4 Cities, One Weekend

Sorry this has taken me a while to write. I'm just getting back on my feet after having quite a long week (two midterm exams and a research paper due, all while battling a cold). Anyhow, forgive me if memory fails, but here is hopefully an accurate account of my past weekend.

So I elected to go on the "Discovery Tour" which is a Miami sponsored trip led by our student activities coordinator, Kelley. I had signed up for the express purpose that part of the trip was a wine tasting, but more on that later.

Our tour began in Differdange, where we took the 1300 train to Luxembourg City. From there, we boarded a long train to Cologne, Germany (or Koln, as it's called in German). The train ride was just over three hours, and I had yet another opportunity to meet some cool people on the train. I sat with a young man who was originally born in Paris, but who was now living in Esch (where I live!). Also in Bonn, another guy sat next to us, and he was some sort of Olympic athlete from Germany. I say this because he was jacked (as in ripped) and was wearing a Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games official shirt. He was very friendly, and we chatted for a while about Germany, Koln, and America. We arrived in Koln at about six, and walked around the massive Dom (which is right by the train station). Here is what it looked like then:

It's giant. Anyways, I climbed it later.

So we checked into our hostel (Pathpoint Backpacker's Hostel) which was a sweet converted Evangelical church, and we even had a private bathroom in our room. Then, on the advice of one of the other students on the Discovery Tour, Tiffany, we found our way to this incredibly happening German restaurant, Fruh (or something like that). It was real awesome, and I had probably some of the best beer I've had yet, Kolsch (which is made in Koln). I had had that same beer earlier, in Trier, but it was not nearly as good then. I had a bockwurst with potato salad for dinner, and it was quite tasty. We then strolled leisurely through the streets of Koln, where there were shopping sites everywhere. We wandered into a street performance of 4 guys that was really cool. Then, our advisor, Kelley left us to go meet a friend, and it was just us 10 Miami students, alone, in Koln. So, we went back to the hostel, got jackets, and decided to find a club to hit. We took the subway (which was ubersketchy at midnight), and made our way to the main club street. It was crazy. Imagine High Street in Oxford times five. But yeah, we weren't really dressed well enough to get into any club, and we didn't want to pay that much at other places. So we ended up just walking slowly back to our hostel before konking out for the night.

We got up early, had a sweet breakfast in the hostel, and then got on an 0858 train to Moselkern. Now, the town of Moselkern is not exactly a booming metropolis, but near there is the castle Burg Eltz, which was our destination. Here is a picture of the sleepy town of Moselkern:

So yeah, we hiked through the city first, and then made our way through the woods approximately two additional kilometers up to Burg Eltz. It was really cool. As in, it was set back on a hill, in the middle of what appeared to be an extensive forest. We chillaxed in the castle, and actually had a guided tour in English (which was nice). Turns out this castle is still owned by the original family descendent, and is in its 33rd generation of ownership. I remember I found it interesting that every room had a chimney in it, as they had to heat each room individually. We then had lunch - in the castle courtyard, which rocked. I had really good french fries that actually tasted like pretzels. Then we hiked back to the train station so that we could make our train to Cochem (where our wine tasting was scheduled). We took the short train to Cochem, which is another sleepy town along the Moselle river, and literally walked 100 steps to the vineyard.

First, we had the proprietor give us a little lecture (in English) about his vineyard. I learned all about the terroir of his vineyard. Apparently, terroir is a french word which describes the unique aspects of a vineyard. It takes into account local weather, local soil, the actual grapes used, and the work/workers. This guy told us all about how there they have hot mornings, so they grow the grapes on the southeast side of hills to maximize the morning sun. Then, they use a very gravelly-slate soil (which apparently adds a potassium taste to the wine). The grapes they grew included Riesling, Dunfelder, and Pinot Noir. Then, after a tour through their rock cellar (where they keep wine - it was literally a cave), we got to taste some wine (my favorite part). We had three different glasses of white wine, and then one glass of red. The red was especially interesting - they keep their reds in oak barrels, so there was a very strong woody taste to the wine, which I was not used to, and did not particularly enjoy. So I actually ended up buying a bottle of one of the white wines we had (for 9.80 euros), to give to Norby as a present (My first wine purchase, and assuredly not my last - my parents would be so proud).

Our group then weighed our options and figured out how to get to Aachen, where we had rooms booked for Saturday night. Unfortunately, we called the hotel to let them know we were going to be late, and by then they had already given away some of our rooms. Luckily, they just booked us new rooms in a hotel right by the train station in Aachen. So we took like a long, four hour journey, with several changes, to get to Aachen. Notably, when we were on the train from Koblenz to Koln, at one stop in Remagen like a thousand people got on the train, and it was a party. There were some older people who brought glasses and bottles of wine on the train, people were standing throughout the entire train aisle, I gave up my seat to an old lady, twice (one of them was so appreciative, she gave us an entire bag of chocolate to say thanks!), it was a Party Train (or Party Zug, in German). Oh, side note about cultural exchange, when one of the german guys dropped and broke his wine glass, I said out loud, "Das ist eine Party Foul!" and everybody laughed, so I think they understood the notion of a "party foul," which was funny for me. German people are incredibly friendly, which has really contributed to how much fun I've had the last two weekends. So we didn't get into Aachen until after midnight, and by that point we were all exhausted, so we set up a rendezvous time for the next morning and went to bed. I, regrettably, decided to sleep on the couch and had quite a cold night. Nonetheless, I survived, and after a warm shower in the morning, I was back in the game.

So we headed out in search of food, and stumbled upon one of the coolest little cafes I've been in yet. The place was called "Bagels and Beans." Thus, we had delicious bagels and the best coffee I've had in Europe yet. It was awesome. Plus, the owner was talking to us and explained that that day, Sunday, was the last day of a rock and jazz festival going on in Aachen, and that there would be free concerts all day starting at 1300. So, we walked into the city center, and it was already happening. Turns out they were hosting some sort of running fundraiser for Amnesty International, so there was a large hoopla in the city center with people cheering and a big band playing inspirational music (like YMCA, and the Rocky theme song - pure America). We went into the Rathaus, which was like the town center, and saw a bunch of cool stuff about German kings and Charlemagne. Later on, we would visit the cathedral in Aachen, where Charlemagne's remains are located.

It was really cool that there was this huge festival going on, and it provided a fascinating juxtaposition between the ancient parts of the city and the still vibrant German population. Here is a picture that explains this idea well:

Anyway, so that was cool. Then, we had some lunch (more sausage), and decided to catch a train back to Koln so that we could climb the tower of the Dom (for some reason that seems to be the thing to do in Europe). So, after a relatively short, and uneventful, train ride, we got to Koln and promptly headed over to the tower.

It got real high, real fast. The stairs were quite steep and thin. Yet again, I had my backpack on, which added to the difficulty of climbing the 509 steps to the top of the tower. Though it took quite some time, it seemed fast, and tiring - the oxygen level decreases with an increase in altitude, just so you know. Anyway, so we got to the top, and had some pretty sweet views of the Rhine River and the city. Here is one of them:

And, we were like caged in, as I can imagine the danger of falling from such great heights. But, it was a really fantastic view, and I could see for miles. The climb down was equally precarious, but I again survived. Then, some members of our group actually elected to go to mass in the Dom, which is cool, but I was hungry. So instead, we went to the train station and plotted our return course as well as got McDonalds. We got on a train about an hour later, and had a long, long journey back to Lux City. On trains, you learn a lot about people, and they always provide a great opportunity to really get to know the people that you're spending time with. They are truly fascinating modes of transportation.

And thus concluded our whirlwind tour of Koln, Moselkern, Cochem, and Aachen. It was very hectic. So I'm now much more chill after having completed my exams and papers (by the way - classes are NOT easier here, I don't know how that myth exists, but it does, and it's wrong). So, I plan on putting up the rest of my pictures on facebook soon, and you should be able to check them out.

Thanks for reading, and look forward to next, next weekend, I should be returning from a weeklong vacation. Er, I mean..."Study tour" for my chocolate class. I'll be sure to take good notes.

Luxembourgish Sunday

Today was all Luxembourg.

I got up this morning, had brunch with Norby and his friends from Germany, and took a shower. Then, we went to the National Museum of the Mines in Remalange (just outside of Esch). We got to take like an hour-long guided tour down into the old steel mines, which was sweet. Unfortunately, our tour guide just spoke in Luxembourgish, but thankfully they gave us these little audio players so that we could hear the tour in English. Twas a fascinating tale indeed.

We spent the afternoon at Pitcher, where we met Norby's niece, Tammy, and her friends Michael and Andy. Greg and his host family, including Jacques, as well as a couple other Miami students joined us for some drinks while it poured outside. So, I had a Heineken, which was good. But then Tammy and her friends got some "Blue Nickel" (could be off, but that's what it sounded like), which was some drink invented at that bar. I inquired as to what it was, and Norby told me it was a little vodka with a lot of blue lemonade and lime flavoring. So, we all had a shot of that (while I'm still drinking my Heineken). We just hung out and chatted, and it was very nice. We had another shot of the Blue Nickel (still good), and hung out some more.The bartender, Jean-Claude, then brought over some black looking drink, called Black Nickel. I did not have any. But later, when he brought us some Purple Nickel, I mean, I had to try it since everybody else seemed to like it. It was more sour than the Blue stuff. And then Michael poured me another (I tried to stop him, but I don't think he understood english very well). So, I had to have it. DISCLAIMER: I am not an alcoholic, and I will only drink responsibly - approximately three hours elapsed while we sat at this bar. UNDISCLAIMER: Then after a while, Norby decided we needed to have some Bofferding, which is another famous Luxembourgish beer. 

Then, we went to Greg's host family's house for a traditional Luxembourgish dinner. It was awesome. We had some pork pie with jelly for an appetizer. Then we had bean slurp soup, which sounds nasty, but was actually delicious. Then we had bacon potatoes (best creation ever), wine sausage with mustard, and salad for the main course. All of it was incredible and satisfying. Then dessert was a plum pie with whipped cream. Oh, and with appetizers and dinner we had a Riesling (white wine from the Moselle region), which was quite nice and refreshing. Then, after dinner we each had a small glass of Vieux Marc, which turns out is some extremely strong french liquor (even Norby said so!). I got it down though. I'm actually surprised that I did so well considering the amount of alcohol I consumed today. Don't get me wrong, I was trying to be very responsible and not drunk (which is extremely, EXTREMELY, frowned upon in Europe), but I was unsure about how I would handle. Luckily, I have good genes for this kind of stuff (thanks Mom and Dad!). So then, before we left, Tiffany and I asserted our American dominance at foosball over Jacques and his cousin, Lisa. America 4, Luxembourg 1. Victory yet again.

Anyways, first day of class is tomorrow, and I have class from 845 all the way until 1915. Yikes. Long day ahead, so yeah, peace out.

Schengen, Chateau Marlbrouck, and the Wellenstein Winery

Ok, cultural stuff I forgot from yesterday - in Dean Leterre's lecture, he talked about how to fit in better in Europe. One thing he mentioned is that Europe is a non-smiling continent. He told us how that smiling at someone is basically the same as hitting on them, and that to do can be construed as quite creepy. Since then, I've been trying it, but it's very difficult not to smile. Also, he told us that Europeans will be, in general, mean to us - not because we're Americans, but simply because that's how they are raised. He said Europe has such a long history that chances are for any two given people, at some point their ancestors were trying to kill each other, so that's just how they handle things. Dean Leterre told us to not take no for an answer, at least not the first time. When someone tells you, "no" what they're really doing is giving you a chance to plead your case. And, you're not supposed to appeal to any sense of right and wrong, but the appropriate response is instead to basically grovel and try to make yourself look like the victim. He told us that only after the third "No" can you give up on something. Ah... glad that's off my chest.

Nice. So today was like "Big Field Trip Day". For me, and the rest of the students on Bus 2, that meant a trip to Schengen (a la the "Schengen Agreement"), Chateau Marlbrouck (a castle in France), and the Wellenstein Winery.

We had a picnic in Schengen along the Moselle River, which was awesome. Historical Note: Schengen is a very, very, tiny, insignificant little city in Luxembourg - except for the fact that arguably one of the most important documents in recent European history was signed in the Moselle River (yeah, on a boat), right near Schengen. The Schengen Agreement basically allows for free travel throughout all the countries in the Schengen Region. Originally, I don't think it was very many, but now it's basically all of Europe, except the UK and maybe Switzerland? Anyhow, the guys in charge chose Schengen because the river there is basically part of Germany, Luxembourg, and France, so it was like totally diplomaticfest '85.

Quick note: for lunch, we had ham sandwiches...with pickles and hard boiled eggs on them. I know what you're thinking, "Madness!" but it was actually very good.

Then we went to Chateau Marlbrouck, some castle in France. It was pretty chill. There was an art exhibition of Niki de Saint-Phalle going on in the Chateau, so we got to walk around and see all her artwork. It was... interesting. I personally was not a huge fan, but some of it was cool. Much cooler than that, however, was the stunning views from the tip-top of the castle, seen here:

Next, we had some time to kill, so we rolled into Remich, a small town in Luxembourg. It was pretty cool, I took some pictures and we strolled about.

Then, got back on the bus, went to the Wellenstein Winery. It was raining, so we took our tour of the cellars instead of walking through the vineyards. We had a cool, funny old man as our guidetook us down into the basements; the cellars held over 11 million liters of wine. (That's even a lot for you Mom! Haha). But yeah, it was really cool. Now, it wasn't as cool as the fact that we actually had a little wine tasting afterwards. That was awesome. We were each served four small glasses of wine to sample. We had some Rivaner (which I guess is like everyday, cheap wine), some Auxerrois (which was my personal favorite, twas very sweet), some Pinot Gris (which was also quite good), and some Cremant (which is like champagne, and was very well received). So, it was awesome. This was definitely my kind of field trip. (Are you jealous yet Mom and Dad?).

Then we got on buses and went to the Schueberfouer. It was pretty crazy. Basically, it was like cedar point had just up and moved to Luxembourg City. Seriously, they had like actual legit rides. So, we all had a nice sausage and french fry feast there, and then took a leisurely stroll about the fair. There were a ton of people there - not surprising considering it was a Saturday night. Norby was there with his friends from Germany, but I didn't meet up with him. Instead, a few of us came up with a game plan. We were going to get on the Miami bus, and get off at the train station in Luxembourg City, then try to find some bar nearby before catching a train back to Bettembourg or Esch or Differdange. It was not going to be that easy.

So we got off the bus, and there were 9 of us. Right then Norby called me, and I asked him if there were any good bars nearby. As it turns out, the train station is in a really bad part of the city, near the red light district (yeah, prostitutes in Luxembourg). He told me that there were plenty of prostitutes and drugs, but not really any good bars. Ergo, we started walking away from the train station. We ended up getting, well, not really lost, but not really sure where to go. So, after not getting axe-murdered (which was part of the new game plan), we stopped at Akula, some little bar right on one of the main streets. We only stopped there because there was a soccer game on their tv inside. So, of course, the two bartenders didn't speak any english, and no one else in our group spoke french, so I had to parle francais. Yeah, then the menu was a little confusing, and the whole thing was, I think, intimidating to all of us. You see, none of us, well, most of us, were very inexperienced drinkers - so the whole bar thing was quite foreign. But we got some very cheap Super Bock (which turns out is a Portuguese beer). It was fine, nothing to write home about. Then, we made it to the train station, got on the 2320, and cruised. I had to walk home by myself at night, which was a little scary, but I made it.

Cultural note: europeans are much quieter than us Americans. I noticed it very much throughout the entire day. And it's not just volume, its a sort of way of moving through things. Like, I noticed that when we Americans got in large groups we would tend to walk down the middle of a square. While, all the europeans would walk along the edges.

Oh, cool other cultural thing I remember that makes me think back to my study abroad class. We talked about proper shop etiquette today. I learned that when you enter a shop in Luxembourg, you have to say, "Moien," because it is considered a private, and not public, space. Thus, you have to be respectful upon entering.

So, now I'm home, which is good, because I am tired. As always, you can see more pictures on Facebook, I again made it so they should be visible to everyone.

Luxembourg City

So today, our big event was going on a discovery tour of Luxembourg City. But I had an important American moment today: on the way to the train this morning I heard Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" coming over the radio from one of the shops. (I also heard "Telephone" later) Then, I sat through another two orientation session at the Chateau, had lunch, and then we visited the two military cemeteries in Luxembourg. First we visited the American Military cemetery - it looked like this:

Then we went to the German military cemetery, also in Luxembourg, and literally about half a kilometer down the road. It looked like this: 

The American cemetery is very well kept - the grass is trimmed and the place is spotless. The German cemetery is much darker, much spookier, and not nearly as well kept. Very interesting. I have to say that I am proud that I signed the guest book at the German cemetery, which is cool.

Then, we spent the afternoon with a small group walking around Luxembourg City. It is a very old town, having been founded as a fortress in 963. Yeah, that old. Anyways, my team leader was Kelly, a former Miami student who is now the Student Activities Coordinator for MUDEC. She was very knowledgeable about the city, which helped greatly. One cool part was that as it started to pour, we ran into this little shop across the street from the grand palace, called Chocolate Company. We took a little spiral staircase up to the second floor of this little cafe. We ordered some hot chocolate (I had white hot chocolate, my favorite) and they serve it in a very awesome way. You are given a mug full of steaming milk, and then a wooden spoon with a block of chocolate on the end. You then dip the chocolate spoon into the milk, and let it melt. It was perfection. 

Eventually, we got back on the train (I'm leaving out a ton of details about the trip through Luxembourg City, sorry, I'm very tired now) and got back to the Chateau for a barbeque. I had a hamburger, with ketchup (yay for ketchup!). Also, they served us wine in little tiny cups. So, I had a small cup of a white chardonnay, and then with dinner I had a small cup of a red cabernet. Then, Norby and I walked around and met some of the other kids who are living in Esch and their host parents. We are scheduled to meet at the pub, Pitcher, on Sunday with some of them. Then, we are all going to Greg's (a Miami student) host parent's house to have a traditional Luxembourgish dinner. I'm very excited.

Norby's two friends from Germany, Ute (? a girl) and Rhiner (?) are here now. They are visiting for the weekend and staying with us, as well as accompanying us to the Schueberfouer tomorrow night. I am going to try to catch the bus tomorrow morning, because all of the other Esch kids said it was faster, so we'll see how that goes. But I must sleep now, so more to come later.

If you want to see more pictures, you can find them on my facebook page. I think I made them available to all, so there should be no problem checking them out.