The University was honestly not what I was expecting. It was very similar to the smaller colleges that I had toured in the States. The lake and the vegetation around the campus were different from those back home. The cantina was awesome. The students, from what I asked, love the food. I ended up trying a meat dish that one of the students made, the comparison to a dish I know as meatloaf. I also made a salad. The salad station was amazing and nothing like I’ve seen in a dining hall. The city tour was very efficient in telling the story of the city and the identity that they were built on. Another thing I have realized while being here is the sheer number of steps that you will get in a day. It seems there is a lot more foot traffic and activity here compared to smaller US cities that I have visited. It’s also unique and strange at the same time to see people walking around with alcohol here. This obviously isn’t allowed in the States. I was also able to explore a good amount with the tour and individually, and haven’t seen that many fast-food spots in and around the city, except McDonald’s. We ended the tour in the city at a local brewery. We tasted non-alcoholic beer, which tasted gross in my opinion. I was also able to order steak tartare, which was excellent. I was again blown away by the price. It was 120 grams of beef for only 9 euros, along with a mix of vegetables. In my downtime, I was able to get a week’s gym membership at Fitness First. The gym is awesome. It included very modern equipment along with a sauna and cold plunge. The Italian restaurant was very cool. The menu was vast with more than enough options to choose from. I will say if I go back, I will definitely order the pasta next time. The portion was massive. The pizza was about what I expected, but it had a very thin crust, almost like a flatbread. Another neat thing about the restaurant was the glass roof over the area where we were sitting. The bread and oil mix reminded me of Italian restaurants back in Pittsburgh. Overall, the food here in Augsburg seemed to be fresher. The service is definitely different here. In the States, I feel the waitresses are almost too over in pursuit of the tip. Here, they seem more blunt, which I enjoy. I’m definitely getting more adjusted.
