Happy New Year 2021!
Wish you stay safe from Covid19, healthy, happy, and productive!
Hi welcome back. After vacuum for a year, to realize my
promise in 2019, here I come with my stories when I travelled to some cities in
Europe.
If you already read my post about Finally My Circle Comes Up,
you know that I postponed my chance to go abroad. After struggling with
administration, selection, interview, and preparation, finally I got
scholarship to make my dreams come true 😊 so happy for it! However, I need to be a
strong heart mom, I could not bring my 18mo son. Even though I tried to pump so routine in my last week and left my breastmilk in freezer to him.
Okay let’s move on to my trips my adventures!
During my 1st week in Gießen (read: Giessen), I felt so lost, so homesick and missed all my family members, especially my baby! But I needed to survive until the end of my EIP (Enhancing International Publication) program (6 months). So then, I planned to travel around Europe with my limitted money. For your information (FYI), I stayed in Giessen, small city in Hesse State, Germany. I said this city is like Yogyakarta or maybe Tembalang (full of students). If I want to visit other country or big city, I need to go to Frankfurt first. Because I didn’t have student card, I had to pay regular charge for train. 15.8 € to Frankfurt. So, the more you travel the more you spent at least 31.6 €.
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| Markplatz, Giessen |
AMSTERDAM, NL
I talked with my lab mate during my 1st week in the lab that I wanted to go somewhere in the weekend, so no need to cry and upset in my lonely room. The good news, they suggested me to go with travel agent, Studifahrten was the best and affordable choice for students. They offered many famous destinations in Europe. My 1st trip was Amsterdam. I contacted my friend who live there, and we plan to have shopping. In my 1st trip, I almost lost my train to Frankfurt. I fall asleep but fortunately my flat mate knocked out my door. You know, my train schedule around 23.30 and a Peruvian girl lab mate was standing in front of my flat door to wait me. How guilty I was. Mission accomplished! I could catch my train as well as my bus to go to Amsterdam. At 09.00, I arrived at Amsterdam. So cool! The next trouble come with my internet connection, I lost my Vodafone signal! I could not text my friend. The best things, my lab mate also join with his girlfriend, so I begged him to tethering for a while, hahaha… after A long day, my trip closed at 23.00.
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| One day shopping with Liz at Lisse, NL |
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| Lisse, NL |
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| Klompen, a traditional shoes from NL |
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| Dam Square, Amsterdam |
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| Canal Tours Amsterdam |
PARIS, FR
After my 1st trip, I felt so challenged and addictive, go to somewhere and spent all day there. The next trip was Paris. My dream, my obsession, my passion, etc. haha… In this trip, three Indonesian girls would meet me in Frankfurt. We celebrated new year 2019 in Paris (Arch de-Triomphe). We arrived at Paris around 05.00, walking and sightseeing, lost in the station. Some places that we visited were Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre-Dame, Arc de-Triomphe, and Sacré-Cœur.
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| Arc de-Triomphe |
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| Notre-Dame |
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| Louvre in cloudy |
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| Sacré-Cœur |
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| Eiffel Tower with Indonesian artist |
FRANKFURT, DE
December 31st, 2018 was in Paris, then January 1st, I stayed one night at Frankfurt with my Undip friend who stayed during EIP program at Munich. On the next day, we had appointment with KJRI Frankfurt. As long you funded by The Government money, you need to report your arrival in the near office. In the Frankfurt, we just walking around. We were sightseeing in Römerberg, Fountain of Justice, € Tower, and Eiserner Steg. No need to pay. Haha..
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| Eiserner Steg |
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| Euro Tower |
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| Römerberg |
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| KJRI Frankfurt |
BREMEN, DE
This was solo tour that open many opportunities in the future. I went by ICE train. I met someone in Bremen, she picked me up at Bahnhoff (train station). I stayed for 2 nights, we talked a lots, from science to private life. The weather was not okay, but she accompanied me to walk around. We visited Marktplatz and Bremen Roland, Bremen Town Hall, The Cathedral of St. Peter, Böttcherstrasse, Bremen Town Musicians, and Schnoor Quarter.
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| Böttcherstrasse |
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| Schnoor Quarter |
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| Bremen Town Musicians |
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| Roland Statue |
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| Bremer Bank |
HAMBURG, DE
The one that I never forget from Hamburg, I ate Pecel Lele at Jawa Restaurant, ahahah.. We deliberate to taste Indonesian food there, the price was quite cheap in a big city like Hamburg. FYI, a portion of Lele you need to pay around 300.000 IDR, hihi. Some places that attracted me were Townhall, Port of Hamburg, International Maritime Museum, Alster Lakes, and the awesome Elbphilharmonie (check out the video from Do not settle for details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g84jxG1gAUk). I ate some cakes at this place! Yummiee…
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| the way to Hamburg Port |
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| Jawa Restaurant |
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| Town Hall |
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| view from Elbphilharmonie |
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| Town Hall and Alster Lakes |
BERLIN, DE
This trip was arranged by my Thai friend. We stayed for 2 nights at Thai guy’s flat in Berlin. We went to Berlin by Flixbus from Giessen. So nice experience, because this bus was so famous in EU. During our 1st day, we walked around and using U-bahn and S-bahn. I travelled with my Undip friend, she joined with us from Munich. Some places that we visited were Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag Building, Alexanderplatz, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Checkpoint Charlie, and Berlin Wall Memorial. We had dinner at Tuk Tuk Indonesisches Restaurant with bachelor student at Berlin (my lecturer’s son).
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| Berlin Wall |
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| Checkpoint Charlie |
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| Alexanderplatz |
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| Reichstag Building |
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| Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe |
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| Brandenburg Gate |
POSTDAM, DE
Postdam is near with Berlin, but we need car to go there!! Haha, our Deutsche friend drove us to the beautiful city. At this city, I learnt how to drive in a highway, fill fuel, park the car. It’s totally different with Indonesian style. Again, we walked and walked. We almost spent a half day at Sanssouci Palace, then Cecilienhof, and we got sunset at Babelsberg Park. So warm! For dinner we went to Chonthong Restaurant to order delicious Thai food.
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| Babelsberg Park |
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| Cecilienhof |
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| New Palace |
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| Thai restaurant |
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| Sanssouci Palace |
BRUGES & BRUSSEL, BE
I thought that this trip was really really long day! In the early morning we arrived at Brugge/Bruges with light rain. The shops still closed, we just walked around and very impressed with the old architecture. We were in Minnewater, Rozenhoedkaai, Ten Wijngaerde, Horse Head Drinking Fountain, Sint-Janshospitaal (Museum), Bruges City Hall, Belfry of Bruges, and many kinds! I was happy, even though just sightseeing and no time to have a look more details. At 10.00 we went to Brussel, to see Atomium, tasted waffel and Belgian chocolates, so peaceful to stay. Wanna more additional time to relax here!
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| waffel |
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| Manequin Pis |
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| Atomium |
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| Horse Head Drinking Fountain |
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| Shopping time |
BAVARIA, DE
Bavaria State is large. I travelled for twice. Once with Studifahrten and the second visited to my flat mate’s family. One place that you must write in your list is Neuschwanstein castle! This beautiful castle brings you to the Barbie’s fairy tale. Moreover, in the winter, it looks very wonderful! So blessed to be here! We climbed the snow for several kilometres to Marienbrücke for taking Castle’s picture in a good angle, unfortunately the bridge was closed because thick snow. The other view was Hohenschwangau Castle and Alpsee, the lake with mountain view, so beautiful! In the afternoon, we still needed to climb to go the Highline 179 footbridge.
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| the way to Marienbrücke |
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| Hohenschwangau Schloss |
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| view from Highline |
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| Highline 179 footbridge |
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| Alpsee Lake |
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| Neuschwanstein Schloss |
KEUKENHOF, NL
Yeay, spring come! Tulips were blooming! I was very happy to visit this place! I think all women over the world want to come here. You can find a lot of kinds of Tulips, roses, orchids, and I don’t know the rest. Particularly, I am not plants lover, but microbe lover. Haha.. this tour was the shortest tour! But we spent a long time in the bus. Many tragedies in this trip, started from midnight met and had handshake with drunk people in the train, changed seat in the bus until three times! But the trip was over with Studifahrten. See you on the future!
MARBURG, DE
This trip was very very last during my 6 months staycation in Germany. I said staycation was really the best word to describe a single fighter who need vacation! My life always be hectic, thus refreshment is needed. Marburg is close with Giessen, only 10 minutes by RB (Regionalbahn). I love this City, so old and quiet. The hilltop castle is the famous one. We just need to take the bus for it.
Okay, that’s it!
During 11 city tours in Europe, I cannot exactly calculate how much I spent money, maybe around 2500 €. I think this is not the end of my trip in Europe. I still have a lot of list to go. Hopefully, someday I can visit and stay longer. More photos are available at my FB.
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