I'm living it up.
So Germany rocks my world. I have to admit, it was a little shaky (and really scary) at first, since almost no one here speaks English and my German is, well, lacking. But I’m getting better, and I feel like I know my way around town better, and my German is improving rapidly.
Today Dad and I went on a historical walk around Magdeburg, which was beautiful. The whole city is spotlessly clean and full of the most exquisite detail I have ever seen in a modern city. The sidewalks were made of little gray cobblestones (little squares, anywhere from 3 cm to about 7 cm, and all approximately the same size in each little area.) My Dad called it communism, because they had to pay the people to do something. There were also large, square (communist) paving bricks.
The buildings were exquisite. We saw several that dated back to the 10th and 11th century, and there were parts of Magdeburger Dom (Magdeburg Cathedral) that no one even knows how old they are. The cathedral was amazing. It didn’t have a creepy guilt feeling at all, like some of them do. It was very old and very awesome. We also saw parts of the city walls from the same era, and walked along the Elbe River. They had tons of gardens and parks in the area, and it was all so nice. I will have to post pictures later, because I can’t describe it, and I wouldn’t be able to picture it if I hadn’t seen it myself.
It was kind of sad, though, because lot of Magdeburg’s historical sights were decimated in World War II. Some survived, and are still in the process of being restored, and some are just gone. You can still feel how old the city is, though. It’s something you have to experience, I think, but just knowing that the city has been there for 1200 years is somewhat staggering.
After our walk, we went shopping a bit. We found a German electronics store that sold music and there were so many of my favorite bands, right there on the shelf! It was great. My Dad and I spent half an hour wandering around the music section. I thought it was really funny, because we saw a tiny section that was called "Black Music" and it had things like Mariah Carey (?) and reggae and that ethnic, rhythmic stuff that I never listen to. I had to laugh at the bluntness of the title though. There was no rap section at all.
I also got myself an alarm clock and a few other things, which I can’t remember now. And I got a pair of funky European shoes the other day. I will have to post a picture later. I’m getting more and more used to things closing up early; it’s not so bad, because you just make sure you get your shopping done before dinner, then go to dinner and the night is almost done.
Speaking of which, dinner is quite an affair here. The food is wonderful. It is literally, consistently, the best food I have had in my life, and I have been to a few really nice restaurants. It’s pretty cheap too - main courses have been about 6-9 euros each (8-11 dollars or so). In America, they could easily be charging three or four times as much for the same food the quality is so good. Even in the cheap restaurants, you can tell the ingredients are high quality, and the flavors are so complex. There is just no way you can eat food like this in the states on any sort of reasonable budget.
After our shopping and walking, we got on the evening train to Berlin, checked into our hotel, and went to eat dinner. Berlin is awesome. We ate outside under and awning, at a little café table, with kids wandering by playing the accordion. There is just no experience like this in America. I get homesick a lot, especially for my friends, but I am still so glad I came.
Tomorrow Dad and I hit up a Beerfest, along with a lot of other famous Berlin sites. Then Sunday, he leaves, and I will be all alone.
Today Dad and I went on a historical walk around Magdeburg, which was beautiful. The whole city is spotlessly clean and full of the most exquisite detail I have ever seen in a modern city. The sidewalks were made of little gray cobblestones (little squares, anywhere from 3 cm to about 7 cm, and all approximately the same size in each little area.) My Dad called it communism, because they had to pay the people to do something. There were also large, square (communist) paving bricks.
The buildings were exquisite. We saw several that dated back to the 10th and 11th century, and there were parts of Magdeburger Dom (Magdeburg Cathedral) that no one even knows how old they are. The cathedral was amazing. It didn’t have a creepy guilt feeling at all, like some of them do. It was very old and very awesome. We also saw parts of the city walls from the same era, and walked along the Elbe River. They had tons of gardens and parks in the area, and it was all so nice. I will have to post pictures later, because I can’t describe it, and I wouldn’t be able to picture it if I hadn’t seen it myself.
It was kind of sad, though, because lot of Magdeburg’s historical sights were decimated in World War II. Some survived, and are still in the process of being restored, and some are just gone. You can still feel how old the city is, though. It’s something you have to experience, I think, but just knowing that the city has been there for 1200 years is somewhat staggering.
After our walk, we went shopping a bit. We found a German electronics store that sold music and there were so many of my favorite bands, right there on the shelf! It was great. My Dad and I spent half an hour wandering around the music section. I thought it was really funny, because we saw a tiny section that was called "Black Music" and it had things like Mariah Carey (?) and reggae and that ethnic, rhythmic stuff that I never listen to. I had to laugh at the bluntness of the title though. There was no rap section at all.
I also got myself an alarm clock and a few other things, which I can’t remember now. And I got a pair of funky European shoes the other day. I will have to post a picture later. I’m getting more and more used to things closing up early; it’s not so bad, because you just make sure you get your shopping done before dinner, then go to dinner and the night is almost done.
Speaking of which, dinner is quite an affair here. The food is wonderful. It is literally, consistently, the best food I have had in my life, and I have been to a few really nice restaurants. It’s pretty cheap too - main courses have been about 6-9 euros each (8-11 dollars or so). In America, they could easily be charging three or four times as much for the same food the quality is so good. Even in the cheap restaurants, you can tell the ingredients are high quality, and the flavors are so complex. There is just no way you can eat food like this in the states on any sort of reasonable budget.
After our shopping and walking, we got on the evening train to Berlin, checked into our hotel, and went to eat dinner. Berlin is awesome. We ate outside under and awning, at a little café table, with kids wandering by playing the accordion. There is just no experience like this in America. I get homesick a lot, especially for my friends, but I am still so glad I came.
Tomorrow Dad and I hit up a Beerfest, along with a lot of other famous Berlin sites. Then Sunday, he leaves, and I will be all alone.