This week started out with Emily Disney and I trying to
catch a flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf in order to get to the AIB before 1
pm. I don’t want to spoil the story, but we did not make it. Unfortunately,
even after our crazy train experience on Friday we still were not masters of
the train system. After missing a train, changing trains, and a very nice
person explaining to us what a Flex ticket is we finally made it to the AIB
just in time for class with Dr. Fajt. Class went by very fast and after we had
to rush home to get ready for Norderney.
The train ride to Norderney was roughly five hours and then
we took a boat to the island. Once the boat docked we all went to get our bikes
for the week. Prior to this I had not rode a bike in roughly eight years so I was
very rusty, and before getting on was feeling very nervous. Before riding to
the hostel I had a chance to practice in the parking lot and was feeling pretty
confident. At first the ride to the hostel was going okay then all of a sudden
I had trouble getting back on the bike after we made a stop. Fortunately, Henning
was very nice and stayed with me in the back to make sure that I eventually
made it to the hostel. After putting away our things Dr. Wasser gave us a
guided bike tour through the town and even let us stop to get some of the best
ice cream I have ever had. We ate so many meals that day.
The next day we spent the day at the bade haus. After
learning so much about it in class we couldn’t wait to relax in the different salt
waters. When we got there I was overwhelmed by how many different types of
pools there were. There was one in a room that had only one light and the salt
concentration was so high all you could do was float, the steam room had so much
steam that you could not see when you walked in, and there was another room
with a shower that when the water fell on you it felt like a massage. My
favorite though was the pool that you could swim from the outside to the inside
without being cold. Once we relaxed in the pools for a while we went upstairs
for our mud treatment. In order to complete the treatment we had to be completely
naked which at first was very intimidating, but as we all began to place the
mud on ourselves it became a very empowering experience. After our skin was
soft from the mud, we headed to the sauna. Unlike the Texas heat as the hot air
surrounded us we got a feeling of relaxation and bliss. We ended the day with
an awesome BBQ with the whole study abroad crew, and of course the day was not
complete without everyone dancing to “Break a Sweat.”
The next day we some how completed a three hour bike ride, toured
the Bademuseum, and went mud flat hiking. I wish I could have recorded some of
the views we saw on the bike ride. There were parts that made it seem like a
movie. The Bademuseum was very cool. I had no idea that bathing suits and the
saunas had so much history. The last part of the day the mud flat hiking was something
that needs to be on everyone’s bucket list. The hike started out a lot like how
you would think walking in mud would go, but by the time we walked out a little
farther I was shocked by how much wildlife there is in just the mud. There were
all kinds of worms and clams under our feet. There are some people whose feet
are still recovering from clam cuts. The coolest part of the entire walk was
that by the time we started to walk back to hard ground the tide was coming in
and we were walking in the ocean.
The trip back was very easy. Savana and I decided not to go
anywhere this weekend and ended up staying in Bonn. We wandered around several
shops, went to a street fair, and even left our mark on Bonn by spray painting
at a Beethoven event. We got to learn what a truly special place Bonn is.
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