Packing for Christmas

Four more days and I will be home for Christmas! I cannot wait!

Christmas Markets

I love Christmas markets! Yes, here in Dresden I can choose any of the 20 plus markets just in the greater Dresden area and wander to my heart’s content.  Although it is cold you cannot help, but to be happy. No matter what day or time, they are always packed with people drinking Glühwein, eating bratwursts and searching for the right gift. I could, and have, spent hours strolling around the different markets and looking at all the different choices. Almost anything you want, they have. Not only is it possible to buy the traditional pieces at the Christmas markets, but one can also buy cloths, herbs, candles, pottery, dishes, jewelry, toys and stuffed animals, sweets and tons more. The main Christmas market here in Dresden, known as the Striezelmarkt, is one of the oldest in Germany. This year is the 576^th celebration. I do not know how I will survive after Christmas without them. The rest of winter is surely going to feel a lot colder and longer when I do not have a Christmas market to go to!

the Striezelmarkt in Altmarkt

the traditional pyramid

choices galore

chocolate covered fruit

Hello!

Please forgive me for my lack of blogging. Life has finally found a consistancy. I spend my week working a fews hours each morning and then spend the afternoons in my German class or tutoring. The last few weekends have been full with activities planned with my English co-workers. Thanksgiving was celebrated on Friday instead of Thursday as all of use Fulbright scholars here in Dresden had to work on Nov. 25. Nevertheless we got 20 people together to eat the usual dishes, although there was some difficulty finding a turkey! The weather has since turned cold and for the last three days snow has fallen. It looks so pretty. Last weekend was the start of the Christmas markets. They are so much fun. Yes, it is cold, but I like looking at all stuff for sale and there is always good food available. For those who do not know, I am going home for two weeks around Christmas. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and sleeping in my own bed. Thats all for now and I will post some pictures of the Christmas markets asap.

Leipzig and Seiffen

I am soooooooo sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything. Since I last wrote my days have been filled with teaching, taking a German class, tutoring English to a ten year old, and seeing more of the town. Not too much exciting had been going on, but I still found myself not believing I was in Germany.

This past weekend was booked. On Saturday I caught a ride with one of the English teachers to Leipzig. Leipzig is the other major town in Saxony and is about one and a half hours northwest of Dresden. Leipzig is known for its protests against East Germany in the late 1980s. Leipzig is also famous for Bach's work in the Thomaskirche. The town has a nice altstadt with a large pedestrian area with tons of shops. I spent my time first at the wonderful zoo, which is known for its breeding programs, and then after lunch, I walked around town seeing the sites. It was a nice day and it was about time I got to Leipzig.

Then on Sunday, I went to my cooperating teacher's house and had breakfast with the family. We had the traditional items like bread, meats, cheeses, jams, a soft boiled egg, fruit with yoghurt and juice. It was delicious! Afterwards, we headed to the tiny town of Seiffen, located on the Czech boarder southwest of Dresden. The scenery was beautiful. The landscape is rolling hills with small woods and tiny towns sprinkled throughout. It was heaven! People visit Seiffen because like Frankenmuth, it is Christmas year round. The area is known for its handmade wooden decorations. It was a lot of fun, and a little overwhelming, to look at all the different stores with a wide variety of choices. I bought a Christmas gift for someone special and I also bought a treat for me. Afterwards, I returned to my teacher's home and had dinner with them. I did not get home until 8pm. However, I had a wonderful time and it has been a highlight of my time in Germany.

Weekend Adventure

So yesterday, I returned to the house of one of the teachers I am working with and had lunch and an afternoon outing. Last time she made Rouladen, this time she made Weiner Schnitzel and potatoes and cauliflower with a Hollandaise sauce. For desert we had homemade applesauce. Man was it good. For lunch we were again joined by my colleague’s partner and his father. The partner’s father is at least in his mid-80s, but what is more interesting is that he fought in WWII and was a POW in France. Isn’t it amazing? I cannot exactly put it in words why I am so overjoyed about this nice old man and his history, but I will try.  For so long I have only read about or watched movies about that era. But he was a real former soldier of the German army during WWII. To meet a former German soldier, especially one who was later captured in France, is so mind-blowing.  Sixty plus years ago, we would have been enemies, but today, we eat lunch together and discuss the past like it was any other childhood memory. I quite admire how the Germans I have met in Dresden talk so openly about WWII. I wish that Americans would get a better perspective of the German in school and media culture and expand what is learned about German history, other than WWI, WWII and the Cold War. They are so much more than that.

After lunch, we drove across the river and hiked through the hills and vineyards. I am not much of a hiker, but if an eighty year old man can do it, why can’t I? In the end I really enjoyed it and the views of the city were wonderful. I respect the sportsmanship of Germans. Yes, many Germans play sports, especially when they are younger, but it is more than that. It is not unusual for a German family to spend their free time hiking or going on bike trips. Most Germans know how to ski. Even when they are eighty, if they are healthy, which most are, they continue to hike. I am going to try to be sporty, at least in the German sense.

Second Week

After a fast paced first week of my Fall Break, I was ready to enjoy a second week of peace. To put it simply, I didn't do much. But the highlights of my week were discoving Dresden's public library, visiting Schloss Moritzburg, the "hunting lodge" of the Saxon kings, and going to a performance of Dresden's Philharmonic.

Schloss Moritzburg

The view from the castle of the town of Moritzburg

 

 

Moritzburg's wilderness

Pompeii

On my last day in Italy, I woke up bright and early and caught a train to Naples. When I arrived at the Naples train station at 9:30, I then caught a regional train (that used subway cars) to Pompeii. The ride from Naples to Pompeii was beautiful. The train traveled along the coast and had a good view of white beaches and blue water. After 40 minutes, I got off the train and walked less than 100 yards to the entrance to Pompeii. I bought my ticket and a guidebook and then headed off. First you had to walk up a steep hill to pass through one of the town’s gates. Once inside, I spent hours walking the streets and stopping at the major locations. It was amazing to look at the remains of a church or a house and think that 2,000 years ago people were living their lives not knowing what was to come.

Pompeii's Forum with Mount Vesuvius in the background.

I found it interesting that Mount Vesuvius seems so small and distant when standing in Pompeii and yet the volcano could cause so much damage. I also found it ironic that the city of Pompeii is located in a beautiful valley with views of the ocean. Isn’t it crazy how many places of great pain and suffering can be located in such scenic locations? It was really exciting to drink from the same fountains as were used when Pompeii thrived, to see the grooves in the streets made by hundreds of chariots taking the same path, and an the ease at which you could image what it was like so long ago by simply looking at the frescos painted in a home. Pompeii was amazing and so incredibly fascinating. The one negative thing was that most of the intact houses were not open to the public. This left you looking mostly at public places like the forum, baths, public toilets and the numerous temples. As an architect enthusiast, I would have liked to have seen the interiors of more houses. Yet the size of the excavated city makes it real and gives you Goosebumps. But like many places I have visited in Italy, there was very little information. You were provided with a guide and a map when you bought your tickets, but reading the map, navigating the city, taking pictures, and walking around large tour groups made the guide difficult to use. Next time I will definitely get an audioguide or go on a tour. From this trip I have learned to not be cheap and to spend a few extra euros on an audioguide in order to get more out of what I am looking at. After walking around for three and a half hours I left. I could have stayed longer, but I wanted to go to a museum in Naples and get back to Rome at a decent hour.

The view from Pompeii

Remains of mansion in Pompeii

A block in Pompeii

After catching the regional train and riding 40 minutes back to Naples, I headed to the museum. But it took me another 20 minutes to find a map of Naples, find signs for the subway, and guess what train to take – again little information. Luckily, I was on a train heading in the right direction and only had to ride a short time. When I got to the museum I was let down. Pompeii is empty. There are very few artifacts left and the good stuff is in a museum in Naples. It was this museum I visited. But after buying my ticket and seeing Roman statues and lots of pottery and tools, I was wondering where the mosaics and frescos were. When I stopped in the gift shop, I was told that that part of the museum was closed for conservation. I was greatly frustrated because there was no information about the closing of these collections in English. When I left the museum, I took the subway back to the train station. It was not easy to use the subway because again there was no information about what train to take, but using sign language to speak to a few Italians, I found my way back to the train station and head back to Rome. Needless to say, my impression of Naples was not the best. However, I loved Pompeii and would not mind traveling back to the region to see Capri and the Amalfi Coast in the future. When I reached Rome, I grabbed a quick dinner and packed for my return home.

Bright and early on Sunday October 10, I left the convent in Rome and took a bus to the airport. After checking-in and going through security, I passed the time by looking at all the stores. The flight left about 20 minutes late, but otherwise there were not problems. After collecting my bag and waiting a hour for my train, I was on my way back to Dresden. It was nice to return to the city as after living here for a month, I felt very comfortable. Italy's art, history, and culture make it a must see place and I am glad that I finally had a chance to visit. I find the different lifestyle interesting, too. I loved Florence and Pompeii and enjoyed the sites of Rome. The only thing that would have made the trip better was if I had my family with me. But when I think of what I have done in such a short time in Europe and of all the things I have experienced and seen, I feel very blessed and am grateful for the all support.

Vatican City

By Friday of my week in Italy, I was worn out and my feet hurt. But I would not let that stop me. My first activity of the day was to go to visit the National Museum of Rome. There I saw more Roman statues, and more to my liking, mosaics and frescos. There were some impressive examples of both. In the 19^th century, the remains of a villa once owned by Livia Drusilla, the wife of Augustus, was discovered outside of Rome. It included a room that still contained its frescos. The room was moved to the museum where it was set-up as it was originally. The frescos were of plants and animals. It was beautiful and one of my favorite part of my trip.

Fresco from Livia's villa

After a quick lunch, I jumped on the Metro and headed towards the Vatican City. Before I had left, I had bought a ticket online for the Vatican Museum. I wanted to go early so that I could see St. Peter’s Basilica before my scheduled entrance into the museum. But when I arrived the line was so long that it wound around the square and I did not want to wait an hour to get in, nor had time to. So I decided that I would take some pictures and then go to the museum and try again later. As I was walking around, I was approached about a tour of the museum that would allow mean I would not have to wait in line to see St. Peter’s. After some consideration, I decided to join the tour. In a group of twenty we were led to the museum and given an excellent tour by an American art historian. The tour was wonderful because the tour provided information and a background on the Sistine Chapel, otherwise, I would have had no clue as to what I was looking at since there was no information on any of the collection pieces inside. After two hours and seeing multiple collections and the Sistine Chapel, I left the tour as it headed to St. Peter’s in order to see more of the museum. I stayed for another hour or so looking at collections not covered by the tour and then I headed to St. Peter’s Basilica. Even without the tour, I was able to go directly into the basilica and should you ever visit the Vatican City, let me give you a hint that will save you time. If you plan on visiting the Vatican Museum, do not stand in line to see the basilica. Go to the museum and see everything that you want to ending in the Sistine Chapel. At the back of the Sistine Chapel is a door that gives you access directly to the basilica. St. Peter’s Basilica is a beautiful gigantic church covered in gold. I strolled through the church and the crowd looking at everything. However, I was not able to get too close to the alter because the Pope was performing a service and security kept people pretty far back. Yes, I did see the Pope, or I think it was the Pope. I was so far away that he looked more like an ant. When I left the basilica, I head to the crypt. I saw Pope John Paul II’s grave, stilled covered with flowers, and I saw through a glass pane the grave of St. Peter.

St. Peter's Basilica

By this time, it was the late afternoon and so I decided to walk back across the river so that I could get a picture of Castel Sant’Angelo (the round castle with an angel on top). I caught a bus back to the hotel, picked up dinner at a grocery store and went to bed. The next day I had to get up early to go to Pompeii.

Castel Sant'Angelo

How to comment on my blog

If you are interested in posting a comment on my blog, I would love to hear from you. To post a comment, you need to create a gmail account. I know exactly what you are going to say - I do not need another email account! My answer to this is if you don't give the address out, you won't get any emails, so you don't have to worry about checking this email accout. If interested, here is how to set up an gmail account.

1. Go to http://www.google.com/
2. Click on Mail in the top left corner
3. When the new screen is completely loaded, there is a link "Create an Account" in the bottom right.
4. Click it.
5. Fill in the information and choose an email address.

Once you have set up an account, you came write a comment by clicking the comment button at the bottom of each post. Write your comment and then at the "Comment as" choose Google Account. Log-in using your new email address and password and I will get your comment.  If you have any questions, you know how you can reach me.

Rome

Rome was a wonderful town, but I would never want to live there. For me, it was too big and chaotic. It was nice to spend two days there, and I probably could have filled another day, but after two days, I was ready to leave for a calmer place. I remember feeling a little overwhelmed when I first saw the city on the very first day. But looking back, I am sure that it is really not too different than any big city in the US. For me, the biggest issue was the public transportation. The public transportation spoils me. In Germany, each bus stop is labeled and has a time table for every bus/tram that stops at that point. Thus, you know when the next bus you need is coming. Not in Italy. They have the buses listed and give the stops for each bus, but there is no timetable. Thus, you just have to wait. Some buses come every ten minutes, others come less frequently, but for someone not from Rome, you have no idea how long you must wait for a bus. Once you catch an Italian bus, know you have the difficult task of knowing when to get off. Unlike in Germany, there is no announcement of the next stop. As a result, I had to watch each stop and search for a name outside of the bus to know where I was and when to get off. More frustration came as there were readable maps that show all the bus lines. This is helpful when needing to know where a bus stop is exactly and to know where two buses cross paths to make transfers easier. Moreover, Italians jam so many people on a bus that you cannot move and bags are smashed. I have ridden some full buses, but never to this capacity where the doors could not shut. The metro was more regular, but went to fewer locations and the only place to transfer from one line to the other was at the train station, where major construction was going on. Since that closes metro stop was a ten minute walk, it was also less convenient. Had things with public transportation be easier, it would have made the time in Rome less stressful, but it didn’t damper the city or the sites.

I arrived in Rome about 5pm on Wednesday October 6^th. I planned on taking a bus to my hotel, but when I reached the street level, I could not find where it stopped. So I went back into the station and rode the metro. As I mentioned before, the metro was a good walk from the hotel and lugging by bags and being exhausted from the previous days made the walk difficult. The hotel was again a convent located southeast of the Colosseum in a mostly residential part of Rome. I checked in and went to my room. By the time I settled in, I was ready for dinner. I walked a block to the main street, but found only one restaurant and they did not begin serving dinner for another hour, so I stopped at a take-out restaurant and bought some pasta for dinner. I decided then that I would eat my big expensive meal at lunch and then pick something up on my way back to the hotel so that I would not have to wait so late to eat. I went to bed early that night.

I rolled out of bed on Thursday, had a simple breakfast of rolls, butter and jam, and juice that was provided by the convent and then headed to the Colosseum. It was amazing. Words cannot describe my joy at seeing it after waiting so long. I bought my ticket and an audioguide and toured the stadium. It is amazing how much is left after 2000 years. I took my time walking around and taking tons of pictures. Finally when I had seen everything, I left, but I think I could have spent a half of day just taking in its grandeur.  From there I climbed the Palatine Hill and walked through the Roman Forum. If I had to do it again, I would have bought a guidebook or taken a tour because there was no information in either of these places. So I just wandered the Palatine hill looking at what was left of a palace and some other building that I not 100 percent sure exactly what they were. The Palatine hill did have a nice view over the Roman Forum and luckily for me, Rick Steves had some information on the Roman Forum in his guidebook, so I was not as lost here. I again took lots and lots of pictures and then I climb the stairs to Capital Hill. I didn’t linger there long, as it is still the location of the national government. By this time it was lunch time, so I decided to treat myself. I choose a restaurant recommended by Rick Steves that conveniently was on the way to the Pantheon. I cannot remember its name and no longer have the guidebook to Italy. However, this place was a whole in the wall that was originally a wine store. I sat in the front dining room with floor to ceiling shelves full of different wine. I ordered a drink and the lasagna. It was delicious! It looked more like a pasta dish and included peas and pieces of hard boiled eggs. I took a picture to show you.

After lunch, I stopped and ate some gelato and then walked to the Pantheon. It was amazing, but a little disappointing because they were working on it and half of the building was covered with scaffolding. However, the inside was construction free. I loved the ceiling, especially with its hole in the center. I was surprised by the decoration inside. I thought it was bare, but there were two graves, one being Raphel’s, statues, and an elaborate alter. It was packed, but still amazing. Here, and especially in Florence, I was surprised how many Americans were visiting, many with children, this time of year. From here I walked a short way to Trivi Fountain. As I expected, and had been warned, there were tons of people. I navigated the crowd to take pictures and to through my coin in. I didn’t stay long, because of the chaos. Next I headed towards the Spanish steps. I got a little lost, but walked in a circle and was quickly able to find where I was. At times it was hard to know where I was because there were not street names on every corner. When I found where I was on the map, I decided to go a different way that would take me along the major shopping streets. All the famous fashion brands have shops near the Spanish Steps. Louis Vuitton, Versace, Prada, Cartier, Dior, Valentino, Gucci. I couldn’t afford anything, but unlike some other places I have visited (i.e. Palm Beach), the area where these stores are located did not feel as ritzy or snobbish. It was if these were normal stores where everyone shopped. As it was not yet four in the afternoon, and I did not want to return to my room, I jumped on the metro and headed to Trastevere, a borough of Rome across the river from the sites I had just seen. I had read about it and it was recommended to me by one of the teachers I am working with. It is the only remnants of Medieval Rome and is what I consider stereotypical Italian. It has small streets with colorful buildings. Cafés line the sidewalks and clothes hang from lines that run from one building to another.  I had also read about the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere that is one of the oldest churches in Rome and still had original Roman columns. It was beautiful. The apse was completely covered in mosaic tiles. There was gold everywhere. After visiting the church, I walked around Trastevere until it was starting to get late. I took a bus home, stopping to get pizza for dinner and read before bed.

Florence, Italy

Last Monday I left for my first major trip since I have been in Germany and I didn’t start small. I didn’t go to Berlin or some other major German town. In fact, I didn’t even stay in Germany. No, as most of you know I went to Italy. I had been to Italy four years ago while I studied in Salzburg. My Uncle Brian, Aunt Jeri, and I visited Venice, Siena and Tuscany, and the beautiful beaches of Cinque Terra. It was a wonderful trip and I had a great time. But I always regretted not reaching Florence or Rome. Thus, when I returned to Germany, I made it a goal to finally see these two Italian towns. Originally another Fulbright Scholar was to travel with me, but she backed out. So I gave it some thought and decided that if I want to go to Rome, I had to go now, because my other free vacations are Christmas and Easter and I knew with the Vatican in Rome, those two periods were not going to allow me to see Rome. I dove into the planning and arranged to fly from Berlin to Rome. Once in Rome I would take a train to Florence and stay for two nights. Then I would take another train back to Rome and have two full days in Rome and a third day to see Pompeii.

Early Monday morning, I mean 5:45 am early, I woke up and headed to the Dresden train station to catch a 7am train that after two changes got me to the Berlin airport. Now you may be asking why I had to change trains so often and if not, well I will tell you anyway. I flew with EasyJet, a small European airline that flies in and out of smaller airports. I choose this flight simply because it was cheap. I arrive at the airport a respectable two hours early, checked-in, went through security (where they do not require you to take your shoes off) and waited. At 12:45 the plane took off and one hour and fifty minutes later I was in Rome. From the small, little heard of airport outside of Rome, I caught a private bus to Rome’s main train station. I don’t exactly remember how I found this bus company before I left, but I did and although the bus left 15 minutes late and was a little dirty, I did not have any problems and saved money. The bus ride was also nice because it gave me my first glimpse of Rome. I was a bit overwhelmed with the chaos of the city but quickly forgot it once I reached the train station. My mind was now set on finding a ticket machine, figuring out how to use it, and then find the right train before it left in 15 minutes. It wasn’t too hard to figure out and with the help of a few nice Italians, I made it to the train before it left. The train to Florence was only an hour and a half and I spent the time watching the beautiful landscape pass me by. When I arrived in Florence all that I wanted to do was get to my hotel. I headed with my bags in that direction and had to weave around the loads of people that wandered the streets of Florence. It felt like a long way, but my path took me pass the Duomo (cathedral). I was taken aback by the incredible size of the cathedral and especially its dome. A short time after, I reached my hotel. I stayed in a convent two blocks from the Duomo. I choose to stay in convents while I was in Italy because as a single traveler and female, I knew that convents would be safe. I also chose convents because I knew that they would be clean, but simple, and that didn’t bother me. It also helped that they were relatively cheap. After I settled in, I went hunting for dinner. Italians eat late. Most restaurants don’t serve dinner until 8pm, but since I was alone, I did not want to be too far away from the hotel since it was dark. About two blocks from my hotel I choose an Italian restaurant that had tables outside on a patio. I sat at a table and overheard that the only other people there were Americans. As there were not waiters I could see, I asked my neighbors, three female friends from Washington, D.C., whether they had gotten the menus themselves. They asked if I was eating alone and when I told them I was, they invited me to eat with them. From what you have read and know about me, I am a couscous person, and since I lost my wallet on the train, I have been extra paranoid, but they were friendly and looked harmless. I lucked out, because they were great. We ate amazing food, had tons of laughs, and in the end, they paid most of the bill. I am grateful for their kindness and entertainment. After dinner, which lasted past 9pm (I felt very European), I went back to the convent and went to bed.

The next morning, I woke up earlier and headed out to see the sites. I went inside the Duomo, visited the tombs of the Medici family, window shopped, eat, went to the main square, had gelato, window shopped some more on the Ponte Vecchio, the bridge that you have seen in pictures, and at the market, and finally bought something all before lunch. Man was I tired. But after lunch I had the David to look forward to. The statue was a lot bigger than I expected, but it was marvelous! The detail was amazing and I think I went around the statue like three times. I didn’t care for much else at this museum, but I stopped in the gift shop to get postcards. After that I stopped at a grocery store for a snack and then I walked around town ending at the Church of Santa Croce, but since it was closed, I sat in the square and people watched. When the sun started to set, I walked back to the convent, picking food up on the way. After dinner, I wrote postcards and planned for the next day. Exhaustion led me to bed early.

On Wednesday morning, I returned to the Church of Santa Croce. This church is famous because it is the burial place of famous men like Machiavelli, Dante Alighieri, and Michelangelo. But the church was also beautifully decorated. From there, I took a bus up to Piazza Michelangelo. This square is on the opposite side of the river up on a hill and gives a wonderful view of the Duomo and the rest of Florence. I took lots of photos and then took the same bus down the hill getting off at the Pitti Palace. The Pitti Place was once the home of the Medicis, the Hapsburgs, and Napoleon Bonaparte when he captured the city. I walked through one grand room after another looking at the art and the furnishing. I enjoyed it greatly and pretended that I lived there. After lunch, I headed back to the convent and picked my bags up before I walked back to the train station and took a train to Rome.

View from Piazza Michelangelo

I Love German Food!

A few weeks ago I wrote about a meal that a teacher cooked for me. Since then I have learned that the meat portion is called Rouladen. Below is a recipe I found at http://www.quick-german-recipes.com/ and a picture.

Ingredients:

6 slices top round

1 onion, sliced

3 garlic dill pickles, sliced

2 tbsp. butter

mustard, salt, pepper, corn starch

1 - 2 cups water

Instructions:

Season beef slices with salt and freshly ground pepper. Thinly spread mustard on top of each slice.

Divide pickle, and onion slices on one end of each slice.

Roll up slices, tucking the ends in and securing with skewers, wooden cocktail picks, or thread.

Heat butter in skillet. Brown rouladen well on all sides. Do not crowd rouladen in skillet, or they will not brown nicely. Do in small batches if necessary. Add extra butter if needed.

Once all rouladen are well browned, add 1 - 2 cups of hot water, gently stirring up browned bits. Return all rouladen and any accumulated juices to skillet, bring to simmer and cover.

Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove rouladen. To thicken gravy, combine about 1-2 tbsp. corn starch in a little cold water and stir gently into cooking liquid until slightly thickened.

Season gravy to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. If you wish, add sour cream to the gravy.

Remove skewers, picks, or thread to serve rouladen with their gravy.

http://www.bavariankitchen.com/meats/rouladen.aspx

Need I say more!?!

My Italian Adventure

I am sorry to disappoint you, but you will have to wait until tomorrow to hear about my trip to Italy. HOWEVER, I have posted some of the 600 pictures I took. To see them, first scroll all the way to the bottom of this page to Emma's Picture Albums. Below are ten of the 600 I took. To see more, click on any of the pictures and a new page pops up. At the top of the site is a tab that says Emma Blandford's Gallery - click it. That should take you to the main page with all of my different albums. Now, just click the album you wish to view. Enjoy and until tomorrow!

New Pictures of Dresden

I didn’t have a chance before I left for Italy to upload some new pictures of Dresden that I took last Sunday as Germany celebrated its 20^th anniversary of unification. The local government through a block party and opened up its offices to the public, and across the river in Neustadt, there was more partying with live music and food.

Views of the Altstadt

King Johann of Saxony and the Semperoper(a)

Shout Out to the Girls

I just wanted to wish a safe, happy, and fun filled Girl's Weekend to everyone who is heading to Chicago for the next few days. I wish I was there with you! I cannot wait to hear all about it and to see pictures. Love you alway. Emma

A Picture of Me

If anyone is interested, they can see a picture of me on the website of the school I am working at. The link is http://cms.sn.schule.de/heg. Then just scroll down a little and there I am! The caption reads "We heartfully welcome our English teaching assistant Emma Blandford from Ohio."

Since I last wrote

Hello loved ones! I hope everyone is happy and that life is treating you well. Other than missing my family terribly, I love living in Dresden. Last weekend my fellow Dresden Fulbrighters and I went out for a Döner, like a Gyro but better, and then hung out for a while. On Sunday, I stood in line for a half hour in the rain to see the Semperoper, the historic opera house in the Altstadt, during its open house. I did not expect so many people to be there, but it was packed. It was totally worth the wait as the theater is gorgeous and breathtaking. 

I am continuing to work at my school for about three hours a day and then I have the rest of the day free. I don’t want to go home and sit in my room, so I usually go into the Altstadt and walk around. Last night I went to a play. It was One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. It was wonderful. I was familiar with the name, but had never read the book or seen the movie. It was even better because it was in English! I know what you are thinking, but although I know enough German to live and get around in Germany, I still have more to learn and would have understand a lot less if the play was in German. The actors were amazing. They were all from the British Isles and yet their American accents were so believable that I would never have guest that they were not Americans.

Today, I am officially a student at the Technische Universität Dresden. I am really excited! I cannot wait to take some German classes so that I can be more confident in my German. I am also really excited about a history class that I am going to sit in. It covers German history from 1933 to 1939. Then next semester, there will be a class on German history from 1939 to 1945. I think this class will be really interesting and I believe it will give me a new perspective on the time period. The class is obviously going to be in German, so I am a little nervous that I will not understand a whole lot, but that won’t stop me from taking the class.

Who knows what I will be doing this weekend, but Monday begins Saxony’s Fall Break and I am taking advantage of it. I will divide seven days between Florence and Rome. Four years ago, when I was in Salzburg, I visited Venice and Tuscany with my Uncle Brian and Aunt Jeri. I will miss not having them there with me, but every time I see a roundabout, I will be thinking of you! LOL! Sorry, that is an inside joke that we will have to tell later. As a history buff, I have wanted to go to Rome for years and see all the ancient sites. Florence, on the other hand, was chosen because my sister Clare study there for a summer and my family visited there without me four years ago. I have also heard great things about it and love the movie A Room with a View. So come back in two weeks for some great pictures and a detailed account of my adventure!

I Love German Food!

Last Saturday I was invited to the home of the English department chair from the school I am working at. When I arrived, she was finishing lunch and oh my goodness was lunch amazing. We each had a thin slice of roast beef that was spread with veggies and then rolled and baked. Along with this we had potatoes with graving and additional steamed veggies. If that was not enough, for dessert we had plum Knudel covered with cinnamon hot from the oven. It was amazing!!! After lunch, we rode our bikes into town through the Grosser Garten, a big park in Dresden, through the Altstadt to the Zwinger. The Zwinger is the palace in Dresden and today it is the location of the major art museum in Dresden. After touring the museum for two hours, we walked to the Neustadt in hopes of climbing a church bell tower to see the view of Dresden. But when we arrived at the church, it was closing, so we could not go up. But I was not disappointed. The walk to and from the Neustadt offered some great opportunities to take pictures of Dresden. Since we could not go up to the tower of the church, we went to the Rathaus, or city hall, instead and went up in its tower and had a great view of the city. I have posted some of my pictures below. It was another great day in Dresden, largely due to the kindness of the teachers I am working with.

Dresden Altstadt

Me at the Rathaus with the Altstadt behind me.

The Altstadt along the Elbe River.

View of the Altstadt from the tower of the Rathaus.

Dresden, part II

I know that I have been a horrible blogger, but life has been a little crazy. However, I left you hanging and have a lot to catch you up on, so I will start where I left off. I could only freak out for so long on Saturday, because I had plans in the afternoon. First I met up with the other Fulbright Scholars in Dresden in the Alstadt and toured the Frauenkirche. Afterwards, we had ice cream and then I had to leave to meet one of the English teachers I will be working with named Franca. Together we went to the Dresden Hauptbahnhof and got no further, and then we went to the Neustadt. The Neustadt lies across the river from the Altstadt and is the new hip place to live and be seen. She took me around the main streets and showed of the unique diverse community. We stopped at the Dresden Molkerei, a dairy shop that has been in existant for a very long time and has a beautiful store completely covered with tiles, to have cake and milk. Afterwards, we further explored the town and she explained that many of the stereotypical-looking communist style apartment buildings in the Neustadt are empty because either no one knows who really owns the property or it is too expensive to remodel the building.  I find Dresden so interesting when I think that 20+ years ago it was under communism and how different it must have been to live here. Throughout Dresden, there are many reminders of the past decades. After exploring the Neustadt for more than two and  a half hours, we walked back to the Altstadt and I caught a bus home. It was a wonderful afternoon and helped take my mind of the current situation, i.e. no wallet, no money, thousands of miles from home. When I got back to the apartment, I continued to try to call Munich until they closed at 8pm and then tried to relax and go to bed because Sunday was booked.

On Sunday, I woke up early and went to church with Franca. Her church was located in the Neustadt, near where we were the previous day. The church she attends does not hold mass in the actual church, but in a room in a nearby building because the church was never reconstructed after being partily destroyed by bombs during WWII. As such a history enthusiast, I find it so interesting to see the reminants of WWII and the Cold War in Dresden. After church we went to Franca's house for lunch and a game with the family. It was then decided that we would go on a bike ride. After choosing bikes we headed out. This was no leasurely bike ride, like I thought it was going to be. We did more then 6 km of mostly rough terrain  along the Elbe River to the town of Radebeul where we had drinks and desert. Then we rode the more than 6 km of rough terrain back. That was the second time in four years that I rode a bike! Nevertheless, it was beautiful along the river and there were tons of people riding their bikes with us. I was exhausted, but had a good time. When I returned home, my roomates, Julian and his sister Isobel , and their girlfriend and boyfriend were having a cookout in the backyard. They invited me to dine with them and we ate grilled chicken kabobs with onions and peaches and different salads. We also laughed a lot. That night when I sat down at my computer for the first time that day, I had a email from a fellow Fulbrighter in Munich that said that they would go to the train station and seek my wallet. Long story short, she found it and sent it too me. By last Wednesday, I had the money my parents wired to me and then on Thursday I got my wallet. So in the end, the week without a wallet was stressful, but not bad at all. I learned a valuable lesson - divide up you credit cards and cash- and I feel that if I could make it through not having any money in Europe, I can live through almost anything. Although, I only made it because the teachers I am working with were so understanding and helpful. I will also be in awe of their kindness and have great respect for them. So what did I do this past weekend? Shopped! And had another adventure, this time with food.

Dresden

I am sorry that it has taken me so long to post. I have had quiet a week. On Monday June 6, I took a train to Cologne and was picked up by the Fulbright Commission. From the city we drove an hour to Altenberg, a church and monastery that is used as a christian camp. The church was beautiful, thought simple, and the monastery was comfortable, although I was not a huge fan of the food and it lacked internet and phone access. After three days of seminars and lots of information, I left for Dresden.

Now here is where it gets interesting. On the train from Cologne to Frankfurt I accidently left my wallet. I did not realize this until I was on my second train from Frankfurt to Dresden. I immediately talked to a conductor and he called the last train where it was found. It was a relief to know that someone found it and that it would be returned. I was told to call Munich, the last stop on the first train, to get it back.

I did not worry much about my wallet because I was distracted by getting closer and closer to meeting the teacher I was going to work with. After five hours on the trains, I arrived at the main train station and Dresden and was welcomed by two of the teacher I will be working with. They very kindly assisted me with my very heavy luggage and then took me to where I was going to stay. I am living in a middle class residental area called Striesen. It is close to the botanical garden and lots of stores. I met my roomate, Julian, and showed my bedroom. It is long and narrow with a very high ceilling. My window looks out to the backyard that has lots of trees. It is quiet nice. I unpacked and got settled in and then went to bed early.

Then on Friday, I went to the school where I will be working, had breakfast with all the English teachers and had a tour. I explained my situation and they were very helpful giving me pass to ride the public transportation and some money. On Friday, I called Munich main train station but always got a busy signal. For the next eight hours I tried with no luck to talk to somebody about getting my wallet back. Only after I could not reach anyone in Munich on Saturday did I start to freak out....

Pictures of Altenberg



The first picture is of the Altenberg Cathedral. Next, is the enterence to the monastery and the final picture shows the side of the cathedral with the sun in the back.

Germany!!!

After a long flight with no sleep, I arrived very early in Frankfurt, Germany.  After walking what seemed miles through the airport, getting my passport checked, picking up my luggage, and going through customs, I took a cab to the hotel.  So what did I do on my first day? Sleep! I caught up on the sleep I missed and then too lazy and cheap to take a shuttle and train into Frankfurt, I relaxed in my hotel room and got organized for tomorrow. I was not too disappointed in missing the opportunity to see Frankfurt, since I visited it five years ago when I was in Germany for a month as a PSO student.

Tomorrow I will take a train to Cologne and see a little bit of the city before beginning my Fulbright orientation. The orientation is taking place at a hostel in Altenberg, Germany. The hostel was once a monastery. Although the website is in German, there are some great pictures. If interested, the website is http://www.haus-altenberg.de/. While there, I will not have any internet access, so the next time I post, either Thursday or Friday, I will be in Dresden! Happy Labor Day and I hope everyone has a safe and happy week.

Departure

I am leaving for the airport in less than an hour! The last two days have been filled with final preparations and farewell dinners. Thank you for all the well wishes. I love you all very much and and hope your year is successful and happy. Best wishes!

Shopping for gifts

It is a German custom to give a gift to your host or hostess. Yesterday, my mom and I picked out what I will give to the family I will be staying with and the teacher I will be working with. We had a special store in Findley, Ohio in mind. Joined my by sister and nephew, we drove down to the shop and had a lot of luck. To end the suspense, we bought a nice set of table and kitchen linens for both the host family and my teacher. I really hope they like it!

Starting to say Good-bye

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon shopping with my cousins Devon and Danae. We had a blast, but when it was time to leave it hit me that these were the first of many good-byes. Leaving my family will be hard and I will miss them very much. It will be hard for me to miss birthdays, Christmas, my uncle's wedding, a girls weekend in Chicago. But thank goodness to technology. Not only will this blog and my newest love, Skype, keep me in touch back home, but it will allow me to be there for the important days I miss.

Griffin

Griffin sitting up with a little help

As I play and nap with my nephew Griffin, I try to take a mental picture to hold on to for the next ten months. I will miss watching him grow and develop. I will miss his smiles and the adorable faces he makes when he is upset. I will miss him greatly and eagerly await the day that I will see him again.

Home Sweet Home

10 days until I leave!!!! It is hard to believe. At times I am nervous and sad, but then I think of something exciting about Germany - the food, the culture, the atmosphere - and I feel better.