Aug 8th
So today we woke up around 10pm, the plan was to drive to Austria, but Wilfred bought a new car so he has temporary license plates, and with a temporary license plate you cant drive out of the country. He told us that our other option was to drive his car to lake Konstance which was at the border of Germany and that we couldn't take an hour ferry ride over the lake and we would be on the border of both Austria and Switzerland. He told us that because Austria was part of the European community we didn't need a passport to enter the country but he said that to enter Switzerland a non European community we did need our passport. We decided because it was later morning that we would drive to the lake a take the ferry ride but just see Austria so we would have enough time to explore it. So we all got ready and started our 100 mile drive to lake Konstance. On our drive we stopped off at a roadside kitchen buffet type thing and got lunch. After eating we drove, and finally got to the city of Konstance. When we got there we tried to find parking but it was nearly impossible. We drove around the town in heavy traffic for about an hour until we were frustrated and decided to head out of town and park farther out. We parked about 4 miles away from the center of Konstance where the ferry building was. We decided we were going to walk there. So about a half mile into our walk Wilfred says, well its 4pm, we don't have time to go to Austria since the ferry ride is 5hrs long. We looked at each other confused and reminded him that he told us it was only an hour ferry ride. He said no, that there is a ferry that is only an hour long and takes you across the lake but that it is still Germany. We were very confused and annoyed. We told that the whole point of today's trip was to see another country, and he said that we could walk to Switzerland because the city of Konstance was half in Germany and half in Switzerland. So we decided we would check out Switzerland instead of going across the lake and seeing more of Germany. But because we now changed the plan, Will insisted we have our passports to enter Switzerland. Well Will, Heather, and I all had our passports on us, but my dad left his in my pack pack which was in the car. So will and my dad waited on the street corner while heather and I did the half mile walk back to the car to get dads passport. We were extremely annoyed with Will for changing his story and confusing us with wrong information. When we met up with my dad and will again we walked for about 45 minutes before reaching border patrol. I looked at Heather and I said "watch, after all that work I don't they will even look at our passports." And of course I was right. We walked right over the border and into Switzerland without anyone saying anything. We walked around for a bit and looked for a place to get coffee, but the town seemed completely dead. It was strange. Weill told us that because half the town is in Germany and the other half in Switzerland that everyone goes to the German side because prices were cheaper. So after walking around for an hour seeing empty coffee houses, closed shopping stores, we decided to head back over to the German side. By this point we were all really annoyed with how the day was going. As soon as we entered the German side of the city of Konstance the day got better. We made our first stop at an Irish pub where we all relaxed our tired feet and drank a beer. From here we walked around really cute streets,with live music, and outdoor cafes. We took a bunch of pictures and went into a few shops and bought some chocolate for souvenirs. We then ate dinner at a little German restaurant where Heather and I shared a meal of cheese pasta, chicken, and onions. The food was yummy. After dinner we decided we wanted to catch a cab back to our parked car. Will was leading us to the train station which we passed earlier because there were lots of cabs in front of there. When he started to walk us in the wrong direction and brought us in a circle I was annoyed and told him to let me lead the way. He got annoyed and questioned whether or not I was going the right way, but I have a good sense of direction in foreign countries and brought us to the correct place quickly. We hopped into a cab to the car, and then headed home, finally arriving around midnight.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Germany day 4
Aug 7th
Today we woke up a little late. When we left the house it was lunch time and we were in search for a restaurant to eat at. We must have stopped at six different restaurant before we found one that was open. I guess the month of August is a common time for Germans to go on vacation so a lot of restaurants and businesses either close entirely or close early. After many attempts we finally found a Greek restaurant that was open. The waiter all brought us shots of some Greek liquor, which I was told is a complimentary thing they give you before a meal at all Greek restaurants. I ordered a gyro. When I think of gyro I think of a piece of pita style bread with meat, lettuce, and a sauce on it, but when the plate was brought to me I was surprised to see small pieces of pork with a side of french fries. Not what I had in mind at all but still delicious. After our meal the waiter asked us if we would like more complimentary shots, and we said no thank you, but he brought them anyway. After our lunch we wanted to go to a castle so will took us to one about 40 miles from his house. We drove through a quaint little country town and up a hill. When we arrived it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. It looked more like a watch tower, but it was still cool. It was old, dating back to the 1200's, and had an awesome view on the town. We had to walk up 15 flights of stairs t get to the top where the view was. After we walked to the bottom level of the "castle", and had some coffee and desert on the outdoor patio restaurant which was a nice way to end our time there. From here we drove for another hour to a small town where we could take a short ride up the mountain to the black forest. The town that we had to go through was very cute, with little bridges over a small river, lots of outdoor cafes, and unique Bavarian style housing. We waited a bit in the town and then took the ride up to the top of the mountain. By the time we reached the top it was 6pm and we couldn't do much since the ride down was at 7pm. So we walked around a bit and took some pictures, but we couldn't enjoy it fully. The place had lots of hiking and biking trails, as well as a sledding ride, but that was closed and we didn't have a bike, or enough time to hike. At 7pm we caught the ride down and drove back towards Will's town. On the windy ride home Heather got car sick so we pulled over in a town. After she went to the bathroom and felt better we decided to stay in the town and get dinner. Heather and I ordered a salad similar to a chef salad. When our food came it looked like ham spaghetti over a bed of lettuce. It was very strange but tasted good. After dinner we went home and watched the bob Marley documentary and fell asleep.
Today we woke up a little late. When we left the house it was lunch time and we were in search for a restaurant to eat at. We must have stopped at six different restaurant before we found one that was open. I guess the month of August is a common time for Germans to go on vacation so a lot of restaurants and businesses either close entirely or close early. After many attempts we finally found a Greek restaurant that was open. The waiter all brought us shots of some Greek liquor, which I was told is a complimentary thing they give you before a meal at all Greek restaurants. I ordered a gyro. When I think of gyro I think of a piece of pita style bread with meat, lettuce, and a sauce on it, but when the plate was brought to me I was surprised to see small pieces of pork with a side of french fries. Not what I had in mind at all but still delicious. After our meal the waiter asked us if we would like more complimentary shots, and we said no thank you, but he brought them anyway. After our lunch we wanted to go to a castle so will took us to one about 40 miles from his house. We drove through a quaint little country town and up a hill. When we arrived it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. It looked more like a watch tower, but it was still cool. It was old, dating back to the 1200's, and had an awesome view on the town. We had to walk up 15 flights of stairs t get to the top where the view was. After we walked to the bottom level of the "castle", and had some coffee and desert on the outdoor patio restaurant which was a nice way to end our time there. From here we drove for another hour to a small town where we could take a short ride up the mountain to the black forest. The town that we had to go through was very cute, with little bridges over a small river, lots of outdoor cafes, and unique Bavarian style housing. We waited a bit in the town and then took the ride up to the top of the mountain. By the time we reached the top it was 6pm and we couldn't do much since the ride down was at 7pm. So we walked around a bit and took some pictures, but we couldn't enjoy it fully. The place had lots of hiking and biking trails, as well as a sledding ride, but that was closed and we didn't have a bike, or enough time to hike. At 7pm we caught the ride down and drove back towards Will's town. On the windy ride home Heather got car sick so we pulled over in a town. After she went to the bathroom and felt better we decided to stay in the town and get dinner. Heather and I ordered a salad similar to a chef salad. When our food came it looked like ham spaghetti over a bed of lettuce. It was very strange but tasted good. After dinner we went home and watched the bob Marley documentary and fell asleep.
Germany day 3
Aug 6th
Today we all woke up early and had some coffee and relaxed at the house for a bit. When we were all dressed and ready for the day we took the train from Will's house to Stuttgart.When we first arrived at the train station in Stuttgart we saw a Starbucks that had free wifi, so we went in and got a drink and uploaded pictures to my laptop. The Starbucks in Germany are exactly the same as the ones in the US, except for fewer menu options. After Starbucks we ventured out into the city. Stuttgart was a very cool city. It was large and modern with old buildings as well. We spent a lot of our time looking in souvenir shops. For lunch we ate at a cute little cafe restaurant. Heather and I ordered a salad and pizza to share. The pizza was good and very similar to American pizza. I was curious to see the difference since Brazilian pizza is very different from American Pizza. The one thing that is different for sure is that you have to buy water at all restaurants. The bring you a large bottle of water, there isn't an option to get it from the tap, although their tap water is some of the cleanest and best in the world. So that is definitely an extra expense to consider when you drink as much water as I do. After lunch we walked around the city's open square, where there were old buildings and fountains. There was one big fountain where people were swimming in their clothes because it was so hot and sunny out. Heather and I took off our sandals and went in to get our legs wet. From Here we meandered through the square taking lots of pictures, and ended up at an outside bar where we all got a beer. After this we went to more shops and walked around, we came upon a second Starbucks and I was finally able to skype Ryan. Which had been hard before because of the time difference. It was nice being able to see his face, although the connection on my end was bad and he couldn't see me. After this the day had passed and we went to the train station to buy our tickets to Amsterdam for Sunday. Will went to the counter with us so he could help with any language barriers, although the guy at the ticket window knew English very well. We got out ticket from Stuttgart to Amsterdam on sunday,and then a returning ticket from Amsterdam to giessen where our family lives for tuesday. The man at the ticket window was funny, and was laughing at us because we told him the first German words we learned were einfarht and ausfarht. he wanted to know why we needed to know those words, and we told him we didnt, we just liked that they had the word fart in it.From here we all took the train back to Wilfreds town and had dinner at a restaurant in a hotel. Heather and I shared a meal of vegetables, and a potato pancake. It was delicious. After dinner we made our way back home and heather and I stayed up for a bit talking before passing out.
Today we all woke up early and had some coffee and relaxed at the house for a bit. When we were all dressed and ready for the day we took the train from Will's house to Stuttgart.When we first arrived at the train station in Stuttgart we saw a Starbucks that had free wifi, so we went in and got a drink and uploaded pictures to my laptop. The Starbucks in Germany are exactly the same as the ones in the US, except for fewer menu options. After Starbucks we ventured out into the city. Stuttgart was a very cool city. It was large and modern with old buildings as well. We spent a lot of our time looking in souvenir shops. For lunch we ate at a cute little cafe restaurant. Heather and I ordered a salad and pizza to share. The pizza was good and very similar to American pizza. I was curious to see the difference since Brazilian pizza is very different from American Pizza. The one thing that is different for sure is that you have to buy water at all restaurants. The bring you a large bottle of water, there isn't an option to get it from the tap, although their tap water is some of the cleanest and best in the world. So that is definitely an extra expense to consider when you drink as much water as I do. After lunch we walked around the city's open square, where there were old buildings and fountains. There was one big fountain where people were swimming in their clothes because it was so hot and sunny out. Heather and I took off our sandals and went in to get our legs wet. From Here we meandered through the square taking lots of pictures, and ended up at an outside bar where we all got a beer. After this we went to more shops and walked around, we came upon a second Starbucks and I was finally able to skype Ryan. Which had been hard before because of the time difference. It was nice being able to see his face, although the connection on my end was bad and he couldn't see me. After this the day had passed and we went to the train station to buy our tickets to Amsterdam for Sunday. Will went to the counter with us so he could help with any language barriers, although the guy at the ticket window knew English very well. We got out ticket from Stuttgart to Amsterdam on sunday,and then a returning ticket from Amsterdam to giessen where our family lives for tuesday. The man at the ticket window was funny, and was laughing at us because we told him the first German words we learned were einfarht and ausfarht. he wanted to know why we needed to know those words, and we told him we didnt, we just liked that they had the word fart in it.From here we all took the train back to Wilfreds town and had dinner at a restaurant in a hotel. Heather and I shared a meal of vegetables, and a potato pancake. It was delicious. After dinner we made our way back home and heather and I stayed up for a bit talking before passing out.
Germany day 2
Aug 5th
Well we all woke up today feeling refreshed and ready for Adventure. After drinking some coffee and freshening up we headed out to the supermarket. The store was large and had everything you see in American stores. We bought some chicken, avocados, and a few other things for a BBQ at his dads house. Hid dad lived in a small town about five miles from him. The house was a large three bedroom house. On each floor there was a kitchen, which I found interesting but learned that it was a common German design for a house. Wilfred's dad was very nice but didn't speak any English. Communicating with him was funny. I used a German language learning app on my phone to say "nice to meet you". He took out some photo albums and showed me pictures of his trip to Thailand when he learned that I was moving there. After our BBQ we went to the local shopping mall. When we went to a bank inside the mall to exchange our money into euros the lady said that they didn't take hundred dollar bills, so I was only able to get a little bit of euros. After our money exchange heather and I did a little shopping. After paying for some clothes at a store the lady handed us our change and said "cheese", after walking away from the counter we looked at each other and said "did she just tell us cheese". we thought maybe it was because she wanted us to smile. We told Will and he looked confused at first and then said that the woman said a German word that was short for goodbye.From the mall we went to a bowling alley and got beers, played darts, and pin ball. Then we decided to go to a Thai food place for dinner. It was amazing, the best Thai food I have ever had, which was a shock to me. After stuffing our faces with curry, we walked around the town, and ended up at a large brewery where we sat outside and drank some beers. The weather was absolutely perfect and gorgeous night. Now we are finishing off our night at the house watching a comedy. Tomorrow will be Stuttgart.
Well we all woke up today feeling refreshed and ready for Adventure. After drinking some coffee and freshening up we headed out to the supermarket. The store was large and had everything you see in American stores. We bought some chicken, avocados, and a few other things for a BBQ at his dads house. Hid dad lived in a small town about five miles from him. The house was a large three bedroom house. On each floor there was a kitchen, which I found interesting but learned that it was a common German design for a house. Wilfred's dad was very nice but didn't speak any English. Communicating with him was funny. I used a German language learning app on my phone to say "nice to meet you". He took out some photo albums and showed me pictures of his trip to Thailand when he learned that I was moving there. After our BBQ we went to the local shopping mall. When we went to a bank inside the mall to exchange our money into euros the lady said that they didn't take hundred dollar bills, so I was only able to get a little bit of euros. After our money exchange heather and I did a little shopping. After paying for some clothes at a store the lady handed us our change and said "cheese", after walking away from the counter we looked at each other and said "did she just tell us cheese". we thought maybe it was because she wanted us to smile. We told Will and he looked confused at first and then said that the woman said a German word that was short for goodbye.From the mall we went to a bowling alley and got beers, played darts, and pin ball. Then we decided to go to a Thai food place for dinner. It was amazing, the best Thai food I have ever had, which was a shock to me. After stuffing our faces with curry, we walked around the town, and ended up at a large brewery where we sat outside and drank some beers. The weather was absolutely perfect and gorgeous night. Now we are finishing off our night at the house watching a comedy. Tomorrow will be Stuttgart.
Germany Day 1
Aug 4th
Well We finally made it to Germany. After a three hour flight delay in Philadelphia we landed in Frankfurt at 12:30pm today. It was a relief seeing Wilfred, our good family friend who picked us up from the airport. With out knowing any of the language it is nice to have someone who can speak both German and English to make us feel comfortable. From Frankfurt we drove to Stuttgart, which is about a two hour drive south on the Auto Ban. During the car ride jet lag kicked in majorly. As much as I wanted to stay awake and see the drive I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and fell asleep. When I woke up we were in a small town 15 minutes out of Stuttgart where Wilfred lives. The town was everything I had hoped it would be, with typical German looking houses. White, with brown shutters, long slanted roofs, and flowers everywhere. The town is very quaint and quiet, with cobble stone roads and mom and pop shops. We pulled up to a small apartment building with a gate. When we entered the parking garage Will made us get out because the parking spaces were so small that you couldn't open the doors and get out. After we got our luggage out of the car and headed to the elevator to head up to his floor, I couldn't help but laugh at the size of the elevator that was no bigger than a closet, with a capacity of two people with out luggage. Heather and I got in first, cramming in with our luggage and will pressed the button for third floor. The buttons seemed easy although they were in German. one was red and one was green. I held the red button thinking I was stopping the door from closing to let heather in, but I guess I pressed the emergency call button. When we got to the third floor we waited for Will and my dad to come up. Wills place was small and cute. The thing I found strange was that each room had a door on it. A door to get into the living room, a door for the kitchen, and a door for everything. The toilet was also in its own room separate from the bathroom that had the shower in it. After taking a 2 hour nap and refreshing shower, we were ready to go out and experience some German culture. For a celebration we had a beer at the house and looked through some German magazines. We left to go out about 7pm and walked to the local beer garden where we ordered food and beers. Heather and I got two separate meals and shared them. I ordered these potato pancakes in a bed of warm apple sauce and heather got an egg omelet fritter with pesto tortellini and sausage in it. It was very different from anything I have seen but It tasted great. After Our meal we walked around the cobblestone roads and took pictures of the cute German buildings and statues. We came upon another bar and went in for drinks. We sat on the outside patio, which was a large courtyard with Christmas lights. Each table had a large blanket draped over the back of the chair which I thought it was funny. Wilfred said it was for when you get cold. I definitely wouldn't be needing that considering it was 10pm and 85 degrees out. The guys ordered beers and heather and I bought some fruity drinks called pussy wagons because of the funny name. After chatting about the cultural differences between all the European countries and after we finished our drinks we decided that it was time to call it a night and go home. Tomorrow will be another day full of adventure.
Well We finally made it to Germany. After a three hour flight delay in Philadelphia we landed in Frankfurt at 12:30pm today. It was a relief seeing Wilfred, our good family friend who picked us up from the airport. With out knowing any of the language it is nice to have someone who can speak both German and English to make us feel comfortable. From Frankfurt we drove to Stuttgart, which is about a two hour drive south on the Auto Ban. During the car ride jet lag kicked in majorly. As much as I wanted to stay awake and see the drive I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and fell asleep. When I woke up we were in a small town 15 minutes out of Stuttgart where Wilfred lives. The town was everything I had hoped it would be, with typical German looking houses. White, with brown shutters, long slanted roofs, and flowers everywhere. The town is very quaint and quiet, with cobble stone roads and mom and pop shops. We pulled up to a small apartment building with a gate. When we entered the parking garage Will made us get out because the parking spaces were so small that you couldn't open the doors and get out. After we got our luggage out of the car and headed to the elevator to head up to his floor, I couldn't help but laugh at the size of the elevator that was no bigger than a closet, with a capacity of two people with out luggage. Heather and I got in first, cramming in with our luggage and will pressed the button for third floor. The buttons seemed easy although they were in German. one was red and one was green. I held the red button thinking I was stopping the door from closing to let heather in, but I guess I pressed the emergency call button. When we got to the third floor we waited for Will and my dad to come up. Wills place was small and cute. The thing I found strange was that each room had a door on it. A door to get into the living room, a door for the kitchen, and a door for everything. The toilet was also in its own room separate from the bathroom that had the shower in it. After taking a 2 hour nap and refreshing shower, we were ready to go out and experience some German culture. For a celebration we had a beer at the house and looked through some German magazines. We left to go out about 7pm and walked to the local beer garden where we ordered food and beers. Heather and I got two separate meals and shared them. I ordered these potato pancakes in a bed of warm apple sauce and heather got an egg omelet fritter with pesto tortellini and sausage in it. It was very different from anything I have seen but It tasted great. After Our meal we walked around the cobblestone roads and took pictures of the cute German buildings and statues. We came upon another bar and went in for drinks. We sat on the outside patio, which was a large courtyard with Christmas lights. Each table had a large blanket draped over the back of the chair which I thought it was funny. Wilfred said it was for when you get cold. I definitely wouldn't be needing that considering it was 10pm and 85 degrees out. The guys ordered beers and heather and I bought some fruity drinks called pussy wagons because of the funny name. After chatting about the cultural differences between all the European countries and after we finished our drinks we decided that it was time to call it a night and go home. Tomorrow will be another day full of adventure.
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