Exploring Hansel and Gretel Style

I swear I will get better at this blogging more often thing, but our days are just so packed that it is hard. That being said, daily adventure updates are a must.

#5 Tuesday: Climbing the mountain! Hansel and Gretel Style.

Since I haven't really done hills all summer, I decided it would be a good idea to run the mountain for my workout and Matt (my fellow AJY classmate) decided he would come along. In class we learned that on top of the mountain sits an old Nazi Amphitheater. Hitler bulit the theater on this particular mountain because it is known as the holy mountain. He wanted the Heidelberg citizens to view his Reich as they did this mountain. It is no longer allowed to be used, but we were told it was worth the hike, so we took it upon ourselves to run there instead. Naturally, we felt the need to explore and that means making our own trails. Good idea? Well, not quite. We got lost. Probably around 4 times...but we actually made it to the top in record time. 10 minutes faster than our teacher said was possible. Yup, studs...we didn't even need the breadcrumbs! :) Anyway, not only did we find the theater, but also 2 ruins of monasterys that date back to 1070. HOW CRAZY IS THAT! In one run I felt like I was transported back the Middle Ages and the 3rd Reich. So bizzarre, yet so cool....and also so beautiful.

Nazi Amphitheater

Old Monastery from 1970

#6 Wednesday: This was really the first HARD day of German classes. Our class managed to cover every aspect of German grammar in one hour which completely left my head spinning. We all thought that our first month would be the relaxing time, at least school wise, but we were so wrong. We spend our mornings in class, and then all afternoon into the evening doing homework. Such a bummer when I still have so much space outside to explore, but I just keep reminding myself I have 3 more months to fit it all in. Anyway, the experience of the day also involved the mountain. We ran it again, but this time we split up (don't ask me why, Matt was just being dumb) and were by ourselves for a while. GETTING LOST IN THE WOODS = adventure #6. Thankfully I made it back okay, but I am not used to deep woods and steep falls...Skokie doesn't have those. Overall, still an amazing day in Heidelberg. I don't think I will ever get used to how pretty it is :)

Please excuse my grammar mistakes in this blog! I am already forgetting how to write in English. Check back after this weekend! We have day trips planned to Mannheim (Disko central) and Weissburg, France! Miss you all <3