Another eventful week has flown by, and it continues to shock me how fast my time here is passing by. On Saturday I finally got the opportunity to hike to one of the many beautiful castles in Germany called Drachenfels. The castle was built to protect the Cologne region but has been thought to be a place where a dragon was slayed. The hike to the top definitely had my calves burning, but it was worth it because the view and the architecture of the castle was amazing. Flowers surrounded the grounds, and the stained glass and decor on the inside was so incredible! Even more exciting however was the hot air balloon festival I was able to attend later that night with my host family. I had never seen hot air balloons that close before so it was pretty cool! When the sun went down they all lit up the sky and flickered along with some old school tunes. The next morning another adventure was waiting for me as I traveled to Luxembourg. Earlier in the week during one of our German lessons, my teacher asked where each of us where we were going for the weekend, and I replied “Ich gehe nach Luxembourg.” Her eyes lit up, and she continued to tell me that I would have to stop in the city of Trier. I had never heard of this town before, but I decided to take her advice and added it to my itinerary. This hole in the wall of a town had a suprise after every turn. Colorful Amsterdam-like houses lined the street, the sound of the bell from Saint Peter’s Cathedral filled the air, and I got my first glance at ancient Roman ruins by visiting the Imperial baths and Porta Nigra. Since it was so early, it felt like we had the town to ourselves as we strolled along the beautiful streets. Finally, it was time to go to Luxembourg! Another quaint and small town, I was able to appreciate all of the magnificent landscape and buildings with a stroll through town. On our walk to the Cathedral Notre Dame and the Grand Ducal Palace, we came across a festival with food, shops and more. We ate with a view of the Adolphe Bridge and continued to observe the unique culture and sights.
We also had our first big trip this weekend to the luxurious island of Norderney. This is a place where people go to be rejuvenated, reborn, healed and relaxed. Fortunately, I was able to experience a few of these feelings… along with a side of windburn and intense leg soreness. After learning about the various medical benefits from using a sauna such as increase of cardiac output and a declined risk for coronary disease, I was very excited to experience a true sauna for the first time. Following a long train ride and a ferry, we finally made it to the island. The hostel we stayed at was walking distance from the beach where we did some tai chi and scanned the white sand for cool shells. That night we biked through town and found ourselves at another beach to watch the sunset. On Tuesday we went to the famous Badehaus, one of the best sauna houses in Europe. There we learned more about the history of Norderney, and even delved into how the German rehabilitation system operated. It is actually is set up in a way to encourage employment and make sure people do not experience “job burn out.” We also learned about the famous schlick peeling where one covers themselves in a mud-like substance collected from the island, sits in steam and rinses off to be “reborn.” This unique cleansing technique was one of the first things I did at the Badehaus. Feeling centered and refreshed, I then tried out the different saunas in the Fire level. My favorite part however was the salt water baths on the Water level. It was so relaxing to let my mind rest while floating on water brought in directly from the North Sea. It was once believed that the purpose of the sauna was purification through sweat, and after my experiences at the Badehaus, I certainly felt like a new person. More fun followed with a delicious barbecue, and the next day we went on a mud flat hike. The final day, I went on a bike tour of the town with Dr. Wasser and saw the beautiful sand dunes, plants and animals of the island. With a landscape continuously changing form every second from the intense wind and weathering, Norderney was one of the more interesting and unique places I have ever been. Sad to leave, I left this place with a new appreciation for seawater therapy, or thalassotherapy and stronger legs from all the intense bike riding!
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