Category: Germany

So, the weather today was really not that nice. Even though it’s not cold, the skies were completely gray. So, we just walked around the town, got a Kebap (Turkish hamburger/sandwich) and sat next to the river to eat. We also stopped to get some Milka* and it was very cheap. So, I got my essentials for the day. Milka and Water. We went to the market place in the morning and that was really cool to see the way the shopping on Saturday’s work here. It was in a square and had fresh meats, cheeses, flowers, and produce, and it’s tradition. So, I took some really good pictures there, and hopefully I’ll be able to post some within the next couple of weeks. I’m looking everywhere to try to find a place that I can download my pics to! Judith and I will be going to Star Wars Episode II tonight at the Cineplex (It’s the English version, so I’ll be ok). The theater is pretty new, so it should be a nice evening. Then we’ll go to a Biergarten (Beergarden) that’s in the town and have a drink and some bratwurst =)

So after another connection in Gießen and a 10 minute delay, I arrived in Marburg and Judith was waiting for me at the station. It was really cool to see her after these few months. We went back to her apartment and it is sooo nice! It is a really nice town that she lives in, with all the traditional German architecture. Every house looks like I should be seeing Hansel and Gretel come walking out of it. We spent the day roaming around the city to the castle. The weather was absolutely beautiful and warm. We then went to have dinner at a Chinese restaurant and really were able to catch up on everything that had been going on in our lives. It was really so amazing to be sitting here with Judith and having dinner here in Germany. I am having such an awesome time getting to learn about Europe more, learn more about life, travel, and myself. Life is simply good.

This morning I woke up early to get all my stuff together for my trip to meet Judith. I got a take out breakfast from the hostel (oh yeah, the breakfasts were really good there–french toast, pancakes, eggs..etc..) and headed to the station, and had my Eurail pass validated. Then I boarded the 9:04am train (ICE) to Köln (Cologne). Of course, I didn’t know really where to sit on the train, I just knew I had to get on. As luck has it, I end up in first class =) So, I sit in first class thinking that the whole train is this luxurious for almost an hour, so I opened up my breakfast to eat. Then the conductor comes by looking for my ticket, and he explained that I didn’t have a 1st class ticket. So, I acted surprised about my foolish blunder and asked if I could just finish breakfast, and then move since no one was there. He said that was fine, and I moved to 2nd class. It was a nice train ride, but the seats all around me had been reserved by Dutchmen, so I had to listen to the beautiful glotteral sounds of the Dutch language the whole time. Finally I arrived at Köln and got out.

=) Joann and Tim you know what I’m talking about, and if Diane is reading this, she’d laugh too.

So, I get out of the station at Köln because it’s right next to a huge church next to the station that we visited during winter this year. I just couldn’t help but laugh though when I came out and saw the McDonald’s there on the corner!! haha.

inside joke–

This morning, we drove to Judith’s town of Greimerath near the Luxembourg border. From there we went around her area, to the Villeroy & Boch Factory (really famous German China Company). We then drove to Trier, the oldest city of Germany. Here, the Porte Negra stood–a huge Romanesque building. We walked the promenades, went to the Cathedral of Trier, and then ate dinner at a nice restaurant on the river in Saaburg.

Today, we went to the airport to see Joann and Tim off. We then drove to Frankfurt and did a little city tour around all the sights of the city. I saw the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Opera House, famous street of Fressgass, the River Main, where the 1st Congress of Germany met (Paul’s Kirche), the Cathedral of Frankfurt. I lost my hat on top of a tower though=(

We also went to a bank to use the ATM to get our first look at the Euro! It was really cool, because all the banks had little ‘starter’ kits of Euro that you could get to start being acquainted with the money. The money was really nice and I liked being able to witness the change in a region’s currency over night!

On New Year’s Day, we went to see the Hundertwasser Haus. He’s a famous architect that made houses that looked like they’re from a Dr. Seuss book. It was located in Bad Soden. That afternoon we went for a long walk in the woods and went sledding. It was really a lot of fun.

Today we went to the grocery store, and it was complete madness. Not to mention my purchase of 40+ Milka items on sale! So, we planned for the evening’s festivities, and welcomed Judith, Joann, and Tim to Jürgen’s. So, that night, we had a really traditional German dinner with a little oven, that you mix different ingredients: (potatoes, ham, etc,) and top it with cheeses. It was SOOO good. Then, towards midnight, we went out to the snow covered hills behind Jürgen’s to watch and set of fireworks. It was so beautiful. The night was so clear, and from every point in Frankfurt, you could see fireworks going. It was such a peaceful sight, I really really was so thankful for being with such great people for New Year’s. That night, we sledded a little down some hills, and just had a great time. We also found out that if you put a raisin in wine, it will continuously go up and down like an elevator. If you get a chance, try it. It will provide lots of laughs of disbelief. We also played a “lead” game. You boil lead on a spoon, and then throw it in water, and everyone tries to see what form it has: bird, plane, snake or what not, and get a fortune from it. It was funny too.

Today we drove to Tim’s parent’s house, because they were throwing an engagement party for Tim and Joann. So, we dressed up and went to the party. Great food, nice people, and lots of humor made that night pass very quickly.