On June 12, we left Bonn to go to Hannover where we were
able to speak with a resident heart surgeon there about different aspects of
heart surgery, such as implants and transplants. The resident seemed extremely
knowledgeable, and I learned a great deal from him about these different types
of heart surgeries. I was able to hold different types of implant devices and
look at how they changed over the years. This visit was interesting, and I was
able to talk to the resident afterwards about other aspects of these surgeries
and about the medical school system in Germany. We then got to visit a research
facility that conducts research on the regenerative capabilities of axolotls.
Learning about the research they are doing there was fascinating, and the
axolotyls were actually kind of cute.
The next morning, we left for Norderney. Norderney is a
small island in the North Sea with a quaint little town. It reminded me of a
northern East Coast American town. The island was absolutely beautiful, and the
sunsets were breathtaking. We were able to spend the next few days there, and
the time spent in Norderney may end up being my favorite on this study abroad. The
days there were different in nature than a life in the city: the air was cool and
clean, and we rode bikes around the island, sat on the beach, and just relaxed.
Thursday when we arrived, we took a bike tour of the island with Dr. Wasser and
had a cookout that evening. The next day, we went to the Badehaus. Ohhh myyy
goodnesss…… the Badehaus was amazing! It is a building that contains many pools
of salt water that vary in salinity and temperature. There are also steam baths
and a level that contains different saunas. It is a place where you go to relax
and rejuvenate, and the salt water is supposed to help cure ailments. At one
point during our time there, we had a mud bath. To take this mud bath, one
strips down, showers off, puts mud from the island’s mud flats all over one’s
body, and then goes into the steam room for about 10 minutes. After the steam
portion, one rinses the mud off and is left feeling “reborn,” as Dr. Wasser
would day. This mud bath was an interesting experience, but it was a great one.
I enjoyed it, and my skin felt so smooth and fresh afterwards. I spent the rest
of our 4 hours at the spa trying all of the different pools. One of my
favorites was the high salinity pool. This pool had such a high salt content
that one could easily float in the water. The poolroom was dark, and it was
incredibly relaxing. Another favorite of mine was something we were advised to
do by the spa doctor. I went into the super hot pool for a few minutes and then
went to an extremely cold wading pool and put my feet and lower legs in. The
change from so hot to so cold was refreshing; and after I got out, my feet and
legs tingled in a way that is hard to describe. I also tried the steam bath,
the 6-meter showers, and a few different saunas. After one sits in a sauna for
about 10-15 minutes, they’re supposed to take a dip in a plunge pool (which is
supposed to be very cold). I was a little skeptical of this because I hate
getting in cold water, but I thought I’d try it anyways. It turns out that the
plunge pool part of sauna-ing is my favorite part. The cold water was so
refreshing after sitting in a hot, dry room for 10 minutes. A few other girls
and I actually dipped several times in the plunge pool after our last sauna
because it felt so amazing. All in all, the spa was absolutely incredible, and
I am so thankful that I was able to have the experience.
Later that evening, we went on a hike through the mud flats.
We were able to see different organisms and learn about the ecosystem of the
flats. This was also a great experience, but by the end of it my feet were numb
from the cold (but I’m a wimp with cold). The next day, we went to a bathing
house museum and then left the island on the ferry. It was sad to leave after
what felt like such a short time there, but I hope that I will one day be back.
After the ferry ride back, a group of us hopped on a train
for Paris. I was so excited to go to Paris! I had never been before, and I was
so ready to see all of the wonderful things that Paris has to offer. We arrived
in Paris pretty late, so the next morning we set out for the Louvre. While in
the Louvre, I saw the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and many other priceless
works. The museum was just incredible. My favorite area was that of Antiquity
pieces from ancient Greece. I am fascinated with the ancient Greek culture and
mythology so it was amazing to look at how it was displayed through art and
sculpture. After the Louvre, we went to the Notre Dame cathedral, which was
also quite spectacular. It was different from the Cologne cathedral in that
Notre Dame didn’t feel as dark and ominous, but both are incredible. After
visiting the cathedral, we went to a coffee shop called Malongo where we sat
down for a bit and had some amazing coffee. We then started to make our way
over to the Eiffel Tower. While walking there, we stopped at some markets and
picked up different meats, cheeses, and breads to eat at the tower for dinner. Our
picnic at the Eiffel was great, and it was something I’ve always wanted to do. After
we finished eating, we decided to up the tower, but it turned out that we
weren’t allowed to go all the way to the top because it was close to closing. However,
the view was still amazing, and we all decided that we would come back the next
evening.
The next morning, we headed to the Sacré-Coeur. The church
itself was beautiful from the outside, but we weren’t allowed in because we
were wearing shorts. From there we went to the Musée d’Orsay stopped to have some amazing macaroons on the way. We saw some
incredible works from artists such as Van Gogh and Monet. The impressionist
pieces were spectacular and just absolutely amazing. After we were finished
looking through the Musée d’Orsay, we went to the Champs-Élysées to walk around
and see the Arc de Triomphe. After walking through shops that were way to
expensive, we went back to the Eiffel Tower. We took the elevator (because
that’s just way too many stairs) all the way to the top. The view was
everything I hoped it would be and more because we were up there in time to
watch the sunset and even see some of Paris light up in the night sky. Once we
finally decided to head down, we walked to a nearby French restaurant and had
some spectacular French dishes, including escargot. This dinner was a great way
to cap off our weekend. The next morning, we ate a quick breakfast and went to
catch a bus back to Bonn. I left Paris wishing that we had more time,
especially since I didn’t get to see Versailles. But I am thankful for the few
days I did have, and I hope that I can someday come back.
Au Revoir, Paris! (for now anyways…)
Alana
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