Learning German in Germany and travelling

(19 Reviews)
100% Recommended

Michael Bitsas

Oak Brook, IL
Cruise Travel Agent Specialist

Cruising offers a unique and convenient way to explore the world, combining travel, leisure, and adventure into one seamless experience. Whether you’re setting sail through the tropical Caribbean, exploring Europe’s historical ports, or witnessing...

Lüneburg Town Square

In December of 2001 - January of 2002, a friend of mine was studying German at the University in Lüneburg. Lüneburg was great, built in the 1200s, during the war they blacked out the university's windows so the Nazis thought it was unoccupied, and it remained intact throughout WW lI. What a cute little city! She invited me to stay in the empty dorm room next to hers. She studied German in a classroom ... I had already taken 2 years of German in graduate school, so I studied outside! We travelled all around Germany and outside. Since it was Christmas time, we visited several Weihnachtsmarkts in several cities: Hamburg, Bremen, Kiel, Munich and Berlin, to name a few. I was in my 30s, so I experienced the night life in Hamburg and Lüneburg, mostly. I looked for work since I am a citizen of an EU country (Greece) ... unsuccessfully, however ...


A funny situation was that they were changing over from the Deutschmark to the Euro at that exact time, so there were 2 currencies in use simultaneously. It got a little confusing sometimes ...


We made an excursion by train to visit Krakow, Poland, another city from the 1200s unmarred by the war, one of my favorite little cities! We visited Oszwienczym (Auschwitz) there, a powerful reminder of the tragedies of war. Another trip I made was to visit my aunt in Brussels by train, stopping in Köln (Cologne) - more nightlife and another Christmas Market! I had a very nice visit with my aunt. I also visited a good friend in Berlin, and she showed me around for a few days.


At the end of January, I took the train to Kiel and took a cruise ship to Oslo to visit one of my best friends, Terje. It was cold! I stayed with him for about a week. My time in Germany and Europe was up! I flew home from Oslo.


What a fabulous and amazing trip!

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