A Festive Day in Munich

I am convinced that we picked the perfect time to study abroad in Germany after today. After stepping foot off the train in Munich, we began to see people in lederhosen, something we were told we would never see while in Germany. We soon learned that there was going to be a huge celebration of the Bayern Munich soccer team winning the German league, and the entire city was going to be in on it. There were a multitude of people wearing lederhosen, Bayern Munich jerseys, and not quite sober (if you know what I mean). 

We started our day in Munich by touring the city. It was a very interesting tour where we saw a city palace, opera, and city hall. It continues to amaze me when I see the Bavarian architecture and city planning style. After this, we had bratwurst for lunch and then had some free time in the afternoon.

I decided to meet up with a foreign exchange student named Sarah who had lived with my family while I was in high school. I met up with her, had a pretzel,  apple kuchen (which is like an apple cheesecake with very little sugar), and went to the Hofbrauhaus where there was music from a live Bavarian band. We then walked around the city and had a very good afternoon. We walked through the city center square where Bayern Munich fans were all gathered and chanting and singing. We also walked through the market where produce and trinkets were being sold. 

After Sarah caught her train back home, I wandered around Munich, exploring the different cathedrals that were all near the city center. There were four or five just in that area, and they were all very old, large, and beautiful.

Finally, our group met up for dinner at a burger restaurant, which was delicious. I got a hamburger with  brie cheese and cranberries, which was fantastic. I am definitely going to have to grill some of that up on my own this summer. We then caught the train back to Augsburg. It was an exciting, fun day!

Ulm, Great Pizza, and an Epic Selfie

Today we took a trip to Ulm, which is a city northwest of Augsburg. We hopped on the train this morning and it only took us a little over an hour to get there, which gave all of us enough time to get a nice nap in.

When we arrived, we took a tour of the old part of the city, where we saw buildings dating back to as early as the fourteenth century. It was really amazing to see authentic, extremely old German houses. The construction is exactly how you would imagine, with the wooden beams on the outside of the house and a stucco-like material everywhere else. We also walked over some really neat bridges that were over diversions of the local river, and we walked on top of a wall that separated the town from the Danube river. We concluded our tour at a large cathedral in the center of the town, and then went to lunch.

We again had pizza for lunch. Normally, I wouldn't enjoy the same lunch two days in a row, but when you have pizza as good as this, you cannot complain! The pizzas were these huge, thin crust pizzas that were so large they couldn't fit on a plate! I ordered a pizza with a little bit of Italian sausage and "hard cheese", and it was fantastic. Next, we took on the most daunting challenge: climbing to the top of the cathedrals 768-step steeple.

Although it took a while, and I wasn't quite fond of the heights at times, it surely was a spectacular view at times, and I managed to snap a few good photos while at the top, including a pretty good selfie!

As a reward, we had some delicious gelato at a little store. Then, we took the ride back and had a nice nap along the way! It was a very successful day.

KUKA and a Dealership

This morning I once again went on a jog in the large park across from our hotel. The park is so big and scenic I feel like it could never get old! I came back and had breakfast at the hotel as I have done most days. I don't believe I have blogged about the breakfast yet, so I will do so now. I normally eat a large breakfast, so first I get a bowl of this seed-fruit-granola cereal and put a yogurt on it. This is really good because the yogurt practically tastes like pudding; it is so delicious! Then, some mornings I add a side of toast with a hard-boiled egg, while others I opt for a sliced-sausage and swiss cheese sandwich on a french roll. Either way, it sure is a great start to my day.

After breakfast, we went to tour the KUKA manufacturing plant on the other side of Augsburg, which we traveled to by streetcar. I will digress for a second and mention that the streetcars are amazing--very reliable, efficient, and clean. I hope one day we have them in the United States. Back on topic, KUKA is a manufacturer of robots that are in hospitals, manufacturers, and are extremely prevalent in the automotive industry. In fact, KUKA is #1 in not only most robots sold in Germany, but also are #1 for robots sold in the automotive industry worldwide. We actually saw these robots in action yesterday at the Audi production facilities.

As we toured the KUKA plant, we noticed that the making of the individual pieces of the robots is somewhat automated, while the compilation of the pieces into the final product is mainly done by hand. This was somewhat surprising to me. All in all, it was very cool to see how large and powerful the machines were, how skilled the workers had to be, and how precise the machines were made to be. They are guaranteed to be precise to 0.1 mm, and are actually precise to 0.05 mm! It was also interesting to learn about how they envision the future of robot, especially when they said they envisioned their robots being in households within the next ten years!

After lunch at a delicious Italian restaurant (I ordered a pizza with ham on it), we went to an Audi car dealership. There, we learned about the process of selling both used and new cars and many of the transactions that go along with the sale, such as insurance, service, or leasing. I never realized the personal approach that salesmen go to, such as remembering your buying habits and major life changes that could influence future buying habits. I also never realized the lengths a dealership would go to to ensure they retain you as a loyal customer. After getting a picture with the Audi R8 and touring the facilities, a small group of us headed into town to walk around, look at shops, and have dinner at a Spanish restaurant. It's safe to say, this was another exciting day!

Audi Visit

To start off the day, I decided to go on a run in the park across from the hotel. Although it was wet outside, I was lucky enough to avoid the rain during my run, and the damp air felt nice. The park is very cool, complete with a pond, thicker forested areas, and open grassy areas. After the run, I came back and had a hearty breakfast of yogurt, cereal, and a meat-and-cheese sandwich, then got ready for the day ahead.

We boarded a bus with our German counterparts and took an hour-long bus trip to the Audi plant. When we arrived, we first visited the museum. This was a truly eye-opening experience, as we got to see artifacts from the long and storied history of the Audi brand. I personally did not know Audi had such a rich past, and it was really awesome to see all of their old cars, learn about the development of the firm, and also see some of their newer models.

Next, we attended a presentation given by a product development official for Audi. All of us students greatly enjoyed this presentation, where we learned about the development of the Audi brand from a four car, small player brand to a firm that has vast product lines and is a leading luxury automotive company. It was very interesting to learn how Audi went about this development, as well as how they introduce new products are preparing for change in the industry. After we attended this presentation, we toured the production facilities of the Audi A3 and saw how the cars were made from start to finish, which was a really neat process, but one I shouldn't divulge in here (for fear of BMW spies).

Finally, we took the bus back to Augsburg and had an absolutely delicious dinner at a Turkish fast food restaurant. Most of us students got sandwiches which were similar to a gyro; they were on pita bread and had roasted meat, a yogurt sauce, and vegetables. It was fantastic, and I feel like I will be having this quite often for the remainder of the trip!

Hospital Visit

This morning our group visited the hospital here in Augsburg, specifically focusing on the Siemens technology that are employed in the clinic. We split into three groups while with our German counterparts, and toured the MRI, CT scan, and another high-tech scanner.

Each of these pieces of technology were very fascinating and amazing to see. We learned how important and critical each was to the treatment of patients at the clinic, which is one of the largest hospitals in the area. These machines aid in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions ranging from shoulder injuries to brain aneurisms and are central to operations at the hospital.

A critical piece of information we took away was the process by which the scanners are purchased. To begin the process, the hospital puts together a description of what features they need in their new piece of equipment and sets a list of requirements it must meet. Then, the hospital notifies the public and collects bids from companies. After examining each offer and possibly observing the equipment in action, the hospital must buy the piece of equipment that fits all necessities and is the lowest-priced option. This will be an important idea to keep in mind as we tour Siemens tomorrow.

After this tour, we worked on our project with our German team members on the University of Augsburg campus, and now we have a little down time back at the hotel before we go to dinner (and hopefully get some ice cream since it is such a nice day out).

The First Full Day

Yesterday morning we arrived from our flight in Munich, and within our first few minutes in our new home due the next two weeks, we could tell we we no longer in the United States. After grabbing some snacks at a grocery store that had aisles upon aisles of alcohols and candies, we headed for Augsburg in the shuttles.

We drove through a green, scenic countryside that actually looked somewhat similar to home, other than one thing: every couple of miles there would be a little town with almost all white houses with red-tiled roofs. It was a very neat thing to see. After dropping off our luggage at the hotel (and taking a quick nap) we took a guided tour of Augsburg. In the words of our guide, "We learned the two-thousand year history of Augsburg in two hours."

This tour was very eye opening. From its Roman roots, to the industrial revolution, to defeating the Hungarians, to devastation in World War Two, we learned a large amount, but that can be read in a history book. I was amazed by just how much the feel and look of Augsburg was so much like I imagined it! With old-European style buildings, tons of little shops and stores everywhere, and cobblestone streets, it was very neat. We even saw a room containing three kilograms of gold! It was very modern as well, with a cable-car running from the hotel to the city center.

After this tour we had dinner at a restaurant underneath the city hall. I had a schnitzel because I felt my trip to Germany would be incomplete without it, and it was delicious. Then, we all went and crashed at the hotel.

Today, we got up early, took the tram to the University of Augsburg,  and listened to a lecture from Dr. Feick on course topics. Then, we got lunch at the cafeteria at the university. It was somewhat similar to our cafeterias, only perhaps healthier and a different selection of foods (I had pizza).

We then toured the University. It is smaller than Pitt, and very much has a college atmosphere. I was amazed at how the grass was untrimmed and FULL of dandelions. I know that lawn would drive my parents crazy, but it seems to be normal here!

After the tour, we did a scavenger hunt around the city, looking for odd facts about different things in the city. In the process, we got a beautiful view of the city from a 261-step high bell tower and saw the inside of a stunning church. We then ate dinner at Mr. Onion's, where I had the "American" burger.

All in all, it has been a great start, I love the city, and I can't wait to so some site visits, spend more time with our Augsburg hosts, and see more of Germany!