Guten morgen! Today started very early on a warm and sunny day in Augsburg. Breakfast at our hotel was INCREDIBLE. Never have I seen a waffle maker that makes such perfect waffles every time (take notes, Eatery). The scrambled eggs were so fluffy, and the orange juice was on another level. We then took the streetcar to the University of Augsburg to meet the German students to work on a short company presentation. I found the streetcars to be extremely efficient and comfortable. Unlike with Port Authority buses in Pittsburgh, missing a streetcar is often no big deal as the times are easily predictable, and the rides are smooth with no potholes.
The university’s campus was quaint but very beautiful. There were green spaces everywhere, lots of trees and flowers, modern buildings, and a very social and welcoming vibe. The group presentations went well, and it was great getting to know our German team members. In my team, one of them will be coming to Pittsburgh in August as well! He was also leading our team’s scavenger hunt, which we spent the next few hours doing. Also, we had lunch at the university’s amazing canteen! It was interesting how excited people get for vegan food, as the vegan burger line was so long, but it was so worth it.
The scavenger hunt was the best part of today. As we missed Dr. Feick’s legendary Augsburg tour on the first day due to the flight delay, this was our chance to explore the city again in a much more interactive way. The German students gave us questions about Augsburg history to answer, so we needed to walk to different sites and look for hints to those questions. We went to the main cathedral, the plaza where the Town Hall and Perlach Tower were located, and many fountains with incredible sculptures. The last stop of the hunt was a brewery where we sampled authentic Bavarian beer.
Finally, dinner at the Italian restaurant Dragone was… an interesting experience. We first spent 20 minutes trying to understand the fully German menu with many words that we could not guess. Many of us ordered pizzas, and we were surprised to see that they were not pre-sliced! I was also surprised by my Margherita pizza as I was expecting a pizza with blobs of mozzarella with fresh basil leaves, but instead, I got just a Chuck-E-Cheese style cheese pizza. Most of the pasta dishes seemed decent; however, you must read Ben’s steak story.
It was quite an eventful day today, but we know tomorrow is going to be even more packed. Stay tuned!