Weekend in Amsterdam

This past weekend some friends and I traveled to Amsterdam, and it was a lot of fun. We stayed in the Stayokay Hostel Zeeburg, and it was really nice, with breakfast included. If anyone plans on staying in Amsterdam, I would stay there. The only downside about the hostel was that it wasn't centrally located. The first night we were in Amsterdam my friends and I walked to the city center, and it took about an hour to walk there, and an hour back. The next morning, we decided we were never going to take that walk again, and asked the front desk for tram tickets. A 48 ticket only cost us 12 euro each, and we could take any tram, bus, or night bus, so I thought that was a pretty good deal.

The first thing we wanted to do in Amsterdam was see the Anne Frank House. This is where Anne Frank and her family hid from Nazi Persecution for nearly two years until they were caught. Anne's father made the house into a museum in 1960. I was unable to take photos while in the museum, which is completely understandable. As I was walking through the Secret Annex, it was hard to imagine how eight people could have lived in such a tiny space for so long. There were workers below the Annex during the weekday, so the family also always had to be extremely quiet. I think anyone visiting Amsterdam should visit the Anne Frank House. I would suggest going right at opening time, or purchasing tickets online. My friends and I waited in line for two hours, which wouldn't have been that bad, but the weather wasn't particularly good.

Another thing we did was visit the Heineken Museum. It was actually really cool, because we got to learn about the history of the beer, and saw how it was produced. There was also a very tiny amusement park ride, which was a little cheesy, but creative. The museum also has a very big gift store, so I was able to buy a lot of souvenirs for friends and family.

The Heineken Museum

After we went to the Heineken Museum, we walked to the I Amsterdam sign. There were a ton of people there so I didn't get very good photos, but my friend Kelsey managed to get a really cool one with Susan in it. 

Susan and the I Amsterdam sign

After we went to all the typical touristy areas for more souvenirs, we all just walked around a lot. We found our way to the Red Light District, and there were weird museums and gift shops to see there as well. Amsterdam is also really pretty with all the canals. I really enjoyed this trip, and I'm really glad I had the opportunity to go, and I will definitely be going back in the future. However, the main language in the Netherlands is Dutch, and I couldn't understand a single word. It was comforting to be back in Germany, and understand at least half of what people are saying.

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Berlin/Köln

Guten Tag meine Freunde (:

A lot has gone on since my last post. This past week I was preparing for my final exam of my first course, and it turned out very well. I received an A as my final grade, so hopefully I can keep it up with the other three courses as well. (:

However, before I took my final exam, Susan and I went to Berlin for the weekend. It was ridiculously cheap. We went by bus for only 16 euro, and our hostel was only 25 euro for each of us. We stayed at the City Stay Hostel in Berlin, and I would definitely recommend it. The staff was very friendly and helpful, and I felt extremely safe. It was also a great location, because the Brandenburger Tor was less than a 15 minute walk to get to.

I really enjoyed walking around Berlin. It is a super pretty city, and has so much history. The Brandenburger Tor was super interesting, and I'm glad I got to see it. It is massive, and pictures don't do it justice. After seeing the Brandenburger Tor and the Reichstag Building, which is the huge building for parliament, Susan and I ventured to try and find the East side Gallery. We're not really good with directions, so we just walked in one direction hoping we would come upon it. We didn't end up finding the Berlin Wall, but we did happen to walk by the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, which is a memorial that covers a vast area, and there are concrete slabs arranged in a grid like pattern, and the the ground slopes downward. As you walk into the memorial, the concrete slabs get taller. I thought it was really cool.

After walking through the memorial, we again tried to find the Berlin Wall. We ended up giving up and taking a taxi. I'm glad we did, because it was was a bit further away than we anticipated. Seeing the East side Gallery is an absolute must while visiting Berlin, so I was super happy to be able to walk along the part of the wall that still remained. The art work was absolutely fascinating. I'll post a couple pictures below. The only thing that wasn't too spectacular was the walk back. We walked from the East side Gallery back to our hostel, and it was about 30-40 minutes. By the time we got to our room Susan and I were exhausted. It was a great trip though, and I cannot wait till I have the opportunity to go back.

This past weekend, a few of my friends and I decided to take a day trip to Köln for Karneval. Karneval is pretty much like a week long street festival, and takes place between Fat Thursday and ends on Ash Wednesday. There is normally a huge parade on Rose Monday, but unfortunately I won't be able to go to it, because of classes. It was still a lot of fun, and I met a lot of nice people. My friends and I didn't really know where to go, and some people helped us figure out how to get to the main streets where the festival was taking place. There were so many people sometimes it was hard to walk. Everyone is also dressed up in costumes, so it made the entire day even more fun. I was a hippie, and my friends dressed in animal onesies. When I return to Germany, going to Köln for Karneval will definitely be on my to-do list.

Karneval

Karneval

Susan and me in front of the Brandenburger Tor

Reichstag Building

East Side Gallery

East Side Gallery

A Saturday in Hamburg

Hello Everyone! I ventured to Hamburg this past weekend, and finally got my laptop fixed at the Apple Store. No more texting posts, and I can finally upload some pictures. (:

While in Hamburg, Susan and I witnessed something super interesting. We were walking around the Rathaus, and noticed a huge mass of people, and the Polizei lined up along the streets. Turns out we walked right in the middle of a demonstration without realizing it. Since my German isn't spectacular yet, I wasn't sure what the demonstration was for exactly. People were holding signs that said "Fight Racism" and "Refugees Welcome" so I figured it had to do with the African refugees coming to Germany for a better and more secure life. I eventually got handed a flyer (written in English) and found my assumptions were correct. The demonstration was supporting the Lampedusa Group in Hamburg coming from Africa in search of better living conditions. It was super interesting to watch the demonstration take place. There were easily 5,000 people in the vicinity marching. Below are a couple photos that I took of the demonstration.

Susan and I also moved into our new apartment. We are very grateful, because we finally have a kitchen and our own rooms. We are also extremely close to the city center, and campus. We share an apartment with two other german students, Mereika and Cedric. They are super nice, and I'm glad we got placed to live with them. They have really helped us out since moving in, and they try to speak German with us all the time. It is still kind of hard forming complex sentences, but I'm sure it will get easier. Below is a picture of last week when Susan and I visited the Wasserturm. We will also be heading to Berlin this weekend, so I will be sure to write and post a lot of pictures after. Tschüss (: