Mannheim, Heidelberg, Visiting Eric

Last weekend I went to visit Eric from Thursday to Sunday. We had a lot of fun. We first went to Heidelberg on Friday and it was actually a really gorgeous day. Heidelberg is a huge touristy part of Germany, because it is the epitome of what people think when they think of Germany. We walked up to the castle. Of course I was huffing and puffing the whole way there because it was a walk that was basically straight up! Eric was wondering why I was so out of breath..haha. In Heidelberg I heard the most English I have heard since I have been in Germany, it was kind of weird actually. Some lady from Wisconsin actually came up to me and Eric to talk because she heard us speaking English. After we walked around throughout the castle and saw the amazing view of Heidelberg and the forest we went to a little bar to get something to drink and I had a little snack. A German couple from Bremen asked us if they could sit at the same table with us because the whole restaurant was full and we had 2 free seats at our table. So they started talking to us in German and then asked us if we were from Denmark? haha it was kind of weird that they assumed we were from there, because our accents are pretty American, at least mine is anyway. We finally told them we were from the USA and got into a huge discussion lasting about 2 hours ! The woman was saying she thinks that American accents sound like we are speaking with a hot potato in our mouths...haha!!! So that was a comparison I have never heard before. And of course they had to ask what our views on McCain and Obama were, EVERY German seems so interested on our political views, which is strange for me, because I really have never gotten into many political discussions. ( Pictures of me and Eric at the Castle in Heidelberg)

Needless to say Heidelberg was so beautiful, especially at this time of year in the fall because all the leaves are changing and perfect weather to walk around the city. On Saturday we explored Mannheim. It is so different from where I am at in Freiburg. Mannheim is very industrialized, and flat. While in Freiburg, I am surrounded by the Black Forest and everything is very old looking, and every road has cobble stones. But Mannheim was definitely a change of scenery for me, especially the amount of Turkish people there were there, Freiburg definitely doesn't have very many. Mannheim's weather is also very different because it will be totally sunny and not a cloud in the sky and then 30 minutes later it will be cloudy and about to rain, it does this everyday. Eric got mad at me because I didn't take my umbrella with me the first day, because he knew it would rain at least once...and unluckily for me it did. All of Eric's roomates were gone all weekend so I didn't get to meet any of them but I did meet his Brazilian friends. He definitely has a knack for developing a very diverse group of friends...lol. Mannheim also has a really pretty water tower downtown, definitely looks nothing like "water towers" in the USA. The Mannheim Castle was also a sight to see. It was so enormous! I think the whole castle took up about 6 city blocks!! Eric also took me to this amazing church that he stumbled upon one day, it didn't look very pretty from the outside but once we walked in, my jaw dropped! Everything was marble, gold and green, it was so pretty, and my pictures don't do justice at all! sadly.

(Eric by the garden in Mannnheim/Wasserturm...the fountain was amazing.)

(Picture of me in front of the Wasserturm...Water tower in Mannheim) thank god it was actually a nice day in Mannheim.) (Eric in front of the enormous John Deere Plant...you can't tell from the picture but it was huge)


I also met my Tandem partner last week and I went to the Hookah bar with her and 2 of her Ukrainian friends. We had a lot of fun just talking, both in English and German. Her English is so good, I was wondering why she wanted me for a tandem partner, but I really hope she can help me improve my German. Her name is Anne Winkel and she is 22 years old, so I am glad I have a new German girl friend.

So right now I am on my 2 week break before University starts. Tomorrow I think me, Kelly, and Jake (my AYF friends) are going to Triberg in the Black Forest. It apparently has the biggest waterfall in Germany and home of the Cuckoo Clock, which originated in the Black Forest. So I am sure it will be really pretty there.

Next week from Sunday October 12-October 19 I am going to Madrid, Spain to see my friend Diego, he was an exchange student at North Scott High School when I was a Junior and we became really good friends. He lives in downtown Madrid so I am sure it will be soo pretty! The weather is supposed to be nice the whole week too, around 65-72! perfect weather! It just sucks that I have to fit everything that I am taking into a backpack because to check my luggage it cost 30 Euros ($43)!! So knowing me I am sure I'll over pack! But that's my plan for the next week...on October 20th I start German University! I am definitely getting a little scared because every class is in German of course! So I hope I can keep up and get some good grades!

I hope everything is going great back at home...even though the economy is taking a big hit!

Auf Wiedersehen!