"3+1 Trip" [ENGLISH Version]

On March 2018, I would say this is a month of my holiday. Not for whole month, but only 11 days cause I do have about 11 days of holiday. So, the project where I work, they don’t have the same holiday season just like another project. So, if I have a plan to go somewhere or doing a trip, then I should tell or ask to my boss to let me have a vacation for several days.

After Christmas and New Year holiday, I asked to my boss, which month could I have a Urlaub (vacation in German). Then, my boss told me the dates and months that would be important. So, there’s several event which is quite important for us, and thus I cannot have a vacation, such as Osterfest (Easter Festival), Sommerfest (Summer Festival), and so on. From that, I have an idea. I ask my boss to let me having vacation for several time. So I ‘booked’ one Friday off in the early March and April, one full week in the end of March, May, and also July. I won’t tell you what will I do in the next month or my next plan, the thing is now I can share to you about my vacation during last March.

For this chance, I ‘swept off’ the cities in Germany. The fortunate thing that I have is because I have certain friends that live in several cities in Germany. All of my friends from the voluntary program is widespread over the length and breadth of Germany. So, basically we can visit and host for one each other. Cool, huh?

The first city that I visited was Hamburg. I was there only 3 days 2 nights, from March 2^nd to 4^th. I have a friend, a volunteer from Mexico named Yosef. He hosted me while in Hamburg. Another luck that I had was because Yosef works in a hostel, so I can get free room for 2 nights. What a miracle! Because it reminds me to my unfortunate experience in Frankfurt ("The Unforgettable Journey of Frankfurt"), and made me keep asking to Yosef, is it really for free or not. He said, I was not the only person who came to that hostel, so there are no worries about. Yes, of course I was super duper excited! I can also eat in the buffet and also for free! Thanks, Yosef!

The other cities that I visited were Dortmund and Munich (München). In those two cities, I got free accommodation as well. Hehehe. Yap, cause there are also two volunteers who stay there and they hosted me so well. Thank you Avi and Silver!

However, there’s one city that I never planned it before. This one didn’t need an accommodation cause it’s really close to Munich and I can do a going-back trip from Munich, that is Salzburg, Austria. Yap, finally I was ‘out of border’ again after Poland trip. Hahaha. It was pretty unplanned cause I just decided one day before I went there. It was because the information and recommendation from my friend, Anastasya. Thanks, sist!

So, what did I do when in Hamburg, Dortmund, Munich + Salzburg?

In Hamburg, I went to several places, for examples Rathaus (City Hall), Binnenalster and Aussenalster (lake), International Maritimes Museum, Landungbrücken (port), Hansabrunnen (plaza), St. George Kirchof (church), Hamburg Central Mosque, and Plante un Blomen (public park), also Reeperbahn St. Pauli. For you who already knew what Reeperbahn is, I won’t tell you more here. Hahaha. But for you who don’t know yet what kind of place is that, please surf to Google and find out more there. Hahaha. But, when I was in Reeperbahn, I didn’t do anything, just passed by cause all I know that place is a touristic place, so why not. But when I was there, I was quite shocked, and decided to just cross over, not pull over somewhere. Hahahaha.

Binnenalster

at Auβenalster

Hansabrunnenplatz

Rathaus von Hamburg

International Maritimes Museum

What is the plus and minus while in Hamburg?

It was still snowy and snow was still everywhere. Yeaahh! For me, snow is pretty and I love snow for sure! But I think the snow in Hamburg is just like salt, not like in Berlin that I found before. So, when I made a snowman, it was little hard to build it, so I just made a little snowman.

Another plus side that I found in Hamburg, it was one of my cheapest trip. But there’s one thing that I don’t really like about Hamburg. Hamburg is just like Berlin, little bit dirty. So maybe because Hamburg is the second biggest city in Germany after Berlin, so it’s pretty similar as a typical urban life. The second thing that I don’t really like is the wind! Oh my God! Hamburg is closed to the sea of Baltic, so don’t be surprise to be blown away by the wind during your trip in Hamburg. It’s similar like in Rostock and Gdansk (Poland), oh myyyyy!

Landungsbrucken

How was in Dortmund?

For this, I would say this is the coolest trip I’ve ever had. Because another volunteer from Indonesia live there so she hosted me during 3 days, and of course we speak Bahasa almost all the time. Hahaha. Even though I visited only less places rather than Hamburg or other previous cities, I was impressed by Dortmund, cause it’s clean, well-organized, less lewdness, and the people are so nice as well. Places where I’ve visited were Botanischer Garten Rombergpark, Stadtgarten, Westfalenpark, Phoenix See, St. Reinoldi Church, and of course the football stadium which belongs to BVB Borussia Dortmund, the Signal Iduna Park stadium. And, I went also to Technischen Universität (TU) Dortmund which has hanging electric train. That was super cool!

with a scooter, driving to Botanischer Garten Rombergpark

at Rombergpark

Signal Iduna Park from Borussia Dortmund Football Club

Stadtgarten

Phoenix See

TU Dortmund

How about Munich?

Yap, I’ve been waiting for such a long time. In the beginning of my arrival in Germany, I was pessimist and was thinking that I couldn’t visit Munich because it’s so far from Berlin and train ticket or bus ticket is so expensive. But one day, I’ve got an offer to have the cheaper price with Deutsch Bahn (train). So, why don’t I go to Munich? I have also a friend, her name is Silver, and she’s also a volunteer but from Taiwan. Even her apartment is quite far from city center, but that was totally fine for me. I’ve already been so lucky when I knew that I have an acquaintance who live in Munich.

What made me so grateful while in Munich was because one football club. Yap, who doesn’t know Bayern München? I am not kind of person who is into football, but since 2010, I already supported one football national team, and yes that is Germany! And guess who my favorite football player are? Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller! But I prefer Neuer to be honest, cause he’s sooooo gorgeous. I must scream if I hear his name or look on his snapgram in the Instagram. Hahaha. So, when I arrived in Munich central station, I was super duper excited cause I imagined that I am in one same land with Manuel Neuer!!! There was also a funny but silly story, when my train departed from Dortmund to Munich (transferred in Düsseldorf), it passed over a town called “Gelsenkirchen”. When I Googled, yes that is a town where Manuel Neuer was born. That’s my first excitement. The second excitement is, it was March 27^th and the fact is Manuel Neuer also was born on 27^th of March. What a luck! I was speechless for sure. And yes, when I arrived in Munich, I was really really really excited. Like never found this kind of thing before in my life. It was also unplanned, so it was just happened. I will never forget that experience ever in my life.

So, what I’ve got in Munich?

A lot!

If people would visit the city hall or the center of Munich, I didn’t. The very first destination was Allianz Arena. The second one was Olympiastadion. Yap, you may all know that I am a biggest fan of Olympic Games, so it’s a must to visit Olympia Stadium when you knew that Munich has one. There’s also a funny moment when I was on my way from Allianz Arena to Olympiastadion. The area of Olympiastadion or Olympiapark is also the same area of BMW Headquarter. I was quite shocked because I put BMW Headquarter into my bottom list to be visited. But then, I realized that BMW Headquarter is really closed to the Olympiastadion. So, before visited Olympiastadion, I went to BMW Welt (kind of car show room) first, and then afterwards I went right away to BMW Museum. Well, I had also a top list to go in Munich, it’s Englischer Garten. It may not has a meaning for other tourists, but for me, the park is little bit important. Because every time I saw on Manuel Neuer’s instagram, he posted quite often some stories and put “Englischer Garten” in the location. So, I think it would be great if I visit the park before I regret forever. Hahahaha.

Allianz Arena

BMW Headquarter

inside BMW Welt

Olympia Stadion Munich

Alterhof

Street musician who can sing a song in Bahasa Indonesia

Marienplatz

So, how was Salzburg?

On March 29^th, I decided to do a solo trip to Salzburg, Austria. Yap, this also made me so excited. After such a long time no crossing the Germany’s border, last time was only to Poland, finally I went out of my ‘comfort zone’, hahaha. Why Salzburg? Firstly, it is closed to Munich, only 1,5 hour by train. Secondly, all I know Salzburg is still a part of Bayern (Bavaria) even it’s already Austria, but for train ticket, people only need to buy a “Bayern Ticket”. So, with 25€, I can already reach Salzburg, Austria, or I can use it to other places that still in Bayern area (Nürnberg, Ausburg, etc). All those information I got actually from my Indonesian friend who live in Stuttgart, Anastasya. She recommends Salzburg to me and it’s worth. Thanks, Anastasya!

While in Salzburg, I had not so much time because I went only one full day and I did it on purpose. So, I went from Munich central station at 09.55 AM, and arrived safely in Salzburg central station at 11.40 AM. There was a dramatic moment that I got lost to another part of Salzburg, it was kind of being far away from the touristic site, but it was okay because I think getting lost is a real solo trip. Hahaha. So, after getting lost for 40 minutes, I finally found the area of tourist attraction and it is an old town of Salzburg. There are sooooo many places that would be the most amazing touristic sites I’ve ever visited. May all people know that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the great Austrian composer, he was born in Salzburg, so there is a Mozarts Geburtshaus (Mozart’s Birthplace) and Mozart Monument in that area. There’s also a castle named Festung Hohensalzburg which is so so so beautiful! It’s located in the peak and tourist need to climb the hill. But for tourist who has more money, they can use fortress train that could bring people up to the hill which is amazing. But because it costs about 12€ per person (for adult), so I decided to just walk and climb the hill by my own foot. It was tiring but the view from above was so wonderful!

My favorite public transportation in Europe

Mozarts Geburtshaus

Dom zu Salzburg

Besides Festung Hohensalzburg, there are also many catholic churches that could be a good list to visit in Salzburg, and they are in the same area, so tourist only need to walk around the area. They are Stiftkirche Sankt Peter Salzburg, Erzdiözese Salzburg, Stift Nonnberg, Dom zu Salzburg (Salzburg Cathedral), and Franziskanerkirche. There’s also südliche Dombogen and Der Florianibrunnen which are also good for taking pictures and post on our Instagram. Unfortunately, I didn’t go to the museums, despite there are so many good museums to visit, such as in Mozart’s Birthplace, or Salzburg Museum, however I have limit time and budget. Hehehe. So, maybe next time.

After 4 hours in Salzburg and feel enough, I decided to go back to Munich before late night. Back in Munich, I still had some energies to walk around the city center. Even I got flu and a sore throat in that moment, but I didn’t care. Hahaha. Somehow, I felt better when I see around. So, I went to several places in the city center, like Karlsplatz (Stachus) and Marienplatz which is similar to the Alexanderplatz’s Berlin.

My impression to Munich?

I’ve seen this city as a nice, clean, and more international rather than Berlin. The urban development is also nice and well organized. The thing is I was so comfort during my holiday in Munich. I don’t know whether the government make it on purpose in every corner of Munich that being better because of the Easter holiday, or just like that since long time ago. Well, I would say I am so satisfied to spend my holiday in Munich, even though I went only certain places and there’s actually more places that I should go.

And how about Salzburg?

Yap, I’m so impressed cause of this small city. Even Salzburg is small compared with Munich or Berlin or even Dortmund, but I love the infrastructure. So beautiful and orderly. Moreover the local transportation. In other cities in European countries, they may have Tram, but in Salzburg they don’t, but the buses are alike to the normal tram. So physically it’s a bus but it has an electric string above which is just like a tram, and that is super cool!

So, from this “3+1” Trip, I would say that this is my ‘boyish’ trip. Hahaha. Yeah, because 80% of my destination list was about football club, football players, stadium, sport, and automotive. Hahahaha. Moreover when in Dortmund and Munich just like I’ve told you before.

Thank you so terribly much to Hamburg, Dortmund, Munich + Salzburg! I hope someday I could visit you again in one another fine day, going crazy again there. Hahahaha.

Well, can you guess where my next destination is?