Bonn

I'm so, so sorry I haven't updated in a while! I made a video blog entry for the trip to Ikea, but apparently the internet gods hate me and I've been having massive trouble uploading my vlog entry.  The internet is conspiring against me. Sigh.

If you already haven't read Emily's entry on Bonn and our Ikea adventure, go do it.  Since I didn't bring my camera on the Bonn trip, most of the photos I'm reusing here are from Emily. (Thanks girl!)

On Thursday, Emily and I met up on a cold, foggy morning in Tübingen to board a train that would take us along the Rhine (in German, Rhein) river all the way to Bonn.

Yep, it's quite the trek, but it's certainly beautiful.  (It's also certainly quite expensive - the Deutsche Bahn trains are clean for reason!).  Here are some pictures we snapped on the journey back from Bonn (we were asleep the way there).

Didn't mean to take this one,
 I was trying to get the castle in the back...
But it looks cool, doesn't it?

We saw tons of castles and ruins along the way!

The trees are starting to turn here and it's lovely!

As for the reason Emily and I were headed to Bonn...We've both received/are receiving some great scholarships from the German government and their academic exchange service, the DAAD.  If any of my readers are planning on going to study in Germany or know people going to study here for Bachelor's, Masters, or PhD, the DAAD is amazing. The application process is hell, but if you're going to go to Germany, you gotta know how to get paperwork done (that's a story for later).

Anyway, the DAAD had invited all the North Americans who received scholarships to go Bonn and meet everyone else.  It was really nice getting to meet other scholarship holders!  I mean, yes, it was a little weird when you were talking to someone and they tried to get you empathize with their struggles in taking their kids' stroller through Berlin...but still, everyone was working on some sort of cool project. 

My favorite part of the program was when they took us to the Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (aka the House of History of the Federal Republic of Germany).  It's a really cool museum even if you do know Germany history. This museum houses all the artifacts and historical things from post 1945.  At first I was little disappointed when I was pushed into the English language tour, but I was so glad I was.  Our tour guide was this adorable old man who not only spoke perfect English, but also was able to put a personal spin on every aspect of the museum.  He was seven when the Royal Air Force managed to pull him and his family out alive from the rubble of their bombed house after WWII.  Our guide was able to tell us in heart-breaking detail about the pain and suffering of the Germans during the years of famine that followed WWII, something which I think is often skipped over in American history classes.  Needless to say, I think this tour guide was able to teach me more about modern German history than any course.

As for the city of Bonn itself...I didn't really like it.  Bonn doesn't have any old or historic building since it was bombed to the ground in WWII and I found that the city was just kind of gray and depressing.  The subway was really dirty and kind of creepy.  I don't think I really want to go back.

EDIT:  I was going to put the video of my vlog entry here.  But the internet hates me, so I'm going to record another version and post it later.  I'm sorry everyone!

SIDE NOTE:

Really YouTube? Really?!

Okay. Fine be that way. Deprive my readers of my beautiful face and voice.