I just wanted to do a quick stop over here because my friend who goes to Canisius (school that my mom teaches at!!) is still studying there and said I could crash on his floor (yes free housing!!) So I met up with Matt and even though he is also from Buffalo we have actually only seen each other in Eichstaett, crazy right?! (last time I was in Buffalo I told him we should hang out and he told me he was sleeping...this is real friendship guys).
So even though it was a quick weekend trip it was a great time. Not only was it Fourth of July Weekend but it was also the big festival weekend for Eich and all 12,000 people must have been there. Plus, since I was staying in a dorm TONS of alumni were flocking in to celebrate. It was an awesome mix of people (and it was kind of fun to be in a dorm/college apartment thing again).
For the Fourth, Matt got all the other Americans to come over and grill out. So even though we had to improvise (eating raw spatzle and wurst included) it was as American as we could make it. One of my new German friends was so excited she brought a cooler with Dr. Pepper, ICE(!), other American things, American flag banners to hang up and an actual American flag. So yes, with our American playlist and grill we were a huge mess of Americans singing and laying on the grass because it was still 90 degrees all day. But don't worry, we didn't just keep to ourselves, we socialized with the German students and some of the other international students...we're so inclusive, because we are American.
But this festival is probably what you want to know more about, right? So here's the thing about Bayern (better known as Bavaria, its one of the German states)...it is hard core the Texas of Germany. And by that I mean it is fiercly independent, culturally and traditionally strong, and more conservative than the rest of the country. Now that we are celebrating this everyone has wipped out their drindls and lederhosen...which isn't that weird because I see people casually walking around in them more often than you would think...its completely normal in Bavaria, but no where else in Germany (some parts of Austria too, I believe).
I got to wear the hat
old pic that happened to still be on my ipad of my drindl (don't worry it actually fits me now, but HOW CUTE ARE THEY!? ...we should also make this a norm in our culture BECAUSE I LOVE THEM)
So there is traditional Bavarian music playing at two of the three main squares in the "city center" and the third has like electronic music as it got later into the night (rolls eyes). Another one of my favorite things about this village is that it has its own local brewery...and I'm not talking like a microbrew like the ones that are popping up all over the US. I mean like a very well established beer that is only sold in and around Eichstaett, Hofmuhl. ...they sell it in vendering machines, for .80euro. So beer is good, but don't worry I was trying to drink as much water as possible with how hot it was and how much time I was spending outside in the sun and walking around.
I had a lot of informal conversations with people about my project and everyone was interested/moderately excited about it...unfortunately I don't have anything solid enough to quote and write down BUT LEARNING HAS TAKEN PLACE I PROMISE. I did get to have one conversation that I wasn't expecting with Matt and two guys from Croatia...when Matt told me, "yeah, like he was alive during the war, actually, didn't your home town get bombed, dude?" it did. So, yeah, that was the first time I'd ever met anyone who had been bombed and also he was younger than me...so that left an impact. WAR IS BAD EVERYONE.
Anyways, I was excited to go to the university on Monday...but then I learned that my hostel in Rome was booked a day earlier than I thought so ten hours after this realization I jumped on the train sad that I had messed up the dates and knowing I should have spent more time here (but also Matt was relieved because he had exams on Tuesday, which are hard enough without having a smelly urchine sleeping on your floor). I think I had just been in denial that I would ever make it to the final travel day (before my actual final travel day).
So even though it was a short trip, Eichstaett will always hold such a special place in my heart <3
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