One Last Trip to Heidelberg

6/22/2016

Always in search of Nia, I decided to opt for some time in Heidelberg this morning, instead of going to class. Mistake? Maybe…especially since I hadn’t written ahead to check on the location and time with the teacher, which has been the only way I’ve had success doing Nia so far.

But sometimes you just have to go for it, you know? Just get on the train and DO IT!

In search of adventure (and Nia, of course), I found what I thought was the right address, but…no one seemed to have heard of it! I interrupted a yoga class, and quite possibly a counseling session, plus generally walked around looking lost.

Lucky for me, the day was beautiful, so I wasn’t too sad about having missed out.

With my second destination—the city library—in mind, I wandered slowly in that direction…

Stopping to look out over the river, of course! These mountains—aaah.

The library didn’t look like much from the outside…

But trust me—inside, it was GREAT!

After a few hours pleasantly passed on art and a sad minimum of homework, I decided it was time to head home. I took a Straßenbahn—street car—instead of one of the regional trains, opting for the longer but more scenic route!

And it was certainly scenic!

Certainly not the worst way I’ve ever spent a Wednesday…But depending on my energy level (and what my homework looks like), I may well be going in search of more Nia tomorrow afternoon!!

Xoxo,

Susan

Across the Bridge

6/18/2016

I’d originally planned to go to Cologne and Berlin this weekend, to visit some friends I met during high school, when they were studying in the U.S. Due to scheduling difficulties and expensive tickets, though, I opted to stay home. Instead of venturing clear across the country, I hopped on a tram across the river. It was time to explore our neighboring town of [Ludwigshafen]!

The annual ,,Fesitval des deutschen Films” takes place here—this year’s runs from June 15-July 3, and my teacher had recommended it highly to us. After meeting up with a classmate and her friend, and doing a little window-shopping and browsing in a TK-Maxx (a brand that you can only find in Europe!!), we stopped for lunch!

It was my first time eating Chinese in Europe, and it was DELICIOUS!
Thanks to my amazing classmate, Kleina Sun, for the photo ❤

Then on to the film fest, of course!

We watched a complicated romance about a couple who shrug off their married lives to be together, before later leaving one another. It was a little hard to follow and not quite what we’d had in mind, but the neat thing was that most of the film had been shot in Mannheim! I recognized just a couple of landmarks—otherwise, it really showed me a different side of the city. So cool!

Upon getting home, what should I look out my window to other than…

Another rainbow?!?

Two in three days—can’t say that’s ever happened before!

All in all, a great weekend!

Xoxo,

Susan

One Time to Mosbach

6/16/2016

In search of yet more Nia, I took another trip out of Mannheim this afternoon, making the trek to the somewhat-nearby Mosbach.

Into the Odenwald!

The train ride was LONG going there and back, but I like long train rides—they give me a chance to knit and listen to music and organize my thoughts. Aside from that, I barely ever travel by train in the U.S., so it’s always a nice change of pace.

I’m trying to get better about using directions and finding my ways around places I don’t know, as there have been plenty of times when I’ve gotten lost or wound up in the wrong spot. My strategy now is to photograph everything, as soon as I can…

Maps, train schedules, landmark buildings, you name it!

The Nia class was, again, one of the more amazing ones I’ve ever done, though I may have enjoyed it more if it’s hadn’t taken me QUITE so long to walk there.

Once I heard the music pouring out, though, I knew I’d found the right place!

The teacher gave me a ride back to a nearby train station, saving me a lot of walking and probably an equal amount of time being lost. I was a little sad I didn’t have more time in Mosbach, to explore properly…

Everything was so picturesque!

On the ride back, I got a couple of pleasant surprises—first, a glimpse at the castles I visited almost a month ago, on a weekend in May. What a cool feeling, to look up and recognize that mountain!

I’ve BEEN there!!

Next, and perhaps even better, was the rainbow that arched right across our train tracks!

Perhaps it was the Universe letting me know it was happy that I’d done Nia?

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Whether I’d found Nia or not, that trip would’ve been worth it!

Xoxo,

Susan

Out of the Schwarzwald again

6/12/2016

Well, after an exciting and drama-filled reunion at the youth hostel where we’d arranged to stay the night, my travel companions and I started off the day with a delicious—and complementary—breakfast. Our goal food-wise was to eat some Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cherry Torte cake) by the end of the day, but before that, our goal travel-wise was to pay a visit to the namesake of that most-delicious of treats…

That’s right—we were headed for the Schwarzwald itself!

My phone/camera was, unfortunately, very out of battery today—guess I used it up listening to music in the library yesterday—but it was honestly a bit refreshing, being cut off from the need to constantly take photos.

Despite that, I did get a couple of nice shots from our cable car on the way up!

Hello, The Schwarzwald! Hello, mountains! Hello…France?!

After a bit of hiking, we arrived at a beautiful observatory tower, where we braved the climb to the top despite one girl’s fear of heights. From there, we found ourselves looking down over blowing banks of fog, driven by rushing wind through beautiful, dense thickets of pines. Even though the day wasn’t clear—what a view!

Although we hadn’t hiked for very long at that point, we were all more than ready to call it quits and head back down the mountain. I’m not sure why, but everyone was extremely exhausted all day—myself included! Lucky for us, we had a recommendation for a spot where we could find the ultimate cure-all: CAKE. And not just any cake…

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte! (Photo credit europeantravelista.com)

Eaten right here in the region of the Schwarzwald!!! (Photo credit to www.cafeschmidt.de)

Despite all the ups and downs, the getting lost and putting my fellow travelers through a lot of unnecessary worrying, it was a pretty satisfying trip! And most important of all—I can now say that I’ve eaten Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte in Germany. I mean, clearly that’s been right at the top of the bucket list all along!

I’m always happy to come back to Mannheim, though.

There’s nothing quite like having a home-base.

Xoxo,

Susan

Into the Schwarzwald

6/11/2016

You know that moment when you’re traveling with a group, and then you turn around and find your group isn’t there anymore? Well, that happened to me on Saturday afternoon. My newfound friends (mainly other German students from U of M, and one girl’s hallmate) had spent the morning on an ICE train from Mannheim, and the lunch hour doing—what else?—eating lunch.

Anytime there’s pesto, you can believe that’s what I’m going to order… 🙂

After that, we strolled through the Augustinermuseum, where we saw some absolutely beautiful works by a Dutch painter who worked in the 1800s.

They. Were. AMAZING.

A little later, while I was busy and distracted with reading a sign in some really tough German…

My friends ditched me! Can you believe it?

To be honest, though, I wasn’t too disappointed to suddenly find myself alone. There’s something quite nice about traveling by yourself—in a big city, in a small town, whatever.

You get to take your time…

…to stroll…

…and you see things you might not have found otherwise.

Not sure what my friends got up to all afternoon—quite possibly, they spent the time looking for me—but I passed the afternoon in the lovely University library, right next door to the city’s theater and, like, ice cream. Don’t worry, I restrained myself…

The library was rewarding enough!

Xoxo,

Susan

Adventure, Adventure

6/8/2015

Something that I’ve wanted to do since arriving in Germany has been to dance Nia. Just one time would be enough, I figured, but I had to make it happen. Today, after a lot of late-night Internet searching and planning on Google Maps, I decided to go for it—there appeared to be TWO Nia classes on Wednesday afternoons in Karlsruhe, and it’s not all that far away…

Right?

The train ride went smoothly, and the city was quite beautiful—but, unfortunately for me, there was no one at the Dojo when I arrived. After some more Internet searching, I learned that the 4:15 class doesn’t start until September! This discovery prompted further exploration of the city, since I had nothing else to do until 6pm, when the next Nia session was supposed to take place. But it wasn’t all bad—I saw a lot of pretty buildings, spent some time in the public library, and strolled through a really lovely city park!

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Turns out what I’d hoped was an afternoon Nia session was actually a 90-minute “yoga” class, but one that involved a lot of deep breathing and slow, gentle movements. On the dark blue mats of the studio, in the soft glow of pink salt-crystal lamps, with birds singing outside and rain pouring down onto green leaves, I spent a couple of the most relaxing hours I think I’ve had since coming to Europe. All in all, the adventure was totally worth it!

I’m still determined to find some Nia, though.

Xoxo,

Susan

Not Really the End of Anything

5/31/2016

Good-byes are one of my least favorite things. Often, I don’t know if or when I’ll see someone again, and…well, how are you supposed to part ways with friends who’ve grown to feel like family?

To celebrate the end of the semester and the end of a hard yet rewarding month, we went out to eat at our favorite place, Café Vienna.

The food was great…

But the fun we had taking selfies was even better!

One final game of Catan, one final night talking in English about anything and everything that seemed important enough to discuss. One final night with friends who’ve grown to feel like family. I’ll see them all again tomorrow morning, of course, but somehow it just won’t be the same. And Alex and Catherine aren’t the only ones leaving—on the morning of the 2^nd, I depart to spend four days with a friend in Italy!! If I try, maybe I can even pick up a bit of Italian. ❤

I will miss Mannheim, though…

Xoxo,

Susan

One Step Back in Time

5/28/2016

We tried something new today, adventuring outside of Mannheim to take part in a Renaissance Fair in the nearby town of Worms! I didn’t quite know what to expect, just that I was crossing my fingers for no rain. It turned out that Worms is about the most picturesque town you can find, like, anywhere.

I mean, look at this house! Does anyone live here? Who knows??

 

We explored downtown for a bit, then continued on to…

The Fair!!!

It was big, beautiful, and something out of a different era, as most everyone was in costume…Everyone but us, of course.

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The day was perfect for this kind of event, and we spent a lot of time just wandering…

…and finding surprises over every hill!

Naturally, we explored as many of the booths as we could…Don’t worry, though, I didn’t buy much! 😉

Sometime after lunch, we took a break to sit in the shade and play some chess, with me Vs. my friend Alex.

I really should have won that game, and definitely before the two-hour mark…

As clouds gathered on the horizon, we got ready to head out.

Hi, friends! Bye, Fair!

The storm broke just after we’d switched from the Regional Train to our neighborhood tram.

We got home drenched!

There was no time to feel sorry for ourselves, though—we’d all signed up to go to a ballet performance with other Goethe students that evening. The event was being organized by the Goethe Institut, so we didn’t want to be late!

Of course, that’s when it decided to pour…

We made it in the end, though, finding a break in the rain at just the right time.

Adventures in photobombing at Der kleine Prinz (The Little Prince) !!!

I loved the show, but I’ve read the book… my friends weren’t as familiar with the story, and they decided to head out during the intermission. Being on my own for the second half wasn’t all bad, though…

it gave me a chance to take more pictures of me in the dress from Cologne!

So, it was a great day full of new adventures. The hard part now will be saying good-bye, in just a few days’ time…

Xoxo,

Susan

Going Castling

5/21/2016

One of the things everyone should really do while in Germany is spend a little time exploring castles. I got a small taste of that at Heidelberg, but even though we spent all day there, we really only saw one castle in the end. Going around with a big tour group also made for a somewhat different experience than if I’d been there on my own, or with only a couple of friends. So, today, that’s just what we decided to do—my friends and I packed some lunch and got on a bus heading south!

Destination: Dilsberg!

After a few transfers and some slow morning conversation, we were dropped off in Dilsberg, a tiny “Dorf” or village up in the Odenwald mountains. It’s about 15 Kilometers from Heidelberg, and was founded by Romans, like, before the 1200s.

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We spent the morning in the castle ruins, staring out over green country and red roofs under the blue skies.

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After a short hike, we also got to explore a tunnel leading through the mountain to the well under the castle, which was once a cistern, but was expanded when Dilsberg came under siege. According to a tour guide, Mark Twain was inspired by the well, and the story he told then inspired someone in his audience to come hide treasure in a gap in the wall. Not sure I caught every word, though, so don’t quote me on it.

Anyway, the well was definitely loved by Mark Twain!

A little further down the mountain, we found a door leading back the way we’d come…

And we got to stand INSIDE the well!!

In the town across the Rhine, we ate a lot of pizza and then resumed our hike.

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All in all, the day was gorgeous, and it was nice getting out to explore. We were all wiped out by the time we got home…

But everyone was really glad we went!!

Xoxo,

Susan