Aunt Emma's, Another Friend, and Me in the City!

This morning I got up early with Brad again and had my first breakfast, another yummy Semmel roll. Then I came back to the room when Brad went to work and got ready for my day.

Today my tour guide was Anja! We met her and her hubs, Soeren, several years ago when they were living near us and Soeren worked for KUKA USA.  Lainie used to babysit Antonia, their daughter, and that was her first babysitting job ever!  We spent some time with them here in Augsburg when we lived here, and Lainie has stayed with them on her solo trips here.  I was so excited to see Anja again!

Here we are at breakfast!

She took me to a little tiny store/restaurant nearby called Tante Emma (Aunt Emma).  It was extra wonderful because there was a huge table full of adults with special needs!  I kept staring at 2 women with Down syndrome, wishing I could talk to them!

This place hires needy people, Anja said.  It was so cute! Very small, but nice.  We both had a nice breakfast (YES IT'S MY SECOND BREAKFAST DON'T JUDGE ME I WALKED A LOT LATER)

Butterbreze (butter on a pretzel) and scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon.  YUM! Not pictured is my delicious Apfelschorle which is apple juice and fizzy water

This place was great, and SO cheap!  That made me happy!  haha

We went to the mall.  The girls and I used to hang out there when we lived here.  It was fun! I haven't done as much shopping for souvenirs as I had planned.  So it was good.  I am pretty happy about a purchase of some vinegar and oil.  Sounds weird, I know! There was a specialty store with tons of options.  The lady that works there had me taste her faves and I HAD to get them.  So good!  An olive oil infused with lemon, and a pomegranate balsamic vinegar.  Those will be fun to cook with and make salad dressings back home.  We went in some fun home stores, too.  I could buy one of everything.  But I only have so much room in my suitcase. Oh, and money.

This store had a million things I wanted.

Met a new friend!

Anja had to work, so I only got to spend a few hours with her so far (more tomorrow!).  I mentioned that I wanted to go into the BIG CITY.  I have the car, because Brad walks around the corner to work.  But I am nervous to drive and where the heck to park? So Anja showed me 2 tram stations near the hotel.  We even got out at one and she showed me the ticket system.  I CAN DO THIS!!  It's been several years since I had to walk around Augsburg alone.  Even the last time I was here, I at least had my kids.  Which somehow made me feel more confident.

When I got back to the hotel, I asked the lady at the desk about the tram tickets.  It looked like I would need 2 tickets to go to the city because it encompassed 2 zones.  We weren't sure.  So I asked, and the lady and I misunderstood each other.  I ended up buying a pass from her that the hotel offers, for 2 days of unlimited riding.  Great, except I won't use it tomorrow since Anja is taking me somewhere else.  What I had said was "I am not sure, I need to think about it and I will let you know." Then the lady said "What's your room number?" and I told her.  I was like, oh how nice, she is putting the pass aside for me.  Nope.  She then wrote down my room number and validated the pass.  It was only 7.10 Euros (where is the dang Euro key on this computer????) so I wouldn't be out much, since my round trip ride today would cost 5.40.  I just felt dumb yet again because of the language barrier.

But, onward!  I got on the tram, went the right way, and got off at the Rathaus which is the city hall.  I LOVE IT.

There I am on the tram!  Success!

Hello Rathaus! I missed you and I love you.  You are special and beautiful. 

The Perlach Turm.  I have never been up in there, because I am a chicken, but I think you can go up for good views

I have so many great memories of this part of the city! I wandered all around here alone the first time I came with Brad many years ago, while he was working.  And then with my girls when we came for a week-ish, and of course we were here a ton when we lived here for 3 months.  This pedestrian area right here is where the Christmas Market (Christkindlesmarkt) is! Oh, such good times.

I didn't even plan where to go, was just going to wander around.  But I should have known where I would end up!  The Altstadt.  That's the old city...it draws me right in.  When I found this place all those years ago, I could have sworn I was in a fairy tale village.  Then when we needed to live here for 3 months, the first place I checked was here!  Extremely impractical for Brad.  So hard to park, driving through here would be a nightmare for an American, and holy cow it was through-the-roof expensive!  Like, how do people manage it? Anyway....

Right next to the giant Rathaus is one way to the Altstadt.

The back side of the Rathaus.  It's even bigger back here!

Old.

The Altstadt has so many narrow roads like this.  With the charming buildings that I love!

I want to live there....

There are canals throughout the Altstadt.

It was chilly and a bit drizzly.  But oh, I just love this area!

I went back "up" into the city.  

If you look past the tram wires, you can see how pretty it is.

See those dark skies? It was raining a bit harder.  I had done plenty of sight seeing for the day, so I got back on the tram and went back to the hotel.  Then I grabbed a bag and went to the Lidl grocery store next door.  The bag is important.  They don't give you bags here.  If you forget them, you have to buy a new one.  Oy, the bags I bought when we lived here.  I forgot to bring them at least half the time.  So, YAY ME!  I filled that sucker up with some goodies to bring back home.

Brad came home from work shortly after I got back.  We decided to use that tram ticket again and go back into Augsburg for dinner.  We successfully bought his single use ticket, without paying 35 Euros for it (#paris) and were on our way!

We went to a place we know and love, König von Fländern.  (The king of Flanders, I think!)  It's in the basement of a building, very cool.  I wasn't super hungry so I had potato soup that was really good, and Brad had Schweineschnitzel with fries.  There are many kinds of Schnitzel here.  This one was pork.  It was good!

My dude with his fave, wheat beer.

Trying to show you the ceiling! It's so cool. 

Beeeeer

We went back to the Rathaus to get on the tram.  It was all lit up and beautiful!  And so was another building!

Fountain

In front of the Rathaus

It was even prettier in person

I saw something online about it being International Girls Day or something? There were some signs near here that said "Girls changed the world" so I think the pink was about that

We made it back to the hotel after stopping for Brad to buy a couple of beers.  Again.  He does love his beer.  He showed me the hot tub and sauna on top of the hotel.  There was no one up there, so we took a selfie.  (Like we wouldn't have if there WERE people up there.  hahaha)

Me pretending to like beer

Brad is getting packed up now for his business-trip-within-a-business-trip tomorrow.  He goes to Hungary Wednesday through Friday evening.  YUCK for me! I will miss him.  I have plans to meet up with friends, but still.  I will miss him!  I haven't even liked that he has had to leave me all day these past 2 days!  But work is the only reason we were able to take this trip, so I have to shut up about it and be happy for this job of his!!  We are very blessed, indeed.