Time seems to be going very fast these past few days. We’re already done with day 4 and I feel like I just got here. It’s been a lot of fun so far but I needed to catch up on some sleep. Thankfully, today we went to Regensburg and I was able to sleep on the 2 hour bus ride both there and back. I feel very refreshed from today and excited to keep going.
Our tour of Regensburg was beautiful. The city almost reminded me of a Venice type of style, possibly because of the narrow, cobblestone walkways with colorful and uneven buildings on each side. My favorite part of the city was the church that we saw. It seems to be a trend that every city in Germany we have visited has an amazing church. Honestly, I really love the feel of these cities in general. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why; maybe it’s because of the lack of concrete streets, blaring car horns, or trash on the ground. These cities are clean, quiet, and beautiful. What more can you ask for?
Next we visited Continental, the company that my group will be presenting on. While the presentation was very interesting, it lacked specific information about Continental as a company and their plans for the future. Luckily we were able to get the contact information of the presenter so he can put us in contact with others who can answer our questions about the company. This will allow us to prepare for our presentation. The factory tour of Continental was very cool. I’m starting to think this trip was made for my exact major type. The amount of industrial engineering that goes into the factory is crazy. Continental had robot carts going around to transport supplies from place to place. They were smart and had the ability to sense if something was in front of them and they could move out of the way to reach their destination. I was fascinated by this. Continental really strives to be the most efficient plant that they could be. The stocking system works with a FIFO (first in, first out) system which allows them to optimally transport and deliver all materials in a timely manor. They have been able to cut cycle time, reduce inventory, and increase throughput. Sorry, I’m nerding out over how awesome it was to see them truly optimize their plant.
After the Continental visit we went back to the city of Regensburg and were given some free time to roam around. We walked around going into some stores and exploring. I’ve mastered saying “Hallo” instead of “Hello” when entering stores now. However, if the conversation goes beyond that, I struggle with the German language. I wish I knew more! I’ve been practicing some other phrases but it is difficult. Okay, sorry I’m going on a tangent. Anyway, after roaming around we got dinner at a restaurant near the Church. I got dumpling-like things in a very good sauce with mushrooms. To be honest, I’m not positive what I am eating here usually, but it is always delicious! I like that it’s heavier than American food because it fills me up and I don’t feel the need to have a snack later.