Today marks exactly three weeks since I arrived in Munich, and the more I think about the fact the more unbelievable it seems, three months seems much more accurate. I can't believe all of the exciting things I've done since I've been here, and it's so exciting that I still have ten more months in this wonderful place. I have some more pictures to share of all of my adventures.
Last week we went on a short trip to Buchenberg, a tiny Bavarian town nestled at the base of the alps. Traveling there almost felt like going back in time, it was so beautiful and peaceful!
This is the complex where we stayed while in Buchenberg, it was actually part of a zen seminar center. Very interesting place.
This little house sits on the edge of the complex, the zen master lives part time inside.
The day after we arrived we went on a little hike, there were all kinds of beautiful trails to explore within walking distance of where we were staying. The forest was so lush and green, it reminded me a lot of Tacoma, but rugged like the Rockies. The sound of a little creek set the perfect atmosphere for our little afternoon adventure.
The three days we were there were spent cooking meals together, spending the day in grammar class, and in the evenings sitting in the common room doing homework, playing games, or drinking a beer to unwind from the stress of 4 hours of day of German grammar. Our favorite game was called "Looping Louie," which is actually a children's game. The goal is to keep the little electronic airplane from hitting your home base, and all you do to play is press a lever. This simple game provided countless hours of entertainment, and even our teachers couldn't resist joining in!
Here's a picture of the action--the woman on the left in pink is Christel, our history/literature professor, and the man on the right is Ralf, our program director. This game was much more appealing than the alternative, which was homework!
On our last day in Buchenberg our teachers decided to cut our afternoon classes short and instead spend the afternoon exploring a nearby park. Here I got my first real view of the Alps, and I have to say that they were somehow even more spectacular than I ever imagined they would be.
This beautiful view was from the parking lot, of all places! All of us Americans felt as though we had left civilization and stepped instead into a scene from The Sound of Music. (Even though that was Austria, not Germany!) The whole place looked like it should be on a postcard.
We spent 40 minutes or so sitting on the edge of this beautiful little lake. A few of us went swimming and the rest of sat enjoying the fall sunshine after three days of cool temperatures and rain.
After relaxing for a while we climbed up farther into the hills to explore. At this point I was longing to be in those mountains in the distance--I can't wait to do some backpacking in those beautiful Alps!
Doesn't this look like it should be a postcard? It was so tranquil here, the only sounds were laughter, the wind, and the chiming of the bells these cows were wearing around their necks. I could have sat here forever.
The hills are alive!
And with that, it was time to return to the city. I would have been sad to leave such a peaceful place, but I love Munich more than I've ever loved any place I've ever been. It's such a vibrant, exciting place, I actually feel as though it's alive, with its own personality. It was time now for a few more historical excursions!
This is Odeonsplatz, one of the main squares of the old city. Does it look familiar? It was the site of several very important events in the history of the Third Reich, including Hitler's attempted coup in 1923. Here's a picture I got from the wikipedia entry on this event:
It hasn't changed much, has it? It was so amazing to actually be standing here, the feeling of connection with history is one I've experienced a lot since I've been here, but it isn't a feeling I think I'll ever get tired of. As part of our homework (my favorite kind of homework) we went next to the Alte Peter, the oldest church in Munich, even though it doesn't look it. As we learned in class, the church was built in the 1150s but it was "improved" by subsequent generations who believed their artistic sensibilities were superior. So this church looks much more Baroque than Gothic. I wish I could have seen it as it once was, but it's nonetheless beautiful. I particularly loved the paintings on the roof:
This church also had a very interesting feature: the relics of Saint Munditia, a Christian martyr thought to have died in about 310 AD. Looking at her bones, covered in jewels and gold, was a very eerie experience, one that almost tempted me into renouncing my evangelical roots and current skepticism and converting to Catholicism! These relics have a kind of power that is impossible to define or describe.
A little eerie, but undeniably beautiful.
This is about it for now, but coming soon: Oktoberfest, a trip to some castles this Wednesday, and on October 3, a week in Berlin!
Tschüss!
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