Don’t be fooled: our first day as part of the Plus 3 program lasted close to 72 straight hours, with a few naps in between.  From a 3 am bus ride, to a 9 hour layover in Newark, to a 7.5 hour long flight, to a day of tours, the beginning of our journey has been a tiring one.  Nevertheless, I am really excited to be in Germany!

Despite our sleep deprivation, we had a great tour of the city of Augsburg today by Dr. Feick.  We learned how to use the tram by taking it into the city.  Once there, we were able to see inside the Augsburg Cathedral and Town Hall, as well as visit places like the Fugger House and some statues.  All of the places were beautiful, and it amazed me how such a small city could be so rich with history.  For example, the Augsburg Cathedral has the oldest stained-glass windows in all of Germany.

We also got a chance to tour the Fuggerei.  With the guidance of an amazing tour guide (seen below), we learned about the Fugger family and the purpose of the housing complex or, in her words, “a small city within the city.”  It was really interesting to learn more about Augsburg’s history, as well as be able to see something we learned about pre-departure in real life.

We then headed to a restaurant and had dinner with a few of the students from the University of Augsburg.  We got to experience authentic german food for the first time, and although it wasn’t what I was expecting, it was very tasty!  As a whole, experiencing Augsburg as a tourist today was a great time, and I got to see many beautiful things and learn a lot.  And, although I’ll still be a tourist,  I’m looking forward to getting to know the city better in the coming two weeks!

Thanks for reading!