Advertisement
Hello again!
So I'm finally able to take the time to fill you in on my weekend. I got home from Germany around 830 last night, and after Skyping my mom and Sarah, I was too tired and just wanted to go to bed.
Anyway, my trip to see Mona was great! I felt pretty adventurous taking the train all by myself. On my way there I actually did have to use the small of German that I know to figure out what train I was supposed to take from Cologne. This old couple was really helpful and just replied to me in English... clearly I wasn't a local. However, I misunderstood what they told me and ended up getting off the train two stops too early in the Middle of Nowhere, Germany. I was kinda worried for a split second when I couldn't get a hold of Mona, but I figured out what time the next train was and calmed down. But fortunately I made it there, just about 30 minutes late. You live and you learn, am I right?
So Friday we went in to Bonn and walked around and did some shopping and ate at
a cafe. Then we ate dinner with her parents at her house. I finally got some salad after eating all this delicious yet fattening French food, so I was really happy about that. Then that night we went to a shady bar in Bad Honnef with a couple of Mona's friends. We were the only ones there for a couple hours, but then people started showing up and there was smoke everywhere: our cue to leave.
Saturday was a fun-filled day in Cologne. We slept in a little bit and then took the train in to the city. We walked along the Rhine River and then took a cable car over the river to the other side so we got a great view of the city. We crossed back over the Rhine, and apparently they have this tradition that started in Cologne where couples put a lock around the fence on this bridge and throw the key in the ocean to symbolize their eternal love. I'm not much of a romantic, but I thought it was so cool, and the bridge was absolutely covered in locks. Then we went to a chocolate museum (Yum!) and I learned all about
the history of chocolate and how it is made and maybe ate just a little 😉 Then Mona and I walked around and shopped yet again, but we finally stopped to sit down and have some Kolsch, the beer of Cologne. Mona's parents were at a birthday party for one of there friends in Cologne, so we stopped by there, and I was the only person there who didn't speak German. I'm sure everyone was wondering who the strange girl speaking English was, but there was free food so I was pretty content. Plus I've gotten used to feeling like the Siebenbuerger's handicapped daughter who grew up not knowing how to speak German haha.
That night, we went out to this dance club in her town that used to be an indoor pool that was converted so you can imagine what it looked like. To top it off, the bouncers were these huge German men with scary faces and weird haircuts (Mona told me later that they are all a part of Hell's Angels... cool). At first they didn't think my Texas driver's license was real, but luckily Mona could convince them and I got in. The night turned
out pretty fun, and I'm glad we got to do that for my last night.
Sunday I didn't have to leave until around 5 pm so we took a cable car with her parents up to these ruins on top of one of the hills along the Rhine. It was rainy and foggy so the view wasn't perfect but it was still nice being outside. We hiked the rest of the way down so that really topped off my walking quota for the weekend.
So now I'm back in Strasbourg hanging out wait for dinner to be ready. Today we toured the European Parliament, which is located in Strasbourg, in the morning and then had European Integration in the afternoon. Pretty relaxed, but I seriously need to start studying... Later though.
New Discoveries:
-Wear socks with shoes when you're going to be walking all day... Ew.
-Germans play Cotten Eyed Joe at their bars too.
-European bachelor/bachelorette parties involve dressing up in matching outfits and flocking to the nearest party city. Even if that means there will be 50 other groups doing the same thing.
-France and German summers are about 30 degrees
colder than Texas summers.
I think that's about all for today. This week will probably go by pretty fast, which I have no problem with at all considering we leave for Prague on Thursday!!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.087s; Tpl: 0.016s; cc: 12; qc: 52; dbt: 0.0548s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Ruth
non-member comment
So exciting
Hey Amanda, so happy to read your amazing posts. What a great writer you are also!! keep it up. Happy Touring! Love, Aunt ruth