Note: Sorry for the less well-edited post. I've been reduced to posting from my iPhone, which limits what I can do with my blog editor. Still fun and good enough, though!
The European way of life has taken its toll on me -- I had been so excited to take advantage of newfound opportunities for physical activity that I forgot to ease into more exercise. Thus, my body is effectively flipping me off by giving me a sprained left midfoot and a bruised right heel. Wie nett.
Nonetheless, my feet had enough left in them for a short walk with Johanna and Jasper the dog. I'm still astounded by the abundance of trails around Kassel -- Johanna and I walked Jasper three times while I was visiting, each time for as short as 30 minutes and as long as 2 hours, and we never overlappped by a single trail. And so I add another point to the list of "German vs. American" ironies: in German metropolitan areas trails are plentiful, while in American rural areas (like Healdsburg) trails are scarce.
On our walk, Johanna and I climbed the Bismarckturm, which overlooks the whole city of Kassel. Even though so much of it was destroyed in the war, to me Kassel is still beautiful. I love how the orange-red rooftops clash with the green forests and how nestled it all looks in the valley surrounded by rolling hills.
Johanna and I celebrated our last day in Kassel with a farewell meetup at Goetheanlage (Goethe Park). We said goodbye to Clara, Leona, Lioba, and Lioba's Spanish exchange student Elena and met a few others. The weather had finallly warmed up and was perfect for a picnic, and there were many other locals outside; children played on the swings and rode bikes while their parents looked on, and teenagers like us relaxed on top of blankets and jackets listening to music.
Next, Lutz gave us both copies of our passports, Eurail/Interrail passes, and other important documents. Wie sus und praktisch. He drove us home, and from there we walked to Johanna's best friend Anne's house to say goodbye before our five-week-long voyage.
Then Johanna's family picked us up and we went on our way to Schloss Garvensburg, a weekend retreat for a wealthy hunting party built in the 18th century. The owner and architect's family sold the castle, and today it's been converted into a hotel, cafe, and restaurant. Schloss Garvensburg typically hosts weddings, and few people dine there with small parties. Luckily for us, we had the whole restaurant to ourselves! I think it's funny that more people don't dine there; the food was superb and the service was outstanding.
At the restaurant, Lutz asked me if I'd found Germany different than I'd expected. I told him that I couldn't yet evaluate that fully, since I've only been here for less than a week, mostly in just one city. That said, Germany has met most of my expectations but has also surprised me. Thanks to the internet, I was able to find out some things about Kassel and Germany; maybe that's why I never felt nervousness or culture shock while here. I'd expected that people would walk a lot and drink a lot, that transportation would be excellent, that cities would mix old and new, and that the language would be challenging to learn. I hadn't expected the food to be so good; I had pictured more meat and sauerkraut and been prepared to give up vegetarianism to survive. I hadn't expected the forests to be so lush; I'd forgotten what green looked like thanks to the California drought. And I hadn't expected Germany to be so welcoming; I was surprised to find that besides the strange language I had never registered that I was in a foreign country since it felt so much like home. I'm excited to broaden and deepen my perspective during my stay in Berlin at the end of my Eurail trip.
I passed into a food coma when I arrived home. I woke up at 7:15 to say goodbye to Christiane and to finish the final touches of packing. I transferred my clothes and gear from my suitcase to the backpack Luise is lending me and was able to free up space by leaving a few items behind. I plan to pick up my suitcase at Johanna's counsin's house in Frankfurt after the Eurail trip.
It's amazing how attached to her clothes one gets. But on the bright side, I'm ready to replenish my wardrobe with some unique new pieces! Stay tuned for shopping haul reports (no, Mom, I won't buy too much).
Carrying our new nomadic lives on our backs, Johanna and I walked to the bus stop, printed sightseeing tickets and booking confirmations at Lutz's practice, and said goodbye to Lutz and Johanna's brother Adrian at the train station. We boarded the train to Hannover and made our connection towards Amsterdam without problem.
We arrived on time in Amsterdam at 5:00 PM and checked into a Christian hostel called Shelter. Accomodations are relatively cheap at 34 euros per person per night, and the price includes breakfast. Plus, the hostel is centrally located and offers only single-sex bedrooms. We're looking forward to a convenient and safe stay.
Tomorrow afternoon we're visiting the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. We plan to meet up with my Healdsburgian friend Kyle as well. For now, we'll wander around and see what we find. Stay tuned for loads more photos!
Nonetheless, my feet had enough left in them for a short walk with Johanna and Jasper the dog. I'm still astounded by the abundance of trails around Kassel -- Johanna and I walked Jasper three times while I was visiting, each time for as short as 30 minutes and as long as 2 hours, and we never overlappped by a single trail. And so I add another point to the list of "German vs. American" ironies: in German metropolitan areas trails are plentiful, while in American rural areas (like Healdsburg) trails are scarce.
On our walk, Johanna and I climbed the Bismarckturm, which overlooks the whole city of Kassel. Even though so much of it was destroyed in the war, to me Kassel is still beautiful. I love how the orange-red rooftops clash with the green forests and how nestled it all looks in the valley surrounded by rolling hills.
Johanna and I celebrated our last day in Kassel with a farewell meetup at Goetheanlage (Goethe Park). We said goodbye to Clara, Leona, Lioba, and Lioba's Spanish exchange student Elena and met a few others. The weather had finallly warmed up and was perfect for a picnic, and there were many other locals outside; children played on the swings and rode bikes while their parents looked on, and teenagers like us relaxed on top of blankets and jackets listening to music.
Next, Lutz gave us both copies of our passports, Eurail/Interrail passes, and other important documents. Wie sus und praktisch. He drove us home, and from there we walked to Johanna's best friend Anne's house to say goodbye before our five-week-long voyage.
Then Johanna's family picked us up and we went on our way to Schloss Garvensburg, a weekend retreat for a wealthy hunting party built in the 18th century. The owner and architect's family sold the castle, and today it's been converted into a hotel, cafe, and restaurant. Schloss Garvensburg typically hosts weddings, and few people dine there with small parties. Luckily for us, we had the whole restaurant to ourselves! I think it's funny that more people don't dine there; the food was superb and the service was outstanding.
At the restaurant, Lutz asked me if I'd found Germany different than I'd expected. I told him that I couldn't yet evaluate that fully, since I've only been here for less than a week, mostly in just one city. That said, Germany has met most of my expectations but has also surprised me. Thanks to the internet, I was able to find out some things about Kassel and Germany; maybe that's why I never felt nervousness or culture shock while here. I'd expected that people would walk a lot and drink a lot, that transportation would be excellent, that cities would mix old and new, and that the language would be challenging to learn. I hadn't expected the food to be so good; I had pictured more meat and sauerkraut and been prepared to give up vegetarianism to survive. I hadn't expected the forests to be so lush; I'd forgotten what green looked like thanks to the California drought. And I hadn't expected Germany to be so welcoming; I was surprised to find that besides the strange language I had never registered that I was in a foreign country since it felt so much like home. I'm excited to broaden and deepen my perspective during my stay in Berlin at the end of my Eurail trip.
I passed into a food coma when I arrived home. I woke up at 7:15 to say goodbye to Christiane and to finish the final touches of packing. I transferred my clothes and gear from my suitcase to the backpack Luise is lending me and was able to free up space by leaving a few items behind. I plan to pick up my suitcase at Johanna's counsin's house in Frankfurt after the Eurail trip.
It's amazing how attached to her clothes one gets. But on the bright side, I'm ready to replenish my wardrobe with some unique new pieces! Stay tuned for shopping haul reports (no, Mom, I won't buy too much).
Carrying our new nomadic lives on our backs, Johanna and I walked to the bus stop, printed sightseeing tickets and booking confirmations at Lutz's practice, and said goodbye to Lutz and Johanna's brother Adrian at the train station. We boarded the train to Hannover and made our connection towards Amsterdam without problem.
We arrived on time in Amsterdam at 5:00 PM and checked into a Christian hostel called Shelter. Accomodations are relatively cheap at 34 euros per person per night, and the price includes breakfast. Plus, the hostel is centrally located and offers only single-sex bedrooms. We're looking forward to a convenient and safe stay.
Tomorrow afternoon we're visiting the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. We plan to meet up with my Healdsburgian friend Kyle as well. For now, we'll wander around and see what we find. Stay tuned for loads more photos!