Ich bin Sian! Wie geht es dir? - Mannheim, Germany
Mannheim, Germany
Where I stayed
bunked at a friend's house
What I did
heidelberg
mannheim adler ice hockey match
So I flew to Mannheim, courtesy of Ryanair (who doesn't love air travel at prices of £20 a flight?!) and met my friend that I'd worked with in Italy for a couple of months. It was pretty late, so a quick stop to the cleverly named Turkish restaurant Istanbul and then to bed!
The next day I encountered my first ever pretzel, covered in a pound of cheese I should add, went ice skating only to find myself being overtaken by 6 year olds and enjoyed my first dining experience of Raklette!
For those who don't know, its a nifty type of cooker where you put a selection of potatoes, meats and salad items into a dish and put it in the cooker. I was overwhelmed!
My second full day consisted of exploring the beautiful town of Heidelberg. At this time of year, especially when the night is setting is, it is just spectacular. Mannheim is a modern city, but I feel it lacks the warmth and originality of Heidelberg.
Once again dining on some authentic German food (ok, Chinese!) we spent several hours wandering through the streets resisting the bright lights of the shops and eventually headed back to Mannheim.
On my third full, and last, day I was taken to an Ice Hockey match. Now here in the UK, I know that we have some ice hockey teams and that there is a small following for it, but in Germany, well I can only describe the excitement as something similar to being in Cardiff when Wales are playing rugby!
It was Mannheim Adler (the eagle) vs Ausburger Panther at the SAP Arena. Although I didn't have a clue about the rules and the fact that players were swapping every 45 seconds only confused me more, I had a fantastic time and recommend this to anyone who is Mannheim for a few days! At only £10 for a standing ticket, it was great value as well!
This was my first time in Germany and although I had little time to explore, I know I'll definetly be going back for more!
Till next time..