Ok- taking into account that February is the shortest month, the time went by at a nice and steady pace. It's a completely different feeling being here for 2 semesters, rather than 1, because many of the other international students have been slowly packing up and leaving Kassel to go back home. It's been a rocky, but great month!
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| Lambrecht at night |
February ended with a Political Seminar with the others from my scholarship group (that's how I've been referring to the VDAC to everyone here, it just makes things easier). We found ourselves in the beautiful, yet slightly remote, village of Lambrecht! It was GREAT to see everyone again! Having this group of people going through similar experiences as me is so comforting. We're able to pick up where we left off from the last seminar, joke with each other, and just have a good time!
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| Osthofen |
We had a lecture filled schedule, but we still managed in a day trip to Osthofen, where there was a concentration camp from 1933 to 1934, it was a political prison where those that were held there stayed anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. Those from the town denied for years that this facility existed, but because of efforts of many volunteers and former inmates, there is now a small museum and memorial.
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| Church in Worms |
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| Jewish Cemetery in Worms |
Our second tour was of the city center of Worms. We got to go into the church that Martin Luther wasn't allowed into back at the Diet of Worms in the 1500s! Such an amazing history! We also saw the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe. Thanks to some modern laser scanners, the oldest grave marker has been identified- from the 1060s! Amazing.
We ended the weekend with a wine tasting, trying 9 different kinds of wine from the Rhinland-Pfalz area of Germany, which is known for its wine. We learned the proper techniques of trying wine: to judge the color, aroma, how to swirl it in the glass, how to give it air when drinking it.. all that jazz! Was a great way to give us time to talk and just enjoy each others' company!
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| Wine Tasting! |
The next week, I decided to go visit Dan in Hamburg! We had a great day of meeting up with some of my friends and family and we went to the harbor! Hamburg is one of my favorite cities in Germany! I just love the water and the city atmosphere- so pretty! We lucked out with the weather- it was nice and sunny... We even went to the movies! Was a great way to spend a couple of days with him!
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| Hamburg Harbor |
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| Hamburg Skyline |
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That pretty much ended my February! It was a great month, full of experiences and memories! <3
