsdam, including this KGB prison. It was eerie and really interesting with lots of erased areas of its history. In this picture, we're being lead down to the basement to see the horrible conditions of the "criminals" which was yet another delightful image.

Oh! We also revisited Belvedere am Pfingstberg which had a little building in front. I went here before to take pictures out the view of Potsdam (remember? no? didn't expect you to) but was not aware that Schinkel's first building, albeit small, stands outside the caste. Schinkel was the architect so important to neo-classicism in Berlin/Germany; we're learing about him in architecture too. Cool!

london

We checked into our hostel really late on Thursday. The hostel was big and gross. It was a bad choice, but at least we only slept there. I couldn't help but think of Dad saying "you get what you pay for," and we didn't pay much.

The next morning, the British Museum was only a hop skip and a park away, so we went.

We found it really interesting that London offers magnificent collections of art and antiquities free to the public, but charges a decently large fee to visit cathedrals.For example: the Rosetta stone. Free to the public. Wow. The British Museum in particular was amazing.We saw copies of these guys the night before at the Pergamon.... the originals pictured. I felt like a globe-trotter for a second there.
Big Ben and the Underground, which became surprisingly familiar after a few days

On Saturday morning, we took a free walking tour around the old city, which oh so conveniently stopped at Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guards.
Mitch at Picadilly Circus After the walking tour, we went to Portobello Road. Rather, I made Mitch come with me to Portobello Road. It's a market street on Saturdays which I remember quite well from the children's musical, Bedknobs and Broomsicks. I wished Allie was with me to sing the song stuck in my head that entire day. We bought some stuff with frighteningly expensive pounds and continued.

Warhol in the Tate Modern, one of our last stops after the London Bridge, (old and new) Globe Theater, Tower Bridge, etc. etc.

We saw a ton and had a great weekend. All is well. I'll be back.

kameraden

After picking up groceries last Monday, I get a call from an unknown German number walking towards my dorm from the bus stop. It's Lizzie! [friend from college, studied in Rome, travelled for a month] For some reason, we couldn't call each other, so she had been waiting on my doorstep up in the stairwell. How exciting! So I ran up, of course, and she told me good news that she could stay for two nights.

The next morning, Mitch arrived. It was so incredibly convenient that Lizzie was here and excited to see Mitch, because she gladly made the trip to the airport in my place. >>Well, Chloe and my place. Chloe was going to come too; she's a girl from my program that I've grown quite close to. We have all the same classes and she's really cool<<

Excited to see my buddies

Wednesday architecture was cancelled (bittersweet because we only meet once a week and often classes are replaced with excursions, so I'm not really learning anything about architecture) so we had a long day for fun stuff!

Fun stuff including renting a rowboat from a park cafe - Chloe Mitch and I fit quite nicely. We walked to and sat down for some coffee at KaDeWe, the largest department store in Europe with a gigantic food department. I bought a canvas shopping bag there, which I have adopted as my self-souvenier shopping, for lack of extensive funds or space for non-functional items.

Thursday to the Pergamon Museum and Altes Museum on Museum Island.

Reconstructed gates of Ishtar

I vividly remembered going to this museum when we visited Berlin 5 years ago, so I've been excited to go back. Mitch and I had a flight to London that night, so it worked out just fine to bring our minimal luggage and see the museums for a few hours on our way.

weimar

We went to Weimar this past weekend as a school group, lead by our cultural excursion friend, Micha. I don't want to give him an official sounding title, because he really is our buddy by this point.

My dad, uncle, sister and I were here 5 years ago and I was thrilled to see the city center with the same Thüringer Bratwurst stand.

Weimar is a sweet, small town that is jam packed with cultural history. Goetha and Schiller headline, but they're just the beginning.

Example: At one point, we sat outside a creperie enjoying the breeze through the narrow cobblestone alleys for a snack and cappuccino pick-me-ups. The pleasant locals, breezy sunshine, and vined buildings were made all the more idylic after we noticed a plaque commemorating Martin Luther's 22 year residence in the home just to the side or our table.

I stayed for the first time in a hostel. I'm not sure it was the true hostel experience with strangers and all because I am quite keen to everyone in the program and we definitely filled up the bunked rooms.

Before our one full day in Weimar, we leisurely sat at breakfast at the hostel and listened to one girl tell us about her Goetha Faust class. Recently, the discussions about our various electives and areas of study have proven incredibly useful.

Goetha's home and garden

In between a few failed attempts to visit some historical buildings (sold out museum and closed church tower... bummer... but really - no sarcasm! they sounded interesting) we opted for something a little more conducive to the entire group of students.I don't know what they're called, but we laughed the entire time.

(hills + failling breaks) x (adventure) = even better

We pedaled around the park surrounding the river Ilm, stopping to get out and look at Geotha's garden house and other buildings in the landscape of the sentimental garden. It was beautiful park and renting bench bikes was really the best decision we made all weekend.German food last night together, 2o or so of us

We visited Buchenwald Memorial, a former concentration camp, this morning. *deep breath* I am still getting sick over thoughts of the site, so perhaps I won't share or even try to communicate my scrambled thoughts on the subject.

Obama recently visited as well; the information desk said that a noticable amount of Americans have visited since.

Back to Weimar. 3 hours. Back to Potsdam.

unsere stadt hat einiges zu beiten

Diana and I set off one afternoon to see more of what Potsdam has to offer.Kolonie Alexandowka (Russian quarter). We just walked through, knowing that a day excursion trip will lead us around the Russian sides of the city, including an exclusive tour of an old KGB prison... so excited!

One description of Potsdam said you can stay here for a week and blissfully convince yourself that you've seen most of Europe. I'm beginning to think that's true. Even though most of it is unauthentic, I've visited Russian, Dutch, Ancient Greek, French, Italian, English, etc. sites.Belvedere auf dem Pfingstberg - the highest point in Potsdam. The building fell into total disrepair during the GDR; the pictures inside the little museum were bad. So with lots of moolah and hours, they recnetly rebuilt the whole thing as a cultural symbol and historical venue for modern events.Diana was grinning the whole time. I think we liked to be able to point at building tops and windmills and towers and know what we were looking at. The silver rail shes leaning on has arrows, landmarks, and distances which helped too.
We could see all the way to Berlin. Love it here!

feuerwerk

My friend Diana (also from Santa Barbara) had her birthday and we were looking forward to a crazy weekend together, since we're not often together in Potsdam over the weekend. We heard of this music/firework synced event in a park, but of course all the information only states "Volkspark" as the location.

Long story short, I get us lost and we end up at the OTHER Volkspark. Luckily enough, everyone was still content because we saw a new part of town. Phew!
Glienicker Brücke connecting Potsdam and Berlin, used to exchange spies during the Cold War.

View over the Havel River to Schloss Babelsberg.

So we hear fireworks and decide to hop in a cab to catch the 2nd showing. I guess each night of the weekend, two firework companies compete... for what? I'm not quite sure. There's an entrace fee and a bigger competition in Berlin in September... but that's the extent of my knowledge.

We didn't pay to get in and instead listened to the music and watched the fireworks from a distance, but they were so cool! We all decided to go back the next night and honestly, it was so worth it, no matter how much we resembled awestruck children.

I've never seen fireworks so close - or so condensed! 10 for production value! They rhythmically made ribbons in the sky and shone lights on the lingering smoke for some really pretty effects. We were right under them literally smiling from ear to ear just laughing at how simple it is to enjoy explosions in the sky - then no more words - too busy smiling - sometimes dropping our jaws. Komisch.

berlin, noch mal

My friend Chloe had to return some clothes in Berlin, so I went along and we made a day of it.Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, where they have the new, modern church alongside the old, bombed out tower in the middle of the bustling city. I hadn't (on this trip) been inside the old part, where they have a small exhibit and original parts of the entry hall, such as the amazing mosaic above.
Havel River
Schloss Bellevue, where the president lives. Haus der Kulturen der Welt, aka the pregnant oyster. 'Twas a gift from the US of A. Photo = crucial to Chloe's PowerPoint presentation at a later date on the building in our architecture class.

With energy rapidly draining, we headed home to get some groceries at the Hauptbahnhof (which I still find a little odd... grocery shopping in a train station? convenient, nevertheless). The laughs turned into silent walking, getting things done, passing through check-out. We sat down for Subway with our grocery bags to eat and people watch. Through the meal, jokes picked up and moods elevated... instant fuel. Incredible, really.

bildcomputerprogramme?

Maybe this is already available... but...

I think it would be really cool to have a computer program that stores all your images on a big globe that you can zoom into, just like on Google maps. Furthermore, I would like to have a cute little map of Potsdam on my blog where you guys can see where I've gone recently (blinking red dots?) and see the pictures.

... just a thought.

allein in der stadt

I've recently realized how little time I have left here and it's making me anxious. There is so much to see and I have the means to do so... all I'm missing is time.

Metaphor for life? I'm too young. I'll push that thought aside until I am further from the standard 21 y/o's invincibility delusions.

So, being a real German now (of course, didn't you know?), I am actively tackling this problem by going out every day and foregoing routine. I ask myself what I am doing online now.

Anyway, I had a great day alone in Berlin. First to the Reichstag, the house of Parlaiment. The building itsself is a great visual of how Germany, and specifically Berlin, is a cohesive blend of old and new, even with spotted history so prominent in recent remembrance. Atop the original building is a modern dome that gives views out to Berlin. Reflections and use of glass (including a view down over actual parlaimentary proceedings) are meant to symbolize transparency of government. I want to write more, so much more, but... again with the time. But it was definitely a must-see.
& then to the Jewish Museum with really interesting architecture on the new half.

so viele tiere!

Even after some crazy lapses in communication, I was able to meet up with Claudia and Werner in Potsdam. Knowing they would be in the area, I messaged Michaela (their daughter) on Facebook just as they were coming to Potsdam. My phone didn't have a missed call from the night before! So annoying. Anyway, Werner had a business trip to Berlin and Claudia came too!

We walked around Park Sanssouci and Werner and Claudia took me into some new buildings that I hadn't seen from the inside before. If there's one thing I want to master before leaving Potsdam, it's Park Sanssouci.

Inside the Roman Bath buildings, there are architectural drawings for Charlottenhof palace and the landscape plans for the entire park - very interesting. I wonder how much upkeep the park requires. So much of it looks like its growing naturally, but everything is planned.

Then off to Berlin! We spent the late afternoon in the Zoologischer Garten (the zoo of former West Berlin and recently well-known for housing polar bear cub, Knut)

This little baby elephant was so cute. Apparently his big sister wakes him up often.

(for Lauren)

After the zoo, we went out to dinner near the hotel and then for drinks in the Sony Center, also nearby. It was really great to be with familiar faces and spend the day.

Only two days later did I find myself at the Tierpark (you guessed it: the zoo of former East Berlin). It is the largest landscape animal park in Europe, and I was no less than impressed. It might even beat Seattle as my favorite zoo.This is for sure the closest I've ever been to a rhino, and it came even closer! Their bodies are so interesting. Also, can you tell that I liked Claudia and Werner's coats? I went shopping the day in between the zoos and came back with a trench coat... coincidence? I think not. The Tierpark was so cool! We'd (we being 3 German girls and a girl from LA) walk through winding paths under lush green shade and, whaddyaknow, we're looking through a clearing at dozens of camels just across a deep river bed. More often than not, the animals had large plots of land and were kept in by barriers other than fences.

It seemed like every exhibit had babies. Well not really every exhibit, but at least 30%, which makes for a ton of baby animals over 2 zoo trips. As much as I loved the babies, it made me think about my little nephew across the world and his mom, who loves animals more than anyone I know.

bergfest

Solomon, my friend from the program, and I went walking through the woods across the street from our dorms.The paths wind all around, some pointing to a school of some kind? That is yet to be discovered. I quickly regretted going for a walk before dusk... the mosquitos were vicious! If i stood still for more than a second, I would look down to dozens... DOZENS of mosquitos all leaching onto my skin through leggings. Yeah, my legs were a new pattern for quite some time. But we'll go back!I befriended my neighbor, Anne. She and I will have tea, speak a little bit of German, and share fun parts about our culture. She is always willing to share (ex. Rote Grütze, a berry compote). We have exchanged music and stories while looking at pictures from home. On some school nights, we watch German movies together, which are really entertaining when I understand the dialogues. Sometime this week, I am showing her how to bake a typical birthday cake.

That little guy in the bottom right corner is our tour guide Micha. Recently, he took us on an exclusive tour around the Neues Palais, showing us around parts of the palace that are normally off-limits to visitors. It was really interesting to see into the beautiful building that graces our campus. The theater above was one of my favorite rooms. Occasionally they offer concerts there, which would be so awesome to attend.Half-way through the semester, the program threw a Bergfest to celebrate reaching the top of the mountain and beginning our descent. We hopped in a bus and went to Micha's big appartment in Berlin to hang out with the teachers, tutors, and students in a casual environment over food and drinks. I can't believe that my time here is half over! It is definitely too short.

... masters program in Germany?