Leeds to Mannheim

Guten Tag

The first half of this past week was only really spent revising for my Corporate Finance mid-term. The rest of the week was so much better though as Mum and Ian came to visit so we spent time exploring Germany and eating too much.

They arrived Friday night, just after midnight after a delayed plane and delayed trains. Once they were settled into the hotel I left so we could sleep and still be up in time to enjoy a full day together in Mannheim. On Saturday, we set off to find an English breakfast for Ian. We found a place that claimed they did it but unfortunately it wasn’t quite as Ian has grown to expect and the beans were cold. Me and mum had American pancakes though which were very nice. This was the point that I discovered they don’t really have English tea in Germany as mum couldn’t get any anywhere! After breakfast I started showing them around Mannheim including the river Neckar and the Wasserturm. This was where we continued the search for tea which took us to McDonalds. However, even then after the promise of breakfast tea they still ended up giving us red berry. Fortunately, I had some tea bags that were sent as a gift for doing the study abroad fair so we could use those later.

After a quick break at the hotel, Ian decided he wanted to go and watch the Chelsea game in a Sports bar. So, we split up and I showed Mum around the University and the shops. We stopped at the gift shops to look at German chocolates and Christmas gifts but it’s not actually that different to the UK! Once the football had finished we went to find Ian who had had too much to drink and was being very loud and wobbly so we had to take him to Grimmingers (German Greggs) for a sandwich! Once he had sobered up a bit we went for tea. We chose a traditional German restaurant so that Mum and Ian could try German food. Ian had a big plate with a mix of traditional German food which included something to do with a cows stomach and a liver dumpling! Mum went for the safer option of goulash and I had a turkey steak.

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The next day started with me cooking an actual English breakfast for the two of them complete with bacon, sausages, eggs and a baguette. Once we had eaten we got on a train to Heidelberg. After a walk down the high street, we stopped for some drinks and I had the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. We then headed to the Bergbahn (cable car) to go up to Konigstuhl and Der Schloss. We decided to go up to the top first. The first Bergbahn was quick and easy to get to but we had to queue for an hour for the second one because it was so busy. Eventually we got up to the top but it was cold so mum and Ian just had a hot drink and then we queued to go back down. We then spent some time looking around the castle before going to try and find some tea. We ended up at Café Romantic and had German food again. Me and Mum had Maultaschen (basically fried ravioli) and Ian had the Wienerschnitzel (effectively breaded pork) that he’d been talking about wanting since midnight on Friday!

Before we went home, we nipped into a café and bought a slice of cake for mum and me. We then got on the tram headed for Mannheim. The journey back was eventful; the tram was direct to Mannheim but after about half an hour it stopped and we were directed to a replacement bus. The bus then stopped just outside of Mannheim and we had to get on another tram. This was a much longer journey than expected but it wasn’t too bad because it meant we got to see a lot more of the areas around Mannheim. Once we got back, I also found the German version of bake off on their hotel room TV so we watched that together.

Monday was our final full day together and we hired a car so that Ian could take us along the river Rhein. We left early to collect the car and head off to Rudesheim. I was in charge of navigation while Ian drove and Mum sat in the back and looked at things (apparently she wasn’t doing this right as Ian made her swap sides half way into the journey). To get to Rudesheim we had to cross the Rhein which involved being taken across on a ferry which was pretty cool. Once we parked up in Rudesheim we went to find some breakfast for Ian (and lunch for Mum and me) before going on to explore the main streets. These were amazing as they were all in a traditional German style and there was even Deustche Schlager (traditional German music) playing as we walked around.

After spending an hour there, we set off further along the Rhein. Along the way we saw old and new castles, medieval structures and beautiful villages. We drove past Lorelei Rock which is supposed to be the rock where a siren lives who uses her beauty and song to lure sailors to their death. Luckily we didn’t see any sirens! After passing the Lorelei we found a way to cross the Rhein and visit some of the villages we had passed on the opposite side. We first stopped at Boppart where me and Mum had some cake and Ian had sandwiches. Boppart was not very big but it was pretty and we had a quick look in a traditional (but very expensive) stein and cuckoo clock shop.

We also stopped at Oberwesel which again was very beautiful. It still had its original full city wall and castle as it would have had when it was a settlement. I am hoping to go back and spend more time there. We then finished our tour of the Rhein and headed back to Mannheim. This took around 2 hours, partly because of how far we drove but also because we went a bit out of the way and ended up in a traffic jam! Once we got back it was time for tea so we headed to a burger restaurant called Die Kuh die Lacht (The cow that laughs). That was the first burger I’ve had in at least two month and it was amazing.

The next day it was time for Mum and Ian to leave but only after Ian had attempted to eat another ‘English Breakfast’ (which still wasn’t quite right as they brought the wrong kind of eggs and it came with salad). Mum and I spent some time shopping while Ian had a little rest and then they left for the airport. I am so glad they came and I had a perfect weekend with them. Unfortunately, them leaving meant I had to start on work and washing (and paying for my own food) again!

This week will be spent working and exploring the local places I haven’t seen yet. Sunday also marked the end of my second month here which means there is less than 2 months left in this semester. I can’t believe how fast it’s going!