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One day after returning from Egypt, I took a train to the beautiful city of Prague with Matt. We spent several days there, visiting synagogues, cathedrals, and castles and buying painted eggs from the Easter markets. We also went to a classical music concert (you kind of have to, if you go to Prague…)

(The famous astronomical clock)

The language was frustrating, as well as the transportation systems, but people were nice and most could speak at least a little German or English. The only problem with our trip is that, on the way back, Matt forgot that our train would be separating in Dresden. He went to go read in another compartment so that I could sleep, and realized too late that my part of the train was heading back to Bremen and his was not. He had his shoes and passport, but nothing else, which meant that I had to get all of his luggage back home, as well as help to arrange for a new ticket back. Oh well.

After two straight months of traveling (I visited 7 different countries!) I was exhausted, but had to get ready for the start of the university’s summer semester. I had four new classes, most of which were interesting. The weather turned gorgeous and hot. Katie and I hosted a massive picnic for Easter, which ended with a bike ride to go wading in the Unisee (a lake). I also spent a lot of time at the Weser River and ice cream parlours with my friends–both from Dickinson and Germany. There were lilacs and fluffy ducklings everywhere. Everybody was always in a good mood.

A big part of my springtime was our local football (soccer) team, Werder Bremen. I had kind of forgotten about them after Jens took us to see our first game, but found a renewed interest in April. I saw nearly every game with my friends on a big screen in a bar, and Katie and I actually bought tickets off of eBay to go to a live game in the Weser Stadion. That was wicked cool. We wore jerseys and scarves and celebrated with thousands of die-hard Werder fans when our team won 3-2. I used to think soccer was boring, but not anymore. It will be sad to return to the United States and not be able to watch Werder Bremen play every week.

Undaunted by my trip to the ER, I continued with my travels by flying to Egypt three days later. Katie (my roommate) and I had been planning this trip for months and I was determined to go. We flew with Egypt Air from Berlin. I was pretty sure that the plane was going to crash upon take off; it wobbled and jerked and bobbed like crazy. It didn’t help that Katie is terribly scared of flying. But we made it to Cairo in four hours without any further problems. Two leaders from our tour group met us there, helped us get a visa, and drove us a luxurious hotel with expansive and beautiful gardens.

It was hard to believe that I was in Egypt! Our tour started the next day with a journey to the pyramids of Giza. I’d wanted to visit Egypt for my entire life, and now I was seeing the famous pyramids and Sphinx…it was unbelievable. And unbelievably hot, too…and it was only March! We went down inside one of the pyramids (dark, even hotter, no air, difficult and steep climb down broken wooden planks) and then rode camels. I guzzled water. Here’s a picture of me, looking like a super-tourist:

We did so much in the week we were there–after Cairo, we took an overnight train (which was absolutely disgusting and jolty and cold, but worth the experience) down to Luxor, where we saw the vast Luxor and Karnak temples and more pyramids and lots of ancient tombs in the Valleys of Kings and Queens. Everything was incredible. We got up before dawn one morning to take a hot air balloon ride (my first!) as the sun rose, then landed in a farmers’ sugar cane field, which did not make the locals happy.

We rode (and I got to steer) a felucca down the Nile, shopped in the massive markets of Cairo, bargained with the natives, ate fresh falafel and drank Egyptian beer, saw the famous sarcophagi and masks of Tutankhamun, lots of mummies, and made some friends with the people on our tour group. What was even better was that both Katie and I had studied Arabic at Dickinson (thanks, Professor Blosser!) and could interact with the country and the people in a way that most of the other hordes of tourists could not. It was hard to leave, but when I returned to Germany, I realized how fortunate I am. I’ve never seen poverty like I did in Egypt.

Unfortunately, life during the long break wasn’t all fun and easy…three days after returning from Ireland, I became really ill at about 2:00 AM. And by ill, I mean I was in the most excruciating pain I’d ever experienced, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t move…I didn’t know what was wrong with me. Drew called Jens, who said that we should call a taxi, not an ambulance, because in Germany the ambulances only arrive quickly if someone is bleeding to death or having a heart attack. The taxi was faster. After dragging me outside and into the car, I lied in the back seat, shaking and clutching a plastic bag in case I threw up. I thought it was quite considerate of me. The taxi driver was a big jerk.
“Has she already thrown up?” he asked. “Is she going to?”
And then, after Drew told him to just take us to the hospital and not ask dumb questions, the driver felt the need to comment: “You should have called an ambulance, not me.”

Thanks. Very helpful and kind from a man who was about to earn 20 euros from us. And he took us to the wrong hospital building. Luckily, a nurse quickly got me into a wheelchair and brought me to the emergency room, which was only 50 meters away. It was a good thing that Drew was there, because I pretty much lost my ability to speak any German in the haze of pain and fear. They pumped me up with drugs and did some tests to find that something was wrong with my gallbladder, but nothing so serious that I couldn’t go home after a few hours. I would have to get surgery later. At about 4:30 in the morning, Jens showed up to drive us back.

The experience was quite scary but also very interesting. Unlike a trip to an American ER, everything progressed really smoothly. They simply took me in, asked for my German insurance card, and took care of me. No endless paperwork or filing on the computer or need for identification. No co-pays or billing. The German healthcare system is effective and good.

I’d been looking forward to this 2-month break for a long time, and had also saved up as much money as possible so that I’d be able to spend the time seeing places other than Bremen. My travels continued when I took a solo journey to Munich for 3 days. I’d never really traveled anywhere alone, so this was a big step for me. After a long train ride, I took a tour of the city provided by my hostel. (Below is a photo of Marienplatz).

It lasted 4 hours and the group was small, so I learned a lot. I also met three guys on the tour and we went out afterwards to further explore the city and eat dinner at a beer hall (an obvious must-do in Munich!). The next day, one of the guys and I went to the former concentration camp of Dachau. I’d already been to Bergen-Belsen, another camp, but that one had been nearly completely destroyed after liberation, whereas Dachau was quite intact. It was very eerie, with harsh winds and snow. The experience was intense but necessary, I think. I didn’t take any pictures…if you want to see what it looks like, use the internet…

Bremen was warm and beautiful when I returned. Flowers were starting to bloom, and spring was definitely coming–finally!

Shortly after my trip to Munich, a large group of us flew to Dublin, Ireland for Saint Patrick’s Day. We walked around, took a tour of the Guinness Brewery, and went to the gorgeous coast in the days before the holiday.

On St. Paddy’s day, we decked ourselves in green as well as goofy hats and feather boas and spent the day watching the parade, partying in the city streets, and listening to music in pubs. It was a great atmosphere, and there were plenty of real Irish mixed in with all of the tourists. Dublin was great. It helped that the landscape was in full bloom and one could enjoy the outdoors without a jacket! (Below is Drew and I during the festivities).

The day after we flew back from Vienna, my family arrived in Bremen to visit me. It was quite surreal to watch them get off the train after spending more than 5 months without seeing them at all. But I was incredibly excited to see them, and spent 2 days showing them around this city which was now my home. We then took a train down to Basel, Switzerland, to visit our friends there. All of us went down to Lucerne for one night to witness “Fasnacht,” a festival that is celebrated across Switzerland and Southern Germany. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before…We woke at 4:00 in the morning to the sounds of people already celebrating. We went outside, where it was very dark and bitterly cold.

Thousands of people were crammed into the narrow streets, most of them dressed in elaborate and creative costumes. Torches were lit on a barge on the river, which slowly made its way to shore. When it arrived, the festivities truly began. Confetti and music filled the air. The best part were the countless groups of drummers who marched through the alleys in ornate and expensive costumes. There was a group of polar bears, a group of eerie devils with glowing eyes (picture below), witches, vikings, and more fantasy creatures.

We went into cafes to eat bread and pastries when we got cold, then ventured out again. Day came and there was no pause in the celebration, which continued through the day until the next morning.

After Switzerland, we flew up to Uppsala, Sweden to visit more friends. There was a lot of snow there, which made me happy since it’s what I am used to. I really liked Sweden. The language was really frustrating, because I could almost read a large part of it (because of its relation to German) but couldn’t quite get the grasp of it in the 3 days we were there. We also visited Stockholm and used traditional ice skates to travel across a massive lake…I think I skated about 7 kilometers. But the skates were strange and I fell a lot and ended up rather bruised.

I flew back to Bremen before my family left. First I took a train to the middle of nowhere and spent an hour in a deserted town trying to find a taxi to take me to the airport. Then, when I was at the airport, it caught on fire and we all had to leave. Luckily, my flight was delayed. Upon my arrival in Bremen, I forgot that I had a suitcase with me and left the terminal. The grumpy security guard was very unkind and I was lucky to get my luggage back. It was all worth it, though. I’m so thankful that my family came to see me!

It was pretty weird to go back to the same classes after Christmas vacation–completely different from Dickinson. By the end of January, I was more than ready to be done with all of my classes. Hard frosts, more snow, and bitter wind made life in Bremen pretty miserable, but then it was time for our 2-month break!

Every year the Dickinson-in-Bremen program takes a week-long trip to Vienna, since Austria is also a German-speaking culture. And Dickinson (well…technically my parents) pays for everything. The group of us, Jens, our academic advisor Carl Wege, and Sarah (who had just arrived in Bremen to study in the Spring Semester) took a train to Hannover in the first week of February. We spent the day exploring the city, but I didn’t find Hannover special or particularly interesting at all. The next morning, we had to wake up at 4:00 to catch a 7:00 flight to Austria. Not fun.

We were all pretty tired upon our arrival but after checking into our super swanky hotel, spent a good three hours touring the city. Vienna (Wien in German) is very beautiful and classy.

I could spend a long time writing about all the things we did, but instead I’ll just list some highlights:
*A tour to see all of the different architectural styles
*Lots of Wienerschnitzel and Melange (Viennese coffee)
*Seeing Strauss’s “Salome” at the famous and elegant Vienna Opera House
*Touring Mozart’s apartment
*Going to the Belvedere Museum (pictured below)

*Touring the famous horseback riding centers
*Singing in a big underground restaurant in competition with a group of Italian students
*An amazing cathedral
*Fantastic art and science museums

It was a very full week and although the weather was pretty crummy, I had an amazing time. Plus, the Austrians were so much friendlier and more helpful than I am used to in North Germany…and after a day or two, I was able to understand their accent.

O Venus, regina Cnidi Paphique,

sperne dilectam Cypron et vocantis

ture te multo Glycerae decoram

   transfer in aedem

fervidus tecum puer et solutis

Gratiae zonis properentque Nymphae

et parum comis sine te Iuventas

   Mercuriusque

Oh, Berlin. I think you and I belong together, despite the trouble you get me in.

In late January, I decided to make another trip to Berlin because most of my friends there would be returning to their home countries soon. There is a German website called “Mitfahrgelegenheit” (literally translated: drive with + opportunity), where you can search for rides to all over the country. It’s a great idea—much cheaper than planes and trains, and carpooling is always a good idea for the environment. Though I was terrified to do it, I made contact with a man who was offering a ride. Since he still had a free spot, he said that I could gladly come along. The cost was 20 Euros.

I rushed to the train station after my 10 AM class on Friday and found the man, Jens Anders, in a nearby parking lot. There were already two other students in the car, but I had plenty of room. We drove most of the way in silence but it wasn’t very awkward. I just listened to music and tried not to fall asleep. Snow had begun falling and only continued to get more intense as we drove through Niedersachsen. Since the roads were slippery and visibility was low, the journey took a bit longer than I expected.

Upon my arrival in the city, I had dinner at my favorite little restaurant and then met up with just Ruben since all the other guys were busy that night. I spent the next day returning to my old stomping grounds and doing a bit post-Christmas shopping. Everything was going fine until that night…

I had planned to meet with my friends at 10 PM above the U-Bahn station Kottbusser Tor. I arrived a bit early and decided to wait inside the station rather than outside in the cold. It took me about 30 seconds to realize that I was the only female among the 20 or so men lingering below ground. None of these men looked particularly like people with whom I would want to associate. I began to make my way to an exit when a group of three men stepped in front of me to block my way. One of them grinned sketchily at me. I’m pretty sure he had 7 teeth and 4 of them were black.

“Hello. Good evening. What is your name?”
“Umm,” was all I could think of to reply. I wasn’t worried yet, but just thinking of how I was going to get out of this situation.
“My name is ____________. You are very beautiful. Perhaps I can help you.”
“Um, no, I don’t think you can, thank you.” I tried to step forward but they were like a wall.
“Oh, come on. I’m sure you’d like some of this.” He pulled a large baggie of marijuana from his jacket sleeve.
‘Oh boy,’ I thought and spun around to walk the other way.
“No, no thank you, I don’t need anything.” I tried to be firm but polite. I then began to really notice my surroundings. Most of the men had a bottle of liquor in their hands, from which they guzzled avidly. One guy was vomiting violently in the corner. Another was passed out on the floor. Three men were snorting what I assumed to be cocaine off the top of a ticket machine. Two others were melting a small chunk of heroin in a spoon and negotiating prices. I looked around frantically but nobody else was coming up from the platform below or downstairs from above ground. I was completely alone.

It sounds like something out of a movie, I know. I almost couldn’t believe this was happening, myself. The group of three men followed me a few steps and re-surrounded me. A hand grabbed my shoulder from behind and I just about started screaming…when I turned to see that the hand belonged to…Anne? Life is full of coincidences, and this was a fantastic one. We hadn’t even planned to see each other until the next morning—we had had no idea of the other’s plans for that night, and I was staying at a hostel this time in the city. Out of the 170 possible U-Bahn stations, Anne happened to arrive at this one at just the right time, and I was unbelievably thankful.

“What are you doing here, Mimi?” she asked, almost laughing. “Don’t you know that you’re not supposed to come to Kottbusser Tor after 8:00 PM? This is where all the drug dealers hang out.”

No, I had not known that. I had lived in Berlin for a month and had visited multiple times since then, but had somehow never learned this important bit of knowledge.

We quickly headed to an exit. When another man came up to us and tried to talk, we silenced him by rapidly spewing passages of Latin and Spanish and then hurrying off. I was safe. I hung out with Anne for about half an hour, at which time I left to meet my friends (without taking the U-Bahn), and had a great night catching up with them.