On Thursday, we came back to the AIB to finish working on the Enmodes booklet. Unbeknownst to myself and Kate we didn't properly finish our portion and we had to come back in later on the weekend. Following this, Kate and I went to Starbucks to treat ourselves to a hot chocolate which was divine. We sat and talked for a while before I got a text from Claudia inviting us to the Botanical Gardens in Bonn. I hadn't been yet, so of course I said yes! We all took bus 603 a few stops to the Botanical Gardens which is a lot closer to the Hauptbahnhof than I realized. The gardens were beautiful, and the whole complex was huge. They had a large greenhouse that had separate rooms for different ecosystems. They had a rainforest room and a desert room and a tropical room and they were all so cool. After walking around and enjoying the sights and smells for about an hour, we decided to head back because it was getting late. I had dinner with my host family tonight and I decided to treat myself to a night of cookies and Netflix.
The next day was Friday, and we got to take a trip to Remagan for the day. After getting up semi-early, we met the group at the Hauptbahnhof before riding the train south to Oberwinter. After getting off the train, we were able to finish the journey to Remagan by walking alongside the Rhine River. It was a beautiful day, and the weather made the walk so enjoyable. Once we made it to Remagan, we beelined to the old Bridge of Remagan, an important site during World War II. We got the opportunity to take a tour of the old bridge and a speaker told us many interesting stories about the bridge and about the Rhine Area as a whole. The experience was very enjoyable, as I find anything about World War II very fun to listen to. Afterwards, we got to play around near the river a bit before we headed to lunch. We had a riverside lunch at a local Italian place and I got my favorite dish: spaghetti carbonara (which was probably the best I've had since coming to Europe). Sitting in the Sun and eating was very nice, but I felt bad for Claudia when a fly landed in her food. Following lunch, Dr. Wasser bought us each gelato and we got to eat that by the river as well. This marked the end of our day excursion, so we all boarded a train back to Bonn. After taking a quick nap at my home and talking to Mom for a bit, I headed back to Bonn for the AIB farewell party at the old AIB. The party was so fun, as they had a local band play us music while we ate. They served a large assortment of meats and salads and I was so full at the end of it. After dinner, we had a huge dance party in the backyard which was a lot of fun. The whole party made this experience very surreal, as it was the first time it hit me that I was leaving in just a few days. After the party, myself and a few others decided to chill at a park near the Hofgarten to top off the night.
On Saturday, Kate and I made our way back to the AIB to fix what we messed up on the Enmodes booklet. Thankfully, Alexa said we were finished after that because I was completely over the booklet by this point. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to gelato at the Eislabor, which was amazing. I got the hazelnut and raspberry flavors which I determine is the best gelato combination there is. After this, I decided to do some hiking in the Seven Hills nearby Bonn. My host Dad had been pressuring me to visit the Drachenfels ruins on top of one of the hills for weeks, so I knew had to go visit before I left Bonn. After taking the line 66 subway over to Konigswinter on the opposite side of the Rhine. I walked around the town to find the start of the trail. Thankfully, Kate gave me good directions and I was able to find the trail with ease. At the start, it was very quiet and not a lot of people were on the trail which I appreciated. The weather was so nice which made the whole experience so much better. After reaching the halfway point, I made it to Schloss Drachenburg and the crowds picked up exponentially. After climbing large hills and winding roads, I made it to the top! The views were incredible, and I could see not only Bad Godesberg and Bonn, but the Cologne Cathedral in the far off horizon. The Sun was also coming out as I reached the top and it looked like the Rhineland was glowing. This hike was definitely one of my favorite experiences here in Germany and I am so thankful I got to go. After taking in the sights for about 15 minutes, I decided to start my long trek back to Bad Godesberg. I made it to the train station at 6 pm and I was very relieved to see I only had to wait about 15 minutes for the next train to arrive. Once I made it home, my host mom cooked salmon for dinner which is probably my favorite dish she makes.
On Sunday, I got to sleep in which I enjoyed immensely. After eating a hearty breakfast of eggs and breakfast sandwiches, I went to meet up with some friends at the Starbucks near Munsterplatz. I was able to be productive and finish my final essay and apply to some more jobs back in Dallas and College Station. I'm hoping to get a job for the summer not only to make money, but to improve my standings for my future PA school applications. After finishing our productivity, Kate, Katie, Nicky, and I went to a biergarten near the Rhine and Hofgarten. I got myself a pretzel which was lovely and it felt so nice to be able to sit in the grass and enjoy some of the final days left in Bonn.
Yesterday was our final excursion for the program which was a surreal feeling. After getting up hella early, I met the group at the Hofgarten to take a two hour bus ride to the town of Bacharach. The town was very quaint and the valley was very immersive with big hills peaking out alongside the Rhine. It was very windy yesterday and after walking by the river for like 10 minutes my hair was already completely wrecked and it would stay that way for the rest of the time. After getting a croissant at a local bakery, we all boarded a river boat that would take us down the Rhine past many old castles, towns, and ruins. Also during the boat ride Dr. Wasser gave us our History of Medicine final exam which ended up being a fun trivia game that didn't matter at all. Following this, we got off the boat and got lunch at a local restaurant. I was able to eat wienerschnitzel one last time which I enjoyed immensely. After lunch, the whole group took a hike up to the Marksburg, the only unconquered medieval castle along the Middle Rhein. The castle was so large, and it was epic to get to take a tour of it. Also, the castle was located on top of a big hill, so the views from the battlements were breathtaking. After the castle tour we undertook the long bus ride back to Bonn. Thankfully, I was very tired so I was able to take a nap which made the whole ride go by much faster. After I made it back home, my other two host siblings which live in Munich full time were in town. The six of us all ate dinner together which was very nice. Following dinner, I helped my host sister Leonie with her resume before heading out on the town for one final night of fun. It was also Deanna's and Katie's 21st birthday so we were thriving. After getting drinks at Taco Bar, we went dancing at a club which was a lot of fun. I'm going to miss partying in Bonn a LOT because it is so much easier to do here rather back in College Station. Thankfully, I wasn't out too late and I was in bed by 2:30 AM.
Today is our final day in Bonn, so I am finishing up some last minute errands before packing tonight and having one last dinner with my host family. I will discuss my thoughts on this whole experience and how it's bittersweet to be leaving on my next post.
Until then,
Tschuss!
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