My return from London was brief; three days later I was off for a day trip to Heidelberg, Germany, a city right on the edge of southern Germany known as a "romantic town" with a world famous university and castle. The trip was scheduled through my university so some of the other international students would be going along too. We left early in the morning for our 3 hour bus trip. I was catching up on some sleep on the bus ride there, but about halfway through I woke up, looked out of the window, and saw the entire countryside blanketed in snow. It was early December at this point, and in Bonn and other parts of the Rhineland there hadn't been any snow yet, so this was my first glimpse of snow for the season! Trees were lacquered in coats of ice and flat farmland in the distance was a sea of white, fluffy snow. As a true Louisiana native, this scene never ceases to amaze me.
When we arrived in Heidelberg we were ushered into a collective group and assigned a tour guide from the Tourism Office. I never did catch his name, but he was extremely gregarious and made the tour around the
Altstadt (Old Towne) very lively; we hit the
Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market...more on that later), the Heidelberg Castle, and the Old University Hall.
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| View of the Heidelberg Castle from the inside |
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| View of Heidelberg's Altstadt from the castle (photo credit: Megan Deepen) |
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| Heidelberg University's Old Hall |
The day trip to Heidelberg seemed to end just as it was starting, but because we had another long bus ride back to Bonn, we headed out. It was a nice way to experience the city all in one swoop, but I would really like to go back and visit the city in either Spring or Summer when the hills are filled with life. Our tour guide said one of the best things to do in the city is to sit along the terrace of the castle with a glass of wine watching the sunset. Of course we can't do this in the winter time when it's a) too cold and b) the sun isn't out (know what it's like to go 3 months without sunshine??), so maybe next season I'll be back!
A few weeks later I went to Brussels, Belgium for a three day, two night field trip with one of the classes offered with the university. I was jumping on-board an educational field trip to see the European Commission and SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe). We also managed to slip in some fun activities during our free time, the first of which came upon our arrival into the city on the first night. Our hostel was right around the corner from one of the world's most famous bars, Delirium Cafe, so naturally we all went out and checked it out. Delirium is world famous because it has the longest beer list in the world, as well as boasting the title of "World's Best Beer." Fun fact: Germany profits from a reputation of the world's best beer culture, but when it comes to actual brews, Belgium takes the title. As the saying goes, or something like it: "When in Belgium...." We all ordered a draft (or two...or three, yes Cat, calling you out on this one) of the world famous "Delirium Tremens," played some card games, and chatted before heading back to the hostel for the night. The next day was filled with a briefing at the European Commission on its roles across Europe, its history, and more. Afterwards we had a 2.5 hour walking tour through the city, where we saw the Royal Palace of Brussels, among many other things.
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| The Royal Palace of Brussels |
Just like the day trip to Heidelberg, the trip to Brussels seemed to end just as it was starting. It was a short but sweet trip, and maybe with luck I'll be able to go back and visit the city when the weather is more inviting in either the Spring or Summer. The city has a lot to offer and we only scratched the surface, especially the official government aspect of the city.
In the free time we were allotted in Brussels, though, a few of us went out to the
Weihnachtsmarkt in the city. Maybe some of the readers are familiar with German/European-style Christmas markets, where city plazas and downtowns are turned into warm, inviting, Christmas markets filled with shops of toys and food stands of delicious treats. Among many of the international students it almost becomes a goal to visit as many markets as possible. Not only do they provide a good means of getting into the Christmas spirit, at least for me they also provided an excuse to do some more travelling! Below I'll jump into the fun and write down the list of Christmas markets that I visited this holiday season:
1.
Berlin, Germany--Potsdamerplatz: My first experience with a
Weihnachtmarkt was in Berlin, and my experience can be read about
here.
2.
Bonn, Germany--Münsterplatz: My stomping ground didn't fail to impress. Our main square was transformed overnight into alleys of small shops filled with gingerbread cookies, hot cocoa, spiced almonds, and a Ferris Wheel for kids.
3.
Brussels, Belgium: Heralded as 'Europe's Largest Christmas Market,' it was a slight disappoint coming from Germany where the environment is smaller and more intimate, but I can say it was a sight to see. I bought myself a boudin sausage, but it wasn't nearly as good as a true Louisiana boudin!
4.
Aachen, Germany: I traveled over to visit an old friend from my language school and visit one of Germany's best Christmas markets. It was huge, and spilled over into several areas of the old city center forming a horseshoe around Aachen's cathedral, the Imperial Cathedral.
5.
Siegburg, Germany: I ventured out on my bike to find this one and was not disappointed with what I found. Siegburg's
Weihnachtsmarkt is famous for its medieval interpretation on Christmas, where only candles light the alleys between shops, fire stoves warm the corners of the lounges, and jesters and jokers entertain little kids with their juggling acts.
6.
Cologne, Germany--West Cologne: My last Christmas market of the season was a quiet, not so touristy interpretation of the
Weihnachtsmarkts. It ended up being a completely "bio" version with environmentally friendly products, but fun nonetheless.
After wrapping up Christmas festivities in Germany and Belgium, it was time to shift gears into planning for my week-long Christmas excursion to Pristina, Kosovo, where I would be meeting an old friend for the holidays!
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| Weihnachtsmarkt at Domplatz in Cologne, Germany (pictured behind the lights is the Kölner Dom) |
