Last week I spent some time with my fellow American ladies here. We spent one day of sunshine at the Stadtstrand in Bad Cannstatt. This is a patch of sand on the river known as the town beach where one can enjoy a refreshing drink and grilled burger while lounging in an uncomfortable chair. The dirty sand felt great on my feet since this is the closest I have been to a beach in over a year. The burger was delicious though and very close to an American patty. We were optimistic about the chairs but the design is just not comfortable.
Another day we shopped downtown and then had dinner and cake again at the Grand Cafe Planie. I enjoyed a German style Caesar salad and black forest cake.
It was a different experience celebrating American Independence Day from Germany. I did nothing American that day! An American family I met on the train told me that the base here in Vaihingen would be shooting off fireworks but we did not go see them and the base behind out apartment did not light any. It was a normal day of work here for Ryan and we did not visit with the other American trainees here in the evening either. I can say that my national identity as an American has changed with my experiences here in Europe. By repeatedly acknowledging my nationality as an American when asked where I am from and identifying cultural differences between European countries and the US, I have developed a much stronger subjective sense of belonging to the US. I am an open-minded, people loving, adventurous individual, and an American at heart.
I did get out to two different bike stores for tubes, tires, a C02 inflator and cartridges. After spending some time giving my bike some much needed TLC, I am ready to ride. My plan is to get out as much as possible before July 25th when the movers come to pack up our air-freight. I want to ride the 80 km Radel-Thon around Stuttgart, bike West again, and take the S1 train to the end at Kirchheim unter Teck and then bike home.
I was able to get out for a shorter ride on Monday, heading down the long way towards Herrenberg and then coming back up. It ended up being a 32 mile ride that took me nearly 3 hours because I got turned around in Herrenberg and Holtzgerlingen. The route is nice though with a decent climb, a few rolling hills, and safer roads. I made have to ride it a few times to become familiar so that I do not have to consult my phone frequently and get lost in the urban areas.
Since I have had the opportunity to put together a casual bachelorette party for an American that I have been spending time with who is marrying a German this week, I figure I would share the German tradition.
In Germany, a future bride has a Junggesellinnenabschied or "Hen Party". It is thrown and attended by the bride's closest friends and occurs at venues similar to the American tradition including restaurants, bars, and clubs. The biggest difference is that in Germany, the bride wears an obnoxious costume such as a barnyard animal, and has to either sell items from a Bauchladen or perform tasks for money. The Bauchladen is a box worn around the neck that falls to the waist and holds as assortment of condoms, liquor and other items that the bride must sell to men throughout the evening. The proceeds are invested in drinks for the bride and her closest friends that are all wearing matching outfits. One Friday evening, we saw a group out for a Junggesellinnenabschied in Stuttgart. The bride was in a drindl and she was in the street armed with paper towels and glass cleaner, tasked with cleaning the windows of men for money. Her loyal friends were helping and cheering her on.
Although I would love the opportunity to participate in a German Hen Party, I put together a casual evening of dinner, drinks, gifts, and baked goods with the bride's sister at a bar in Tubingen. We went to a college bar Saints and Scholars in Tubingen and hung out there in black dresses with the bride-to-be in white to celebrate.
Ryan and I have a long weekend ahead of us in Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich!
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