Day 1: May 8th

Today we landed in Munich around 7:30 am, and then caught a bus to Augsburg, which was about an hour's drive.  I was very excited to drive through the German countryside, because it was something I had never seen before.  I hadn't realized how much greenery Germany had- it was so pretty!

After we arrived in Augsburg and dropped off our stuff in the hotel room, we met Sonja, one of the Augsburg leaders, and then we went on a tour of Augsburg with a few of the German students.  They were all very friendly, and it was cool to talk to them while we walked through their town.

We walked through the main street of town, and got to visit one of the main churches in town- the Dom.  The Dom was built in the Romanesque style and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  Outside of the church is the foundation from an old Roman building, as well as a small exhibition with different Roman remains.  Down the street from the church is the Perlach Tower and the town hall, and across the street is a huge open square.  This is probably my favorite part of Augsburg so far, because the square is very open and airy, and it feels very friendly.  During the day, there are tables set up where people can sit down and drink coffee from the shops lining the square, and many people also  chose to lay down on the cobblestones next to one of the fountains.  We briefly stopped inside the town square and visited the Gold Room, which is completely covered in gold and holds many town meetings.

The Gold Room

A panorama of the square, with the Perlach Tower and Town Hall on the right

After the tour, we had dinner with the German students and then they showed us a bit more of town later in the evening.  I got to talk to a few of them and really get to know them, and it was really neat to be able to make friends with people who lived completely different lives than you.

Between the overnight flight, long day of touring, and jet lag, today has been exhausting.  It was all a whirlwind of cool buildings and new faces.  But today has made me very excited for the rest of the trip- all of the Augsburg kids seem really cool and friendly, and Augsburg itself is a very welcoming city.  I feel like I already have a hang for how the city is laid out and how the trams run.  Hopefully tonight will burn off the rest of my jet lag, and I'll be able to start tomorrow completely refreshed!