Not Over Hanover

Europe on the cheap is not easy. But one way Jaime and I tried to save money was to buy the not-so-direct train tickets to Hanover, featuring two hour-long stops in some random German towns. So the 20 Euros we each would have spent on the faster train we instead spent on:

-1 hour of luggage storage in Ulm. Amazingly, we fit all of our bags into one big locker, so this only cost 4 Euro (2 Euro each!).
-Sangria! We wanted to check out the giant cathedral in Ulm, and right next door to the cathedral was a wine festival. The Spanish tent had sangria for 3 Euro a glass, which looked so good, it made us forget that it was only 11 am. Delicious!
-Lunch in Augsburg. I'd had doner for lunch two days in a row--this time I mixed it up with a GIGANTIC pide from the food stand run by a man from Malatya. 4 Euro.

So in the end, we saved money. And we found a couchsurfing option last-minute, so we had a free place to stay, right in the center of Hanover. I knew I was still in Africa mode though (and a little tired) when I talked to our future host, Tim from Australia (a chemistry PhD student in Hanover), on the phone. He offered to meet us at the train station, and I felt the need to describe what Jaime and I looked like to facilitate his job of identifying us on the platform. The adjectives I chose were:

1. Tall (most people in Northern Germany are tall)
2. Bonde (Jaime is not blonde)
3. White (this one was unique in Botswana)

Jaime's suggestion, after a quizzical look (since I had just described the average North German): "What about: we have a lot of luggage?"

I guess I'm not used to fitting in when I travel.

For those who don't know couchsurfing, this is a great way to meet locals or people living in an area and have some memorable cross-cultural experiences. The premise is that you can offer up your couch or spare room to travelers (or be willing to meet for coffee), and ask for places to stay in return when you are on the move. And an online reference system significantly reduces your chances of staying with anyone creepy. Tim was a fabulous host, and an excellent cook. After meeting us at the train station to take us to his flat, he made us a delicious pasta dinner, and we enjoyed a good bottle of wine and great conversation while relaxing after a long day of travel.

Hanover is a relatively attractive but completely unpretentious city. While it features a beautiful old town by the river (the part that survived WWII bombing), and the gargantuan Herrenhauser gardens, there are very few tourists. Residents are friendly and welcoming. In short, it would be a lovely place to live for a while, and I might have to do just that. On Monday morning, I visited the offices of EMZ, an organization that advocates for improved immigrant health care services in Germany, and runs several programs promoting health education in immigrant communities across the country and with partners across Europe. I stumbled across EMZ online while researching sponsor options for the German Chancellor Fellowship, and the organization seemed like the perfect combination for my interest and studies in health care and most things Turkish (a vast majority of immigrants in Germany are Turkish). EMZ was incredibly welcoming when I contacted them about sponsorship, and willing to meet with me if I could come through Hanover. After arriving at the office, I spoke with the organization's founder/CEO and a program coordinator for almost two hours about their work and potential for collaboration. I also got the office tour, and an offer to meet some of the organization's employees that evening for drinks. What a great opportunity this would be if it works out! I'm so excited to go and write the application essays!

In the afternoon, Jaime and I walked around old town, enjoyed a sushi lunch (but not the $2 they charged us for water--apparently, you can't get tap water in restaurants in Germany, they'd rather rip you off), and toured the gardens. To get to the larger, fancier gardens, you have to walk down the longest, most symmetrical tree-lined walkway I have ever experienced. You get almost dizzy from the perfect alignment. After what seemed like eons, we reached the Grossgarten entrance, and spent a few hours looking at a grotto, fountains, flowers, secluded tree groves, and a Baroque garden maze. We had hoped the maze would be a little more challenging, but with four paths leading to the center, I don't know if there actually were any dead ends. Jaime, the landscape architect, thinks she could design a better one, and I am certain she could.

After a wonderful evening of drinks, dinner, and a walk by the river with some of the EMZ crowd, Jaime and I were going to head back to Tim's place, but were side-tracked by…wine tasting! Ten Euro for three glasses of wine with some olives and ciabatta on the side sounded like a perfect early birthday celebration. And the outdoor seating was literally on the street…couches and a table in what should be parking spaces couldn't be passed up. Having the flustered waiter an restaurant manager explain the German wines to us in English made it even more worth it.

Tomorrow, Prague.