Day Trip to Bamberg
It seems like all I write about in this web log (blog) is traveling to different places. This works very nicely because I only have interesting pictures to show off after I travel someplace. I truely hope that this doesn't leave the impression that all I do is travel. There is plenty of learning German, going to classes and cleaning my room that is taking place as well. Maybe my next entry should include pictures of those things... or not?
So, my trip that I will write about now is my trip to Bamberg. Bamberg is just about as far away from Regensburg as Nürmberg was by train. Just like last time, I went with friends so we could get this special cheap train ticket. The main difference for me between these trips was the weather. The morning of the trip, I awoke at 6 AM with rain pounding on my skylight window. We were catching a very early train to lovely, lovely Bamberg. It is a town about half the size of Regensburg (70,000 people) that has been named a World Heritage spot by whatever very important group does that. It is supposed to be one of the most beautiful places in the world, but that morning I suddenly forgot every time I had said, "Never turn down travel in Europe," to myself.
So, I sat on my computer and sent messages about the weather reports to Neal. I told him that there was a sever weather alert for Bamberg, like winds above 60 km/hr, and that was why we should take this trip another day. He said, "Sounds exciting!"
He was right. It did sound exciting. So I threw a toothbrush in my mouth, grabbed my camera, and flew out into the pouring rain on my way to the train station. No regrets.
Here is my friend Mary. We found this helicopter when we got off the train and first arrived in Bamberg. Mary is from Utah and studies Neuroscience at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.
And here is Neal. He is from Atlanta, GA and is a German studies major at Vanderbilt
And here is Bamberg. Bamberg sits where two rivers meet, so, I have lots of river pictures.
We stopped in a drugstore, and I looked at Breakfest at Tiffanys in German. It is still my favorite movie, but I resisted buying it German. I am sure the dubbing wouldn't be able to do Audrey Hepburn justice.
The Rathaus sits where the two rivers meet, on pontoon-like platforms. It was pretty amazing.
The Dom was beautiful. During its construction, there were fierce political debates between Romanesque and Gothic architects. The changed the plans every 20 years or so depending on the political party. The final product is an interesting mix between the too, and perfectly unique as a result.
The old Monastery turned old folks home was way up on the hill.
This is a sign to indicate that the old folks home (Altenheim) is ahead. It is the german version of a "children crossing" sign being used to indicate "elderly person crossing" instead. I love the old man's little hat the best.
On the ceiling of the chapel attached to the Monestary, over 600 different medicinal plants/herbs/flowers were painted on by resident monks
There are also some very scary sculptures. While I was taking a picture of this, Mary ran over to me. She had been in this back room taking pictures of a similarly scary sculpture. She took three identical pictures, but the middle one shows the entire room full of smoke. There was no smoke in the room. I am now convinced the Monastery is haunted.
Here are the scary trees outside of the haunted Monastery.
Here I am next to a tree! It was so large.
These posters were all over Bamberg. There is nothing abnormal about this poster to a German, even the use of English. Hip-hop/Rap is called Schwarz Musik (Black Music) here. A boom-box is a Ghettoblaster. A hip hop dance party can be called Black Jam, even if only two black germans can be found at such an event.
The whole day was pretty cold and exhausting, but definitely worth waking up for. If not for all the important pretty things I saw, at least for all the less important pretty things I discovered along the way, like the man roller skating in the train station while carrying an umbrella. That was great.
You can see more pictures of Bamberg here.
So, my trip that I will write about now is my trip to Bamberg. Bamberg is just about as far away from Regensburg as Nürmberg was by train. Just like last time, I went with friends so we could get this special cheap train ticket. The main difference for me between these trips was the weather. The morning of the trip, I awoke at 6 AM with rain pounding on my skylight window. We were catching a very early train to lovely, lovely Bamberg. It is a town about half the size of Regensburg (70,000 people) that has been named a World Heritage spot by whatever very important group does that. It is supposed to be one of the most beautiful places in the world, but that morning I suddenly forgot every time I had said, "Never turn down travel in Europe," to myself.
So, I sat on my computer and sent messages about the weather reports to Neal. I told him that there was a sever weather alert for Bamberg, like winds above 60 km/hr, and that was why we should take this trip another day. He said, "Sounds exciting!"
He was right. It did sound exciting. So I threw a toothbrush in my mouth, grabbed my camera, and flew out into the pouring rain on my way to the train station. No regrets.
Here is my friend Mary. We found this helicopter when we got off the train and first arrived in Bamberg. Mary is from Utah and studies Neuroscience at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.
And here is Neal. He is from Atlanta, GA and is a German studies major at Vanderbilt
And here is Bamberg. Bamberg sits where two rivers meet, so, I have lots of river pictures.
We stopped in a drugstore, and I looked at Breakfest at Tiffanys in German. It is still my favorite movie, but I resisted buying it German. I am sure the dubbing wouldn't be able to do Audrey Hepburn justice.
The Rathaus sits where the two rivers meet, on pontoon-like platforms. It was pretty amazing.
The Dom was beautiful. During its construction, there were fierce political debates between Romanesque and Gothic architects. The changed the plans every 20 years or so depending on the political party. The final product is an interesting mix between the too, and perfectly unique as a result.
The old Monastery turned old folks home was way up on the hill.
This is a sign to indicate that the old folks home (Altenheim) is ahead. It is the german version of a "children crossing" sign being used to indicate "elderly person crossing" instead. I love the old man's little hat the best.
On the ceiling of the chapel attached to the Monestary, over 600 different medicinal plants/herbs/flowers were painted on by resident monks
There are also some very scary sculptures. While I was taking a picture of this, Mary ran over to me. She had been in this back room taking pictures of a similarly scary sculpture. She took three identical pictures, but the middle one shows the entire room full of smoke. There was no smoke in the room. I am now convinced the Monastery is haunted.
Here are the scary trees outside of the haunted Monastery.
Here I am next to a tree! It was so large.
These posters were all over Bamberg. There is nothing abnormal about this poster to a German, even the use of English. Hip-hop/Rap is called Schwarz Musik (Black Music) here. A boom-box is a Ghettoblaster. A hip hop dance party can be called Black Jam, even if only two black germans can be found at such an event.
The whole day was pretty cold and exhausting, but definitely worth waking up for. If not for all the important pretty things I saw, at least for all the less important pretty things I discovered along the way, like the man roller skating in the train station while carrying an umbrella. That was great.
You can see more pictures of Bamberg here.
posted by Andrea at 12:37 AM
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