Amsterdam Plan

The last weekend in May I will be travelling to Amsterdam with a group of people from my group.  I consider this trip to be a pilgrimage.  Shortly after my arrival in Germany, my friend Laura recommended I read one of her favorite authors, John Green.  Having worked my way through two of his books I too am of the opinion that he is beyond amazing.  He is currently living in Amsterdam and we are determined to meet him.

So far, my list of things to accomplish in Amsterdam consists of…

1. Meet John Green!
2. Eat Pancakes
3. Find something cool at a market

If you have any recommendations please post them in the comment section. 

Things in Germany are going very well at the moment.  Although in class we are learning prepositions and they are the bane of my existence.  

Heidelberg

On Saturday I ventured to Heidelberg with my friends Laura and David.  There are many things to love about Heidelberg.  We hiked in the hills above the city which provided stunning views of the castle and city center.  The weather was beautiful, albeit a bit windy and after the hiked we indulged in some scrumptious ice cream.  Mine was blood orange flavored-delicious.  While the weather and architecture and river in Heidelberg were all excellent the best part of the trip was a piece of playground equipment we happened to find while strolling along the river. 

I have fond memories of playgrounds from my childhood and still spend significant amounts of time on the swing set that still stands in my family’s front yard.  However, we never had anything quite like this…

Please note, in the video you can hear me saying “Oh my God! This is the best thing ever.” And it was.  I imagine that is the closet I will ever come to flying.  Seeing as I am a muggle and therefore am unable to play quidditch-a depressing reality.  On a daily basis I have thought about doing another trip to Heidelberg in order to spend several hours soaring through the air and giggling uncontrollably.  It was magical. 

Easter in Munich

 

When I was planning my trip to Munich for Easter weekend I devised a long list of things to accomplish.  There were several historic sites I wanted to see and museums I planned to visit.  I left Munich after four days with most of the items on my list unaccomplished.  You see, I was busy.  I was busy spending my afternoons in the beer gardens watching the world go by as I melted into my surroundings.  I honestly don't know how Germans accomplish anything in the summer months with all the parks and ice cream and beer gardens they have access to.

I did manage to work in some sight seeing while I was in Munich.  In the main town square there are several church towers that you can climb to the top of and see magnificent views of the city.

I also went on a few walking tours.  One was Munich by night which featured some of the haunted spots in Munich and tales of more grisly bits of history.  I also visited Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site with a tour group.  I plan on discussing this experience in a later post.

I have an exam tomorrow that I must study for so I shall leave you with one of my favorite photos from Munich.