Kiwi in Konstanz: ~A very condensened month~

Hello!

Long time no write, as I was away for two weeks and then with the start of the semester I have been crazy busy. So unfortunately I'm going to have to just skim over my glorious trip to Italy and other adventures since. I started my holidays in Stuttgart which included one cancelled train due to bad weather and one train that stopped for hours due to snow because the electricity went out. Never mind, I eventually got there only 3 hours later than anticipated. I spent 2 nights there exploring my state's capital which is a lot larger than Konstanz. It has great shopping, fabulous churches and stunning architecture.

On Good Friday I flew to Rome to meet with my boyfriend who flew all the way from Australia to visit me! It was so great seeing him after a whole month. We did a tour of the Vatican City (so crazy that it's a whole different country) and I especially loved the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. The outside was all set up for the Easter Sunday service the next day and the Pope's speech. We did a lot of walking around seeing the sights like the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon but it wasn't the best weather. One night we even sat outside in the pouring rain to eat dinner at a busy restaurant (with dodgy sheltering). I can now say I've eaten amongst thunder and lightning! Awesome cannelloni though. I loooove Italian food so much. All the pasta, pizza, the half litre jugs of wine with every meal, Peroni, macciattos, gelato. I have been introduced to a whole new level of food love! (And it definitely showed by the end of the trip!)... Rome is just magnificent. I loved walking around all the ancient buildings and pieces of structures and columns dating back over 2000 years ago. There was so much more to see than I thought and it really blew my mind how greatly preserved everything is. On our final day we did an Ancient Rome tour which was awesome going through the Imperial Roman Forum and the Palantine Hill, and learning all about the history. Then we finished off inside the Colosseum, which had always been a dream of mine. It was a really great day and finally a nice sunny one!

We were staying at a boutique hotel very close to the Colosseum which had a private rooftop terrace for us to use. As it was our last day we decided to make the most of it and got a bottle of red wine to drink and enjoy the sunset with the magnificent view before us. And he proposed to me! It was such a great surprise and what a fabulous setting! Of course I said yes! The ring is absolutely dazzling and I'm so impressed he picked something so perfect for me. We celebrated with a very fancy and delicious dinner in a posh Italian restaurant (that even Bill Clinton had been to). It was such a special day and one that I will forever remember as one of the best of my life.

After 4 nights in Rome we were off to Florence for another 4! Another beautiful city, also rich in history. The old cobbled streets and crooked buildings reminded me of Paris. We did a 'Nude & Food' tour which included a visit to Galleria d'Accademia to see Michelangelo's statue of David. That was so great to see in real life- so much more impressive than I had imagined. Afterwards it was on to the eating! (and drinking!). We started with a 'proper' Italian breakfast of espresso and sweet pastries. Next we went into a giant food hall with stalls and markets and we walked around and tried delicious sandwiches, had our first red wine of the day, tried cheeses, salami, prosciutto. We went to a private tasting set up for our group in one shop and we tried various Italian goodies like different olive oils, balsamic vinegars, pistachio and hazelnut butters (omg), with of course plenty of wine. Then it was on to a proper wine tasting in a wine shop's very old cellar. When the wine cork popped off the first bottle it flew and hit Gareth and the lady said in Italian tradition that means he will be married this year. I found that pretty funny and let slip that he had just proposed to me and there was many a congratulations followed by a crazy experience of a 'grappa ceremony'. This included us having grappa in all of our senses... it was sprayed all over us! In our mouth, then on our face, hair, clothes. It's a pretty potent alcohol so we were a bit sticky and smelly after that! Quite a different experience though. The magnificent tour finished off with awesome gelato tastings. We were very very full and satisfied!

On one day we did a full day trip 'The Best of Tuscany tour' which included visiting the beautiful town of Siena, a tour and a 3 course lunch on a private organic farm and vineyard, a visit to an ancient preserved medieval hilltop town, followed by our final stop at Pisa! I did my obligatory pose with the tower photos of course (had to be done). And that was another wonderful day. Tuscany is incredibly beautiful. I really love Italy, although I struggle with the language, it goes in one ear and out the other.

We enjoyed the rest of our time in Florence browsing through the leather markets and catching the great view from Michelangelo Square.

The next day we were off to Milan just for a quick stop over on the way back to Konstanz. The Duomo was absolutely magnificent, and we strolled through the main shopping streets, visited an enormous park and had dinner along the river.

Sadly our Italian trip came to an end but we had one more week together in Germany before Gareth had to go back home.

One thing that did surprise me about my travels was that not once did I need my passport- entering or leaving Italy, no customs or anything. Very relaxed here. My classes started that week, but around them I enjoyed showing off my new city. We visited the Münster, went for a casual stroll to Switzerand (just cause), caught the ferry and visited the little town of Meersburg with the castle, and of course ate many awesome Deutsches essen including pork knuckle, schnitzel, currywurst, döner kebabs etc and of course visited many a biergarten.

On Friday I had the day off and we went to Munich for the weekend, because lo and behold- that was the start of Frühlingsfest! Oktoberfest's 'little sister'. It's practically the same, except not so many people (still plenty though!) and not so touristy. There were tons of carnival rides and stalls, but we went straight for the main beer hall Hippodrom and made ourselves quite comfortable for the rest of the night. We had saus, we had sauerkraut, brezen, half a chicken and at least 10 steins between us! Oh myyy soo much food and beer but it was such a good time! Everyone was dressed up in their lederhosen and dirndl and by the end of the night everyone was very rowdy and standing on the tables! It was such a good night we couldn't even find our way back to the hotel which was only a 10 minute walk away...

Anyway, the next day we explored the delights of Munich, checking out the cool buildings and also did a bit of shopping. We went back to Frühlingsfest for some dinner and just a couple more steins. Although being a Saturday and we were much later in arriving than the day before, we couldn't get in a tent- they were too full and the crowds waiting outside were massive. So we just went next door to a nearby biergarten for the night which was fine, just a little chilly as it was outside. Munich was a great way to end the trip but my heart broke on Sunday evening when Gareth had to leave. Watching his train go in the distance was one of the saddest moments I've had. 5 whole months before I see him again. I don't know how I'm going to survive. More drinking! (I'm kidding...)...

Last day together :'(

Then it was straight back into my second week of classes. My papers are still up in the air and I'm still trying to figure out what I should and shouldn't take. I'm in way over my head with psychology- as the only papers they offer here in English (the ones I signed up for)- are all masters level. And they do 4 years for their bachelor. So every one is in their FIFTH year of studying psych, and I have never taken it before so lets just say I am backing away slowly... it is so advanced I can't even understand the questions let alone fathom what the answers are... so I've been sorting out alternatives and hopefully I'll be all settled by the end of next week.

Apart from classes, it was nice catching up with my friends again, we spent one evening hanging on the river, and on Thursday night there was a big party. There's even a biergarten at the university which has opened up for the summer right on the front lawn which is amazing! On the first day they were giving away free beer! Is this real life? So I'm back into student mode. The weather has turned so warm already, I think I'm in for a treat here. I'm busting out the jandals already (much to the disgust of Germans). And that's about it for now! I've been here for nearly 2 months already, absolutely crazy.

See you next time- aka bis später!