#jessabroad ~ Dresden

September 26, 2016

   Our first morning in Dresden, we had a visit to the Semperoper and a city tour. I absolutely loved our tour guide, as she spoke with so much passion for the history of the art and music and culture of her city. The Semperoper was absolutely gorgeous, featuring painted ceilings, impressive colonnades, and immaculate detail in every way, shape, and form.





   After our tour of the Semperoper was finished, we reconvened to head off on our tour of the city itself. Dresden is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. We were able to visit various palaces, churches, see the Zwinger palace, and stroll down the streets of Dresden, absolutely immersed in the beauty and art of the city.
   Our tour concluded in the main city square, and we were able to break off into small groups to continue to explore the city. We decided to head up to the dome of the main cathedral to look out over the city.


   That afternoon, we decided to visit one of the castles just outside of Dresden. The best thing about this castle were the views--all around the castle were breathtaking panoramas of German countryside. From rolling hills to flowing rivers, there are few words to describe the actual beauty of the landscape.


   Dresden was definitely one of my favorite cities we visited. The culture, history, and music was absolutely amazing. My favorite memory of Dresden is after our final dinner in the city; due to issues with where we were originally supposed to eat, we'd ended up breaking off into small groups for dinner. When we all met up again that night, we headed to the bridge to catch a glimpse of the skyline over the water at night. That view was one of my favorites in all of Europe, and I would love to go back one day in the future and see it again.


   Dresden is definitely on my list of cities to revisit in the future, and I honestly decided while we were there I'd be completely fine picking up and moving there to settle for work or grad school. We'll see how that goal turns out!


After our time in Dresden, we packed up our stuff and boarded the bus to head to our final stop in Germany-- Berlin!


#jessabroad ~ Weimar/Buchenwald

   Our second week in Osnabrück consisted of more classes, more shopping, and preparing ourselves for our long excursion. From fighting over the laundry machines to navigating our way through Kaufland's to gather snacks for the bus ride across Germany! We left around four in the morning on Wednesday, after a night of staying up all night so we would sleep on the bus ride, headed to our first destination--Weimar! The bus ride was filled with naps, charades, and card games as we made our way to Buchenwald.


   Once we arrived in Weimar and got to Buchenwald, the atmosphere completely changed. It sounds cliched to say, but it really does just feel heavier when you arrive at a place that was the site of so much hatred and suffering. Since we'd read Night by Elie Weisel in our class during the semester, this was a particularly heavy place to visit for us. The visit is hard to describe in words, and the value of the visit is more than I can describe in words; it's one thing to learn about the tragedies of the Holocaust in a classroom or from a book, but to see firsthand where these things actually took place is more valuable than all of the information you can read or absorb during a lecture.  


   After our visit at Buchenwald concluded, we boarded the bus once again to make our final drive to Dresden. We arrived at our hostel and unpacked our bags before heading off throughout the city to find a place for dinner. We ate as a class in a brauhaus, trying various traditional German foods and beers, before heading back to the hostel to get rest before the next day.
 

#jessabroad ~ Munster and Bremen!

After our first week enjoying Osnabrück, we had our very first set of excursions. The weekend consisted of day trips to Munster and Bremen. Traveling by train, we passed the time playing cards, talking with our IFTs, and sneaking selfies with classmates who just so happened to fall asleep during the journey. 


Our morning in Munster consisted of a guided city tour around both the historic and modern parts of the city. We toured various churches, learned about the history of Night Watchmen in the city, and had the chance to view some palaces throughout the city. 




statue outside of Munster's city library
Stumbling Stones - dedicated to victims of the Holocaust




After the tour, we were free to split up into groups and explore the city on our own. With our IFTs, we headed off to find some lunch and to do a bit of shopping. One of the IFTs recommended some thrift shops, and we visited some tourist shops as well for postcards and souvenirs.



   That afternoon, we headed back to Osnabrück for a bit of rest before our excursion to Bremen the next day! 
   The next morning, we headed back to the train station to catch the train to Bremen. Once we arrived in the city, we split up into teams with our IFTs and, with only a map and our determination, were sent on a scavenger hunt to find various locations and facts about Bremen that were scattered throughout the city. 



   After winding our way from cathedrals to windmills, palaces to old medieval streets. we finished our hunt and stopped for a bite to eat. Yet again, doner kebabs were the meal of choice, and as we ate we talked about our time in Germany so far. 
   Once we'd finished lunch, we met up with our class at one of the Opera houses in Bremen to see Carmina Burana. Due to our non-stop schedule, most of our class unfortunately ended up napping through some (if not all) of the performance, and after its conclusion we headed back to the train station for the ride back to Osnabrück. 

#jessabroad ~ Paris Day 1

August 22, 2016

   Paris has been a city that's held my heart for many years now. I blame it mainly on Disney, as Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Ratatouille are some of my favorite films. In tenth grade, AP Art History was my first real exposure to the technical background to art and its beauty. Since then, I knew that Paris was on my list of cities to visit. My best friend and I began planning our dream trip, detailed down to the hour of what we'd do, where we would shop, and what we'd eat. From strolling down the Champs-Élysées to a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower, our plans were exactly perfect. Unfortunately, my time in Paris was almost quite the opposite.
   We arrived into Paris late at night, having taken the Eurostar from London, where we'd spent our past couple of days exploring everything from the Globe to King's Cross Station. As we arrived, we were faced with rain, exhaustion, and a crowded hostel. We threw our bags into the room, and promptly went to sleep.




  The next morning, we woke to even more rain, and a fair amount of chaos. We ventured via Metro to the Louvre, our first stop for the day. Since we had a big group to get together, we decided to divide and conquer; some people waited back at the hostel to collect a friend after her flight landed, some of us headed to scope out tickets for the museum, and others we met at the front of the queue for the museum. After waiting in line for tickets in the rain, splitting up and purchasing tickets indoors, and a quick breakfast at the cafes in the Carousel du Louvre, we had collected everyone in our party and were ready to explore one of the most famous collections of artwork in the Western world.






   The Louvre is more than you think it would be, and that's really saying something considering I knew going in you could spend years and years and still not truly be able to see and appreciate everything in the collections the Louvre plays host to. Personally, I saw the Louvre as a chance to see for myself, firsthand, some of the pieces I'd studied in textbooks for years. These included Winged Victory, The Venus de Milo, The Mona Lisa, The Seated Scribe, and many, many other works.







 My favorites were of course Nike of Samothrace and the Seated Scribe. To descend the stairs and see Winged Victory, and the detail of the marble was incredible. The Seated Scribe is one of the first pieces I remember from my art history textbook, and to see it in person presented the chance to realize that what you learn in high school really does matter beyond just getting into college.


   After scattering throughout the Louvre, we reconvened for lunch. Together, the nine of us explored the city for a bistro for lunch. We settled on a restaurant, and settled in for some conversation, some exploration of local delicacies (escargot and rosé), and to relax for a bit before heading back out into the dreary weather to continue exploring the city.

 Once we finished our meal, we said goodbye to some of our group members and headed off in pursuit of Notre Dame Cathedral. A short metro ride later, and we arrived at the Cathedral. Now, as someone who constantly has "The Bells of Notre Dame" stuck in my head, this was one of my most looked-forward to moments of the entire trip.


   There really is no way to put into words the feeling I had when we walked up to the Cathedral. The inner Disney geek in me meshed with the inner art history geek, and it combined into a beautiful moment of sheer perfection of seeing a place I've dreamed about visiting for years.



   Escaping the rain, we entered the Cathedral. The inside was absolutely stunning, from the intricacies of the rose windows, to the mighty of the construction of the nave, the building a was amazing on every level. Despite how popular a destination the Cathedral is to visit, it was not overtly a tourist trap. Having studied this building since elementary school, I can say that Notre Dame is checked off my bucket list, but I am most certainly going back to see it again. 


   After Notre Dame, it was finally time for my most favorite place in all of Paris--The Eiffel Tower. Now, anyone who knows me (or at least anyone who saw my dorm room last year) knows I am absolutely obsessed with the Eiffel Tower. Constructed in 1889 for the World's Fair, this tower has become universally known as a symbol of the beauty and romance of the city of Paris. I, ever the hopeless romantic, have wanted to visit it since watching Anastasia as a child.
   Now, I'm not gonna lie and pretend like I didn't cry with excitement when we finally saw the tower, because that is exactly what I did. As we rounded the corner from the metro, bundled up in rain coats with hoods too big to see beyond, there it stood, the symbol of love, the symbol of the city of Paris that I had dreamed about visiting for so long.


We purchased our tickets for the elevator to the top, and prepared to head up and look out over the city of Paris. 


   Despite the rain, and the clouds, and the wind, the view from the top of the tower was stunning. To look out from hundreds of feet above the city, surrounded by fog, truly felt like we were in the clouds.



   After gazing out over the city, we had planned a special surprise for while we were at the top platform. In order to celebrate the birthday of one of our friends, we purchased a glass of champagne and sang "Happy Birthday" while standing on the second tallest structure in all of France.


   As we left the tower, our final stop for the day was dinner. We found a restaurant near Notre Dame, with the most gracious host. He recommended wines, extended special desserts to us, and even recommended some shops to try out the next day. 
  Content and full, we headed back to the hostel to get some sleep before out expedition to Versailles the next day. 
   Even though I didn't get to explore Paris with Bri, and even though we spent two days completely soaked through to the bone, the days I spent in Paris were some of my favorite of the entire trip. And, since it was raining, I know I have a valid reason to go back and explore the city in the sunshine. Paris, you have my heart.

#jessabroad ~ Maiwoche

July 5, 2016

   During our first week in Osnabrück, we were lucky enough to experience Maiwoche, or May Week. This festival, which happens every year in Osnabrück, features live performances from bands, tons of different options for food, and market stalls selling everything from bags to sculptures made out of recycled materials. 


   Since we were in Osnabrück the whole week, taking classes and exploring the city, we had plenty of opportunities to visit Maiwoche each evening. I loved the atmosphere, with people enjoying each other's company, trying different drinks, and singing and dancing to the bands. The weather was gorgeous most evenings, making the sky a perfect backdrop to the lights of the rides and the aroma of all the different foods. 


  In front of the old church, the main keg sold the typical Maiwoche beer. This drink featured peaches soaked in alcohol, and was poured out of an enormous keg in the central tent. The main highlight of this tent were the glasses themselves; a great souvenir, we all decided to try something from the tent just for the glass itself! We all grabbed a drink to try, and spent our evening wandering, snacking, and laughing about our days.


   Maiwoche was a completely unique experience, unlike anything I'd really ever experienced stateside. To wander medieval streets with friends, trying brisket sandwiches and chocolate covered strawberries, really immersed us into the lifestyle of Osnabrück, making it truly feel like our home away from home.

#jessabroad ~ first week in Osnabrück

June 15, 2016

   Monday morning, we said our goodbyes to Leiden and headed to Amsterdam to catch our train to Osnabrück. The train ride was filled with games of Catan, cards, reading, and naps, as we made our way to Germany to start our program. Once we arrived in Osnabrück, we met with our student tutors, dropped off our bags at our dorm, and headed out to explore our home for the next three weeks!


   First task: food. We gathered those of us from the class who'd already arrived and headed off toward the city center to look for a place to eat. We settled with UniDöner, grabbing a quick meal and catching up on our travel stories from the weekend. We headed back to our dorm, lovingly nicknamed "the jungle" by Osnabrück students, and chilled out until our orientation that night.
   After a brief introduction to that weeks schedule, introductions from all of our hosts from the University of Osnabrück, and a short tour of our dorm, we all headed off to our rooms, ready to get some rest before our breakfast the next morning.
  The next morning, we were FINALLY able to meet our International FaceTime Partners (IFTs) after communicating via Facebook, WhatsApp, and Snapchat all semester long. Over breakfast, we chatted about our travels so far, discussed our favorite Disney films, and about the excursions we'd be going on later that week.


   After breakfast, we headed out to the Schlossgarten for some icebreakers and photos, before saying goodbye for the day and heading off to our official orientation session. After orientation, we had our first tour of Osnabrück, visiting the churches, shops, and different parts of the city, as well as doing a bit of shopping in Neumarkt for the Welcome Dinner that night!


   The next morning was our first day of class. Up bright and early, we caught our bus and headed into the city center for our first German lesson. We picked up some breakfast from Coors, ready for the day of introductions and excited at the chance to finally put to use the skills we'd been practicing all semester.
   Wednesday morning was our second class, as well as our first trip to ALDI to stock up on groceries for the week. In the afternoon, we met up with our IFTs on the Schlossgarten to relax in the sunshine and play games. We played a few rounds of Viking Chess, a game that involves throwing sticks at the other team's blocks to knock them over, eventually working your way up to knocking over the king. That night, we had a barbecue in the gardens, playing more games and talking with the IFTs.


   Thursday morning, after another day of class, we decided to explore a little bit more of Osnabrück before our activities that afternoon. We made our way to the old city gate, or Hagar Tor, and spent some time taking pictures and enjoying the view of the shops and skyline. Eventually, most of our class ended up at the gate taking pictures, laughing at each other's poses and ideas for pictures. 



   Next, we began our tour of the Felix Nussbaum Haus. This is an art museum in Osnabrück, dedicated to the works of Felix Nussbaum, who was a Jewish painter who was killed during the Holocaust. The museum is designed to feel like there is no escape, with many rooms divided by doors, staircases, and narrow hallways to simulate the feelings of being trapped, as those who were prisoners in concentration camps would've felt. 
   After the museum, we had a short break before our next event: the Nightwatchman Tour! This was probably my favorite night in Osnabrück, as we got to learn about the medieval history of the city, from exploring the town hall, where peace talks for the Peace of Westphalia were held, to climbing towers built hundreds of years ago. My favorite part of the tour was climbing the church tower in the city center. We made our way up the 191 steps, and though we were dizzy from the spiral by the time we reached the top, the view was absolutely stunning. To see all of Osnabrück at dusk was amazing; all of the buildings looked like a model town. After the tour, we explored the night life of Osnabrück, visiting different local bars and sharing laughs and jokes as the night drew to a close.


   Finally, Friday morning was our last day of class for the week. After class, Jess and I explored Neumarkt, doing a bit of shopping before settling down in a coffee shop to catch up on our journaling and enjoy the afternoon weather. After coffee, we headed back to the dorms for spaghetti night with some of the other girls from our class. That night, we checked out a local bar called Countdown, decorated with baby doll heads, old phones, and lots of other eclectic furniture. 
   Overall, the first week in Osnabrück was amazing. From learning more German in our lectures to exploring the history of the city to getting to know our IFTs, all of our activities made Osnabrück feel like home almost immediately upon arriving and throwing our bags into our rooms, leaving us ready to explore the city and the rest of Germany over the course of our program. 


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