March: The Month of Conferences

After saying goodbye to my Gettysburg friends, I only had a few days to prepare for my own personal March Madness--a conference in Belgium followed quickly by a conference in Berlin. A busy, but exciting month!

The first of the two conferences was held in Belgium and Luxembourg and was focused on the EU and NATO. American Fulbrighters from various European countries were selected to attend. Lucky for me, my Fulbright twin Halley and our Marburg friend Katie were also selected for the conference so it was also a mini-reunion for us.

(reunited with Halley and Katie at last!)

The conference started in Luxembourg with a reception at the U.S. embassy in Luxembourg. If I ever get really rich, remind me to donate a lot of money to a presidential campaign so I can become ambassador--it seems like a pretty decent job! The house in Luxembourg was gorgeous and we mingled with Luxembourgians over wine and finger food. I met several Luxembourgers who had lived in Wisconsin and I was tricked with the question, "How far is New London from Luxembourg." The next day we visited the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and met with several legal secretaries, listened to a court case, and met with Jude K. Lenaerts. While the court case we listened to was in German, I was also able to listen to interpretors who translated the entire case into English (plus many other languages). Every document the Court of Justice writes has to be translated into the 25 (or so) languages of the European Union. The largest portion of the budget for the Court goes to translating...crazy!

After the Court visit we had lunch with several American foreign service officers from the Luxembourg embassy (an interesting conversation, to say the least) and then had a presentation at the Court of Auditors. Then we left the lovely country of Luxembourg to had to Belgium for the remainder of the conferences. The next couple of days included a briefing at the European Commission, a visit to the College of Europe in Brugge (along with a fascinating lecture on European monetary policy), and a guided tour of Brugge. On Sunday, we had a free day to explore the city of Brussels on our own. Although known predominantly for beer, chocolate, waffles, and people in suits, Brussels was also an incredibly gorgeous city. Were blessed with perfect weather, and Halley, Katie, and I thoroughly enjoyed our day off wandering the city (which, of course, involved sampling of the aforementioned beer, chocolate, and waffles).

(in the Grand Place/Grote Markt)

(in front of the Mannekin Pis, a famous satue in Brussels)

After our much needed day of rest, we continued on a fast paced 'tour' of the European Union with a visit to the Council of Ministers and a briefing by the Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Mission to the EU.

(Matt-Norway, Katie-Germany, and Nicky-Spain deliberate something terribly important at the Council of Ministers)

The remaining few days were dedicated to NATO with a visit to SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers) and to the NATO headquarters. These were probably my two favorites visit as the role NATO has played and will continue to play is of specific interest to me. However, I was sad to learn that unless appointed to a high position, I will never be able to work at NATO since the working languages are English and French. Bummer.

(Halley and I enjoying a night out in Brussels)

The entire trip was pretty much amazing. The people we met and the conversations we had them were enlightening and entertaining. I finished the conference with fresh ideas for my own research. Furthermore, I had the privilege to meet fellow American Fulbrighters who are studying across Europe and learn about their experiences and their projects. Plus, the beer and chocolate really are THAT good :)

After the EU/NATO conference, I headed back to Erfurt for approximately two days to frantically do laundry and repack for the German Fulbright Commission's conference in Berlin. Again, this conference served as another reunion--this time for the entire group of German Fulbrighters who took the Marburg language course. Along with the group from Marburg, the conference also included all of the other German Fulbrighters (students, teaching assistants, and professors) as well as Fulbrighters from other European countries AND about 250 Germans who will be studying in the United States next year on a Fulbright Grant (including about 8 who will be going to the University of Michigan who I have planned on having a monthly German Stammtisch with!). All in all, the total count of the conference was around 500 people. With a group that large, we needed a fabulous hotel and the Fulbright Commission did not fail with the Park Inn Hotel in Alexanderplatz, a Berlin focal point since it is incredibly tall and overlooks the famous Fernsehturm (TV tower).

(The TV Tower--my room looked directly at it)

After settling into my room (with good friend from Marburg, Ashlan) I embarked on a tour of the city titled "Berling Today-Center of Political Power" with my Fulbright Twin and fellow political junkie, Halley. Included on the tour was parts of the Berlin Wall, the Chancellor building, the Parliament, the Victory Tower where Obama gave his speech last year, and, of course, the Brandenburg Gate.

The theme of the conference "1989-2009: New Hopes-New Challenges" focused on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Many of the discussions focused on these topics and it was incredibly interesting to hear the various thoughts, perspectives, and memories of these past twenty formative years in Germany. A highlight of the conference was the Fulbright Music Gala with performances by the Fulbrighters who are doing music performance in their respective countries. Three of my Marburg friends, took part in the gala--Sarah and Keith with vocal performances and David killing it on the piano.

(some of the Music Gala performers)

In our spare time, we were able to tour the city a little bit. For me, the highlight was visiting the famous Berlin department store KaDeWe. We also visited the Kaiser-Wilhelm Church which was bombed out in World War II and still remains damaged as a memorial to the war. We also saw a motorcade leaving the Chancellory, and I am pretty sure I saw Chancellor Merkel through one of the very tinted windows--her red suit is a dead giveaway :)

(motorcade driving through the streets of Berlin)

(Kaiser Wilhelm Church with the damaged spire)

The conference ended with a fabulous Fulbright dance party at the Kulturbrauerei. Drinks + dancing + music + 200 some Fulbright ners = tons of fun. It was especially fun for the group from Marburg since this is probably the last time we would all be together in one setting--bitter sweet.

(Halley, Marty, and me at the Fulbright Dance Party)

Both of the conferences I attended in March were an incredibly experiences. I learned A LOT about the EU and NATO from extremely knowledgeable people, I toured some truly beautiful cities, I experienced the culinary treats of the different cities, and I had a lot of fun. For me, however, the most important and meaningful part has been the people I have met, especially my fellow Fulbrighters. These experiences have shown me that I am in the company of some brilliant people who will no doubt be making a serious impact on this world as the continue on in their fields. I am continously reminded how blessed I am to be a part of this program and I know that it has and will continue to be a formative part of my life.

Gettysburg Reunion in Deutschland!

The last month has been a crazy whirlwind for me, and I am just finally finding the time to update my blog. I'll start with a magical weeklong journey through Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna with two of my Gettysburg roomates, Kara and Meredith.

Kara and Meredith arrived in Germany at the end of February and they were rudely asked by the customs worker, "Why would you come to Germany in February." To be fair, Germany is at its best in the spring and summer when the grass is green and the sky is blue, but I don't think it is the custom guy's job to deter tourists. Regardless of this unfriendly greeting, Kara and Meredith were ready and excited to see Germany and Austria. I met them in Munich and we started off our journey exploring Bavaria--what Americans think of when they think "Germany." Of course, no trip to Munich is complete without a night of drinking at the Hofbräuhaus. Kara with her Maß and Meredith demonstrating the effect a Maß will have on one.We did a lot of sight-seeing our first few days in Munich including a trip to the concentration camp Dachau, the Marienplatz (seen here from the balcony of the Peterskirche), the Neue Pinakothek and the Pinakothek der Moderne, and another beer hall.

We took a day trip to the beautiful Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles that are just south of Munich in Königsschößer. King Maximilian I built Hohenschwangau as his summer home in the Alps and Neuschwangau was started by his son Ludwig II, but was never completed. The two castles are nestled into the Alps and the views in the area are just breathtaking.

Meredith, Kara, and I outside of Hohenschwangau. You can see Neuschwanstein in the distance on the left.HohenschwangauNeuschwanstein--the inspiration for Disney's Cinderalla Castle.

After Munich, we travelled down to Salzburg for the a daytrip, although I think we all wished it was longer because Salzburg was an adorable little city. Highlights included Mozarts Geburthaus, the view from Mönchsberg, and of course, the Sound of Music Tour. Although the joy of the Sound of Music Tour was slightly dampened due to an overcast day that led to us not being able to see "the most beautiful view in the world," as our tour guide so nicely put, but that did not stop the three of us from singing the My Favorite Things and I am Sixteen, Going on Seventeen to our hearts content.View of Salzburg from Mönchsberg. Festung Hohensalzburg across the city.The Gazebo where Liesl and Rolf sing "Sixteen Going on Seventeen." They shot the actual dancing in a fake gazebo in Hollywood, but this is the one that was used for the outside shots.The rows of trees leading up to the von Trapp family house where the Captain sees his children playing in their curtain dresses. We were going to make curtain dresses for our trip to Salzburg, but decided the hostel would not have appreciated that.

After Salzburg, we continued on our journey to Vienna. Highlights in Vienna included the Stephansdom where we took a tour below and saw skeletons of plague victims and Hapsburgs' innards in the catacombs, a museum dedicated to the Roman encampment Vindobona, act 1 of the opera Carmen at the Staatsoper, the Freud Museum, many beautiful churches, and the Zentralfriedhof which contains the tombs of Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Strauss, and an honorary mounment to Mozart--being buried there would give me an inferiority complex.

Stephansdom

Kara and Meredith with Roman ruins from the encampment Vindobona.Franz Schubert's tomb.The Freud Museum--located in the building where Freud lived and worked.

After Vienna, we took a train back to Munich where we stayed one more night before Kara and Meredith flew out the next day. We went back to the Hofbräuhaus (made a few more friends) and on Saturday when back into the center of the city. The Mother Nature decided to be nice and it was a beautiful day with sunshine and blue skies. A perfect ending to a perfect Gettysburg Reunion in Europe.

Kara, Meredith, and I at the Hofbräuhaus.

The Rathaus in the center of Munich with the Frauenkirche towers in the background.The Glockenspiel in the Rathaus.

After enjoying the beautiful weather, I accompanied Kara and Meredith back to the Hauptbahnhof where, after a tearful goodbye, they headed to the airport and I headed back to Erfurt to get ready for my next adventure...

Coming Soon-Drinking Coffee with a Purpose: The EU/NATO Conference

Buda + Pest = Amazing!

Now that my parents have pestered me about, oh 100 times to post a blog about Budapest, I finally have found the motivation to do so. Interestingly, the time I find the motivation is when I actually have a lot of work to do. Basically the choice is to write my Policy Analysis about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program in Pennsylvania, or blog about Budapest. Blogging won. (p.s. I was reluctant to blog about Budapest, because I am not really a big fan of blogging--not because I didn't like Budapest...I <3'ed>

My dear Fulbright twinnie Halley had the brilliant idea of travelling somewhere in Europe for her birthday which was on the 29th of January. We gathered a group together and decided to travel to Budapest--Halley, Matt, Erin, and me, Team Budapest. I first went to Berlin, however, to help Halley celebrate her birthday with a bunch of other Fulbright friends. Halley made some delicious tacos and we shared in a lecker chocolate cake and then spent some time out in Berlin. I really didn't get to see much of the city, but I will be back again soon!

Early Friday morning we left for the airport to catch our early flight. It was delayed. Go figure...that is what happens when I fly :) Despite that small setback, we arrived in Budapest ready to explore the capital of Hungary. Our first stop, however, was to get a stash of Hungarian Forints from the ATM. The exchange rate was about 1 Euro to 280 Forints so we each took out 10,000Ft from the ATM...crazy! We got on the bus and then caught the metro into the city. Just a quick word about this metro stop: half of the building was gone, it was all falling apart, and painted oranges and reds. This was the image I had of eastern Europe...or the 1970s, I'm not sure. Anyway, we got into the city, were accosted by giant walking coffee mugs who gave us free coffee coupons, and then made our way to our hostel, which was a little creepy from the outside. After settling in, Halley and I decided to explore the city a bit before our companions, Matt and Erin arrived. We walked and walked and walked some more, it was pretty obvioius from the start that Budapest is a gorgeous city. After killing our feet, we stopped at a cute cafe to get something to eat. The obvious choice? Goulash. It was sooo yummy! While eating we planned out the rest of the day a little bit and then headed out again.

The game plan was to go to the National Museum to check out some Hungarian history and then to head back to the hostel to meet our friends. We knew we were cutting the museum a little short, but for 400Ft it was worth it to pop in quickly. However, when we approached the desk and asked for a ticket, the counter lady looked at us warily and informed us that the museum was only open for another 30 minutes. "Do you think you can do the museum in 30 minutes?" she taunted. Clearly, what she really wanted to say was, "Hey arrogant Americans, you can't learn about the ENTIRE history of Hungary in 30 minutes. Go away and come back tomorrow." Rightly shamed, we left the museum and headed to, where else...the shopping street! After finding me a new purse and then getting some coffee, Halley and I headed back to the hostel to meet up with Erin and Matt.

Our foursome complete, we headed out to the restaurant that the hostel worker recommended: Menza. Now, a Mensa in Germany is a subsidized cafeteria on every university campus. Basically you get some sort of mystery meat, some strange vegetables, and A LOT of sauce. We were a bit concerned. However, the restaurant was really trendy and we all had some excellent Hungarian food: I had venison and potato donuts..yumm :) Exhausted, we headed back to the hostel for the night.

We had a lot planned for our second day in Budapest. Instead of boring you with all the deets, I'll just post some pictures!

St. Stephen's Basilica: Really pretty church that was completed, I think, around 1905. Like many other things in Europe, it was damaged in WWII, but is now restored. Inside the church is the mummified right hand of St. Stephen, which lights up when you drop 100Ft into the box. Unfortunately, it was being used in a private ceremony so we did not get to see this wonder.

Me inside Parliament. My guide book says, "The palatial Gothic Parliament stands 96m tall, a number that symbolizes the date of Hungary's millennial anniversary. The building was modeled after the UK's, right down to the facade and the riverside location." Interesting :) We took a tour of Parliament and it was very interesting...and fancy!

Me, Erin, and Halley crossing over the Danube from Buda to Pest.

Inside the Matthias Church which was converted into a mosque in 1541, and then renovated again 145 years later when the Hapsburgs defeated the Turks. The outside was gorgeous with a very colorful roof.

The Buda Castle--now houses museums. While in the Castle District, we went on a tour of the Castle Labyrinths, which Let's Go Europe gave a thumbs up to. Note: If you are ever in Budapest, do NOT go to the Castle Labyrinth. It was just a ridiculous tourist trap, and sadly we fell for it. Although, with the ending pitch-black Labyrinth of Courage section, it almost got to be so ridiculous it was worth it. Also while in the Castle District, we saw the Prime Minister going on a stroll with his wife :)

In the Labyrinth of Courage...Halley trying to find the sun.

Pest side of the Danube...that is the Parliament.Looking over to Pest from the Castle District.

After touring around all day, we decided to hit up one of the famous Budapest thermal baths to soak away our aches, pains, and rheumatism. We went to the Szechenyi bath located on the outskirts of the city, not really knowing what to expect. When we arrived, we got in line and ordered tickets for the night. We had rememberd to pack swimsuits, but none of us had towels or shower shoes (I take that back, the always prepared Matt had one of those small swimming towels...smart kid). So we went to change and then we had to walk through two hallways and a stairase barefoot...through water, and grime, and worst of all, hair. Ew. But, once we got into the outdoors baths, it was worth it. Pretty much a giant hot tub, the baths were really nice to sit in. There were three outdoor ones, all different temperatures. One had a giant whirlpool that was actually a little dangerous if you weren't paying attention. We sweated it out in the sauna and then tried the indoor pools which varied in heat from frickin' cold to rather hot. It was a pretty cool experience.

We spent our last night in Hungary at a local bar where we tried the national drink--Palinka with a Budweiser to chase it down :) The next day, Erin and Matt left early so Halley and I slept in. We checked out of the hostel and, ashamedly, went to the nearest McDonalds to spend our last Forints on the Forint menu. All in all, Budapest was a fabulous trip!

Dresden

This past weekend, my friends Heather, Evelyn, Laura, and I decided to spend our Saturday sightseeing in Dresden, Germany. As part of the Länder tickets that the Deutsche Bahn offers, we were able to take regional trains to Dresden, in the state of Saxonz and back, for 28Euros. Evelyn, Heather, and I left Erfurt at 7 in the morning, and Laura was going to meet us in Dresden since she was coming from a trip in Berlin.

The trip began fine (albeit incredibly quite early in the morning) and we settled in for our 4 hour train ride. I had my first "Berliner" or jelly donut for breakfast :) It was only when we arrived in Chemnitz to catch our connecting train that we noticed anything out of order. When we approached our Gleis (track) police offers were sorting people into three different categories. We were told by a German police officer to "keep moving." We obliged and ended up in the middle group. On our left were neo-Nazi types wearing mostly black and shirts with captions such as "Hasta La Vista Antifacistas" and "Too White 4 Your." On our right, were a random assortment of punks and other young people. We were in the middle with some families and a couple of elderly people. At this point, I texted Laura, our German friend from Bonn, to make sure she was on her train and added the line "p.s. i think we are in the middle of a riot." She called backed and explained that she had just realized that Saturday was the anniversary of the bombing of Dresden in World War II, and that for the last 10 years, neo-Nazis had turned out in Dresden for a "mourning march." Since the British Royal Air Force and the American Air Force were responsible for the attacks on Dresden we quickly discussed whether or not it was safe for us to actually be in Dresden. We decided to give it a try.

The Dresden bombings occured on February 13 and 14, 1945, 12 months before the German government surrendered. In one of the most controversial actions of the war, 1,300 bombers dropped 3,900 tons of high explosive bombs on the city. As a result of the bombings, massive fires broke out all across the city and essentially destroyed the Altstadt. Civillian casualties were between 24,000 and 40,000. While some argue the attacks were justified due to the communication and transport infastructure in Dresden, as well as the 50,000 workers in 110 factories working for the German war effort, others claim the bombing was indiscriminate and not proportional to the military gains.

For the past 10 years, far right extremists have been gathering in Dresden on the anniversary to commemorate what the call the "Dresden Holocaust." Juergen Dansel of the NDP (the National Democratic Party of Deutschland) described the bombing as "mass murder" and "Dresden's Holocaust of Bombs." This created outrage in Germany since denail or minimization of the Holocause is prohibited by federal law. Nevertheless, far-right extremists have been using the 14th of November as a rallying point to revive the German reich, and to display anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism. The rally this year was the biggest to date--also one of the biggest demonstrations since German reunification in 1990. 6,000 German anti-immigrant, skinhead, and neo-Nazi groups marched through the city. Two counter-demonstration groups, led by leftists and unions, gathered 10,000 people to protest the neo-Nazi rally. About 3,500 police from all across Germany were present to keep order.

When we first arrived in Dresden, police were waiting to escort everyone off the trains in groups--making sure the neo-Nazis were separate from the leftists. We quickly found Laura and made our way out to the bus area only to find that no busses were going into the city. The neo-Nazi groups were congregating at the Hauptbahnhof--thousands of people wearing black, carrying black flags or red, white, and black flags, listening to eery music. An information man approached us and said that he advised us going into the city at all today.

The neo-Nazi gathering outside the Hauptbahnhof

Not wanting our four hour train ride to be a waste, we decided to take a train to a part of the city where we didn't think there would be rioters. After going the wrong way, we ended up in the Neustadt section and there we found all of the leftist demonstrators--members of the various left political parties, peace groups, and even a couple of American flags. We definitely felt a little more comfortable on this side of the Elbe River :)

Leftists protestors in the Neustadt (and the Goldener Reiter, a statue of Augustus the Strong)

After our initial shock at the sheer number of people, we quickly became comfortable with the protestors (especially since we happend to run into the leftists groups more often than the Nazis). The city of Dresden is incredibly beautiful--especially keeping in mind most of it had to be rebuilt after the bombings. The churches, palaces, statues, and artwork throughout the city were definitely worth the visit. Here are some highlights:

The Bruehlsche Terrasse, or Balcony of Europe in the Altstadt of Dresden

Frauenkirche--while the 1743 Lutheran church had at first appeared to survive the bombings, it collapsed from fire a few days later. The collapsed church was left by the Communist government as a symbol of British aggression. In 1990, after reunification, a group of Dresdeners sent out an international appeal known as the "Call from Dresden" to request help in rebuilding the church. The rebuilt church was consecrated on October 30, 2005.

This mural is called the Fuerstenzug--it depicts 35 rulers of Saxony.

Looking across the Elbe to the Altstadt.

The Dreikoenigskirche in the Neustadt

The New Synagogue--the original Dresden synagogue was burnt down on Kristallnacht on November 9, 1938. The New Synagogue was rebuilt in 2001 using the original Star of David which was saved by a Dresden firefighter. On February 13, 1945, the remaining Jews in Dresden who had yet to be sent to a concentration camp were ordered to report for deportation on February 16. The bombings, however, overtook the city, and, as one Jewish resident wrote in his diary, "whoever of the [Jews] was spared by this night was delivered, for in the general chaos he could escape the Gestapo."

The Katholische Hofkirche--built by Augustus the Strong when he converted to Catholicism so he could be the King of Poland...oh what the chance of power will do to ones values. Although, it was a pretty church, so I have to give Augustus credit :)Evelyn, myself, and Laura in front of the Kronentor leading into the Zwinger palace complex.

Anti-Nazi protestors in the Altstadt. The flag says "Gegen Nazis" (against Nazis) and shows a fist breaking a swastika. There were a lot of riot police at this point, as well as a vehicle that shot heavy streams of water at rioters who were getting out of hand.

More anti-Nazi protestors--at this point, it was obvious that some of the more dangerous Leftist groups were getting riled up. We saw several groups taking stones and some being thrown into the group of police. For their part, I think the police did an amazing job at keeping the two sides separate, but still allowing for the freedom of gathering and voice.

After we had succesfully seen everything we had wanted to in the city, we decided to leave Dresden early to avoid large crowds of rioters heading home. Our path to the Hauptbahnhof was cut off by rows and rows of police officers--it wasn't until Laura talked to a female police, explaining that we weren't involved in any of the riots and that her three friends were Americans who had just come to Dresden to visit, that we were able to get through. Once we arrived at the Hauptbahnhof it was easy to see why there was so many police guards--the train station was crawling with neo-Nazis. We decided to avoid English at this point, and the buddy system that we had instituted earlier in the day as a joke became more necessary. We figured out our next train, and settled in for the wait.

Once we got on our train, we decided to sit in a Wagon that had only 8 seats--four in a square, and four lined up against the walls. This way, we hoped, we would avoid being in a bigger Wagon where groups of rowdy, and mostly likely drunk, rioters might be located. Unfortunately, sitting in the top level right across from us was a group of drunk and aggressive Nazis. The entire train ride from Dresden to Leipzig, the four of us sat quietly in our seats trying not to react when they whistled at us, yelled obscenities, and, essentially, verbally sexually harassed us. Evelyn and I were both facing the group, so it was difficult to avoid looking, but it was important to do so because whenever we looked up, they used that to their advantage and upped their obscenities. Luckily for me, I wasn't able to understand all of the slang German, although I did get some of it...such as them asking if we had boyfriends, and saying that we made them horny. Laura obviously could understand it all, and she was getting very angry and upset with them. Looking back on the day, I think this was the only time in our entire trip where I was actually scared--four girls on a train with a group of drunk, aggitated men yelling would be a scary situation anywhere. But adding the fact that probably 80% of the rest of the passengars on the train were part of their group, plus no police officers in sight, it definitely got a little scary.

Once we arrived in Leipzig, we waited while the Nazis got out of the train and listened to hundreds of them break out into shouts of "All foreigners out!" We went to the bathroom, and when we were leaving, the Nazis who had sat close to us on the train were outside the bathroom. As we walked out, they again made rude comments to us. The feeling of vulnerability that we had was just awful.

Thankfully, the rest of our journey home was uneventful and we returned to Erfurt thoroughly exhausted. Personally, I am glad that we decided to go to Dresden even after we found out about the riots. The entire experience was incredibly interesting and something that I have never witnessed in my life. It is hard to believe that there are still that many people who believe in such an awful philosophy, but it was also good to see that even more German citizens came out to protest that kind of hatred. Hopefully the gap will continue to grow.

Six Days!

My friend Laura found the coolest thing online today. I know some of you may have seen the 3D tour of Erfurt online--this is even better. A 3D tour of the Erfurter Weinachtsmarkt. http://www.3d-top-event.com/weihnachtsmarkt-erfurt/# Simply click on the picture and your lovely tour will begin. This is where I live :) And since I will be leaving for good ol' Wisconsin on the 20th, and when I return the Weinachtsmarkt will be gone, I am determined to get my fill this week. So, my plan is to go every day. I can't wait!

Christmas Time is Here

Christmas time is here, we'll be drawing near. Oh that we, could always see, such spirit through the year. (from A Charlie Brown Christmas)

Christmas time is indeed here in Germany. I have already posted a few pics from the Weinachtsmarkt here in Erfurt, which is amazing. Here are some more pictures from the Weihnachtsmarkt on Domplatz.

I had heard a couple of rumors that Weimar's Weihnachtsmarkt was better than Erfurts. Less comercialized, more classic. As the bipartisan (heh) observer I am, I only thought it fair to give the Weimar Weihnachtsmarkt a chance so I went to Weimar today with a couple of friends to snoop around. End result: Erfurt's Weihnachtsmarkt kicked Weimar's Weihnachtsmarkts butt. Easily. But it was still fun, and worth the trip (whenever you get to pose like Goethe, it is a good day).

Laura, Evelyn and I passing time in the Erfurt Hauptbahnhof

We've arrived! At first glance, it is obvious that Weimar has a lot of catching up to do. Where is the Ferris Wheel?

Ok, one point for Weimar...Erfurt does not have a sweet manual carousel (Cord, Laura, and Evelyn)

Cord and Evelyn posing as Goethe and Schiller, respectively.

Goethe is a pretty big deal in Weimar.

Evelyn and I warming up in a cafe. We had Kartoffelwaldpilze Suppe (potato and forest mushroom soup) which was fairly lecker (delicious) although I think my mom could have made something better :)

Germany loves these things. Anyone know what they are called?

Laura, Cord, and Evelyn at an entrance to part of the Weinachtsmarkt in Weimar. A close-up of Laura's face pretty much says, "Ugh, I can't believe I am being made to take all these American tourist pictures." Well Laura, that's what happens when you travel with American tourists :)

So although Weimar's Weihnachtsmarkt was nice, it paled in comparison to Erfurts. Which is not surprising because Erfurt is pretty much the best. But even though Erfurt is beautiful and full of wonderful things at Christmas time, nothing compares to being home for Christmas. And that is where I will be in eight days! Bis dann!