It was strange seeing Konstanz again, interesting to see
what things I remembered, what I didn’t remember, and what I remembered incorrectly. It
truly is a beautiful city, the lake is unforgettable and even though I was
there for only a few hours five years earlier; there were some sights that were
still fresh in my mind.
Sinah’s dad drove me to Konstanz and his girlfriend, Martina,
accompanied us. Since Sinah needed the car that
day, he borrowed Martina’s car. They chatted and smoked cigarettes,
while I gazed out the window at the beautiful scenery as we drove
up and down winding mountain roads through the scenic Black Forest. I
tried to
take pictures from the back-seat window, but they really don’t do it
justice. We
arrived in Konstanz around one; we went into a few shops (Martina wanted
to
shop, there are many fine clothing stores for women). Then it started to
rain
and we took refuge under a café’s umbrella where we got drinks and
waited for
the rain to cease. Eventually, it was time for me to meet Cornelia and
the other
students at the train station. I was getting very nervous; I had begun
to feel
very comfortable with Sinah’s family!
We met the other students at the train station, I thanked
and said goodbye to Gert and Martina while the students started making their
way towards the biergarten, where we would be having a light supper and beer, of
course.
We looked ridiculous at the biergarten! We were a large
group consisting of 8 foreigners, each with all of their luggage (wheeling suitcases and
carry-ons), Corenelia and her husband, as well as two student aids who were to
be sort-of guides throughout the trip. It didn’t help that our suitcases had
wheels on them and the ground was gravel. After much scrambling, we all found
seats and places for our luggage.
After many introductions, we ordered food and drinks.
This is the view from my bedroom window at the Sinah's house, I took this photo the morning that I was leaving!
Trying to take pictures of a valley surrounded by the Black Forest.
Still trying to take pictures from the car...
I took this picture from the car while we were stuck in traffic. Sinah's
father, Gert, knows a lot of history about the area. The pointed
mountain in the background of the photo used to be volcanic.
This is a view of the bridge we had to cross to get from the old town to
where the University is. On the left, the Rhine continues and on the
right is the rest of the Bodensee.
This is an specific image of Konstanz that I don't think I'll ever be
able to get out of my head. This is actually the Rhine River leaving the
Bodensee, the current is very swift and beyond the willow tree are
beautifully architected buildings.
- Kim Shoback
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