TravelBio

Before long the program was already nearing an end – it was only 4 weeks to begin with – and I was making plans for my return trip. Earlier in the summer my dad and I had planned out a trip to take together after my class was over. He was scheduled to arrive in Frankfurt where I would meet him at the airport. From there we would visit my great uncle near Aachen (actually on the Belgian side of the border), and then travel to Amsterdam, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo. After my program ended I had two days free before my dad arrived, so I stayed at a hostel in Frankfurt. The first night I went out with a group of people from the hostel to a festival along the Main River in central Frankfurt. Everything was going great; I was drinking a beer and sitting on a bank by the river, and the next thing I knew I was knocked into the water along with a girl from the hostel! I think what happened was one of the guys fell into us (either he was pushed or just was drunk)...

During my program in Bonn a friend of mine from back home came to visit. Mike, who lived with me at OSU, had decided last minute to take a trip to Europe! He first went to London to visit his Aunt and Uncle, then flew to Germany to see me, and afterward traveled to Italy with another friend from back home (who also happened to be studying in Germany). Mike (left) with me at a baseball game back in Ohio Mike stayed with me for a few days in Bonn, and we also took a weekend trip to Munich. Mike and I managed visit a few famous sights in the city…well, if you count the beer halls and bars then we saw a whole lot of Munich! I got in touch with the other side of Munich that I had missed during my trip as a kid (that sounds like a good way to put it). Out of all the watering holes definitely the most memorable was the Hofbräuhaus. Aside from the Liter mugs, the best part of the experience is sitting at the long public tables (which look like big picnic benches) and ma...

Each weekday we had class for several hours during the morning, followed by a lunch break. Meals were not included in the cost of the program, but there was a cafeteria on campus with relatively cheap food that we frequented for lunch. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we had additional classes in the afternoon. The remaining days, however, were usually free for us to do as we pleased after morning classes. We had homework most nights, but it typically wasn’t anything very time consuming. Aside from the final project I rarely spent more than an hour or two on homework a night. You may question my objectiveness, but I think it was better for us not to have tons of homework every day. The best way to learn the language is to force oneself to speak it with locals. Unfortunately I ended up speaking English with a lot of the other students, but we did have opportunities to practice German when we were out in Bonn. Me (left) and the crew I hung out with in Bonn As I mentioned p...

As much as I would have liked to stay longer in Berlin, the start date for the Bonn program was quickly approaching, so I had to pack up and get ready to start classes. I arrived in Bonn the night before check-in and spent the night at a youth center outside of town (kind of weird, really; there was a combination of student groups, teenage kids, and families all staying there). The following day I lugged my stuff to the university to sign in and receive my room assignment. I knew that we would be assigned university apartments, but I didn’t realize that they would be off-campus. An employee drove us to the housing complex and showed us our rooms, but from then on we had to take either the train or bus to get to campus. I was also disappointed to find out that not all of the students would live in one place; we were spread out between a handful of different housing complexes around the city. Although it wasn’t ideal, I quickly got used to the living arrangements. Even ...

This time I actually got a seat for the overnight trip! I slept better too, and when I awoke we were already in Strasbourg. After studying the train charts I decided that it would be best to go to Frankfurt first, spend a night there, and then head to Berlin. I had a couple of hours before the train to Frankfurt left, so I did the usual, exploring the city by foot. It was odd to see so many traditional German houses in a French city. Strasbourg (or Straβburg) has flipped between German and French control over the centuries, but much of the turn of the 20 th century German architecture remains. Although French is most common, I also encountered German speakers. The old town, with its massive cathedral, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Again I found myself wishing that I had more time to spend in a city that I was just passing through. Much of the architecture in Strasbourg reminded me of Germany, not France The massive (and impressive) Strasbourg Cathedral ...

Naturally I was tired when I arrived the following morning in Nice. I had looked up the address of a hostel for Nice back when I was in Spain, but hadn’t actually booked anything yet. Luckily there were still vacancies, so I paid for a night and dropped my stuff off. The weather was great – sunny and warm, but not too hot – so I decided to check out the beach. I was expecting sand, of course, but instead found that the beach was full of smooth, 1-3 inch in diameter rocks. There were still lots of people lying out though. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but I still joined them anyway. It was going to take more than that to keep me away from the beach! I was expecting sand, not stones! After a few hours beachside I grabbed lunch, showered, and headed out for some sightseeing. There is a great park near the city center that is elevated several hundred feet which overlooks the waterfront and harbor. To reach it you have to climb up a bunch of stairs, but it is defi...

The following day I took a bus from Barcelona to Andorra, a small country in the Pyrenees sandwiched between Spain and France. I wanted to see as many countries as I could, and I figured that I wouldn’t have many other chances to get to Andorra in the future. I stayed in the capital, Andorra de la Vella, for one night, and then it was off to France. Andorra is a tiny country bordering France and Spain I arrived during the afternoon and was scheduled to leave the following morning. It was a short stay, but that was fine with me. The country draws numerous tourists during the ski season, but there wasn’t much going on in the summer. Andorra is also a tax haven and attracts both businesses and shoppers looking to take advantage of the savings. The central area of the capital has lots of shops selling electronics, clothing, and jewelry. It was fun to go window shopping, but I didn’t have much room in my backpack or spare change in my wallet to splurge on some new stuff...

these trains can really fly  After a late night I had to get up early the following morning to catch a train to Barcelona. I didn’t want to sleep in too much since that would mean less time for sightseeing. Plus I could sleep on the train anyway. Thanks to high speed rail, I was in Barcelona by early afternoon (we often traveled at speeds above 300 km an hour – or 186+ mph!). Karoline had given me the address of the hostel where she was staying, and I had decided to book a bed there as well.  The hostel was a little off the beaten tourist track, which was nice, but when I got off the subway the area seemed like a ghost town. I eventually realized that it was because of the time of day – early afternoon is when Spaniards take their siesta, or afternoon nap. I was surprised that the practice was still prevalent. To my amazement, many stores were closed up and the streets were quiet. I should try getting on the siesta schedule! I checked in to the hos...