January Weather

The winters in Cologne are typically nothing compared to the snow-ridden, polar vortexed winters of Pittsburgh, so we have been fortunate in that regard. Instead of being snowy, the days are usually grey, rainy, and short, with only about 8ish hours of daylight and little real sunshine. However, since we've been back, things have been a bit unusual and we've been on a climatic roller coaster. The first weekend of January it was warm enough to go walking on the river trail and then yesterday it snowed for the first time! The days have also started getting noticeably longer and the sun is now setting around 4:30pm. I think that means there is light (literally) at the end of this tunnel!

First weekend of January

Second weekend of January

First snow during the third weekend of January

Christmas in Pittsburgh

Happy New Year, everyone! I know my Christmas post is long overdue, but we have been so busy for the past several weeks that I haven’t been able to get anything put together about our trip back to the US. Things are starting to slow down (before picking back up later), so I had some time to get all of my pictures organized and some updates written down.

I flew to Pittsburgh in the middle of December and then Will followed a couple days later. It was so nice to be back at home and see all of our friends and family…not to mention being able to speak English to everyone. :) We were extremely busy as we tried to make time to visit with everyone and do all of the things that we had missed. It was also a chance to gorge ourselves on all of the American foods that we have been missing. I think I went to Qdoba five times! We flew back to Germany on New Year’s Eve, taking off at midnight German-time and landing at midnight Pittsburgh-time. The flight attendants even passed out mini glasses of champagne to celebrate.

Since we’ve been back, we’ve been getting back in to our regular routine and getting re-settled back in. I have one more month of German (language) class and then I will take my official exam. After that, I’ll have one month of a German culture/history class to finish up my visa requirements. Then we’ll have a fairly constant stream of visitors through the middle of May to keep us busy!

Our German Christmas Tree

First meal in the US (DFW Airport): Mexican Gumbo from Qdoba

Pittsburgh from the West End Overlook

Cathedral of Learning

Lunch at Boston Market

Bakery Square

PPG Place

Christmas Tree at PPG Place

Dinner at Burgatory

Duquesne Incline

Pittsburgh from Mt. Washington

Breakfast at Pamela's: Strawberry Hotcakes

Goodbye, Pittsburgh!

Our haul of American goodies

Christmastime Photos

As I’ve done a few times before, here are some photos that I’ve taken in the past few months:

Around Town:

Friesenplatz at Sunrise, around 8:30am

Cologne's Cologne

The sun begins to set around 2pm. 

Christmas Photos:

In the central train station, there is a nativity scene set in post-WWII Cologne rubble.

We’ve set up some traditional German Christmas decorations, including an Advent Wreath and Advent Calendar.

And a little bit of Sophie:

This is her new favorite place to hide from us.

Cologne Christmas Markets

Since there’s no Halloween or Thanksgiving standing in the way, Christmas decorations began popping up in department stores around late-October. We marched full-speed ahead toward Christmas and during the last weekend in November (first Sunday of Advent), the famed Cologne Christmas markets opened. There are seven markets spread out around the city, each different in its own way. More information can be found here: http://www.cologne.de/events/christmas-markets

Simply put, the markets are just plain cool. It’s impossible not to get into the spirit of things as you walk through the lit-up booths and see all the holiday trinkets for sale. One of the markets has a public skating rink set up and I’m hoping that we’ll be able to go this week. One of the less commercial and more social aspects of the Christmas markets is the food. This weekend I tried Glühwein (warm, mulled wine) and Reibekuchen (fried potato pancakes). Both were delicious! The markets are a really fun way to celebrate the season and a great new holiday tradition to look forward to each year.

Heumarkt Christmas Market

Glühwein

Must-Have Survival Items for Germany

Last month marked sixth months that we have been (and survived!) in Deutschland. I think that we are finally starting to feel completely settled in and have been more comfortable in our new surroundings. As the six-month mark was approaching, I started to think about the things that have been the most helpful in our transition and I came up with this list of “must have” items. If you are thinking of uprooting your life and relocating in Germany, I highly recommend putting the following things on your packing list:

1. Comfortable Shoes- In the US, I considered myself a fairly active person. I wasn’t a gym rat, but I still managed to get (what I thought was) a fair amount of walking in each day. It was still a shock once I realized how much walking I would be doing in Germany. Every day I walk about 15 minutes to and from the tram station and usually for about an hour or two as I do errands after school. There are two grocery stores within walking distance to our apartment, which means a car is only necessary for big trips. The inner city of Cologne is still comprised on narrow, cobble stone streets and it’s nearly impossible to find reasonable parking options. This means that evening and weekend activities are also zu Fuß. My go-to summer shoes were my tried-and-true Tom’s, but in the winter I’ve transitioned to more water-proof options.

From Guatemala to Thailand, these shoes have seen it all. 

Not a Stiletto in sight. 

2. A Quality Dictionary- I first got a dictionary for my German class, but I was surprised at how many times I found myself pulling it out in the bus, in a store, etc. A lot of people rely on electronic or internet translators, but I find that I can find things quicker myself. However, Google Translate is a live-saver for translating larger amounts of text, like letters and websites.

3. Patience- PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE. Although there are many similarities between the US and Germany as two westernized nations, there are still days when everything seems completely different—like you’ve woken up and been transported to some kind of alternate universe. The food is different. The language is different. People have strange mannerisms or habits that you don’t understand. Things get lost in translation and nothing makes sense.  On days like these, it’s important to take a deep breath and remember that each day gets a little easier.

4. A Trusty Cellphone- I’m outing myself as a millennial with this one, aren’t I? I really did not get the most out of my iPhone until I got to Germany. With the map/GPS functions, translation apps, and free iMessaging and FaceTime, my phone has probably been the single most helpful thing that I brought with me. We’ve also discovered how much cheaper cell phone service is in Germany compared to the US.

5. Holiday Decorations- When I was packing, I tried to be as practical as possible and only ship the absolute necessities. As the holidays rolled around, we realized that many of our holiday decorations had not made the cut. I wish that I had had some things to decorate for the 4^th of July, Thanksgiving, and additional things for Christmas. Celebrating holidays from “back at home” is an important way to combat homesickness and make a new place feel just as cozy.

Frohe Weihnachten!

6. Ranch Dressing- Because there is NO ranch dressing in Germany!