(Post #10) Hallo Deutschland!

This week for my CEA program, it was called SHOUT week! If I am being honest, I forgot the exact acronym for SHOUT, but it stands for something about getting active- and I sure did that! I had a blast this week along with visiting another new country.

(Monday, March 7th) Happy Monday! Today was a get work type of done day but it ended with a fun SHOUT activity. A group of us went kayaking down the Guadalquivir river- and it was such a blast! As my partner Asia and I were trying to stay in sync in our double kayak paddling past famous landmarks and under old bridges, I had a “pinch me” moment as I thought about how amazing it is to be kayaking in a river in Europe in March and how absolutely in love I am with everything right now. I thought about how a year from now I will be back in cold Minnesota, but I do miss my life there too- I am just not ready for this one to end.

(Tuesday, March 8th) Along with it being the 11th birthday of my dog Lexi back home (I miss her so much!), today was a pretty normal day filled with my four classes. In Culture of Food & Wine in Spain at the end of the day, we taste-tested Olive Oil which was super fun since Spain is known for their olive oil here and it is so pure and delicious. I normally do not like olives either, but the ones we tried were delicious!

(Wednesday, March 9th) Today we got to do one of my favorite activities so far due to it being SHOUT week: learn the Sevillanas dance! I went to a dance class with like 7 other students and our instructor taught us a little bit of tango and Sevillanas of course to get ready for La Feria which is Seville’s huge week-long fair in May where dancing is an important part. It was definitely not easy, so I took a video of a little snippet of practice so that I could practice on my own- we will see how it goes!

After class, some friends and I rewarded ourselves with Churros con Chocolate, and then I went out to dinner with my roommates Jillian and Kelly because it is already Kelly’s last week. Kelly goes to school at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota which is very close to me so we are going to try and hang this summer! I sure will miss having my Midwest buddy in the house though.

(Thursday, March 10th) Today I had my first quiz/test for one of my classes which was scary, but I think I did alright! The day got better in the afternoon when my Market Structure class walked around to some popular Seville places to try some classic drinks and foods. We started at Alvaro Peregril’s to get some orange wine since Seville has some many oranges and it is famous for it, and it is very sweet but delicious. We also got some tapas from here such as Solomillo al Wiskey and Fried fish. After, we went to a place called The Tavern where many local Seville celebrities go, and we tried a few more tapas. We ended the adventure at a dessert shop where we tried popular local Seville desserts for Easter, and then we also just enjoyed some ice cream as well.

(Friday, March 11th) On this rainy day, I spent the morning packing and studying since I have midterms next week. I also attempted to pull out money from an ATM, but it was being difficult, so I was not able to. Around 2:30, I headed to the airport to go to Frankfurt, Germany to visit my friend Shannon! The most stressful part was that I had an hour layover at the huge Madrid airport, but my first flight was delayed by like 40 minutes, and of course it docked at the Madrid Airport at the H gate, which is the exact other end of the end where my flight was taking off at K98. I did one of those runs across the airport that you see in movies, but I sure did not look glamorous. I was so out of breath by the time I got to the gate, but I made out!

Three hours later, we landed in Frankfurt and I could not figure out the train system to meet my friend Shannon. Some German lady was heading the same direction though and she was so helpful, I was very appreciative. Her boyfriend bought me a ticket for the train, and then we all headed to the next station. I couldn’t find Shannon at the Hauptbahnhof station we were both at, so the Germans insisted on waiting with me and they even bought me a beer which convinced me that Germans also have an unmatched level of hospitality. I finally met up with Shannon, said bye to the Germans, and then Shannon and I headed to our hotel. Apparently döner kebabs are super popular here, so I had one and it tasted so amazing after not eating anything all day. We need some shops like that in the US!

(Saturday, March 12th) Yay to our full day in Frankfurt! Shannon and I did a lot of wandering around, but we also saw a lot. We got some yummy Germans pastries (plus we tried a pretzel of course) and then we walked around the Romer area where they have many classic German-looking buildings. We also went on the Iron Bridge and then climbed up the bell tower of Frankfurt’s Cathedral which gave us absolutely amazing views of the city. It was a lot of steps up and we were a little out of breath- but it was definitely worth it!

Back in Spain, showing our vaccination card is required sometimes but it is not required everywhere like it is in Germany. I am used to showing my little paper CDC cards when in Europe they have an app with a code which is so nice. We can’t do this in Spain, but a German pharmacist was able to get me a European code for the app which is so nice because now I do not have to carry around my vaccination card everywhere! It is the little things that get me excited.

It was then also on my list to try some basic German foods, so I found a traditional German restaurant and it was amazing! I tried the popular hard apple cider called Apfelwein and even though it reminded me a little of apple cider vinegar, it was yummy. For food, Shannon and I got frankfurter sausage to try of course which was good but really just looked like hot dogs on sauerkraut. Shannon then got pork tenderloin but I got something that I was dying to try- Schnitzel! Frankfurt also has a special green sauce that is so delicious, I really enjoyed the meal. Shannon and I were very stuffed though but it was a good feeling of stuffed.

Another highlight of Germany was getting a new pair of birkenstocks! I have had my old pair for 4 years so I knew it was time, plus they are a little cheaper in Germany and it is just cool to say that I got them actually from Germany. We then walked around some more, saw some history in St. Paul’s church, and then headed back to our room for a little bit before running errands. Shannon found us a hotel in the main shopping distrcit so we were in a great location. For dinner, we went out to dinner with 7 of Shannon’s friends who are also studying in Marburg, and I ate more schnitzel (not mad about it) plus Spätzle which is a popular German dish as well. We then spent the night hanging out around town and enjoying the views. I am so grateful for everyone I have met here and for the opportunity to visit places like this!

(Sunday, March 13th) Shannon and I packed up all of our things and headed to church at the Frankfurt Cathedral. Compared to the Spanish churches I am used to, this Gothic church was a little more bland decoration wise but definitely still fun and interesting to visit and attend mass at. The mass was in German of course which was cool to hear, but I did not understand any of it. I find it so fascinating though that although I did not understand any of the words, I was able to follow right along because the mass is the same everywhere. After, Shannon and I went to a restaurant that had bacon and eggs (Shannon was craving them) and I ordered meatloaf. It was funny though because I was expecting meatloaf that somewhat resembled what we eat in America, but instead I got a big slab of straight ham. It was delicious, but very filling. After this, I had to say goodbye to Shannon which was so sad, but I will see her again in a couple of weeks. I had another hour layover in Valencia on the way home, and although my first flight was delayed again, I was not in as big of a rush. I spent the night in and I went to bed pretty early due to being exhausted, but I had the best time this weekend and I can’t wait for more amazing adventures!