***** Butterflygal's Trip Update *****
Frankfurt, my first time visiting Germany. A country I heard alot through CL. Travelled half a day, half the world, to finally arrive here. It's been a long time since I travelled long distance. Thus I can only say...the fun begins!
When I reach Frankfurt early in the morning, there was a sense of adventure coming along my way as the journey from the airport to train station is one big maze made more challenging with foreign signs. But such is the thrill that makes one more excited.
The main train station in Frankfurt is like a big city with tall skyscrapers. The statue Atlas is one of the main highlight of this train station.
On the other hand, Heidelberg looks quieter and homely. Thus in the entire winter trip, I miss Heidelberg snow most because it was light and fluffy in a warm and homely town. Christmas also feels most christmasy there.
Heidelberg may be a small town but it has a very pretty university and library with more than 500 years of history... Seriously the architect of the university and the library is like an artwork to me already. I cannot imagine NUS having such structure.. Is like studying in Hogwarts???
As long ago as the 16th Century, citizen complaints about carousing students led the university to open a Studentenkarzer, or Student Prison, where academic miscreants were kept off the streets for three days to four weeks at a time.
Another beautiful place is the Alte Bruecke or Old Bridge. It will lead you to the Philosophenweg (Philosophers' Walk). It probably is a very good place to think about life philosophy when you are at the other end. For me though, it was where I learnt that white fluffy things that are falling... are not dust. But let's digress abit first about.. Snow and Winter.
I had my first snow encounter in NZ. At that time we were driving when suddenly we saw snow and dad immediately stop at the road shoulder for us to play. We probably tried to build our first snowman there but well we did not give it a close-up.
The next time we saw snow was in Switzerland and we did build our second snowman there (but this will be told in my Amsterdam post). This time round, we left our finger prints too.
Oh and mum was saying she had been to Pilatus before so was comparing the Pilatus where I visited
and the Pilatus in the 1980s.
Considering how much I love Switzerland, I admit my hate relationship might not have blossomed in Switzerland. Though I did have some fear in NZ because the mountain roads were slippery and we had almost skidded. Similarly in Heidelberg, I did not expect snow and thus when I finally realised that little white dust is melting, did I excitedly tell CL that.. it is snow...
See that snowflake I tried to capture. Gosh I wish I have a good macro camera then. I think my Lumix was dying at that point too. Anyway snow in Heidelberg still falls in the "generate iLove" mode. Even when the snow got heavier....
Well CL took quite a good shot of the snow falling effect.. that I had to upload to remember how much I still love snow then.
Germany boosts an impressive number of castles. Thus a visit to Heidelberg's Castle Schloss is a must do in my itinerary. Oh ya CL bought a little pig for luck here. I did not expect Germans to believe in lucky pigs too.
The highlight for winter though is the Christmas markets in Germany. I did not manage to go Nuremberg for the largest Christmas Market. However Heidelberg's Christmas Market and the gluhwein is just as nice with its warm and fuzzy feeling. Oh and I practically drank gluhwein each time I visit the Christmas Market. Haha well because I like wine :)
It was a rather short stay made even more warmly by the hospitality of Steffis Hostel especially with its kitchen. I think I miss that most because the next few hostels are run by a chain (hiHostels) and it is canteen with breakfast in buffet style which is much more restrictive. Oh and this hostel even has a reading room with plenty of books... Argh heavenly!
Steffis Hostel URL: http://www.hostelheidelberg.de/en/index.php
p/s: If I decided to visit Europe again in the winter, a visit to Nuremberg would most probably be the first and foremost agenda. However winter in Europe... Cold is an understatement...
Related Posts:
Part 0: Off to find my White Xmas
Part 2: Amsterdam
Part 3: Brussels
Part 4: Luxembourg
Part 5: London
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