Munich !

May 22-24. 2010

So I really really enjoyed Munich. It is one of my favorite cities in Germany so far. I feel like everyone in Munich has so much pride for there state. Also it was during the final game of Bayern Munich against Milan so I think that had something to do with it as well :) It was nice to see everyone in lederhosen and there outfits, true Munich. Everyone loves to drink here and they have a great time. It was Kim, Chenin and I that were on this trip. Ryan came to join us as well. The first night we got settled into our hostel which ended up being ok. It was the majority males, but it didn’t bother us too much. We didn’t hang out at the hostel so it wasn’t a problem. We had our first German meal on Friday night, which actually wasn’t so good, but at least we ate German food. Then Saturday we went to Dachau Concentration Camp. Which actually was the first concentration camp, and all the rest were followed by this design. It was neat but also weird to go there. The grounds are empty and most of the buildings that held people (living quarters,etc. ) were not there anymore. Only 2 which showed an example of what it used to look like. There bunks were 3 beds high, and I think in 1 building it was made to house I think around 200 or a little more, but when they kept bringing people in there ended up being 2000 in a building. Way over crowded. It was really weird going to the crematory, and how the process from one room to the next. There was this one room, that they disguised to look like showers. So they had the shower tops on the ceiling, and in the room they had secret areas, a peep hole, a area where they would have the gas come out, and a water pipe to flush out the room and clean it for the next group. Going to Dachau took the whole day because its train ride from Munich. At night we participated in a Beer Crawl which was a lot of fun! There we went to 3 places and had beer, and our last stop we watched the soccer game in a beer garden. We actually met up with two guys that Kim, Ryan and I met in Switzerland, so that was fun! On Sunday our day was planned for Neuschwanstein. That was another full day activity. We went with a group, because it was cheaper, only 30 euros and that included transportation round trip, which is 2 hours away from Munich, so well worth it. Also we had a guide, which he told us lots of information on the castle and the family. King Ludwig II built this castle. He actually built several castles and I think only was able to complete one. He liked to keep building but was in a great amount of debt. For the Neuschwanstein castle, he had someone create a sketch of it, and then was like build it. Haha, seemed very difficult, but was done. This is the “Sleeping Beauty” castle that Disney based it off of in Disneyland. It was one of the prettiest things that I’ve seen, naturally beautiful.

Later on in the evening when we came back to Munich we went to the famous Hofbräuhaus. There were many stories of the building, but the main floor is where most of the fun is! There are tons of long tables, so your sitting next to those you don’t know, and everyone is drinking and having a good time. The standard beer is 1 liter; you won’t get anything smaller than that, haha. We watched the Oompa Band playing all night, which brought a lot of character to the place! I ended up buy a souvenir 1 liter glass! Its so heavy J I order Pork Knuckle which is a common thing to eat in Munich so I had to say I had it. It wasn’t too bad, but I’m not a fan of pork, sooo… Then on Monday morning we did a free walking tour, around the city. I wish we did it before on Friday or Saturday but there was no time. It was really interesting everything we saw. I have to say I want to go back to Munich. I didn’t see all that I wasn’t too, so it will be another trip for me in the future!

So I have been gone for sometime now, and need to catch up on all my trips and events till now.

Hello...Switzerland finally called me : )

So Kim and I went to Switzerland last weekend, it was a very short trip but way fun. But first to start off the trip we had to sleep in the airport Friday night because our flight was too early for anyone that would want to drive us, and too early for the trains to be running. So that was an experience. Then our flight was at 7 ish in the morning, barley getting any sleep we were out of it haha. Once getting on the plane ready to take off, we were taxiing on the run way. We noticed that the seats were moving quiet a lot. Then we heard an announcement from the pilot saying we aren't going to take off and we need to go back and check things out with the brakes or something. It was suppose to take 5-10 mins to check and fix. It ended up taking 1 hr 15 mins! And then we found out they had to change the front tire, and actually needed to add more gas to the plane, oh my! So I get nervous on taking off and landings, but now I was extra nervous because all of this had happened. We finally landed, thank goodness! Then we were in Zurich. I was soo excited to be in Zurich and heard it was beautiful and everything.

Well Saturday when we were there, it was terrible weather, and there was NOTHING to do there. Our plan was to stay for the whole day and then go to Interlaken. We stayed in Zurich no more than 2 1/2 hrs. We ate at McDonald's which was expensive. And then we took the train to Interlaken, it was about 60 something swiss franks, and a 2 hour train ride. Stepping out into Interlaken was so beautiful, it was what I thought Switzerland was suppose to look like. This is the location where there are a ton of extreme sports, where the Red Bull Air Races are held. It is really a site to see. We walked around trying to find our hostel for the longest time in the rain. No luck, so we finally took a bus and made it to our cute, fun hostel called Balmers. This was Kim and I's first real Hostel experience. We were in a room with 6 other girls, and they were all really nice! The 3 things that Kim and I wanted to do on this trip was to have Swiss Chocolate, Cheese Fondue, and go Canyon Jumping. So Saturday night we went to have Fondue down the street. It was a little pricey but, we had to do it! It was so good and worth the price for an amazing experience. After dinner, I had talked to Ryan Troha about him coming to Switzerland and he was thinking about it. So he ended up staying at the same hostel which was cool to know someone. After we met up, I bought my large Toblerone chocolate, and by the end of the 2 days I mostly ate all of it, Ryan and Kim did have some~ Then we went to the Hostel's bar, for 2 for 1 drinks. We ordered this cider- I guess it's a type of beer, it was good though. Ryan said he has it a lot in England. After that we ended the night.

On Sunday morning, we got free breakfast which was nice. And then after we went on a "hike" but it really ended up being a walk. We saw a ruined castle, and cows with actual bells attached to them. We got some lunch, and souvenirs and played some ping pong. At 4 pm we were going to do Canyon Jumping. So Kim convinced me to go, and I guess I didn't really pay attention to the You Tube videos or pictures because I really had no idea what to expect. So you really jump off a ledge and free fall for 290 feet, then you swing in the canyon until you slow down. It was the scariest thing to jump off. Plus there is a woman taking pictures so its like you have to look at her to get a good picture......ahhhhhh. After the free fall though (which was a crazy experience) the swinging was fun. I really learned a lot about myself and how vulnerable you can get when faced with that experience trying to jump off. I almost cried but I couldn't so I could get a good picture! After that, I was shaking and my hands were freezing! And then I was like I deserve my chocolate! I went 2nd out of 4 people, Kim went after me. The other 2 guys in our group were originally going to do bungie jumping but then changed there minds. The guys working there said its 1 of 3 places in the world that has canyon jumping, so that was really cool! Haha the thing that psyced me out was that they were like, with canyon jumping you fee the free fall more than the bungie jumping, that was scary to hear.

Oh so on Saturday night Kim and I decided that we wanted to stay an extra night at Balmers instead of staying at the hostel we originally booked back in Zurich. Since there wasn't anything to do in Zurich and it was a Sunday we thought we would be very very bored. So we changed to stay Sunday night, which was the best choice~ We got to meet people we would of otherwise not of met, and we got to hear what they were doing on there European trips, and what they did in Interlaken.

Once we got back to the Hostel, and got our cool photos, Kim, Ryan and I made spaghetti in the kitchen at the Hostel. This was a way to save money, we just had to buy the sauce, since we brought the noodles. After dinner we wanted to play cards, so we asked to join a group that already was playing. There were all so nice, 2 of them were guys we were talking to while making dinner. They were from Canada, then we met 2 Australians, 1 guy from Miami, and 2, a couple from Dallas. We learned this game called Presidents and Assholes, which was really fun! We actually hope to meet up with the 2 Australians in Munich this weekend, and Ryan is also joining Kim, Chenin and I. So Sunday night we stayed in another 8 room dorm, with new people, who we didn't get to meet, and weren't really fun, but oh well, haha. Then Monday morning Kim and I left at 6:30 am! And we were off to the train, then the airport and then another train all to get back home in time for German! Gotta love how school is still in for us

:). Next weekend we are off to Munich~ can't wait!

Time to Study Time for Chocolate~

Tomorrow is my first final for the semester, I am a little nervous on what to expect on how difficult the test is going to be. I already had a group presentation/project which is 30% of my grade in this class. So the final is worth 70%. The grading scale is different here, they have a 1-6 scale. 1 being the best, and 6 the worst. You can get a 4 or above to pass. My classes here are going to count as credit/no credit for SDSU. So wish me luck!

Also this weekend Kim and I are going to Switzerland! I am sooo excited. I know its going to be an expensive trip for only 2 days but it will be well worth it. I want to get cheese fondue, and then my Toblerone chocolate, which is my favorite! We fly into Zurich Saturday morning, then stay there and enjoy it while the shops are open (because Sunday's everything is closed), then we are going to take a train to Interlaken and stay the night. Sunday we plan on doing this canyon jumping, like bungee jumping but the harness is around your body and not attached to your feet. Its like your free falling but you are still attached. I am really scared, but its supposed to be really fun! Interlaken is a place where there are many extreme sports, and those who go for adventure. Its suppose to rain the whole weekend so hopefully it doesn't mess with our plans, and I hope to get a lot of pictures. Then we are going to take the train back to Zurich, and spend the night, and leave Sunday morning. Can't wait!

Berlin for the weekend

I went to Berlin on May 7-9, and it was soo much fun. We stayed at this cute Bed and Breakfast called the Berliner. Which only has I think 6 rooms. There were 5 beds in our room, the biggest of all of them. There were four of us, and we only spent 20 euros a night each, which was very good! We also got breakfast, Maria the lady who ran the Berliner was so nice, she gave us a ton of options for food. Where we could cook our own food, have break, coffee, etc.. I would definatly recommend it to anyone on a budget. For dinner that night, since we came off of the train around 7 ish, we chose to eat at an Italian restaurant which was great!

The next day of our trip we had a wonderful breakfast, then we went on the Fat Tire bike All city tour around Berlin. It was 5 hours and we stopped at a Beer Garten and had lunch. We got to see all the cites, and know history and information on where we were stopping. We saw some cool places that I don't think you would find. We saw where Hilter had his bunker that he hid in, now its a parking lot haha. Also knowing the different guys in the walk signals was pretty cool. For dinner we wanted Mexican food (maybe it was only me that really wanted it), so our awesome tour guide Cate told us of a place to go to. Its called Maria Peligro! It was so good! At the time we were seated we were the only customers there. We were giving free water! And chips and salsa! Then the cook asked us if we could have our food photographed, because a couple of guys were there doing an article for the NY Times. Which means, food photographed, food looks even better than it might of AND bigger portions! So our food is famous! And they made a margarita for the shoot, which we were given for free, and also a Corona, and chips and dip! We were in heaven, and it was the best Mexican food that I have had outside of California and Mexico! So that says a lot about the quality because in Germany the Mexican is not good. Later that night we went back to some sights to take pictures. There is the Hotel Aldon, which is the hotel that Michael Jackson hung his son out of the window. We asked the people at the hotel if they knew which room it was, and they showed us! Now we have pictures : ) Then we were craving ice cream and had some! Yummm... At one of the tourist shops near by I saw these cheesy visors for sale! 50 cents! So I convinced Kim to buy one with me and we started taking funny pictures at every know cite! It was soo much fun! Berlin was not what I expected, I liked it and loved hearing more english (because its a bigger city).

On our last day we went to more cites, and took pictures. I finally tried a Berliner in Berlin, and now I can finally say I have! It was nice to get a taste of it, but not sure if I need to go back again for a longer amount of time. I did like seeing the Berlin Wall, and I even bought a piece of it to take home.

Berlin for the weekend

Off to Berlin today! I hope the weather clears up a little bit. We plan on doing a bike ride tomorrow, so I really hope its not raining!

Rain, Thunder, Lightning and Hail... What a day

So today there was a rain storm, where it started raining lightly, then pouring. While pouring it started thundering and lightning, then hailing. Maybe 15 minutes later, there were blue skies : ) So Chenin and I still wanted to go on our walk that we had planned, and we left at a good time. We walked 5 miles along the Rhine. But walking back we could see those dark, mysterious clouds coming our way. Well it was still beautiful on the way back.. for a little bit. Then it started pouring! We had to go under a tree for a while until we could continue back home. All in all it was a good day despite the rain on the way back from our walk.

May 1st

So since being in Germany I have always wonder when walking by a Starbucks if you can still get free water from them. In the United States, at any Starbucks, even at the airports, you can get free water. So I went with Chenin to Bonn and we ended up going to Starbucks. It was perfect, so I asked, and YES they give you free water as well. I am so excited about this because here and everywhere in Europe you have to pay for everything. So now Im going to Starbucks to get my water! Also today is May 1st. In my family we normally put flowers in front of our friends and family's door step. Here its like our Labor Day and a July 4th mix. Its a public holiday, which was an inconvenience for Chenin and I who were trying to buy groceries because every Sunday grocery stores are closed. So today they were closed as well and we are very low on food, haha. But the restaurants are still open. We (the international students and I) went to the Island, which is just over the bridge. It was kind of like a mini carnival with little kid rides, food stands, and live music. Then at 10:20 pm there were fireworks, and on the Rhine there were dinner boats lit up and seeing the fireworks as they went down the river. It was a lot of fun, and its going to be a little bit sad missing the July 4th. I played this dart game against Chenin and Pyry. We each got 15 or 16 darts, I can't remember. And I got 11! And Pyry got 8. But Chenin didn't mention her score haha so I don't think it was that good : )

No Ireland for me, but hello bonn, and bad honnef

So I just checked the status of my Ireland flight and it is cancelled for tomorrow. So Im not going to Ireland. But I just think that things happen for a reason, and the dormant volcano in Iceland is said to go off who knows when. I would not want to be stuck in Ireland, and have more ash coming this way and be unsafe. So today Kim, Chenin and I went to see the movie Remember Me, it was good. We also wanted to go bowling, and found a different bowling alley than we were expecting to go to. Today I got my highest score! I got 184!!!!!!!!!! I am so proud. We are planning fun things to do this week so that we are not stuck in Bad Honnef.

April 17th

So last night Kim and I were busy, we had to cancel all the hostels we had booked for the next week. We also decided that we were going to not just sit around in Bad Honnef and be sad we couldn't go to Ireland. So today we went to PhantasiaLand. It is an amusement park, which kind of reminded me of Disneyland. It was fun, some of the rides were scary but really fun! There were surprisingly a lot of similarities of Disneyland, like parts of the rides they had. It was a good way to spend the day. It was beautiful, and i feel like one of the first day's we could actually keep a sweatshirt off haha.

April 16th

Today Kim and I are packing for Ireland, but since the volcano erupted in Iceland, we still don't know the status of our flight. So we have been planning for about a week to have a movie night with P.S. I love you. To get ready for our trip and to see beautiful Ireland. While watching it, it started to skip and then it wouldn't play : ( what a sign, so we couldn't finish the movie. We then checked the status of our flight, and it was cancelled. We were so bummed, we rebooked our flight for the next tuesday. But we still don't know the conditions of what's going on with the flights.

April 15th

So the Iceland Volcano erupted today. Not sure what's going to happen or how that will affect Kim and mines Ireland trip. We will see.

Amsterdam! Day 3

April 11- Today is our last day in Amsterdam. I was so happy to stay at a Marriott, the beds were so comfortable and we probably won't be experiencing that luxury of traveling throughout our trips, because of budget. We decided to eat at a pancake place, which I guess is popular to eat there, but I was kind of disappointed, not what I was expecting or wanted. Today we went to Anne Frank's house, which today is also Holocaust remembrance day. What an experience to be in Amsterdam for this day. After seeing Anne Frank's house we went to the Heineken Brewery. It was an awesome experience, paying 15 euros was worth it! We got a bracelet for 2 free drinks, and during the tour we got to taste another one! After that we found the I AMSTERDAM sign and took pictures with it~ It was great! Then we bought souvenirs, I gave Mark glow in the stars to put on his ceiling. So I gave him one from Germany to add to his collection, and then I found some in Amsterdam. I am going to give him one from Amsterdam to add to his collection. So when have the stars up, we are looking at the same ones ( i have one from each above my bed) some 5000 miles away from each other. Also I bought a coffee mug, because every place I go, I collect one from each place. Of course I got a ton of postcards! And for some reason Chenin just had to have chocolate before leaving. So she bought at a stand, a Milka bar for 3 EUROS!!!!! CRAZY! Haha. Then we left for Bad Honnef, Germany. Amsterdam was a great trip and I would love to go back sometime. I love the culture, and how there are bikes everywhere! They even have their own biking lanes.

Amsterdam! Day 2

April 10th- So today we woke up really early to get to our biking tour. For breakfast we went to Burger King. I know, great choice, but there really was nothing open at the time. Then at 11am we went to go on our Countryside bike tour. It was with this company called Mike's Bike Tours. It was so much fun and recommend it to everyone! We chose the countryside tour over the city tour. With the countryside tour you went through the city and you get to go see a windmill, go to a place where they still make cheese and make wooden shoes and also see the green country. It was a 4 hour tour, the cheeses were so wonderful, I bought some to take home! Kim almost bought some cow clogs. Saturday was so beautiful, we were all so lucky, because the rest of the weekend was rainy, windy, cold. Later for lunch we went to pizza for 5 euros, I think that we find such great deals! Then we went to the Red light district. It was interesting, there are red lights on the outside of certain windows. Which in the windows are women, wearing provocative clothing, bathing suits, etc... Prostitution is legal in Holland, which is what they are doing. You are not allowed to take pictures of the women, it is considered rude and they will get mad at you through the window. We also we to a coffeeshop. There they have legal marijuana where you can buy it. Yes I was in Amsterdam, so I am going to legally do it. It was an interesting experience.

Amsterdam! Day 1

April 9th- We are leaving for Amsterdam. Taking the train, its only 2 hrs! This is the first official trip somewhere that I haven't been yet (Paris I have been already). Germany doesn't count (well it does) but I'm going to be here for 6 months. While on the train we were occupying our time with card games, so much fun! Looking out the window it was so green and beautiful, I was so anxious to get off the train and experience Amsterdam. When getting off the train we first needed to get to our hotel. We are staying at the Marriott, because mostly all hostels were booked and the one's that weren't were going to be around the same price as splitting a Marriott room for 2 nights between 4 people. So we didn't know how to get to the Marriott. So we decided to take a taxi since Kim said it was only a 1.2 miles away. We all got in, while leaving I looked to see what the base price was and it was 12.50 euros!!!!!!!!! Ridiculous. Wow, so note to self and everyone traveling to Amsterdam, don't take a taxi, take the public transportation, its only 2.60 euros. So our first night we walked around the city center to see what was around. We were very centrally located which was great. We all went to the Holland Casino, which i only cashed in 2 euros to play with. I chose penny machines, which i think is a great strategy, to play longer and you lose less money. I found this one slot machine that was so fun and I kept winning. I ended up winning 8 euros, which I took away gaining 6 euros! Then Kim and I went to a bar, called Pirates Bar. It was so much fun, I bought a Heineken beer for 2.70 euros, with my winning money. While sitting at the bar, the bartenders kept giving us free drinks! It was great, along with great music and great company. So walking out of the bar I only spent 2.70 euros. Kim and I were trying to give the bartenders tips because they gave us these free drinks, but they didn't accept it. They were like, " Welcome to Amsterdam!"

Paris Day 3

April 3rd- Today is Easter Sunday! Yah, lent is over and I have kept to my "lent improvement", to floss, haha. And I did it! Also in Paris the first Sunday of the month most every museum is free! So what a great time to be in Paris, see everything and save money. Today Kim and I went out by ourselves seeing a lot of the free sights and trying to go places that we didn't do the last time we came. Some of the things were repeated like the Pamadu (modern art museum), it was good and while waiting in line, it was hailing so hard! We went to the Pantheon, which only ended up being 5 euros. We then went to the Luxembourg Gardens which were beautiful, Kim and I found this fountain that was so magnificent! We took so many pictures there. For lunch Kim and I went to this area with tons of choices for food. We ate a Gyro, split some gelato, and a crepe. For dinner it was sooo good! We again got a 3 course meal. We were both craving french onion soup so we had to find a place with that choice. We finally chose a place, and got french onion soup, salmon pasta and I got a cheese dessert. We also received FREE tap water again :) While traveling all day Kim and I were very concerned with pick pocketers, which did not happen our whole trip. But we would wear our backbacks on the front of our bodies, we were joking that we looked pregnant, haha. So we named our child, and they would kick sometimes. I guess you would have to be there, it was very entertaining.

Paris Day 2

April 2nd- (good Friday) Today we went to the Efile Tower, it was raining all day. When we first arrived it was sprinkling then it would pour. But we got some good pictures. We are going to go back to see it lit up at night. We ate lunch at this cafe, I had a capri panneni, which is my favorite! I have not decided to order drinks because they are too expensive and I rather save my money. We went to the Rodin Gardens with the Thinker, Gates of Hell, which was great. The gardens were 1 euro! Again I went to the Catacombs, I loved it again. I find it so unique. Kim and Chenin were so scared! After that we went to Chinese food for lunch, we got to pick out what we wanted, by weight which was pretty cool. And 2 places so far: the greek restaurant and the chinese restaurant we have gotten tap water for FREE!! And the cafe that I had the panini at, they had toilet seat covers in the restroom, I didn't think I would get that excited over something. But when you don't have it you realize then that you miss it and want it. I haven't seen them here since I have gotten to Europe. We took pictures of Des Vallides, which has a gold top, it was really pretty, but not going inside. It has Neapolitan's Tomb in it. We went to the the Moulin Rouge, so pretty at night. The last time I went it was only during the day. So the pictures we took, looked like it could be a postcard! In the red light district we went to the sex museum. It was interesting and very cool. It was a really good museum, with 1920's and 1930's porn haha. We all watched it in black and white and it was silent. Adding out own commentary :) it was fun! Of course, Kim, Chenin and I are really funny at commentary!

German Class

Sorry the posts are out of order.

March 30th- Today in German we learned how to say check please, and if you want to pay together or separate. Also how much money to ask for back. Well tonight Kim and I were planning on our hostels and we went to get Gyros (greek food) they are cheap and sooooooooooooooooo good! Its our favorite place and now they have seen us so much there. We see the owners all the time (the husband and wife, son and daughter work there)! So after dinner I used what I learned in class. I was so proud, and they understood me, I also sounded good :)

April 1st- Today on the train ( to Paris) we learned a game called Shit head, its sooo much fun!

Wow so I have really been slacking on keeping this blog updated. So much has happened since then. So This blog is about my trip to Paris. I have been to Paris once before, my senior year of high school. So that was in 2007. This time I went with 4 girls my own age, it was soo much fun!

April 1st- Today we left for Paris, we had to take 2 trains to get there. I actually liked the train, once one, you didn't have to worry about getting there. Also by going on a train I got to see the countryside in Germany and France. Its so beautiful, open and green. We checked into our hotel, which seems like its going to be a good stay. They have you sign a guest book and have a sitting area and laundry room downstairs. There are 6 floors and no elevator. I packed light but I brought a small carryon suitcase, which is kind of heavy carrying up 6 flights of stairs haha. Everyone wanted to not be on the 6th floor. Lucky for us we got it. We have a small toilet area (like a very small closet), and we have a sink in our room. The shower is across from our room. We get free breakfast everyday. So later in the night we asked the man at the hotel where we should go to dinner. We wanted to go to a great italian place, cheap, and good quality. He sent us to a greek restaurant haha. I was cheap and had good food, so we weren't too disappointed. It was a 3 course meal. I got a salad, then chicken with peas, rice and french fries. The fries tasted more like potatoes. And I got flan for dessert. We walked around just to see where we were located. We have seen so many greek restaurants, and guys asking you to come eat in their restaurants. Before dinner? haha I can't even remember, we went to the Norte Dame, which we are going back tomorrow along with other places on our list. It was so beautiful, the sun was going down :) Going back to our hotel we climbed the 6 flights of stairs. By the time we got to our room, we were all out of breathe, haha. But we will soon be pro's! So Kim and I decided that we are going to Ireland for specials week. I have always wanted to go to Ireland, and since we could not go to Greece, this is the place we have to go! So we are going to stay for 7 days! Dublin for 2 days, then Killarney for 2 days, to see the ring of Kerry. Then we are going to Galway! Which is suppose to be amazing! There in Killarney is suppose to be typical Ireland, green, pubs and beautiful :) Then back to Dublin for 2 days. Where we would see the Wicklow National Forrest (where P.S. I love you was filmed). I want to go there sooo bad! And we are going to the Guinness Factory, Factory, and many more places. Jameson

Yesterday Kim, Chenin and I went to Bonn to look around! I love Bonn its one of my favorite cities so far being here. In the evening we went over to our friend's house and play this game Activity. Its a combination of charades, taboo, and pictionary. It was so much fun, and the fact that it was in German made us have to use a translator, and have at least one German teammate on each team, haha. While we were working on German they were working on English. What I found interesting was that many words either from german or english don't match up. There was a German word in the game that translated in English was Game stop. Which in German means, if you can't get the best answer or the answer, use the second best haha (just an example). Today Kim, Chenin and I went to Bruel. I have been before but it was their first time. We took a tour of the palace, and we saw the hunting house. The gardens were so beautiful, and saw a bridge and groom taking their wedding pictures. What a beautiful spot! Today also was the first time having chinese food here, and it was really good! Also Bruel had this open market, which was very cool, so many people were out! I think it was because it was a Saturday and the fact that everything is closed on Sunday's.

Grape(s) Society

So classes are going in full effect now, I already have a project due beginning of April~ Yesterday I bought my Eurorail ticket to go to Germany (Berlin, Munich), Benelux (Amsterdam, Belgium, and Luxembourg) and France. We have planned out our first trip which is to Paris, for easter weekend. Then we are going to Amsterdam, in the weekends following, which we will be there for Holocaust Remembrance. We will get to see Anne Frank's house and much more. Today I ate at a Mexican Taco restaurant. I wanted a bean and cheese burrito, and I know they have the ingredients, but they were unable to make it for me : (. But this is the first and only place so far that we were able to get TAP WATER for FREE!!!!!!! I was soooo excited about that. In the evening there was a club I joined on campus called the Grape(s)ociety which we got to try different wines! There will be tasting and events that we can participate in and attend. We also have 97 vines on our campus which I signed up to tend and help prosper the area, which I am really excited about. I can't wait to learn more about wine and how its made or where it comes from. We are going to have 2 events so far that we discussed tonight. First is Wine and Chocolate pairing, and the second one is discounted wines against more expensive wines (it will be a blind tasting)!

I finally started school, which I haven't been to a class since December. The classes are different here, where each class is 2 1/2 hours long. Each week your schedule can change. So far some of them seem like they will be ok, and some very boring. I can wait to start German! We don't start the class until March 22nd. I still don't know really any German, but I am looking up words, and am going to put them all over my apartment. We don't have t.v.'s here, so I haven't watched t.v. in a while. BUT the thing that the others and I look forward to every week is Germany's Next Top Model on Thursday's! Its 2 hours long, all in German! I don't understand a thing (well I'm picking up a few words here and there). But its really interesting to watch it. Bad Honnef is along the Rhine River, which has a walking trail next to it. I have been going on walks (around 4 to 5 miles), which is so beautiful and peaceful. I joined a running club on campus, which we run along the Rhine. In June there is a run in Frankfurt, which I plan to participate in. The other day I was walking along the Rhine, I had found a trampoline, which was soo much fun! What I find amazing here, is that there are so many elderly people walking all the time. I have seen some even with walkers, walking along the Rhine. Also seeing them ride their bikes around town!

Trip to Bonn and snow!

Yesterday I went on a trip to Bonn with the new exchange students and international students. We went to a German history museum, which was interesting about WWII, and the Berlin Wall. Our tour guide was funny. Then we are went to a german bar, and we all got drinks ( the first round was on our head department ladies)! Germans like to mix there beer with different drinks, coke, diet coke, fanta, sprite. I think that is so weird, but I decided to try beer (a light beer when mixing it with something else) with diet coke. It actually tasted good, it brought the beer flavor down and didn't make it too strong. And it started to actually snow last night!!!! Maybe I can make a snowman : )

Today it snowed! It looked more like dandruff haha

Day #2 of orientation

So today I went on a different castle hike. I went to Lowenburger, which was a really good hike. It is tucked back into the mountain at the top so you can't see it from Bad Honnef. It is part of the 7 mountains, and is the second tallest. While we were hiking up, one of our professors (led the hike) said this is where snow white dwarfs were said to be ( in the story of course). The forecast for tomorrow and Saturday say some snow! I really hope so. I don't like the cold, and it will be even colder but snow! Tomorrow we are learning about different wines maybe even get to try some!

Orientation

From March 3-5 I have orientation for my school. Yesterday we had a cocktail party which was fun then we all headed to the La Dee Da bar together. It was fun. Today was more orientation, and we got to sign up for excursions. I am going to a ruin castle - Drachenfels. (I think we are walking all the way there) not sure though. Tomorrow is more orientation, and then we are all going to Bonn, to go to museums and go to a bar. It should be fun!

Cologne

Today we are in Cologne, it is a very cool city and I like how you can walk around everywhere. I went to the Chocolate Museum today which is right along the Reine River. I ate at this German pub which has everyone sit together (even if you dont know each other). We had beer that was locally brewed, which was good. Our hotel is right next to the Dom Cathedral which is beautiful. Since it is cold outside, when inside looking around you could see your breath, haha. There is a lot of shopping and I have seen some stores the same. McDonald´s is big here, also I have seen a lot of ben and jerry´s. There are a lot of churches all near each other, very big and beautiful!

So I landed a few hours ago, and am now in Dusseldorf. Tomorrow I am on my way to Koln and then to Bonn. Then I will be in Bad Honnef where my school is. Germany is very clean so far and has a lot of places to recycle. : )

Leaving for Germany

So I leave for Germany February 23rd!