There's nothing like visiting relatives. I felt like the Kaiser being served self-pressed Spätzle and home-grown Apfelstrudel. It just keeps coming! My aunt would have been seriously depressed if I had turned down her offer for a bonus-scoop of ice cream.
But schwäbische Spezialitäten aside, I feel like I really connected with all of my relatives this summer. I grasped the importance and appreciation of my family this time around, which has been one of the many things the past few months have made tangible.
I went for a walk in the historic town for some much needed exercise. I didn't expect much to be going on - the renowned Rutenfest had taken place the weekend before. Climbing up a knoll to find a good view of the city, I started to hear the festive clang of drums. On top of the Berg was indeed a parade of townsfolk in traditional costume. Germany, you are quite the party-animal.
To blend in, I ordered a Maß, which is a liter of beer. I advise ordering such a beverage with extreme caution. It is quite dangerous...your wrist can be really sore after carrying that thing.
Knowing this, Germans train from a young age in preparation for their first Maße.
There are many pleasant memories behind me, and more to come. Work is tapering off and many colleagues are on vacation, leaving me time to assemble my cumulative test results. As it turns out, the pieces are falling into place and I am able to draw some nice conclusions. Still, there's a lot of work to be done - I guess I did have a productive summer at the Institut.
Coming up is a typical (read: kick-ass) German weekend in Saarbrücken. This consists of watching an 1. FC Saarbrücken soccer game, going to a Diskothek, and attending yet another Stadtfest in the city. The weekend after that will feature a Tour de Bodensee, the last adventure before my flight home.
100 days...what a freakin' long time.
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