Archive for October 2009

Mannheim

October 25, 2009 Blog No comments

I made a little trip to Mannheim as it’s one of Swansea’s partner universities – meaning that there are a few Erasmus students from my year there, so visits were required! I organised it a bit off the cuff really, because I knew I wouldn’t do anything at all if I didn’t organise something! Decided to travel via Mitfahrgelegenheit as it’s far cheaper than getting a train!

Mitfahrgelegenheit basically translates to a lift! I love how sometimes the German word is ridiculously long compared to its English translation! Anyway, the deal with a Mitfahrgelegenheit is that people offer lifts via this website – so say I was to travel from Cologne to Berlin… I’d put an advert on the website detailing the dates, times, stops etc. and then people can contact me to reserve a spot in the car. You pay a little bit of money, but it generally ends up being a lot cheaper than getting the train. Kind of like pre-arranged hitchhiking!

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I had to travel to Cologne for my first Mitfahrgelegenheit, and got to go on one of the DOUBLE DECKER TRAINS!!! I remember getting ridiculously excited when I saw them in Berlin and ridiculously excited again when I got on one on the way from Cologne to Dortmund… New things are exciting! This leg of the journey was free because of my Semester Pass, so all in all, I paid just under 30 euros to get to Mannheim and back. Pretty nifty I think! Initially, I had a few ‘ooh is this safe’ thoughts, but it’s a pretty sound system, clearly very popular and works really well.

ALIM1684I met Cara and Ed at the Hauptbahnhof and we headed back to their halls. Ate at this fab Italian restaraunt and I had Pizza. Again. I never thought I’d eat so much pizza in my life! I do live above a Pizzeria though… two in fact… I’m going to be so sick of Pizza by the end of this year aren’t I? Either that, or really really tubby. Pizza fat! Or I’ll just smell of salami and cheese all the time…

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So after Pizza, a few drinks at the local student hangout where I saw my first two instances of SOCKS AND SANDALS since arriving in Germany. I don’t know if it should count though as it was a part of fancy dress… Humm, I’ll take a win where I can get one!

The next day I got to explore not only Mannheim, but Heidelberg too. I thought Mannheim was pretty, though Cara told me that not many people do, though I pointed out that people don’t think Dortmund’s that pretty either. The best comparison back home really is the way people see Cardiff and Swansea; Swansea’s not as pretty and shiny as Cardiff (except for the Mumbles and that), but I love the place to bits. Sure, I grew up in Cardiff, but Swansea has this wonderful homely feel and an atmosphere that makes it perfect for a student city. I’m inclined to think that Dortmund is in the same mould as Swansea : not super pretty, but it’s home and you love it lumps and all.

Off topic now! So! One thing that Mannheim trumps Dortmund in is in the ‘prettiest University’ category…

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…but Mannheim has no Monorail, so nyer nyer nyer! But it does have REALLY CREEPY STATUES. Cara found it hilarious that I was so freaked out by them – yes, I’m a wuss, but ever since I saw that Doctor Who episode ‘Blink’, I can’t quite shake that creepy feeling I get from statues. Blank staring eyes, weird poses… uurrrghhh. It seemed as though Mannheim Uni was out to freak me out, with a corridor FULL OF BLOODY STATUES!!

ALIM1673That would be Cara mocking me because I wouldn’t step into said corridor. Freaky stuff…. but that wasn’t all! I get outside and notice the faces carveed above the arches…

ALIM1675  ARE YOU TRYING TO FREAK ME OUT MANNHEIM UNIVERSITY?

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…ahem. Honestly though, I liked Mannheim, it was lovely, and the University  was gorgeous. I had a hard time imagining studying there because it was so regal and grand.

I think Heidelberg deserves a post by itself because it was so pretty (and there was only one creepy statue involved, huzzah!)

Bloody ‘Ell

October 25, 2009 Blog No comments

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I can’t bloody believe how many photos I’ve been tagged in!! It’s getting a bit silly now. Damn you facebook!

School Holidays Rule!

October 23, 2009 Blog No comments

Well I can’t sleep, so I thought this would be a good time to finally update on a bit of what I’ve been up to the past few weeks.

These past two weeks have been the autumn school holidays, so two weeks off! I think one of the bets bits about school were the breaks. Except for when you come to the end of them and you wonder where all that time went… I’m getting that familiar feeling about now as we’ve got to be back in school on Monday!

These past two weeks have been ridiculously full of travelling – I’ve visited Muenster, Mannheim, Heidelberg, Amsterdam and tomorrow I’m going to Bonn and Cologne! Despite Nordrhein-Westfalen not being my first choice when I had to pick the areas I wanted to go to on my Assistantship application, I feel really fortunate that I got placed here. I felt lucky when I found that I’d  been placed in a city, but now that I realise how many great places there are to go to in NRW, I feel luckier still. Mind you, I didn’t spend that much time in NRW last week…

I’ll start where we started the school holidays – over in Muenster! Beef and Gravy are living in the same place now, just 20 minutes drive outside Muenster city centre. I FINALLY bought a camera at their local supermarket, so I can finally take pictures of the places I’ve been! The night out in Muenster was really, really mental. We went to this club called Heaven which was inside of a warehouse on Muenster marina. I got a bit homesick walking towards it, because it reminded me so much of Cardiff Bay!

The next day we got to a little (hungover) exploration of Muenster city centre… I couldn’t believe how pretty Muenster was! Cobbled streets, old timey buildings, old timey font on the signs… It’s definitely a lot prettier than Dortmund is.

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Beef told us that Muenster was rebuilt to look like its former self after it was bombed in the war. I found it to be quaint, almost like something out of a storybook (though that was before I visited Heidelberg, but that’s another blog post). It wasn’t all quaint and cute though. Something freaked me out about St. Lambert’s Church in the city centre.

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It’s a shame it was such a dull day, I’m sure Muenster is stunning in better weather. Anyhow, looks like your standard church right? Look again.

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See the three cages? These are the remains of the Muenster Rebellion – which wikipedia tells me ‘was an attempt by radical Anabaptists to establish a communal theocracy in the German city of Münster.’ Basically, three of the most prominent members of the rebellion were caught, tortured and executed and their remains placed in three cages on the church. As you can see, while the remains aren’t there anymore, the cages still are… how creepy is that??

We only really saw the Old City, had to take shelter in an Italian restaraunt because it started pouring down with rain. We’ll be returning at some point I guess, specially as that’s where Beef and Gravy are living!

Goodness Gracious!

October 21, 2009 Blog No comments

Things have been so mental lately, so I haven’t updated an awful lot! Tonnes has happened since I last wrote, like the German election, went to Mannheim and Heidelberg, also Muenster, then had a cheeky visit to Amsterdam… so yeah, can you tell it’s my half term?

I bought a camera (FINALLY) so I can upload the photos of my journeys round Deutschland :)

Bigger update to come, I promise, but I’m meant to be going second hand shop shopping today haha, as well as FINALLY getting myself a printer!