Wednesday
Today we walked ALL OVER town. We left the hotel and tried to find our way West to the main train station in Augsburg (called Augsburg Hauptbanhonf, or Hbf). After an hour of meandering through curvy cobblestone streets covered with trees and adorned with flowers, we found Hbf. We tried to figure out the train schedule, and finally gave up, having our first German food at a bier garten located in the station. Kevin had weisswurst (white sausage) with a pretzel and I had puffy sausage with potato salad. The weisswurst had a strong taste of mint (I was told later it was oregano) and it was boiled in water. We were also told later that you are only supposed to suck the meat out of the casing, and not eat the casing. Ooops! German faux pas #2....
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| Fountain and park near the Hbf |
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| Sitting on the steps of the train station, looking toward the road. |
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| Another view outside Hbf |
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| Walking through the Stadt Markt |
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| Stalls at the Stadt Markt |
After leaving the train station, we stopped at the AVV office and applied for a customer card. Apparently without a customer card, you cannot buy a monthly tram/bus pass. Since the monthly pass starts on the first of the month, we decided to only purchase a weekly pass. So now that we were proud tram passes, guess what we did next???? You are correct - we walked back to our hotel. HA! On the way, we found the Stadt Markt, the city farmer's market, which is open 5 days a week. The selection was enormous, with a section each for butchers, vegetables, fruit, and fish. And as usual, it was very clean and quiet. Love this place!
We finally made it back to the hotel, where we relaxed in our room for the rest of the night.
Thursday
Thursday was our first appointment to see
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| One of the original gates to the city wall, circa 1400's |
an apartment. The flat is located in a building from the
1600’s, on the 2nd floor (1st in Germany), and is listed
at 42 sq. meter (or 420 square feet). We
were optimistic because there was a fitted kitchen and the location was only 2
blocks from the main avenue, Maximillianstrasse. To kill time before our 3:30pm appointment, Kevin
and I took our first public transportation ride on the tram. We walked a few blocks to the tram stop,
hopped on the tram and hoped that we were headed toward Gersthofen – the location
of my school and the motherland, Ikea.
Much to our surprise, the trams are clean, quiet, and easy to navigate. The system is organized in such a way that
one does not need to interact with a single person, either before, on, or after
riding. Needless to say, we were both a
little nervous, fearing that we would not be able to read the stops or find our
way around. Kevin took charge though and
figured out the map and within an hour, we arrived at the bus stop for Ikea and
ISA (see picture). I was so excited to
see the stop that would become a part of my daily routine for at least the next
two years!
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| Bus/Tram Station at Ikea/ISA |
We then hopped on the small bus to Ikea, and ventured
around. I have to admit – the
familiarity of being in an Ikea was comforting, like being home. It was fun to walk around, picking out
furniture for our as-yet-undiscovered apartment. For the first time, walking through the
examples of 35 and 55 square meter apartments was actually helpful! We decided on a sofa and a bed, realizing
that we would be okay with only a few pieces for several weeks. After leaving
Ikea, we hopped back on the bus, which drove us past ISA. Again, the excitement at seeing the place
where I would spend the next few years was indescribable. The school is located in an industrial area
with a large open, well-manicured field opposite the building. The two story building is a red brick modern
design, with large floor-to-ceiling windows and a playground out front. We drove by quickly so I couldn’t get an idea
of the size, however on Monday, Martin will actually take us to the school to
meet the headmistress, the principals, and the HR personnel.
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| Cafe at Mortizplatz |
From the bus, we hopped on the tram towards downtown and around
noon, got off at Moritzplatz (the stop with the colorful, painted building from
the earlier post). The sunny square was
full of people, bicycles, cars, and trams, all heading in different directions. The workers were grabbing a bite for lunch,
the tourists were filling the shops, and the teenagers were parading up and
down the sidewalk, enjoying their last few weeks of summer vacation. Despite the crowds, the square had a sense of
quiet about it – no booming music, screaming children, thumping engines, or
loud conversations. It was peaceful, and
relaxing. We took a seat at a sidewalk café,
and ordered a coffee and a strudel, and just people-watched for the next
hour. We also tried our German on the
waitress but she just spoke English after hearing us butchering her
language. On a side note, we’ve been
getting along pretty well without knowing the language. At least we’re trying….
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| 1st Apartment - 2nd floor from the top |
Back to the apartment search…. We left the café and headed back to the
hotel. Martin picked us up so that we would arrive at the apartment early. He warned us that there would be “others”
looking at the apartment as well. He
didn’t tell us the “others” would consist of 19 other couples! No lie!
When we arrived at the three story house, after meandering through other
centuries-old buildings over canals and bridges, we were shocked to find 19
other couples also standing around, waiting to see the flat. This was more stressful than the actual job
interview that brought us here! Martin
told us that if several couples wanted the apartment, the landlord would
literally gamble dice to choose the tenants.
Are you kidding me??? Anyhow,
after the real estate agent let everyone in the apartment, we waited a few
minutes to let the crowds clear, then went in.
The apartment was at the top of
two narrow, winding staircases. We
stepped in the apartment, and within 120 seconds, walked back out again. The bedroom was barely big enough to hold a
twin bed, let alone a double bed, and the living room, was the size of our
dining room. I couldn’t imagine us and
the 3 kitties in there! It was
disappointing, but Martin assured us there were other options and he would take
us out again on Friday. We wrapped up
the evening with drinks in our hotel lobby, laughing and sharing stories with
Martin.
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| Road in front of 1st Apartment |
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| Road leading to 1st Apartment |
Friday
Today, Martin picked us up at 11:30 and we headed to see an
apartment located across from the Fuggerei (pronounced FOO-goo-rye). [In
short, the Fuggerei is the world’s oldest social housing complex. It was started in 1516 by a wealthy merchant,
Jacob Fugger, to house the needy citizens of Augsburg. People still live there, in addition to it
being a tourist attraction.] The flat is about 750 square feet, with a
fitted kitchen, 2 bedrooms, full bathroom, and a full terrace off the
kitchen. Oh – and it’s built in the 1500’s! Below the apartment is a café serving ice
cream, cappuccinos, and beer.
We met the real estate agent, who took us up the two
staircases to the apartment. The moment
we stepped in, we knew we found our home!
The floors are the original wood, the walls are thick stucco with
alcoves, and the windows are plentiful, all opening out to the street and the
shops below. The apartment fills the
whole floor of the building and shares a terrace with the building behind. The terrace is at least 300 square feet, and
is accessed through the fitted kitchen. The kitchen is complete with a
dishwasher, cooktop, stove, and plenty of cabinets and shelving. You can see more pictures by going to www.ottens-immobilien.de and
searching under Rentals (Vermietung) for Expose #290. Not sure how long the listing will be there
though, because we told the estate agent we wanted it and were ready to sign
the papers!!! Martin assured us that the
deposits would be dealt with later, while the estate agent would confirm the
owner’s approval of us. They even allow
the kitties, at no extra charge. J We should hear back from Martin regarding the
apartment by Monday or Tuesday, but he is confident that we will be able to
move in there before the end of next week – just in time for the start of the
school year.
I’ve included a few
pictures below of the apartment, as well as a map above of where the flat is
located. The yellow star marks the
location of the flat, and the red arrow is Rathausplatz, the center square of
town (also where the Christmas Markets are held). All along Jakobertorstrasse and
Maximillianstrasse are shops, pubs, and restaurants.
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| Around the corner from our flat, leading to an Italian cafe |
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| Entrance to the Fuggerei - directly across from our flat |
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| Sidewalk in front of our flat |
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| Seating area to the right our building, seen at the top left of the picture |
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| Kevin in the Living Room |
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| Windows looking out to Fuggerei. Martin (with his back to the camera) and the estate agent. |
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| Looking down to the Fuggerei from the Living Room windows |
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| Living Room windows - won't the kitties be happy?? |
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| Another view of the Living Room |
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| Doorway from living room to the rest of the apartment. First door on the right is the extra bedroom, next door on the right is the larger bedroom. Bathroom is on the left, and the open door at the back is the entrance to the kitchen. |
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| smaller bedroom |
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| Spacious bathroom |
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| Larger bedroom |
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| Larger bedroom |
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| View out the bedroom - notice the clock tower in the back |
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| Looking out bedroom window toward Fuggerei |
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| Kitchen - step on right leads to terrace |
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| doorway from kitchen to terrace |
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| Looking towards the right (or the west) from living room. Tower in back is Rathausplatz, or City Hall. |
The flat location is PERFECT – two supermarkets and the tram
stop are directly around the corner; a bakery is across the street, and the
butcher is down the block. Rathausplatz
and Maximillianstrasse are only a 10 minute walk away, as is the City
Galerie. I can’t find the words to tell
you all how excited we are to have found such a perfect place - it definitely
ticks all our boxes (to quote House
Hunters International) character, size, location, fitted kitchen, pet
allowance, and terrace. I hope our
family and friends will be able to see it in person one day!
Our next step is to pick up the kitties tomorrow. I ask anyone reading this to say a little
prayer that my Lulu, Bob, and Ellie arrive here safely, with as little stress
as possible. Their entire world has been
turned upside down in the last month, and I know they are already stressed to
the limit. I’ll post tomorrow after we
pick them up safely from Munich.
Until then, love and miss you all! We love reading the responses to the blog,
and can answer any questions you have. In
the meantime, thought you’d like to read our Lessons of the Week…
Lessons learned in
Germany, Week 1:
- There are 2 seasons in Augsburg - Winter and Construction - per Martin
- Don’t believe everything you read – BBQ sauce,
hot sauce, peanut butter, and ketchup are available in Germany… and readily!
- “To be German is to be American” – per Martin
Kimmerl
- Everyone drives a BMW here.
- The Germans eat cucumbers with EVERYTHING,
including pizza
- It’s not necessary to tip in Germany – the servers
make a decent salary
- The Germans are not loud, and frown on others
who are loud (including children)
- The Germans are polite and respect privacy.
- Augsburg is VERY clean and VERY green
- The drinking age is 16; the driving age is 18
- Coca-Cola bottle labels are printed with a
variety of names
- Big Bang
Theory and Friends are just not as
funny when dubbed in German
- German women have very flat hair
- Tights are worn under skirts & shorts,
regardless of the weather
- Even though they are available and not more
expensive, American cars are not popular here.
- You buy alcohol (vodka) in the grocery store.
- Dogs are allowed everywhere – mall, shops,
restaurants, trains, busses, etc.
- Nestea bottled Iced Tea tastes like Pine Sol
- Don’t kill bees
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| Martin's motorcycle |
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| Martin's motorcycle |
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| Martin's motorcyle logo, custom-made |
These pictures are of Martin's motorcycles. He rides through Europe every chance he gets. I took these pictures for a friend of mine in Kennesaw, who is very passionate about his motorcycle too ;)
Today we walked ALL OVER town. We left the hotel and tried to find our way West to the main train station in Augsburg (called Augsburg Hauptbanhonf, or Hbf). After an hour of meandering through curvy cobblestone streets covered with trees and adorned with flowers, we found Hbf. We tried to figure out the train schedule, and finally gave up, having our first German food at a bier garten located in the station. Kevin had weisswurst (white sausage) with a pretzel and I had puffy sausage with potato salad. The weisswurst had a strong taste of mint (I was told later it was oregano) and it was boiled in water. We were also told later that you are only supposed to suck the meat out of the casing, and not eat the casing. Ooops! German faux pas #2....
Back to the apartment search…. We left the café and headed back to the
hotel. Martin picked us up so that we would arrive at the apartment early. He warned us that there would be “others”
looking at the apartment as well. He
didn’t tell us the “others” would consist of 19 other couples! No lie!
When we arrived at the three story house, after meandering through other
centuries-old buildings over canals and bridges, we were shocked to find 19
other couples also standing around, waiting to see the flat. This was more stressful than the actual job
interview that brought us here! Martin
told us that if several couples wanted the apartment, the landlord would
literally gamble dice to choose the tenants.
Are you kidding me??? Anyhow,
after the real estate agent let everyone in the apartment, we waited a few
minutes to let the crowds clear, then went in.
The apartment was at the top of
two narrow, winding staircases. We
stepped in the apartment, and within 120 seconds, walked back out again. The bedroom was barely big enough to hold a
twin bed, let alone a double bed, and the living room, was the size of our
dining room. I couldn’t imagine us and
the 3 kitties in there! It was
disappointing, but Martin assured us there were other options and he would take
us out again on Friday. We wrapped up
the evening with drinks in our hotel lobby, laughing and sharing stories with
Martin.
We met the real estate agent, who took us up the two
staircases to the apartment. The moment
we stepped in, we knew we found our home!
The floors are the original wood, the walls are thick stucco with
alcoves, and the windows are plentiful, all opening out to the street and the
shops below. The apartment fills the
whole floor of the building and shares a terrace with the building behind. The terrace is at least 300 square feet, and
is accessed through the fitted kitchen. The kitchen is complete with a
dishwasher, cooktop, stove, and plenty of cabinets and shelving. You can see more pictures by going to www.ottens-immobilien.de and
searching under Rentals (Vermietung) for Expose #290. Not sure how long the listing will be there
though, because we told the estate agent we wanted it and were ready to sign
the papers!!! Martin assured us that the
deposits would be dealt with later, while the estate agent would confirm the
owner’s approval of us. They even allow
the kitties, at no extra charge. J We should hear back from Martin regarding the
apartment by Monday or Tuesday, but he is confident that we will be able to
move in there before the end of next week – just in time for the start of the
school year. 
From the mall, we headed toward downtown on foot. Throughout the city, a system of walkways meander through greenery and alongside the canals, carrying the pedestrians behind homes and between building, and all marked with arrows to a specific destination. The pathways were full of pedestrians of all types, old and young alike. We had no idea if we were going in the right direction, but we kept moving, watching the buildings age before us. Eventually, we found Maximillianstrasse, the main avenue running north/south in Augsburg. 
After about 30 minutes, we met up with Martin, and enjoyed a beverage at a wonderful outdoor cafe (the yellow building in the pictures below) in the middle of Rathausplatz, the city hall of Augsburg, originally constructed during the Renaissance. Rathausplatz is the building on the right, with the double-headed eagle at the top. 
A funny story -- while sitting at the table talking with Martin, a bumblebee kept buzzing around and finally landed on the table. As any good Southerner would do, Kevin reached over, grabbed the ashtray, and started to place it on the bumblebee, putting him out of our misery. Just as he squashed the bee, Martin cried out, "NO!", then grabbed the ashtray in an attempt to save the little guy. He picked him up ever so gently by the wing, and then seeing that he couldn't be saved, carefully placed him on the ground. Apparently, its inappropriate to kill bees in Germany! Who knew??? 
After a few laughs with Martin, and his reassurance that we would find a place and he would help us get settled, he dropped us off at our hotel. We put on some warmer clothes and headed back out for dinner. 
Kevin ordered a drink and I ordered a Lemon Warsteiner. We laughed when the drinks arrived because just like home, Kevin had the girly drink, complete with marshmallow and Swedish fish garnish! That's a better garnish than the usual umbrella!
From the mall, we headed toward downtown on foot. Throughout the city, a system of walkways meander through greenery and alongside the canals, carrying the pedestrians behind homes and between building, and all marked with arrows to a specific destination. The pathways were full of pedestrians of all types, old and young alike. We had no idea if we were going in the right direction, but we kept moving, watching the buildings age before us. Eventually, we found Maximillianstrasse, the main avenue running north/south in Augsburg. 
A funny story -- while sitting at the table talking with Martin, a bumblebee kept buzzing around and finally landed on the table. As any good Southerner would do, Kevin reached over, grabbed the ashtray, and started to place it on the bumblebee, putting him out of our misery. Just as he squashed the bee, Martin cried out, "NO!", then grabbed the ashtray in an attempt to save the little guy. He picked him up ever so gently by the wing, and then seeing that he couldn't be saved, carefully placed him on the ground. Apparently, its inappropriate to kill bees in Germany! Who knew??? 
Kevin ordered a drink and I ordered a Lemon Warsteiner. We laughed when the drinks arrived because just like home, Kevin had the girly drink, complete with marshmallow and Swedish fish garnish! That's a better garnish than the usual umbrella!
