Finally getting around to blogging again after a little hiatus.
Last week, Anant and I flew to Frankfurt, Germany to visit one of my old friends from high school, Dominic Hoffman. Our flight left Copenhagen at 6:00. The best part about having such an early flight was Dominic was able to come pick us up from the airport. The train system is extremely confusing, so luckily he was there to guide us. We went back to his apartment and he headed off to work. The next few hours we relaxed and tried to catch up on some sleep so we weren't exhausted for the remainder of the trip. After a few hours of sleep, we made our way to the city to grab lunch with Dominic. He took us to a fast food Italian restaurant called Vapino's. The unique feature about this restaurant, however, was the fact they prepared all of the noodles and sauces fresh and right in front of you. The food was delicious. Dominic then departed to finish up his work day which left time for us to do some sightseeing around Frankfurt. Frankfurt is know as a huge banking hub in Europe so there's an abundance of businesspeople in suits strolling around. In addition, there are large skyscrapers along with old-fashioned architecture. It's an interesting combination.
When Dominic finished work, we all hopped in his car and headed to his parents house to gear up for Oktoberfest. Oh and I forgot to mention, I was the one driving. Scary, I know. Magnifying the already difficult task of driving in a European country was the dark and rain. Lets just say my first experience on the Autobahn was interesting to say the least. We finally arrived at his parents house after an extended drive due to an abundance of traffic. We grabbed the clothes, a few other items, and made our trek back to his apartment to get some sleep.
The next day we slept in and Dominic was able to get off of work early so we could drive to his grandparents home. They live in a town called Aschaffenburg, which is only about 30 mins drive from Frankfurt depending on, of course, how fast you drive on the Autobahn. They live on the top floor of the tallest building in town, providing us with a great photo opportunity of the entire city. His grandparents and aunt don't speak much English which didn't help us in our attempt to have a conversation. After leaving there, we went to the Castle a few blocks away. Having not seen many castles, I was pretty impressed with the structure. We took some more pictures and then headed back to Frankfurt. On the way home I was able to drive about 200km/hr (or 120mph). What a rush. For not having a speed limit, I think the Autobahn is a very safe place to drive. You can only pass on the left lane and not everyone drives overly fast as you may suspect. I wish they had one back in the US. That night we went to one of Dominic's friend's apartments for a party.
The next morning we had a 6:30 wake-up call so we could board the train to Munich. Our timing wasn't exactly up to par as we made it just in time to see the train leave the station. I attribute this to the train leaving early, rather than our being late, but I digress. After about 45 minutes to an hour another train was waiting for us and we were on our way to Oktoberfest. The train ride was pretty boring and I tried to sleep for most of it unsuccessfully. During the next 5.5 hours, we switched what felt like 10 trains and by some miracle we arrived in Munich around 2pm ready to experience the legendary Oktoberfest. We dropped off our luggage in a locker in the train station and followed the massive crowd to the entrance. Walking around the town was a surreal experience. Everyone was dressed up in traditional Bavarian attire. From our outfits looking absolutely ridiculous in Frankfurt, or anywhere else for that matter, we fit in perfectly in Munich. If I had to describe it I would say it was a state-fair on steroids. There were rides, food vendors, games, and people crammed in like a can of tuna. The amount of people walking around was astounding, they numbered in the thousands and ranged in age from infants to senior citizens. Walking around, I tried to take it all in. There were massive tents full of people singing German drinking songs and bands playing music. We stood in line for nearly an hour in a half trying to get inside one of the tents, but to no avail. Luckily, one of Dominic's friends was about to get us in to one of the Beer Gardens. It isn't quite like the tents, so I've heard, but I had so much fun it didn't matter. The rest of the night was filled with singing songs and meeting some new people. Definitely one of my favorite experiences thus far on my semester abroad.
The next morning we all got up and headed towards the city. We didn't have enough time to go back to Oktoberfest and I think one day was plenty. We took a bus tour around the city to see the sights. Munich is a fascinating city full of history and amazing features. One of the most interesting aspects of the tour was learning there is a river which contains a wave machine to allow for surfing. I wasn't expecting to see people in wet suits carrying surfboards around a city in Germany, but I wrong. Next it was back on the train. We made a pit stop in Ingolstadt, the city where Audi cars are made, to visit one of Dominic's friends. The town is literally full of Audis. They are everywhere and there is a huge Audi statue in one of the roundabouts in the town. After eating we made our way back to the train station to finish off the remainder of our journey. After being in Munich for exactly 24 hours, I was exhausted and ready for bed.
Monday was a very uneventful day as we were both pretty tired from the weekend. We went to the city center again and back to Vapino's. It was delicious once again. If I had the money I would start one in the US and be able to retire early. Other than that we didn't do much and Tuesday we flew back to Copenhagen. It was a whirlwind experience and the fact that Dominic was there to guide us made the trip much better. Every trip we take I am always really happy to come back to Copenhagen. It just feels like home now and the city has grown on me.
Coming up on Wednesday we are going to be leaving for a train trip around Europe. Nine cities in about twelve days (my dad said he was tired just hearing about it ha). We will start in Berlin, head to Prague, Vienna, Zurich, Milan, Nice, Barcelona, Paris, and finish up in Amsterdam before making it back to Copenhagen. It should be a trip of a lifetime and hopefully I'll have a lot to blog about next time!
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