Here we are, back again with an extremely early wake up call. But like yesterday, today’s was well worth it too. We started the day by taking a train to Ulm. Perhaps I’m biased coming from the New Jersey Transit train system, but the trains here are considerably nicer than those I’ve experienced in the United States. There are small private rooms with a table and chairs that anyone can use, which reminded me of the trains used in the Hunger Games movies. The train was also very clean, seats were spacious, and there was free (and strong) wifi! I used to think that the double decker NJ Transit cars were the coolest things since sliced bread, today I felt like I travelled like royalty!
The most memorable part of the day was undoubtedly climbing to the top of the Münster in Ulm. By approximately 9:30 am, I was 141 meters (about 463 feet) up in the air looking over yet another beautiful city. While the view was insane, the walk up and more notably the walk down, were quite the experiences. The entire journey, both up and down, was via a spiral staircase. This meant that the climb became much more of a mental challenge than a physical challenge, as I grew incredibly dizzy rather quickly. Despite the challenge, we completed the climb and recovered well, just in time for our brief tour of the city. The dozens of tiny statue-looking men in front of the Münster are little Albert Einsteins. Einstein was born in Ulm, so these guys are actually for sale as souvenirs, but unfortunately I can’t fit one in my suitcase. You’re probably tired of reading about these “beautiful” cities, but there is simply no other way to describe all of the locations. I especially enjoyed Ulm because of the water integrated in the city. Lunch in Ulm was pancakes- but it was quite different than our typical IHOP. Here, pancakes are incredibly thin, much like those at Pamela’s Diner in Pittsburgh. Regardless, they were delicious!
We returned to the university this afternoon to hear from a BMW representative about the company’s position in the creation of autonomous vehicles. When I entered this trip, I did not believe that autonomous vehicles could ever be safe, and would ever be the prominent mode of transportation. After hearing from the companies, and BMW today specifically, I’m convinced that this is the future of automobiles. After the educational talk, we had some nice cakes and celebrated Lexi’s, Jeremy’s, and Arman’s birthdays! It was a nice end to another long day. Needless to say I’m looking forward to a good night’s sleep, as well as a nice day in Munich tomorrow!
