Awwww, Heidelberg!!

Adorable is the word that comes to mind with Heidelberg. This little town has been visited by everyone from Mark Twain to Marilyn Monroe and for good reason. It's charming main street is the longest pedestrian street in Europe, lined with cobblestones and little shops. It has its fair share of tourists, fewer in the winter, but I can see why.






I had a peaceful walk to myself when I arrived on Sunday afternoon, since Germany closes down on Sundays. Restaurants never ever close though, thank goodness, so I grabbed some Thai food. It seems weird, I know, but these university towns have lots of new restaurants that veer from the typical dumplings-and-cheese German fare. I'm not complaining. For dinner, I went to an awesome German restaurant that brewed its own beer in the giant vats next to my table. I enjoyed my dunkel hefeweisen (dark wheat) beer, which I've only seen once in the US. Once again, I didn't have to wait long before I made some dinner friends. This time it was a group of British guys doing an exchange semester in Germany. I got my fair share of dry humor, which was even more difficult to understand with a British accent, and some of their Märzen beer served in a 5-liter keg at their table. One of them was from Transylvania so I learned all about the origins of Dracula, which was a strange conversation to have in a german beer hall. This same guy was very proud of the university that he went to in London and of his SAT scores. I know where the line between school pride and snobbery lies, trust me, so I passed up on hanging out with them after dinner.

It was definitely for the best because I got to meet a group of Argentinians at my hostel! It was fun to talk about how much fun Buenos Aires is and how beautiful the coast of Uruguay is. They just started a semester abroad at a nearby university so I got to give my recommendations on where to go in Europe. They were really chill, we just hung out and listened to one of them strum away on a guitar. My contribution to the fun was playing referee on what is American slang and what isn't. "Loaded" and "sh**faced" made them laugh but I promised that they're real words. Or real in the US, so therefore real everywhere that cares about American English. Which is everywhere that I've been on this trip, for better or for worse.
My hostel here in Heidelberg is also adorable. It's run by a young woman who has the place decorated like a fun grandma would. There's a toppling pile of books in the living room, vintage pillows and decorations, and a very welcoming common room. She's sent me to every restaurant and cafe that I visited in Heidelberg and I haven't been disappointed.

"2010 Best Coffee of Germany", which I found thanks to my hostel lady

Today I had a great lunch at an Indian place, and after nearly falling down a hill, a coffee break at a cute cafe. I was so miffed at myself for wearing stupid Armani Exchange boots and thinking that I could hike down an icy mountain that a cappuccino and käsekuchen were much needed. This kid who was starting his own business in training injured people to ski sat down at my table (seriously, a meal to myself please?) and gave me his pitch. After I calmed myself down from that mountain and this super-friendly Heidelberger, I set off to climb another mountain. To the castle. In the same boots.

relief in the form of cheesecake, served with mandarins

The first mountain adventure was following Philosopher's Path, where many famous writers and poets are said to have come for inspiration. It was absolutely beautiful, that is for sure. The only issue is that it doesn't come with a warning sign for tourists like me who go hiking in the winter and expect to have a nicely shoveled path back down the mountain. My butt only hit the bricks once, don't worry. I consider that a success.

I'm supposed to climb down that??

Mountain #2 involved a castle, again, one that has been written about by esteemed folks whose names have slipped my mind. Heidelberg is said to be an intellectual's gathering place because their university was the first in Europe. Anyway, the main attractions inside this lovely castle include a pharmacy museum and the world's largest wine barrel. Connection? Wine when all else fails, perhaps?

view from the castle

The pharmacy museum was actually quite interesting. It went back in history to Jesus and Mary Magdalen as healers, to pre-Middle Ages when it was believed that selecting the correct treatment depended on the season, a person's age, Zodiac sign, and who knows what else. They had actual pharmacies built in the 18th century picked up and moved inside this museum. Lots of cool stuff to learn. The barrel was just an added bonus - it was commissioned by the king in the 18th century to hold 228,000 liters of wine and be at least half full at all times. Sounds like a rough life in the castle, especially because this barrel was known to have a "leaking problem".

the castle

Most people could spend a day just wandering the sights of Old City (which translates to an hour or two if you're Melissa/Alysa). I saw the square where Martin Luther made his proclamation that Catholicism favors the wealthy in the 1500's, which spawned the start of the Lutheran religion. Yep, that happened here.

the requisite church

 I saw the university, first in Europe, and a prison where they locked students up. It reminded me of a large-scale version of the Chokey (this will paint a picture for fans of Matilda by Roald Dahl). If students mouthed off or freed the school's pigs, they were sent to this jail for a few weeks. This treatment went on for two hundred years, up till the early 20th century. The walls were covered in graffiti slamming their profs, including German phrases that definitely weren't taught to me in class. Hmm.

the University library, which might give Fisher Fine Arts a run for its money

Along my way I met a group of kids who approached me asking me for directions in broken German. They were Americans, surprisingly, and staying in Heidelberg to fulfill their duty as Mormon missionaries. I ended up walking them to their destination and chatting with them about my trip. They were so surprised to hear that I'm traveling for a full month and for a week on my own, like they had never met someone who had done that. I, of course, had a million questions to ask them, but I found their shiny plastic Mormon missionary name tags to be a bit intimidating so I held off. I never fail to be fascinated by the people I meet while traveling, even these American kids that I would've expected to have similar backgrounds to mine. Somehow I had more in common with Mr. Count Dracula.

The city of Cologne is up next!!

Tschüs,

a knight's old home

Tchüs!!
Melissa

Stuttgart: Land of Cars and Car People

Oh hey Germany. A quick train ride from Zurich and I've found myself in the land of cars, efficiency, and beer. What's not to love. I do wish that my lovely travel companion was here with me, but Alysa departed from Zurich to enjoy time at home with her (and my) family. We would've given Germany a run for its money. This is your warning, dear reader - instead of Alysa's eloquent flowery writing, you'll have to put up with just me and my half-witticisms for the next week. Stick with me.

 

 

 

where my partner in crime should be sitting

After a hug goodbye at the airport, I jetted off to Stuttgart. I'm lucky that my time in Stuttgart was planned by a personal trip advisor of sorts, so it was destined to be a home run :) After a stroll down the main drag of Stuttgart, I quickly set my sights on the Mercedes-Benz museum. Stuttgart is known for their ties to the automobile industry, as both Mercedes and Porsche are located here. Every girl's dream, right? :)

"To the beer garden". How can you not love Germany.

The main strip of Stuttgart, Königstrasse

The striking Mercedes Benz museum

The museum building itself was stunning. Visitors are shuttled to the top to see the oldest artifacts, like the first automobile and the first motorcycle. I learned so much about Daimler and Benz and how they separately invented automobiles, decades before Henry Ford was around, and eventually merged. Mercedes got its name because a Benz car dealer wanted to create the fastest car out there, and he named everything important to him after his daughter Mercedes. The oldest Mercedes in existence is showcased here, all lit up. Cars started to be designed with style and luxury in the roaring twenties when women started driving. You're welcome, guys.

The first automobile

Me and the oldest Mercedes in existence

The first motorcycle

I also saw a few famous cars, like the Pope Mobile and Princess Diana's car (which she had to give up after the Brits criticized her for driving). The museum went through the history of their cars with respect to what was going on in the world, like WWII, the oil crisis, and alternative energy exploration. I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that there were many women in this museum, much less single females wandering around, but it was so cool. It was potentially my favorite museum of the trip. I guess those years of mechanical engineering school have finally gotten to me.

The Pope Mobile

 

 

After the museum I continued my stroll down the Main Street, which felt very typical to Germany - wide, pedestrian only, and covered in big name shops and restaurants. I helped myself to falafel for lunch, which is huge in Germany (thanks to them Turks) and happened across a cute, classy German restaurant for dinner. I was sitting quietly by myself at the end of one of those long German tables, but not for long. I made friends with two Italians sitting near me, who work in consulting for the automotive industry. I suppose it would make sense that I'd easily find auto engineers in Stuttgart. I enjoyed hearing about the German auto industry compared to the Italian counterpart. They both had worked for Maserati and Lamborghini like it was no big deal. They also told me that I need to visit Bologna and central Italy because "northern Italians think with their head, southern with their heart, and central with both". If everyone from central Italy is as friendly and interesting as they were, I'm convinced. After they offered me a job several times, enjoyed espressos, and paid for my meal, we parted ways.

 

On my way home I stumbled across a poppin student bar that was clearly the place for university kids to be on a Saturday night. Since I need to be social or go crazy in the next week, I stopped in. Within minutes I was welcomed into a big group of friends who were birthday partying. They all chipped in to buy the birthday boy a pair of lederhosen for Oktoberfest and presented them to him at the bar, haha. They were so much fun. I knew I was at a local spot when everyone I met looked utterly surprised to hear that I was "on holiday". I went with the crew to another popular hangout and had to laugh when half of the group carted their drinks with them, bottles, glasses and all. Heck no to open container laws. It was a really fun evening and I was proud of myself for having a social Saturday night on my own.

The next morning I did a bit more wandering and ventured to the top of the art museum (skipping right past the art) to enjoy a view of the city. Since everything is closed on Sundays in Stuttgart, I decided to hop on a train to my next destination. Heidelberg is the cutest! More to come.

Bis später,
Melissa


(Not) Getting Lost in the Alps!

After a delicious quiche and cappuccino for breakfast on Friday, we couldn't really decide on a plan of attack for our final full day together. Should we wander? Should we visit another mountain? So what did we do...We wandered on a mountain top!

We hopped on a train to Uetliberg which is the highest point in the Zurich Alps at 873 meters (2864 feet) above sea level. The 30 minute train ride is beautiful, and the view at the peak is truly panoramic. A heavy snow had fallen overnight, so every tree and branch looked like someone had carefully taken the time to brush a layer of pure white paint on it. It was nothing but picturesque. We watched families and their dogs who had brought sleds for the 3.1 km paths that go all the way down the mountain. We even adventured off the main path a bit to take in some more breathtaking views, but we were careful not to wander ourselves lost! The serenity and quiet off the path was wonderful.

Churches, bookstores, and grocery stores have been must-sees in all cities, so it was without question that Melissa showed me her favorite grocery store from when she studied abroad in Zurich. I learned that shoppers are responsible for weighing their fruit and veggies before they get to the check out lanes. There are machines where you select the appropriate item number, place the fruit in a scale, and a label pops out. It's a simple act that saves time and keeps the lines shorter at check-out. We practiced by buying an orange that happened to be a perfect addition to spruce up some store-bought, bottled gluhwein. If you think hotel coffee pots are just for coffee, think again ;-)

The rest of our day was spent doing what we do best: wandering, eating, and finding pretty views. We filled ourselves with pasta for lunch, walked along the river, watched a beautiful sunset, and then warmed ourselves up with ice cream at Melissa's favorite ice cream store in Zurich. We overlooked a traditional swiss dinner and opted for some yummy Indian cuisine. Navigating an Indian menu written in German is quite a puzzle! We have our spending system down to such an art that we had just enough Swiss francs left over to try the new, hip "hugo" drink. Several of our new insta-friends had mentioned it, and we're definitely bringing this one back to the States... get ready, Minneapolis! All in all, Friday was another day on this journey different than the day before, but enjoyed just as much.

Beautiful Sunset

Typical Pre-Dinner Appetizer

Traditional Swiss Cuisine... Not.

As I boarded my flight back to the States on Saturday morning, I kept waiting for someone to take the aisle seat next to me. Melissa and I have been each other's shadow over the last three weeks, rarely separated by more than a room. I really wasn't looking forward to sitting next to a stranger for a 9+ hour flight. I held my breath as each person passed, but no one sat down. I trust you all agree this means that no one can fill the spot in our friendship!

Keep reading because Melissa will be bringing in the anchor as she travels through Germany for one more week. For all those who have followed and supported us, thank you.  Cheers to many more laps!

The trophy of the victory lap.... Friendship.

Love,
Alysa and Melissa

Zurich: Adventures Sprinkled with Chocolate

Beauuutiful Zurich

Somehow, I’m fortunate enough to say that I’ve found myself back in Zurich. After studying abroad here for a semester in 2010, it’s been so much fun to roam my old hangouts and show them off nostalgically to Alysa. She asked what we’d do here, and all I could promise was plenty of chocolate, wandering, and watches. We managed to hit all three in our first few hours in Zurich.

 

 

 

Chocolate is high on my list of priorities when I’m in Switzerland. If you’ve been following our food diaries, I’m sure this doesn’t come as a surprise. I just hope that you aren’t counting our calories because I know that we eat like sumo wrestlers. I don’t need to be reminded.






a chocoholic's dream





Today, the main indulgence was in Sprüngli hot chocolate. Sprüngli is the ritzy high-class sister to Lindt Chocolate. Walking into the Sprüngli store, I told Alysa to brace herself. This is the mecca of Swiss chocolate. It’s one delicate truffle and decadent dessert after another. We sat down in the cafe and helped ourselves to some fantastic hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream and Sprüngli chocolate shavings on top. Heaven.

Sprungli hot chocolate



On our way down the hill from our hotel to the city, I got to tour Alysa around ETH. This was the technical university where I studied two years ago and enjoyed European living to the fullest. I showed her the old main building where Einstein wandered the halls, as well as other buildings that I attended lectures and demos. We grabbed lunch in the Uni Mensa (cafeteria) and loaded our plates at the salad bar. Yes, after weeks of cheese and dumplings we’ve been wanting something green. It was also great to be with students again.

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the streets of Old City. I love how many twisty turny streets Zurich has to offer. We visited a few that I've been to before, such as a cafe that famous writers frequented and a bar where the Dada art movement was born.

 

 



Grossmunster church



 

One of my main goals was to pay my respects to the shop where I bought my Swiss watch two years ago. We found the store, admired their new collections, and I had my watch band resized. That little store means a lot to me.

 



my fave watch store



 

In our wanderings, we happened across a shop that roasts their own coffee beans and was chock full of locals stocking up. We also found a store that specialized in top-of-the-line liquors and made quick friends with the staff, who outwardly cringed at what American college students imbibe themselves with. Our favorite treasure shop was a four-story instrument store. They had grand pianos, harps, violins, every instrument imaginable. We had a great time gawking at these elegant pieces that cost more than our future salaries combined.

local coffee roaster



Musikhug



 

The evening continued at another local spot where we met up with a friend of mine from ETH. We had initially bonded as two Midwestern kids thrown into a German-for-beginners class, trying to make those lovely German gutteral sounds. Anyway, he just finished his Masters at ETH and invited us to celebrate at a university-sponsored end-of-exams event. It was held in a flashy, hip bar, which would never be the chosen location for a university event in the US. It was a great fit for Alysa and me because the place was crawling with engineering students. We had no trouble making friends. I especially enjoyed talking with my friend about engineering, business and entrepreneurship in Switzerland. He, Alysa and I have a lot of common interests.



ETH main building, where Einstein and I went to school



We moved to another bar, one of my favorite hangouts, and had an interesting America versus Europe conversation with a German and a Scot. The topic of counting calories came up, because the Scottish guy brought it up as a goofy American diet fad. As someone interested in health, I find it fascinating to learn how non-Americans eat and stay fit. Anyway, this guy thought it was ridiculous that caloric content of meals will be required to be posted at chain restaurants in the US. We explained to him that meal sizes at restaurants are often four times as big as they should be for a regular meal, unlike in Europe. And Americans eat whatever is put in front of them (Alysa and I are leaders of this trend). We also learned that lunch is the big family meal of the day in Europe. These guys were blown away to hear that lunch essentially doesn't exist as a mealtime in the US - everyone eats it on the run or in front of a computer, if at all. By contrast, lunch in Europe is savored and enjoyed among families and friends. I'm going to do my best to forget that reality when I start work in two weeks. Another day in Zurich!!

Schönen Wochenende!

Love,
Melissa and Alysa