International dinner

This time I let the pictures speak, also due to the fact that I'm still struggling with my hangover. Thanks to our camera woman Kamila, I can present the international dinner of our MoCoMa students in a proper way. But just to say, my German potatoe salad has gone down quite well;)

Back in Munich

Thanks to father's day, Volker's holiday and a little surpise we had five days without work in a row to spend together in Munich. Well, it gave us enough time to explore the city in a absolutely new way. My clever boyfriend had the great idea of enjoying the sun in a beer garden he has recently visited. I really like the atmosphere at those places and therefore was looking forward to have a snack and some beer with him. Just one little problem occured. Volker could not really remember the name of the station neither the way how to get there. Of course, it is not appropriate for someone who is living in Munich to have a quick look at the map that can be found at many train stations. It sucks 'cos one should know the way around. Relying on his sense of orientation, which is not always right, we first took the train and later changed into the tram. We went through the whole city until Volker decided it would be better to get out of it and take the return direction. He just got this weird idea of the beer garden to be on the other side of Munich. Guess what: it wasn't:) we ended up being at a tram station in the nowhere of Munich and lauging about ourselves. We even made friends with a little Asian guy who did not understand us at all but joined us on the bench and making fun. Finally, we took again the tram and went to the place where we decided the first time to turn around. We recognized that we only had to take one station further and we would have reached our desired beer garden on the first route. Nevertheless, I can only recommend not to look at any map when you get lost. Its heaps of fun! Even if you desire something very desperately at the end of your little journey. You will enjoy it even more! At least we did. Prost!

Paris but not Paris

It was all about the Normandy actually. I went to Paris to pick up Sascha and Louisa (for those who don't know them: my cousin and his girlsfriend). It tell you, it took us at least two hours to decide on where to go and which route to take. It just did not work out, one person being half sick and indecisive, one person proposing too many alternatives and being indecisive herself and one person being indecisive only. At the end we chose the way through the country side to get an insight into the nice landscape of that region. Unfortunately, I fell asleep most of the time due to my little flue. Yes, it was me being half sick! Finally, we arrived at the coastline. The ocean, the sea, the waves, the air. I have been waiting for it so long. A little history lesson for some of you: it was the Normandy where the Allies arrived in Jue 1944 (on the D-Day). My Cousin tried to find some bunker as vestige of the battles. But he did not really succeed. All in all, it was a really nice day. In Rouen we had a little lunch somewhere on a bench in the city center. We just grapped sandwhiches, cheese and rocket salad out of the super market as well as radisch and awesome salami from the market. What else do you need to be happy? ;) Of course, I don't want to keep back the dinner story where we went to a cheese restaurant in Caen. I was asked before by Sascha and Louisa whether this suits my appetite. It did. Nevertheless, I tried to order a omelette without any cheese. The waiter wasn't able to fulfill my desire.

Gent by boat

GGG: Great idea, Great wether and a Great bunch of people.. Off we went! Two hours and two boats, allowed for four people each- no doubt, we had to make it five. Cruising around by ourselves.. the direction was given. Nevertheless, we enjoyed!

Finnish traditions

We all have different traditions on the first of May. I really like the Finnish one! When students finish their studies (recognized the difference between finish and Finnish) they wear a cap with a little symbol of their university on it. After the students get their degree, they are not allowed to put those caps on their heads again, though. Apart from, and now pay attention! the first of May. On this particular day, people celebrate, have a picnic in the park and wear the caps again. Well, the fun part of the story is that the cap actually looks like a seaman's cap to me:)
Anyhoo, Jonna (a Finnish girl of my program) invited us to join her and other Finnish people for the first-of-May-picnic...

Weekend in Liege without Liege

Relaxing, beautiful, hilarious, sleepy, hungry, sunny, drunk, chatty, hearty... all words and a lot more would describe my weekend I spent near Liege. Spontaneously, I was invited to go with some people of my former (! - Juchu) Dutch course to the Wallonian part of Belgium. I call it the trip to Liege although I have never seen a single house of this city. We actually stayed in a tiny village close to Huy, which no foreigner knows and therefore leaded us to keep the name "Liege trip".
South Belgium really impressed me. I did not expect it to be so different compared to the Flemish part of Belgium. It is quite hilly with greenish landscape and fresh smell - it made me feel being on real holidays! (Someone may raise the question what real holidays are) Anyway, go and visit Wallonia!
We had so much fun with our little Erasmus group - as Xaver would call it now;).. At the end of the two days we were so organized in buying food, preparing it wherever we spent the time and visiting the region. Of course, I would like to thank Sybille in this moment, who took care of us being one of the representatives of the French-speaking-Belgium-part and having the women-gene of feeling responsible for the group.
At the last day we actually had the pleasure to be guided around in Huy which ended up in walking around for 10 minutes until we reached the city center and had a drink. I should add that I tried peach beer the first time and fell in love with it immediately.
Oh yes, I definately have to mention my first experience with a festival in Wallonia. Pierre had his first concert on Saturday whereas the expression "festival" made me think of a huge place with masses of people. I was joking to prepare the girls with T-shirts that would have single letters of the "PIERRE" name on it in order to support his performance as cheerleader. I should not have mention that because when we passed a little shop, it actually sold - for whatever reason - shirts for very cheap money. Xaver could not resist and reminded me of my great idea which I had considered as purely joke before. Well, you can imagine what happened. Of course, he had to buy those shirts and even contributed some pens so that we could prepare the letters properly . It was basically Antonio and Vincent bringing in their creativity in order to make us cheerleader appear as beautiful as possible.

Portuguese fish at the Polish place

Dear Ana, you tried your best!! No doubt.
But I have to tell the story about your glass crash:).. As we all know you wanted to prepare nice portions for each of us using everyhing that can possibly be found in the kitchen and is steady against the oven's heat. Well, it did not work out that well, the oven got a little massy, but finally the pan was happy to
contribute to your delicious dish:)