Herzliche Gruesse von Aachen, Deutschland!
I arrived in Europe almost a week ago after my flight across the Atlantic. London Heathrow, which I flew into first, is huge and very modern, and has surprisingly good (but very expensive) food. At this point British Airways is my favorite out of the two airlines I've flown to Europe with. Unfortunately I didn't get to spend any time in London proper- I instead caught a plane to Duesseldorf, which is about an hour northeast of Aachen and near the home of my old Gastgeber and good friend Hendrik, whose family I stayed with for the night. His mom, Cordelia, is an amazing cook and the whole family came over for dinner- grandparents, Hendrik's sister and her boyfriend too- and it was great to see all of them again. Hendrik's home is where I stayed as a senior exchange student in high school, and thus a lot of memories were brought back just by being here.
That evening Hendrik and I went to a birthday party for Julian, Hendrik's old high school buddy, which was even more good food (there's a pattern here), drink, and friends, some of which I also got to know on my exchange but haven't seen for 2 whole years. Julian had a pretty sweet birthday party in my opinion, and of course I was surprised Some pictures to come!
With a little help from Hendrik I moved myself in to my flat next to the Uniklinik in Aachen on Sunday and met with my supervisor, Andreas, for the first time. Hendrik and I then took a trip into the old Stadtzentrum, near the Rathaus (town hall) and Aachener Dom, to meet with some other students visiting RWTH this summer. We met first Amy and Janina, a student-and-supervisor pair that work in the same department at the Uniklinik as Andreas and I. There was a Troedelmarkt (flea market) sprawled out over the ancient stone streets and alleys surrounding the Dom and Rathaus, and from this setting I got my first glimpses of Aachen's old-world history and charm. Like typical American flea markets, you could find everything here, but with a distinctive German flavor- instead of a hot dog stand, one found a Wagen selling Krakauer Wurtschen, a pale Polish sausage with a tangy curry sauce. On the front facade of the Rathaus one sees sculptures of almost all the German kings crowned in Aachen during the time of the Holy Roman Empire, who were most likely looking to absorb some of Karl der Grosse's aura from this historic place. There are cozy bars (Kneipen), cafes and restaurants all over the place here, as well as some really interesting architecture from the pre-WWI years to today. Aachen seems to have done a great job of preserving its heritage while staying modern- it has a really great bus system, for instance.
The Uniklinik is another thing altogether- it's a 15-min walk outside the main ring surrounding Aachen and looks alternatively like an alien starship and a landlocked oil refinery, depending on how you look at it. It was built in the 70's, and appropriately has most of its heating and cooling system mounted externally in vibrant spacey colors, and the inside sports vivid green carpeting, Star-Trek-esque steel framing everywhere and the most modern equipment in German medicine. My description really doesn't do it justice, so i'll try to post some pictures when I get a chance. Everyone in my department has so far been great, and I'm looking forward to when we can actually start working with patients.
I arrived in Europe almost a week ago after my flight across the Atlantic. London Heathrow, which I flew into first, is huge and very modern, and has surprisingly good (but very expensive) food. At this point British Airways is my favorite out of the two airlines I've flown to Europe with. Unfortunately I didn't get to spend any time in London proper- I instead caught a plane to Duesseldorf, which is about an hour northeast of Aachen and near the home of my old Gastgeber and good friend Hendrik, whose family I stayed with for the night. His mom, Cordelia, is an amazing cook and the whole family came over for dinner- grandparents, Hendrik's sister and her boyfriend too- and it was great to see all of them again. Hendrik's home is where I stayed as a senior exchange student in high school, and thus a lot of memories were brought back just by being here.
That evening Hendrik and I went to a birthday party for Julian, Hendrik's old high school buddy, which was even more good food (there's a pattern here), drink, and friends, some of which I also got to know on my exchange but haven't seen for 2 whole years. Julian had a pretty sweet birthday party in my opinion, and of course I was surprised Some pictures to come!
With a little help from Hendrik I moved myself in to my flat next to the Uniklinik in Aachen on Sunday and met with my supervisor, Andreas, for the first time. Hendrik and I then took a trip into the old Stadtzentrum, near the Rathaus (town hall) and Aachener Dom, to meet with some other students visiting RWTH this summer. We met first Amy and Janina, a student-and-supervisor pair that work in the same department at the Uniklinik as Andreas and I. There was a Troedelmarkt (flea market) sprawled out over the ancient stone streets and alleys surrounding the Dom and Rathaus, and from this setting I got my first glimpses of Aachen's old-world history and charm. Like typical American flea markets, you could find everything here, but with a distinctive German flavor- instead of a hot dog stand, one found a Wagen selling Krakauer Wurtschen, a pale Polish sausage with a tangy curry sauce. On the front facade of the Rathaus one sees sculptures of almost all the German kings crowned in Aachen during the time of the Holy Roman Empire, who were most likely looking to absorb some of Karl der Grosse's aura from this historic place. There are cozy bars (Kneipen), cafes and restaurants all over the place here, as well as some really interesting architecture from the pre-WWI years to today. Aachen seems to have done a great job of preserving its heritage while staying modern- it has a really great bus system, for instance.
The Uniklinik is another thing altogether- it's a 15-min walk outside the main ring surrounding Aachen and looks alternatively like an alien starship and a landlocked oil refinery, depending on how you look at it. It was built in the 70's, and appropriately has most of its heating and cooling system mounted externally in vibrant spacey colors, and the inside sports vivid green carpeting, Star-Trek-esque steel framing everywhere and the most modern equipment in German medicine. My description really doesn't do it justice, so i'll try to post some pictures when I get a chance. Everyone in my department has so far been great, and I'm looking forward to when we can actually start working with patients.
at right, is approx. 300 meters tall and one of the few structures not destroyed during the bombing of Köln in WWII. Thus it remains a symbol of faith and hope for the future in this country, and it's rightfully huge and intricate. One can climb the approx. 600 steps to the belfry and get a truly awesome view of the Rhein, the city and the surrounding countryside. Hendrik and I plan on going to a contest for new bands tonight, where the groups are competing for a chance to record an album. Should be good, seeing the stakes at hand. Tomorrow I'll visit the Roman Museum here and some of the fantastic cathedrals and churches around center city, with pictures to come once I get some time. Hope this post finds everybody back in the States well!
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