Europe

Europe had never before intrigued me. While I was certainly excited to go to Germany and Italy, if I could choose anywhere in the world to visit, Europe would be at the end of the list (followed only by Antarctica).

In spite of this skeptical attitude, I have come to appreciate Europe a little more. I love Germany in particular.

I like the character of German people. They can seem harsh and cold, but they are just getting down to business. I also like the language. It's made fun of for the gutteral sounds, but I found that it is often spoken sweetly and tenderly.

The German landscape is beautiful. The blue skies, blue lakes (and even white ones!), green mountains, yellow fields... Germany feels very open and fresh.

As for Italy, though, I was unimpressed by the general atmosphere. Italy is dirty and covered in graffiti. It seems not well taken care of. The Italian countryside is certainly different, with the vineyards, quaint houses of all colors, and beautiful mountains. But the cities are not places I wish to be.

As for German cities, I laughed when I heard that Munich is called "cozy." How could the capital city of Bavaria - large, important, and formal - be so often described this way? I didn't feel that Munich was cozy until after visiting Venice and Rome. After contrasting the impersonal, busy, and dirty qualities of the Italian cities, I would definitely describe Munich as gemutlich!