Our amazing Germany 2023 group gathered in Oakland Friday, May 5th. We were able to have a nice dinner in Sennott and discuss the final details of our trip. Then around 9am on May 6th, we set out for the airport. After a very long two flights, we finally arrived in Munich. This was at 7am on May 7th. We were able to go through customs pretty quickly and get our checked bags even quicker. Then we got on a bus and drove about an hour to Augsburg. The bus ride was beautiful. We got to see the countryside of Germany. There were these beautiful yellow flowers that sprinkled miles of farmland. It was interesting because it gave us a non-city aspect of Germany and allowed us to see how important agriculture is to the Germans. We also observed how popular clean energy is to the country. In every farm or village, there were solar panels on every property. This was cool to see a country successfully push innovative technology.
After a great bus ride, we arrived at our hotel in Augsburg and were greeted by the two program coordinators Elisabeth and Nikolas. They were so friendly and welcoming, which was a great relief after a very long day in the air. After our introduction, they gave us a walking tour of Augsburg and even got us lunch (pictured above). Side note…the bread is so good here. This city was defiantly a culture shock for obvious reasons. However, it was so cool to see the deep-rooted history and character of the beautiful city Augsburg. I found it specifically interesting to see how much trees, flowers, and overall greenery were in the city. In the United States this is not common.
After a nice introduction to the city, we finally were able to shower and clean up after our long day of flying. After we relaxed, we then prepared for our information tour on The Fugerrei. This is the world’s largest public housing complex. It was so interesting to learn about it from the start in the all the way to today (there are still residents). We also learned some history on World War II which was sad, however insightful. I will however add by the end of this interesting tour, we were all exhausted and ready for a big meal. We ended up having a big dinner with the fellow Augsburg University students at a place called Zeughausstuben. It was authentic German food, and I got a Turkey Schnitzel with mushroom cream sauce and a type of pasta I have never heard of. It was delicious and well deserved.
After, we actually got shown around Augsburg by one of the students. This was really cool because we were able to explore the beautiful culture but also feel comfortable and safe. Finally, after a few hours we decided to go back to the hotel and get some much-needed rest. Overall, the first day was quite long, but so fun. I am excited about the upcoming two weeks, and I cannot wait to bring you all along the journey with me.
Updates tomorrow!
Kat Listwak