Berlin :)

Our trip to Berlin was a success! The train ride was a little long…but anyway, when we all arrived in Berlin on Wednesday evening (last week) it was really late and we just went to bed in the hostel. The next day, Thursday, we took a 3.5 hour walking tour all over the city. We saw parts of the old Berlin Wall, a lot of famous buildings, a Holocaust memorial, and the area where many WWII events took place. We even stood on the ground above where Hitler’s old bunker was, and where he committed suicide. It was a really well done tour and very interesting. Friday, some people went on another walking tour, but Paige, Kris, Ashley, Lindsay, and I decided to go to the Berlin Zoo! It was a really large, nice zoo and I’ve never been so close to some of the animals. With the way it was set up you could get really close to a lot of animals, even lions and tigers, so it was a pretty cool experience.

Berlin is awesome because they have lots of world food. On Thursday we found a Dunkin Donuts! And then after the zoo, we found..a PIZZA HUT. I felt so American but we loved that pizza so much.. that night we went out through the city a little bit and saw the East Side Gallery where professional artists made murals on  a long stretch of the old Berlin Wall. They were really awesome!

On our last day in Berlin, we went to the Pergamon Museum (not really my first choice of what I want to do/see in Berlin, but our teacher wanted us to see it) where we saw a few famous things like the Ishtar Gate and some Islamic art. We wandered an outdoor market with lots of cool souvenirs .We also did some shopping in touristy stores throughout the trip. One thing I bought for myself was a tote bag with the Ampelmann on it- the Ampelmann is a cute little man wearing a hat that they use as a symbol in the crossing lights in parts of East Berlin- it has become a sentimental thing for the people of Berlin.

For our last evening we went out to both an Indian and a Mexican Restaurant (we split into two groups and had a choice of which kind of food we wanted, I picked Mexican). It was very delicious, and Gabby said a good chance to get ethnic food because Berlin is full of it, unlike Salzburg.

We had to get up early on Sunday and take the train back to Salzburg,  which wasn’t very fun. We were equipped for the ride with more Dunkin Donuts though :)

Back in Salzburg classes have been going ok, we’re coming down to the final stretch so soon I will have another final, and a big paper to write. Kris is visiting so I have shown him around the Mirabell Gardens, Mirabell Market, and part of the Altstadt so far. We made a list of the places he wants to see. Unfortunately June is usually pretty rainy so it’s been pretty cloudy for the most part, but it’s still nice. Today we have more sun but the rest of the forecast doesn’t look so great.

I love hanging out with all my friends here and I will miss seeing them all the time when we go back to the US. It feels sad to talk about having a farewell party and going home, but part of me is really excited to be back home too. I know I keep saying that in every entry but it’s a really strange feeling to be so excited and so sad at the same time!

Today is sunny so hopefully we’ll be doing something outside, and then a small group of us will be going to Stiegl Brewery because we have coupons to get in for just 2 Euros. I realized I never wrote about the Maibaumfest that took place at Stiegl Brewery..it was a big gathering outside in the field outside their building, a traditional day where everyone has food and drinks together and they raise a huge Maypole in the yard. It takes them hours just to get the pole raised because they do it the old fashioned way. The festival also falls on the same day as Mother's Day so it's a big family event here. Once the pole is raised, they do different traditions like dance around the pole, and then kids and adults try to climb the pole. There are sausages and pretzels dangling from it, prizes for if you climb high enough to reach them. It was really interesting to watch. So basically Stiegl Brewery is a pretty big part of the Salzburg community here.

Also, there is a fair in Salzburg coming up so I’d like to check that out too. So much to do, and so little time..I'll just do what I can! Only 21 days until I’m home! :)