We landed in Munich early this morning around 7:30 AM local time. When we got off the plane, we had to go through customs and already half of us got separated to go through a different line. We got through super quick and were able to take a few minutes to freshen up and grab out luggage.
The airport didn’t surprise me much, but I was surprised to see markets with fresh produce and pastries within the airport. My first stop was the Currency Exchange, where I took out 100 Euros. We waited for the bus for a while, but the fresh air felt nice and eventually our bus driver, Karl, pulled up. The ride to Augsburg was around an hour and as I looked out the window, it was a lot of grass fields and flat land. When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by Elisabeth and got a brief overview of the week ahead. We dropped our luggage before checking in and hit the streets of Augsburg to meet a local tour guide.
The closer we walked to the city center, the more unique and quaint the buildings started to look. I loved seeing all the colorful buildings and cobblestone streets. The sun was shining and it was a perfect welcome into the city, besides the lack of sleep we were all running on! I loved seeing all the fountains and historical buildings in the city; the tourguide was very knowledgable and I didn’t even realize Augsburg is one of the oldest cities in Germany. There is so much character within this city and I think my favorite part is all the bridges and small canals there are around the city. The tourguide said there are over 500 bridges, which you would not expect!
I also loved seeing the Fuggerei housing and learning more about the affordability and lifestyle within. I think Fugger’s impact is seen all over the city, but especially in regards to the amount of tourists that travel to Augsburg each year to see this landmark.
After the tour, we checked into our hotel and wow! These rooms are tiny! It made me laugh how close together the beds are and I am definitely wondering, are all of the hotels around this small?
Meeting the Germans and having my first authentic German meal, Schnitzel, was my favorite part of the day because the Germans were so warm and welcoming. They are coming to Pittsburgh in the fall, so I am really looking forward to getting closer with them and learning more about their lifestyle and favorite places. I think my biggest question now is, how easy is it to navigate public transportation and how does the University of Augsburg compare to American universities?
