Die Stadt

So Mannheim has been getting snow, and although it's super cold, my jacket keeps me nice and toasty (and although the bus was 10 minutes late this morning), campus is always a nice place to go.

Campus with Snow!

The one bad thing about campus, is that I always get lost if I wander around. Everything is pretty much connected, but there is the museum part in between the wings. When you don't go to the Ehrenhof (main courtyard), there are smaller courtyards behind the wings with four doors that look exactly the same...so it's always interesting to see which one I choose!

We alternate between two teachers for the winter academy, and our teacher was apparently sick...but nobody knew. So we got there, waited for a bit, and then talked to the teacher of the other class. She told us to call the Winter Academy office, but it doesn't open until an hour after we start...real useful, huh? So we eventually just joined her class for the day...but at least we aren't behind!

After class I got Doner, and it's pretty much this huge wrapped filled with whatever you like...and when I say it's huge, I mean it. It was both my lunch and dinner today! (and cost only 4.5e) But I find the portions here somewhat larger (and more filling than US meals), but it's good because it is another meal!

After lunch I hung out in the Cafe on campus until the walking tour started. We got to hear more about the city, and see the 'rich' section...and I'm pretty sure the tour guide was laughing at the fact that we live in student housing.

Some of the buildings pretty close to Uni

Such detail next to...blah

They try to make retirement homes look happy here! Or they are just trying to treat them like children...

Another fun building

Apparently the US warrants their own special shop!

Back view of City Hall (or Rathaus as it is called in German)...they are in the middle of renovating it, but apparently they have the 'best' collection of artwork inside...but our tour guide thought everything about Mannheim was the 'best', so who knows!

Approaching the Wasserturm

Front of city hall...which has a fun sculpture thingy!

Wasserturm detail! And apparently the Wasserturm is no longer used as a water tower, (it is dry), so in March or April they have parties inside of it...might have to go!

Up the steps of the Wasserturm

View from the Wasserturm...apparently those buildings you see are flats, which rent for 3000e a month, but are popular in films, so they can often rent them to movie companies for 10k.

Christuskirche, the Protestant church...and apparently the Pastor just died, and they don't like to heat it, so it's not even used until March or so. Seems like a big waste of a beautiful church!

Statue on the top of the dome

Me in front!

Some cool houses...

Some beasties to protect the house!

Styled after medieval castles

This was originally a private residence, built in mid-to-late 1800s for an older man and his wife. They lived there for just 6 years before moving to Switzerland, and building a house just like this. It is now a finance center.

Here's a park, all covered in snow

Here's the field that in spring and summer they have a lot of games going on, where you can just rent a ball and equipment and jump right in!

Steps to the park...and some kids were utilizing the embankments to go sledding on! One of the kids had a sled with a wheel so he could steer...pretty fancy.

Flowers! Finally some natural color :)

This is the National Theater...I will be going here later this month for the ballet performance!

And this is apparently the 'best' Sushi place in Mannheim...I won't be going, but it looked fun because it had a little conveyor belt going around the counter with all the different sushi's!

Getting to know more of Mannheim was great, but what was even better was that we finished at a bus stop, and I only had to wait 3 minutes for the bus home. :)