Stunning Stuttgart (part 2)

As I mentioned in my previous post, I loved Stuttgart. I found it to be extremely internationally friendly and there was plenty to do and see. I suppose being there for a longer period also helped. This meant I was able to see a lot more and did not have to try cram everything into a couple of days.

For the three weeks that I studied at Hohenheim University, my routine consisted of taking the U-Bahn to University every morning with my fellow students, spending the day in the most interesting lecturers and practicals on campus, and then spending the afternoon/evening experiencing all that Stuttgart had to offer. Each Saturday a group of us headed off to another city in Germany, with me visiting Dusseldorf alone before flying home from there.

As I previously mentioned, the great thing about Germany in summer is all the different festivals. This provided such a great opportunity to hang out and experience the culture... not to mention the trying of different foods (and beer). There was always good music and even better conversation. It was wonderful to be able to stay out late and not be too worried about getting home because it was so safe. Plus, the fact that the sun went down so late made late evening expeditions more entertaining. Going to the center of Stuttgart later in the evening while it was still light and then returning home in the early hours of the morning to a beautiful sunrise was a strange, but wonderful experience.

 (I didn't have a camera with me, so the above photos were taken by friends.)

The Mercedes museum is a must see. It is extremely good value for money, as I think it cost about 10 Euros. For that you get entrance into the multi-level museum, an audio-tour and a really cool lanyard to take home with you. It is worth every cent. Take time to saunter around, take pictures and marvel at the history of this incredible make of car of which Germany is so proud. Even the outside of the museum has a certain wow factor and is amazing to look at. I suggest visiting this museum on a Sunday, as unlike most places in Germany it is actually open*. Whilst I did not get the chance to visit it, the Porsche museum is apparently also amazing and comes very highly recommended.

One of my favourite places in Stuttgart was the Ritter Sport Chocolate Factory. Ritter Sport is one of the most delicious brands of German chocolate (my mouth is watering just writing about it), and if you are anything like me, a trip to the factory is definitely in order. I will freely admit that I am quite the chocoholic, and thus I was in my element at the factory. You can do a self-tour around a museum that shows you the history of Ritter Sport (and even watch a movie about it) and then head downstairs to the factory shop where you can buy the chocolate at ridiculously low prices. Why not buy gifts for friends and family here as I did. Highly recommend a visit to this little known gem.

I also really enjoyed visiting the Wilhelma Zoo and botanical gardens. It is an awe-strikingly beautiful place, and made me slightly nostalgic for home. It was interesting for me to note how much more I knew about animals and how much more comfortable I was around them. I suppose this is because I have grown up in country and area where you grow up seeing animals in the wild (or at least in reserves). The Stuttgart TV Tower is also a must see, and I recommend visiting it at sunset if possible. You can see the whole of Stuttgart from it and it is breathtaking to see it first in the light and then at night when Stuttgart is all lit up. Moreover, the sunset itself is one of a kind.

I had so many more wonderful experiences in Stuttgart and enough memories to last a lifetime, but so many of them were purely made while roaming around Stuttgart, visiting the public pool or the many beautiful parks that Stuttgart has to offer. I could not possibly begin to explain them all. I realised in Stuttgart, that while travelling alone has its benefits (as I experienced during the rest of my travels) exploring with friends is something completely different. So often the memory or experience has less to do with where you are, and more to do with whom you are with.

Much love, laughter and sunshine.

*It is important to note that most places in Germany are not open on a Sunday. This means that most museums and the likes, as well as any stores are closed. So, if you are cooking for yourself or planning to do a little shopping, make sure to do this on a weekday or Saturday. Shops at the stations and airports will however be open and places like cinemas are too.

Stunning Stuttgart (part 1)

And so ended the travelling part of my trip. With a brief stop in Vienna (for a couple of hours in the early hours of the morning), I made my way back to Germany... my home for the next month or so.

I went from Austria to Munich in Germany, and then on to Stuttgart, where I would be attending an exchange, Summer School, programme at the beautiful Hohenheim University. My first impression of Stuttgart was that it was a clean, modern, and an internationally friendly city. I spent just short of a month in this lovely city, and my first impressions proved to be accurate. Being in Germany in summer was amazing... long days (when the sun goes down late), lovely weather, and plenty of festivals. There was legitimately a festival every day/night during my stay there, which was wonderful. It gave us (myself and fellow summer-schoolers) something to do, and provided an awesome opportunity to get to know the local customs/culture and experience real life Germany.

Perhaps it had something to do with the incredible people I met in Stuttgart, those that I studied with, the ones I stayed with or just the randoms I met along the way, but I truly loved Germany, and particularly Stuttgart. Living there also meant that I had the opportunity to experience it in a different way to all the other places I visited during my travels. I bought food at the local grocery stores, cooked for myself, enjoyed the amazing entertainment at the festivals, hung out in a few nightclubs (and sang ample karaoke), went to a couple of house/roof/basement parties, and even had my own public transport pass. I pretty much lived like a German for a month. I do not know exactly what I expected, but Germany really surprised me. The people are incredibly friendly and welcoming, and their English is excellent. This was extremely helpful considering I did not exactly know much German (although I now have some of the basics down pat). I should however add, that some of my friends who have visited different parts of Germany on different occasions did not feel the same way. 

I loved walking around Stuttgart, exploring the different areas, and using the U-Bahn (tram system) which made getting from place to place unbelievably easy. I truly loved feeling safe enough to venture off on my own, and experiencing the culture was wonderful. I was lucky enough to study with some incredible people, and attend lectures hosted by lecturers whom are top in their field. Whilst I was a little out of my depth studying at an agricultural university (since my studies in South Africa were in Human Life Science), I found it so interesting, and thoroughly enjoyed the lab work and excursions.

I have decided to split my Stuttgart review into two as otherwise; this one will be too long. Please continue to follow my blog to see what I got up to in stunning Stuttgart, as well as some of the other German cities I visited.

I would like to dedicate this blog post to my lovely friends (for life) that I made while there. Tumi, Felicja, JieKai, Sandra, Isabelle, Natalja, Jelte, Yu, Greg, Julia, Dawid, Esther, Rita, Islam, Kasia, Hun Kiat, Anita, Danny and all those who I have not named here. Thank you for being a part of my adventure. I miss you all greatly.

Photos of Venice

I have had trouble getting onto my blog for the past couple of months, and when it does let me log in my photos never seem to load (due to terrible internet connection at university). Now that I am home for the holidays, and my log in has actually been successful I can finally upload photos of lovely Venice, Italy.

Canals, canals and more canals ... Venice

 

The home of canals, gondola’s, Venetian Masks and glass blowing... lovely Venice was beautiful and vibrant at the same time. Cram packed with tourists, one can easily get lost moseying around the odd streets that both line and run perpendicular to seemingly hundreds of canals.  Before long, every canal looks the same, and the quirky, old buildings begin loosing there “wow factor”. None-the-less, the city in which Shakespeare’s’ Othello and the Merchant of Venice are set and from which the infamous Casanova originates, is beautiful and time-less.

 

Travelling alone meant that it was too expensive to go on a gondola and one is only capable of so much walking around. As a result, I personally got rather bored in Venice. The hustle and bustle of tourists buying curios and discussing which gelato to buy was entertaining, and the gelato itself amazing, but after spending a few hours navigating around the City of Canals I was ready to leave. However, I will be frank in saying that this was almost completely owing to the fact that by the time I reached Venice I was tired, a little sick and rather lonely. Much like Paris, I found myself feeling the effects of travelling alone. I will admit that I have heard wonderful stories about Venice experiences from many friends who have visited the lovely city. They all had amazing experiences there and did not get bored. Thus, I am left with the conclusion that this must be because they were there in groups.

I found Venice to be rather pricey and so I suggest that you prepare yourself for that if you plan to visit this beautiful Floating City. Other than that... the glasswork is incredible, the food delicious and the gelato oh so yummy. Make sure you remember sunscreen and a hat as much like the rest of Italy, Venice is HOT.

Peace, Love and Happiness.

*Having troubles with my photo uploads, so photos to follow soon.

Photographs of beautiful Capri