Friday
I
left work at lunch time to go home because I forgot to bring my chargers for
all my electronics and I realized I would have the opportunity to hike so I
should bring my boots and knee brace, I grabbed my things and was on my way to
the train station but had to wait for a bus, when I got to the station I waited
again and boarded a train to Kassel-Wilhelmschöhe where I waited to board
another train, while I was waiting I thought I heard a familiar voice and tuned
around and there were Olga and Paulius from the BIB, they were going to
Frankfurt to fly to Hong Kong and we were on the same train, we sat together
and talked a bit on the ride before they had to get off to get a flight, I
stayed on the train to Mannheim and got off, hopped on a train to Stuttgart and
it was totally packed but people still needed to get through, I was stuck
standing in the hallway with a stroller luckily it was only a 30 minute train
ride so I arrived in Stuttgart and waited for my regional train to take me to
Uhingen, this train was about 15 minutes late by when I arrived in Uhingen
Philip was waiting for me and took me home, I ate and talked with Joerg some
warned some soccer and then a comedy show and went to bed (oh and we drank some
good heifelweissen and red wine too).
Saturday
It
seems everyone overslept, I set an alarm for 7:45 but it was unfortunately for
pm not am, I still got up at 8 though and showered before having coffee and
breakfast with Tanja, we talked a bit then she drove me to Plochingen to get a
train to Stuttgart, on this train I ran into Philip and he said "you
should have told me, I could have driven you" oh well he was in too much
of a hurry, I went to Stuttgart and boarded a train to go to Karlsruhe Hbf where
I sous change to a train to Freiburg but the train was late so I missed the
train to Freiburg and had to wait 20 minutes for the next one, I finally
arrived in Freiburg and tried to follow the directions to my hosts home but
(leave it to me) I got lost, luckily my host came and met me at the tram stop I
got off from and took me home, on the walk there I spoke in German but I still
feel like a six year old when I speak but at least speaking reminds me that I
know more than I think I do, we had tea and spoke about plans for the evening
and couch surfing and life, she took a nap and I stayed in "my room"
and read a book for a few hours, I can't believe I haven't mentioned this yet
but it's snowing!, we went to pick up four of Eva's friends and all piled into
her car, her friend from Israel had some friends visiting and we all went to
another friend’s house where we shared dinner, they didn't have enough food for
us though so while most people ate we sat and watched and then we made and ate
pasta, it was interesting hearing all the languages at the tabs with German
English Russian Chinese Polish and Hebrew it was quite the mix, we hung out but
finally left to take the girls from Israel home, we went in for tea and hung
out to just talk (the whole night I was by far the youngest but I still had
just as many adventures and mishaps and such as everyone else, it makes me feel
so grown up and experienced), we finally came home at about 2 AM and went to
bed.
Sunday
I
woke up and "showered" but since Eva lives in the top of the building
all the ceilings are slanted like the roof and standing in the tub isn't really
an option so it was like a bath with the shower head, I talked to mike another
couch surfer who would show me the city during the day and we mad plans to meet
for breakfast around ten and I made tea then just relaxed until I had to leave,
I went into the city and met with Mike a couch surfer who would show me the
city, we went for breakfast and had a buffet of meats cheeses bread and other
items, we walked in the altstadt for a bit but then took a tram then a bus to
go to the longest gondola in Germany, we went up the hill and couldn't see much
due to the low clouds but we hiked and talked a lot, finally after maybe three
hours of walking and climbing we went down on the gondola again and went back
into the city, we went up another hill and onto another observation tower to
see the sun setting and the city lighting up, we went back down and said our
goodbyes and I went back to my hosts home, she had just finished cooking and we
ate and drank tea together while talking, I showed her some things from the US
and where I lived and she helped me to find another city to visit because I
couldn't find one in Lindau, we talked until maybe 10:30 then went to bed.
Monday
I
woke up and made tea for Eva and I and again we talked a lot, I still hadn't
found a host. But at least in Augsburg it is a large city so I could find a
hostel no problem, Eva and I said goodbye and I went to get on a tram to the
train station to leave Freiburg, while at the train station I received an email
from a host from Australia who could host me so I got on a train and went to
Karlsruhe where I would need to switch trains to go to Augsburg, I arrived in
Augsburg but my host couldn't meet me until 8:45 PM so I had a long time to
wait to meet so I locked my bag in a locker at the train station and went into
the city, I wandered and saw some churches and had some food in a small cafe
then went to meet Andrew at the Irish pub for a quiz group he was in, while there
I met some couch surfers and even a girl from commerce, after four rounds and a
beer we walked home, we stayed up and talked a bit but then went to bed.
Tuesday
I
woke up to the sound of a ringing like a telephone but it was someone at the
door, Andrews German girlfriend was here and we talked and hung out a bit
before they went for a morning run, I showered and read some then they were
home, we had breakfast together and I got to try vegemite for the first time
(Andrew is from Australia), around 12:30 I left the house and went into the
city because Andrew had to work, I started by going into the Rathaus and for
one euro I could go up and see the golden room where there was a sort of
classical concert going on, after walking around and taking some photos I left
and walked in the city more, I stopped in some churches and even went to the
oldest social settlement in the world, there was a bunker from WW2 there too
with an exhibit and there was another museum to see too but people were still
living there, I couldn't help but to think how weird it would be to live in a
museum, when I was finished I went into the city and found another church which
was playing organisms so I sat and enjoyed I for a bit (the same song I
remember playing at day care during nap time), I went I to the city and found a
yarn shop where I bought some wool and needles so I could knit on my trip, I
walked inherent city more and found the Augsburger Puppenkiste (puppets that
were used in a TV show for children in Germany comparable to sesame street in
the us), I went back to another church where there was a children’s child
performing then went back to Andrews place, he wouldn't be home until 9 but he
said his roommate might be home at 7 PM so I took a chance and went back because I
was cold and tired, Mitch was home and had another Italian friend over, he let
me in and I sat on the couch to read while him and his friend were in his room,
eventually him and his friend came out and we talked, they were shocked when I
told them it's usually considered rude to ask an American who they voted for
because on Italy of you don't talk about it people think you have something to
hide, finally Mitch's friend left and Andrew came home, Andrew cooked himself
dinner and we relaxed and talked for a few hours before he finally went to bed
and I did the same.
Wednesday
Andrew
and I both got up at about the same time and he went again for his run, I had
breakfast and took a shower and he returned, we talked and hung out for a while
but he had to work and I was going to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, I said goodbye
and hopped on a train, I had a change to make on the way but finally I arrived
and my host Cori was waiting for me, we went home first to drop off my bag and
have a drink but then we drove around a bit and she showed me some of the city
and he typical Bavarian building paintings, we then drove up to the panorama
and took some photos before we went to her favorite restaurant and had dinner,
after dinner we again drove around a bit then went home to relax, she went to a
sauna but in Europe nearly every sauna is bathing suit free and yes that means
nude, as a pride American I wasn't comfortable with going so she set up her
computer and I was able to check my email and Facebook etc., when she came home
around 11:30 we relaxed and takes on the couch before retiring for the night.
Thursday
Cori
and I got up and had breakfast then went into the mountains for a coffee but
she had to work so she dropped me at the train station and for 44 Euros I went
on a train to the top of Germany the highest mountain interment that is, I had
to take a train then a lift up and it was clear and beautiful there, my cell
phone even went into roaming at one point telling me I was in a different
country, I went into the museum there and just wandered some, I sat down in the
highest beer garden in Germany and had a Zugspitze coffee (with alcohol) and an
apple strudel, I eventually went down on another lift that took me to the
ebisee and hopped on a train back to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, once there I
wanted to sit down so I walked back in the direction on Cori's house but
stopped and walked through downtown Partenkirchen, I got a bit lost on the way
back and since it was a public holiday nothing was open but eventually I found
Cori's house and went in, I sat down but immediately wanted to go again, I left
and walked to downtown Garmish where I looked inside a church and the shops
while also looking at the building paintings and went home, I arrived at Cori's
house and showered and waited for her to arrive from work, at about half past
nine she was home (she's a nurse in a psych ward), we talked and she got ready
then we went to her friend fin's house and had a drink and waited for her other
friends to arrive, once everyone was there we went to peaches a bar that had a
karaoke night and listened to the horrible singing of the Germans while also
having some tequila and beers, we then walked to another bar so cleverly named
"Bar 2.0" and danced for a long time, there's an American army base
in town so I me some interesting army brats and an over active African American
boy who wouldn't take no for an answer when it came to dancing with me, finally
we left around 2 and Cori was our DD and drove us all home, when we arrived at
Cori's house we talked a bit and then went to bed, when I'm tired my German
gets worse and when I'm drunk it gets better weird.
Friday
Cori
and I woke up around 10:30 and ate something quickly before going to the city
for coffee, we tried to find the craft store but had no luck so instead we went
to a few other shops and stopped for more coffee / tea and then she took me to
the train station, I caught a train to Munich but there was construction on the
track so I had to take a bus for part of the way, my host in Munich wouldn't be
available to meet me until 6 so I decided to stop in another city on the way
since I had so much time, I decided to stop in Sternberg and sit by the Sternberger
See (or lake) in the sun, what a beautiful view too!, after a few hours I
hopped on a train to Munich again and when I arrived at the main station, I
left and walked to Marienplatz where I was to meet my host, I was there at
about 5:30 PM and I stopped for a cola at a restaurant, I was supposed to meet
my host at the fischbrunne but with the construction in the square I couldn't
see the fountain and I asked some people and was told that Mary's column was
where I was supposed to be, I waited until 8 PM at Mary's column and my host
didn't contact me (plus he didn't have a cell phone) so I went and got a hotel
for the night near the train station, I paid 44 € for a crappy tiny room
without a bathroom, I took a shower in the hallway where there was a common
bathroom for the whole floor, and then went to bed.
Saturday
I
woke up on Saturday around 8 AM and went downstairs to have breakfast, the one
redeeming factor for this hotel was the inclusive breakfast, I had a typical German
breakfast of rolls with different cheeses and meats with coffee / tea and
juice, when I was finished I grabbed my bag from my room and went downstairs to
check out, I was able to leave my bag at the hotel while I went into the city
which was nice, I left the hotel and went back to the Marienplatz to wait for
my Munich Free Walking Tour to begin, I stopped for a cappuccino at a café and
met a man and wife from Minnesota, I then went to take my tour of Munich, the
tour guide while a very nice guy is living in Munich because his girlfriend
lives there yet he doesn’t speak German and doesn’t want to learn it either, I
feel like the fact that he didn’t speak German really detracted from his tour
of the city, none the less I did learn some things about the city while on the
tour and I even met a nice Chinese girl too, after the tour I went back to the
train station and grabbed my bag from the hotel, I hopped on a train and was on
my way back home a day early, my train was making a stop in Göttingen and so I
decided I would see what Marilena had planned and if she wanted to meet up, she
had a birthday party for a family friend to go to but she invited me so I got
off my train in Kassel and took another train to meet her, on this train I met
a guy from Algeria who asked me for my email address, finally I got off the
train and met Marilena outside, we went back to the house and had dinner and
drinks and I saw her parents too, finally we drove back to her house in
Göttingen and went to bed.
Sunday
We woke up and got
ready because it was Marilena’s Oma’s birthday and we had to go to Kassel to
celebrate, we had a small breakfast and hung out with her roommate Roos and her
boyfriend, finally we drove to Kassel where we had Chinese food at a buffet,
everyone was a bit surprised to see me so soon as I hadn’t seen them since 2007
the last time and now it was twice in one year, after lunch we said goodbye and
Marilena and I went to her parent’s house for a coffee, then we went to see her
horses and drop off some food and stuff for them, it was getting late and we
were a ways from the train station so Marilena drove me back and dropped me
off, I hopped on a train to go home and was on my way, I had to make a change
but my train was running a bit late, luckily the next train waited for us (I
think it was the last one for the night), and I was in Paderborn again, I
waited to get the bus and went home where I spent a while on my computer and
before I knew it the time was already past midnight and I went to bed.
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