Deutschland!!

6/19
- The day before, we'd gotten a message from our friend Justine who were about to visit on this day saying she has the flu! Ah!
- we majorly panicked as we tried to decide if we should still spend the money to visit the small town she was working at (camp counselor on an army base) and maybe not even see her, or if we should stay another night in Paris, or if we should visit another friend in Germany a day early.
- that decision was made on the spot, at the train station.
- to start the story right, we left the hotel and grabbed our usual train. Except it wasn't the usual. We realized about 20 mins in we would be heading somewhere totally different with many metro changes involved to reach the actual train station.
- added bonus: rush hour! EVERYONE was heading to work. From metro to metro we had to weave through hoards of people, making the parisians hate us even more as our backpacks knocked people left and right.
- next bonus: we forgot our train tickets at the hotel!
- we frantically found the ticket window as our savior tried to help us "find" our original tickets in the system.
- they found them about 2 minutes before the train left and we BOLTED to the platform. Stress stress stress! But I still couldn't help but laugh (once we were finally on the train of course).
- decision made. No exchanging any ticket here. Off to see Justine!
- the train was extremely fast (200+ mph) and after a couple local train changes, we were in the town of Landstuhl, Germany in just 2.5 hours!
- cutting to the chase, we didn't get to see Justine (even though we talked to multiple army guards at the gates of the base) but we did get to explore this beautiful and lush town and even ate some German schnitzel and drank some beer!
- side note: we were so mystified by this army life. Meg especially. It was like their own little american world or bubble, but in Germany. They had grocery stores and bowling alleys on base even! I still don't know exactly how I feel about it all. After my psychology of trauma class (where we extensively learned about PTSD) im not to keen on war, to say the least. I'm trying to keep an open mind though.
- we ended the night watching a Eurocup game at a local bar and sleeping in our cute little hotel.

6/20
- surprisingly but so excitedly, we heard back from Justine and were able to see her for 40 minutes at 6am this morning before she started work.
- after a gate confusion and a surprise morning jog in the crisp air, meg and I finally met Justine at the main gates (with intensely muscular German Shepard watching our every move nearby).
- we talked and talked and caught up as cars of military personnel drove through the gates to work. So weird to see! It was great to catch up with Justine, though, and it really made the whole trip so worth it!
- we took some pictures together and were forced to delete them :(, but the memories remain.
- Meg and I went back to sleeping Katie, all got ready, had the most adorable breakfast from our hotel owner with the best French toast ive ever tasted, tried to wander to the nearby castle (found other treasures on the walk instead and ended up catching a bus to the much farther away than thought castle), and enjoyed the endless greenery and breathtaking views.
- the castle was oh so charming and we spent a lovely hour on the grounds.
- the bus back took an hour (there's only one bus that does an entire loop through the whole town) and we quickly grabbed our stuff, hopped in a taxi to the train station, grabbed some kebabs and we were off to the next town!
- we learned very quickly that they seriously don't check tickets in Germany. After FOUR train changes that actually made the journey go quickly, we were met by Sam in her town of Bad Honnef.
- another adorable small town I'm so glad I got to see! The train ride was along the Rhein and I think it's one of the prettiest rides I've ever been on. It passed through the cutest towns with amazing churches and castles everywhere, all along the river! I'll have dreams of this ride, im sure of it.
- Sam had us relax in her place as she made us an amazing dinner (beef stew with mashed potatoes, this girl is such a good cook!) and then we headed out to a true blood-esque bar with really fun drinks. We all failed at taking the fire Harry potter shot but I'm still glad we tried (though im convinced it was literal liter fluid). Sams friends were all so sweet and we all had an amazingly fun night!

6/21
- Sam had no class today so she took us to the nearby city of Cologne to do some shopping, see an amazing cathedral, and eat some true German food (Bokwurst and fries for me) followed by massively large and flourishy dessert (something I've yet to see anywhere else but is supposedly quite common there).
- We made some spaghetti at Sams place this night and relaxed with a movie as it thundered outside.

6/22
- rise and shine! Up early and ready quickly, we met sams friend keely and headed for the train. Making it just on time (and without a ticket) we took the 40 min ride to the airport.
- off to Berlin! With the hop on a plane (finally not Ryanair! A real airline that didn't make us shove our bags into a box) and another quick taxi ride, we arrived to our amazing apartment! Best deal we've gotten so far (so cheap and huge and fully equipped and not so far from things, in a semi weird area but we aren't picky!)
- keeping up the tradition of taking 2 hours to find food, we wandered and finally found an ok place near the Brandenburg gates.
- the Eurocup game between Greece and Germany was happening this night and even 3 hours before it started we were seeing hoards of yellow, black, and red clad people heading to the gates.
- after dinner we joined the crowds and entered into the biggest beer garden I have ever seen in my life! Huge screens were set up along an entire street, again with these famous gates as a backdrop, and there were food/drink vendors galore! We ate ourselves silly as we tried all of this unique German food (currywurst, fries, pretzels, etc) and waited for the game to start. We painted our faces and got festive lays to blend in a bit more as well. It was so fun!!!
- these Germans were SO into the game and I am so glad they won! After each goal, beer was showered down on the crowd and the excitement was electric. I got so into it and really enjoyed the being surrounded by such enthusiasm and spirit!
- we left a few minutes early to avoid the massive and crazy crowds, bid farewell to Sam and Keely for now, and the remaining 3 went out to a bar.
- we met some...interesting people at an absinthe bar (didn't have any, don't worry) and had a fun time talking and finding our way back.

6/23
- going off of 4 hours of sleep, we were awakened bright and early so we could make it to our walking tour of the city.
- we were happy to find out that the cute English boy strongly resembling John Lennon would be our tour guide for the day and we were not once disappointed! He kept our full attention the whole 3.5 hours as we passed by the Holocaust memorial, the Berlin wall, hitlers bunker, check point Charlie, museum island and other important buildings. I feel as if I could go take a test on Berlin and ace it without even cracking open a book!
- After being pointed in a good direction for lunch, the tour ended and we sat down to Japanese food! It was quite good and refreshingly different.
- getting a bit lost along the way, we headed back to the Berlin wall and the "topography of terror" exhibit. It was free, huge, and incredibly moving.
- another 2 hour search for dinner that ended with eating huge and delicious burgers and fries while watching the Spain vs France game
- home sweet home to sleep!

6/24
- an extremely early morning tour of the Reichstag government building was scheduled this morning and most of us (ie not meaghan) got ready and headed out with the sunrise.
- this place had very tight security but it was amazing to climb the glass dome and see the spectacular views of Berlin below (it was free too!)
- we grabbed an English breakfast, met up with meg, and jumped on a 45 min train to Berlin's nearest Concentration camp.
- before the heavy stuff, we had a funny moment when we got into the train and realized there was vomit nearby. We were stuck in the stench for an entire stop. Needless to say, our entire car bolted off of that car and over to the next at the next stop. Slight problem: meg and keely don't get on in time and we are left staring at each other through the unbudging doors. We got a food laugh out of it though.
- we grab subway, meet back up with meg and Keely and walk the somber walk to our next designation.

- sachsenhausen concentration camp. So incredibly exhausting and moving and draining and heavy and beyond sad and overwhelming and huge and cold.
- on the train ride up to the camp, passing through the forest, I could just picture escapees running for their lives or people from far away camps being brought here or others just started the death march, filled with hope. An eerie feeling, needless to say, creeped up very quickly.
- upon walking into the camp, I literally got chills and felt the air cool. Looking out onto the vastness with the watch towers bordering the area felt surreal. This is what I'd always pictured in books and movies when hearing horrible stories, but I was now standing in the exact spot that thousands of others before had stood. Others who had little idea of what would be happening. I am so fortunate to never have to even give a seconds thought to being in a situation like that.
- this camp was much larger than originally thought but it was SOO well done. To truly read every story and absorb everything, you'd need days. I tried my hardest though and perhaps the most frustrating thing was not having the time to give each person or story the attention they deserve. It was quite overwhelming.
- another issue was that I was feeling quite sad and overwhelmed but felt ridiculous for wanting any sort of pity. How could I be feeling this when the actual people had it far far worse?
- we spent a good 5 hours walking all around the camp and the most moving part to me was the mortuary. To see the actual slabs of stone where so many innocent people were cut open and given a fake cause of death, or who pointless experiments were practiced on or where brave souls sent secret messages and saved records for later persecution of the horrible nazi doctors. It makes my repulsed just think about it.
- This experience is something every person must do once. It really sets in stone what we've learned for so long.
- one thing about Germany that our tour guide taught us and something I admire is that they are not running or hiding from their past like many other countries do. They are using their countries funds to bring insane awareness to their awful past in order to never repeat it. It will never erase or lessen the actions of the past, but it can prevent so much.
- after the camp we were all very quiet but did discuss among each other over Italian food. We went back to our apartment and, both physically and emotionally exhausted, got to bed rather early.

6/25
- Sam and keely leave early to catch their flight, we pack up and leave our great apartment by 12, yummy apple strudel, confusion and help by a nice lady with the metro.
- arrive at the Jewish museum and luckily get to drop off all of our luggage there. Walk around (a bit boring at first) and then find the real area of the museum with tons of interactive areas that turns out to be loads of fun.
- grab a kebab for lunch, gather our bags, metro to airport (never once bought a metro ticket this trip!), and hop on another lovely germanwings flight with no rush or drama (well, actually, the flight was 1 hour late)
- arrive to Maastricht way later than thought, bus doesn't come for an hour, cab takes forever to get there (meg goes in the can earlier to get our train tickets), get to station and find out trains are finished for the night, nice guy studying there tries to help us find a place to stay, finally end up just stating at a nice hotel directly across from the train station and all works out just fine.

6/26
- another early morning!yippeeee!
- hop on train to Amsterdam and grab lockers there for our stuff (thank goodness).
- decide on the hop on hop off boat tour for the day and I especially enjoy seeing Katie and meaghan fall in love with the city! It was amazing weather (a bit hot actually) and after the lovely canal ride, we hop off at Anne franks house. I waited outside for an hour or so as meg and Katie made it through the museum and thoroughly enjoyed it.
- we eat an amazing avocado sandwich, hop back on the canal boat, hop off at Reich museum and spend much too long taking pictures on the "I Amsterdam" sign (scary on top, rude australian girls).
- hop on again, its so HOT but I am even more amazed with this city the 3rd time around. It's just beyond charming with all of the flowers and architecture right along the canals. We hop off near a wonderful flea market, grab a famous bagel thing, and walk back to the station (happen to go through red light district, ew).
- we get our stuff out of storage, run for the train, and arrive in castricum in no time!
- I looooove showing Katie and meaghan around this town I now consider partially mine :)
- it was great to see gma and Stan again (I honestly can believe it had been 7 weeks since i saw them last! Time sure does fly!!) and we had yummy Mexican food waiting for us as soon as we got there.
- we had great catching up time and after filling ourselves up, meg Katie and I hopped on the bikes (meg on the back of mine) and peddled around town! We stopped for some ice cream (ok we had some fries too) even though we weren't hungry at all! We just hadn't gotten those treats in Amsterdam so why not now? Haha always making a good reason for food. we had tons of fun on the bikes and really wish we had longer there!
- we sadly had to then repack up (all new wardrobe at my gmas! Finally!), do laundry and make sure everything was in order. In the end, we didnt get to sleep until veryyyyy late. But Ireland was tomorrow!!