Paul Brazil, Prague

Czech Republic - Prauge and Cesky Krumlov

My month abroad ended in the Czech Republic, where I visited both Prague and Cesky Krumlov, a beatiful town in Southern Bohemia, known for its castle. Arriving in Prague off a bus from Nuernburg, I was immediately stunned with the beauty of the city around me. It seemed as if every building was centuries old, yet somehow extremely well preserved. My astonishment only grew upon my arrival in the Old Town Square, which once served as a market in the long history of Prague.

A view of a portion of the Old Town Square

Throughout my time in Prague we were allowed to explore the city in small groups, and we ate exceptionally well in many restaurants serving traditional Czech cuisine. Czech cuisine usually consists of a massive slab of meat fresh off the grill with a side of potatoes, which was refreshing after the constant onslaught of cold cuts in Germany. After seeing the sights in Prague for a few days, I traveled south toward Cesky Krumlov, a beautiful region in southern Bohemia with a large castle.

A view of the castle from below

In addition to a castle, Cesky Krumlov had a number of interesting shops and cafes, which were a treat to explore. Using the crown for currency took some adjustment, but after getting used to holding a 1000 crown bill and doing some conversions, confusion was avoided. I enjoyed getting to see the strong national culture that the Czechs have, and it proved to be an amazing experience.

I would again like to thank the Wilsons for their generosity in funding this trip; it was a great opportunity that I will never forget.

Paul Brazil

Paul Brazil - Bavaria and Hildeburghausen

Germany – Bavarian Home Stay and Hildeburghausen

The second leg of my trip to Germany consisted of a home stay in Bavaria, which lasted for ten days and was extremely rewarding. My immersion into Bavarian culture was only stigmatized by a strong Bavarian dialect, which made communication difficult at times. During my time there, I attended school at St. Gotthards Gymnasium, where I sat in on various classes and often fielded questions from curious youngsters for entire class periods. St. Gotthards is affiliated with a monastery and basilica, both of which I was able to see in detail.

Niederalteich Basilica

Other highlights of the trip include a day trip to Munich, where we went on a savage scavenger hunt put together by a native of Munich affiliated with EIL.

Historic City Hall of Munich

I also spent a weekend in Regensburg, a town with a rich medieval history, which proved to be extremely beautiful. Regensburg’s rich Medieval history was apparent through its striking architecture.

After Bavaria, my travels lead me to Hildeburghausen, a small city in Thueringen, a Bundesland that was part of the former East Germany. Whilst in Hildeburghausen, I helped restore a Memorial Pathway for the fallen prisoners of a work camp under the Nazi regime. In addition to service, our group took a day trip to Erfurt, the capital of Thueringen. Thueringen was extremely old and beautiful, with lots of great street food vendors. We also took a day trip to Coburg, a beautiful city just over the border in Bavaria, which boasted the castle Veste.

The forticifactions of Veste

An imposing view of Veste

Home Stay in Bavaria: Paul Brazil

Bird's Eye View of Munich

The second leg of my trip to Germany consisted of a home stay in Bavaria, which lasted for ten days and was extremely rewarding. The sleepy town of Niederalteich, which is known for its millennium old basilica, is an authentic view of typical Bavarian life. My immersion into Bavarian culture was only stigmatized by a strong Bavarian dialect, which made communication difficult at times. During my time there I attended school at St. Gotthards Gymnasium, where I sat in on various classes and often fielded questions from curious youngsters for entire class periods. Other highlights of the trip include a day trip to Munich, where we went on a savage scavenger hunt put together by a native of Munich affiliated with EIL. On said hunt I ended up in the steeple of the St. Peters Church, which made for a striking view of Munich from above. Although the rural beauty of Bavaria was great, the allure of Regensburg was great.The second leg of my trip to Germany consisted of a home stay in Bavaria, which lasted for ten days and was extremely rewarding. The sleepy town of Niederalteich, which is known for its millennium old basilica, is an authentic view of typical Bavarian life. My immersion into Bavarian culture was only stigmatized by a strong Bavarian dialect, which made communication difficult at times. During my time there I attended school at St. Gotthards Gymnasium, where I sat in on various classes and often fielded questions from curious youngsters for entire class periods. Other highlights of the trip include a day trip to Munich, where we went on a savage scavenger hunt put together by a native of Munich affiliated with EIL. On said hunt I ended up in the steeple of the St. Peters Church, which made for a striking view of Munich from above. Although the rural beauty of Bavaria was great, the allure of Regensburg was great.

Berlin: Paul Brazil

Summer Abroad – Germany – Orientation in Berlin 

This summer, I had the opportunity of traveling to Germany and the Czech Republic through a Wilson Language Grant, and it proved to be a fantastic opportunity. After nearly thirty hours of grueling travel, I arrived in Berlin, which proved to be a most interesting and unique city. The Amstel hostel was a most accommodating place to sleep, and it was quickly made clear to me how serious Germans take not only their breakfast but also their foosball. Downtown Berlin has the feeling of a ghost town in certain areas, since the recovery from both WWII and Soviet occupation are still underway. The stark differences between the former East and West Berlin were quite interesting and apparent in everything from the streetlights to the architecture. The new train station in Berlin is extremely impressive and modernist in both appearance and efficiency, and they acted as a hub of operations for my forays into Berlin.

We took a walking tour with an extremely charismatic tour guide who was a native of Berlin who showed us a number of historical sights and governmental buildings, while giving her own perspectives on various views. Another powerful part of my week in Berlin was the Holocaust memorial erected on the former bunker of Josef Goebbels, which is one of the largest and finest pieces of modern art in Berlin.

 

A view from inside the Holocaust Memorial

I also saw the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate, both of which are striking feats of German architecture.

Inside the Reichstag A group photo in front of the Reichstag