In Germany

My son is studying abroad this year. He is a twin. He has never really been too far from his twin. They have a close relationship and even roomed together at college. It took a couple of weeks to adjust. When he planned to study abroad, he was told to chose a few roommates by his American school. It is however, the head of the German program who works out the rooms, who says who stays where and such. Not everyone gets to be in the old town area. Luebeck is a UNESCO designated city. It is beautiful. The kids in this area stay in a student apartment building. Other kids not in their program also stay there. There are other students, not in their program but who go to the school in some random apartments. These apartments are old. You know, shower in the kitchen old. It is a bus ride to the school. The other kids stay in the dorm at the school. The dorms are dorms. Some are very old.

My son has his own student apartment in Luebeck Hansestadt, in the Innenstadt. This means it is in the historical city center. While the apartment building is very modern, is it built on a foundation that is from 1200.

Here is a piece of the ancient wall and foundation. It was purposely left exposed. This is in the basement, where they have a common room. The kids made a Halloween party for both German and American students. The holiday is catching on there. Apparently even the bums on the street were dressing up....

 There are many other students living in this complex. Some are German, American and some from other nations, but speak German too. There are apartments which are larger and accommodate three students, each in their separate room with a large kitchen and common area in the apartment. There are also two bedroom and the single room style. The kids sign a lease and the costs are varied. 

 This is the outside of the student apartment building.

 Here is the main entrance foyer.

 This is the desk provided. 

This is  the kitchen area, refrigerator, cooktop, and small bathroom.

Other apartments with bedrooms have full common kitchens and lounge areas. 

View into the courtyard of building.

Inside stairwell door. 

Bargain rugs for bare floors, reminiscent of a childhood rug where he once played cars. Other kids bought them too as they were so cheap!

My son did know how to heat a pizza at a pretty young age and could do some cooking, thanks to a class in middle school and his interest. The kids eat  lunch at the school cafeteria, it is inexpensive. For dinner they cook. This has brought some interesting combinations to light, but suffice to say, they are eating well. They do a lot of pasta as it is very cheap. They walk and ride their bikes so they get plenty of exercise too.  More on the fantastic bike later....now for some food pictures from the great Luebeck student laboratory.....

This dish is cabbage and noodles and caraway seed. This is my son's comfort food. We went over the making of it on skype. He has made it for the other kids. 

The kids love the sweets, especially mine.

Yummy chicken soup, homemade by one of the guys.

A student who is Hmong from my son's school who is also an Iraq war vet returning to finish his degree, made this comfort food.

Street brats.

 Fish and potatoe for a crowd and some garlic in tin.

Some kind of German Gyros from a train station stand.

 Looks good, but some kids spend too much drinking. 

Well just thought you would all enjoy seeing the digs and some of the food. It is all a bit different from my days abroad, some 35 years ago now. I do believe it is life changing and his experience seems to be. Now this last picture is more like my travel picnics, only mine like this was on the Spanish Steps in Rome Italy; in the rain; with open an open bottle of wine....I told you, years ago. Oh, the caption, my son's.

More to come.

 so lets have lunch...lets buy food at Real (pronounced ree-all) and where to eat it.....on the floor in the ubahn station. (subway) .... are those hobos? no, theyre msoe students eating, collectivity....pass the senf!

Copyright 2010 Words by SheilaTGTG55

Copyright 2010 Photos by Henry Bernhardt