#ipesummer2026

1 - Monschau We took the bus to Monschau, a little over an hour's ride away. Monschau is a small historic town of around 12,000 people nestled deep in the Eifel hills near the Belgian border, one of the best preserved medieval towns in all of Germany. It sits in a narrow valley carved by the Rur river, which gives the whole town its distinctive compact and intimate character. The town is famous for its half timbered houses, its mustard production, and its glassmaking heritage, and it draws visitors from across Europe precisely because it looks like somewhere time forgot.

When we first got off the bus and walked towards the old town, I was completely amazed by the view. It is stunning, straight out of a fairytale, and photos simply cannot capture the beauty of this village. What I love most about the town is the river running right through it with all the bridges built over it. It is really compact but never feels crowded, and almost every building is genuinely historical. Nearly every house has a small "Denkmal" plate on the wall indicating it is a protected historic building. I also saw a house built in 1666 where people still live today, and another wooden house that has to be supported by huge wooden scaffolding on one side because it is visibly tilting.

There is also the famous Rotes Haus, a grand 18th century merchant's mansion that once belonged to the Scheibler family, one of the wealthiest cloth manufacturing dynasties in the region. It now operates as a museum preserving the original furnishings, textiles, and living quarters of the family across multiple floors, giving a remarkably intact picture of prosperous bourgeois life in the 1700s. Our group was not particularly interested so we did not go inside, but we did visit the Evangelische Stadtkirche Monschau, where there is a big red book for visitors to leave comments. I was really pleasantly surprised to find lots of Japanese entries, including one written just that same day, shortly before I arrived. I left a kind comment in both German and Cantonese. Notably, there are at least a dozen churches and altars scattered throughout Monschau and we came across many of them, most dedicated to Maria, mother of Jesus. One small chapel we found while climbing up towards the castle was Kapelle Ave Maria, built in 1911, with walls lined entirely with carved plates bearing thank you messages from worshippers. The earliest one I found dated to 1912, and the collection continued through both World Wars all the way to the most recent one from 2012.

Speaking of the wars, we also discovered a Denkmal on our way up to the castle, commemorating all the fallen soldiers from Monschau across both World Wars, with every victim's name inscribed on a plate. The castle itself is fairly small but retains an almost fully intact ring of walls and a decent sized tower, though they are not open to the public. Burg Monschau, as it is known, dates back to the 13th century and served for centuries as the seat of the Counts of Jülich, who controlled this strategically important valley crossing. It later passed through various hands and was partially dismantled over the centuries, leaving the atmospheric ruins that stand today. We explored the sections that are partially accessible. It is really cold and dark inside. There were another two chapels on the way up as well. Afterwards we hiked back down and crossed to the hill opposite the castle where there are smaller ruins of another fortification, with information panels telling the broader history of Monschau.

Before leaving we walked to the Historische Senfmühle Monschau, a historic mustard producing mill that is still operating today, using locally grown ingredients to produce a wide variety of mustard sauce flavours. My favourite was the classic honey mustard with poppy seed, and I bought a big jar to take back. Sadly the mill itself is only open by guided tour, so we just walked around the shop and browsed the hundreds of different flavours of wines, sauces, juices, and even mustard chocolates locally produced in Monschau and the surrounding area. I fell asleep on the bus home.

I immediately used the honey mustard poppy seed sauce to top off my dinner. Its recommended to eat with Salmon, which I just happen to cook that day.

2 - Ordensburg Vogelsang

Ordensburg Vogelsang was one of four elite ideological training schools established by the Nazi regime to groom the next generation of NS party leadership, and it is today the largest surviving architectural relic from the National Socialist era. Built from 1934 onwards on a dramatic hillside overlooking the Urftsee reservoir in the Eifel, the complex was designed to be monumental and imposing, a physical expression of Nazi ambitions rendered in stone. It functioned as a brainwashing school where selected teenagers would be sent to undergo rigorous physical and ideological training, with the goal of producing completely obedient, fanatical party loyalists ready to fill prominent NS positions after graduation. Admission was not based on academic merit or skill but purely on demonstrated loyalty to the party and the Führer. A number of its graduates were immediately drafted into the Second World War and deployed to oversee occupied territories in Eastern Europe, and several were subsequently convicted of war crimes after Germany's defeat.

This is probably one of the most in depth museums covering the political and educational dimensions of Nazi Germany that I have ever visited, with a strong focus on the pre war period that sets it apart from most other museums on the subject. There is an enormous amount of factual information and authentic artefacts on display that I have not seen elsewhere. I spent at least two hours inside and that was at a genuinely rushed pace. I also did not have time to explore the outside of the complex, which extends all the way down the hillside with many other structures still standing. It is also very quiet out there and honestly quite unsettling. It is a fairly eerie place and I did not particularly want to walk around alone. I would strongly recommend visiting if you want to understand how authoritarian regimes construct and propagate radical ideology, because I learned a great deal that I had not encountered before. One last thing worth noting: although the natural scenery surrounding the site is genuinely beautiful, the complex itself is deeply ugly, built entirely from brown and grey stone in relentlessly square and rectangular forms with almost no aesthetic grace to speak of. Which, in a strange way, feels fitting.

the museum also have a panoramic restaurant, which has great food for it's price, the portion is so big its enough to feed 2 people, for just 14.9 Euros its definitely worth it.

Next week will be even busier as I need to submit the final symposium poster and report.

Yuqi SUN

Department of Robotics, Robotics

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Computer Science

Week four finally marks the halfway point of studying in Hong Kong– one month down. This last week is a bit difficult, not only because there are people you’ll pretty much never see again, but also because finals and midterms are happening around this time so most of your friends (or you) will be busy, which happens to be why this update is a little less exciting.

This past weekend was raining so hard, there was no visibility (photos below of the same view). This meant our plans of a smores barbeque for Fourth of July and hiking had to be moved. So, instead, we found the nearest off-campus American restaurant and had some (expensive but delicious) burgers at N+ burger.

I also went shopping at the TKO plaza mall for a long white skirt, and I also ended up getting dark red(my favorite color) Adidas sambas for 55USD at a store called CPU! For the most part, I’ve noticed that branded shoes/clothing are always about the same price here in Hong Kong,  but this specific store was running a great deal, so I would recommend it. 

Other than that, I’ve been doing a lot of studying in this rainy season and short-story writing, which is one of my favorite hobbies, in the library, which is so beyond gorgeous. There’s so many study spots; I fear the Dude pales in comparison. My class has wrapped up as well, which included a final device demonstration and presentation. 

I did get a little reminder of home (Bursley…) while I was here. I was woken up at 2am to a blaring fire alarm where everyone in hall 8&9 had to evacuate. Thankfully, we were sent back inside within around 15 minutes after firetrucks came and determined it was a false alarm.

The changing of the sessions has brought in many things though. For starters, I have a suitemate now and there are more people in my hall (which does kinda suck). I also caught the cold, so I spent all day in my dorm eating cup-o’noodles and watching One Piece while procrastinating practicing my upcoming presentation.

There’s also the promise of new friends and new activities hosted by the school. I get to go on a day tour Saturday with different places than session one, which I’m super excited about since my exploring has been pretty low recently (and my funds, unfortunately). I have another school activity as well next week, along with the most exciting event: my upcoming Japan trip!

Talk to you guys soon!

Dvita Kini

Aerospace Engineering

1 - Prelude to Halifax Olympiad

It was time for my dorm building, Halifax, to host the annual Halifax Olympiad. Unfortunately I could not participate due to a conflict with the planned trip to Liège, but I did make it to a pregame on Monday. It was a perfect immersive environment to experience German college life. I picked up German gossip, snacked on various things, learned to play a German card game about mosquitos (very fitting with the summer heat), and of course downed a whole bottle of beer without even noticing. Afterwards we grouped up by our residential houses, and as a proud member of House 3, we tried our best to beat the other houses in a racing game involving luck and finding our assigned poker cards. Though we ultimately finished second, we sat down together and watched Messi score twice live. Not sure how much my running improved after the warmup games, but my skills at opening beer caps with literally anything at hand definitely improved. A lot. I will catch the replay of our actual Olympiad after coming back from Liège!

2 - UROP quiz day

It was 36 degrees Celsius outside and no one wanted to leave their room. I still showed up to the UROP quiz event though, and fortunately there were enough people to form three highly competitive teams. Our team was called "Kaiju 06," named after two members' names (Kevin and Julian) and another member Lucas's birth year. It was quite an elaborate quiz composed of many sections: general knowledge, STEM and engineering, geography, biology and chemistry, and Aachen and Germany, with 10 questions per section. It felt like being on one of those TV game shows, but in real life. Our team managed to clutch first place by a tiny margin. Everyone got a little prize in the end: a piggy bank filled with chocolates. I genuinely almost thought there was real money on top of the pig. Alina from the UROP team also bought us all ice cream. The pistachio flavour was awesome. Would definitely eat again.

3 - Liège, Belgium

The train tickets to Liège are incredibly cheap. Taking the S41 directly from Aachen to Liège costs only 14.20 euros with a special weekend youth offer, which gives you full flexibility to take any specified train on that day. I bought the tickets through SNCB-NMBS International, which is half the price of DB. The weather was literally 38 degrees Celsius, the hottest conditions I had been in for a long time, which is unbelievable for this part of Europe. Make sure to bring plenty of water. I filled my thermos with ice water, which was a wise choice. Do the same. The ride is just over an hour, and once we arrived I immediately went looking for lunch. The walk to the city center is about 20 minutes and would actually be quite scenic if not for the sun burning down like a death laser. There is a street leading up to the Liège cathedral lined with various restaurants, and we settled at an Italian one and shared a few dishes. I also tried the local specialty Liègeois, which is orange soda mixed with Grenadine. It has a unique taste, somewhat like Diesel in Germany, which is not the fuel you put in cars but rather Coke mixed with beer.

4 - Cathedral and Grand Curtius museum

The Cathedral of Saint Paul in Liège has a history stretching back nearly 1,400 years, originally founded as a collegiate church in the 10th century and rebuilt in its current Gothic form between the 13th and 15th centuries. It became a cathedral only in 1802 after the original Saint Lambert Cathedral, once one of the grandest Gothic structures in all of Europe, was destroyed during the French Revolution. What makes Saint Paul particularly special is that it inherited the entire treasury of the destroyed cathedral, making its collection of religious artifacts, gold reliquaries, and medieval art one of the richest in Belgium. The building itself is striking, with soaring vaulted ceilings, intricate stained glass, and an atmosphere of accumulated centuries that is hard to put into words. It could not quite compare to the Kölner Dom or Vatican City, but it is still a magnificent church with a remarkable story behind it.

There was also a treasury collection on display, but instead of spending time there we headed to the Grand Curtius museum, the largest museum in Liège. Housed in a beautiful early 17th century Mosan Renaissance mansion that was once the home of arms dealer Jean Curtius, the museum brings together collections spanning archaeology, decorative arts, religious art, weaponry, and glassware, tracing the rich history of the Meuse region from prehistoric times through to the modern era. The building itself is as impressive as what is inside, with its distinctive red brick facade and elegant courtyard. The most astonishing item I came across was a pair of pistols fused together at the barrel, deliberately designed to bypass South American weapons laws so that the buyer could simply chop the barrel down to the legal length upon purchase. The ingenuity of circumventing the law, cast in metal. The museum absolutely deserves more than two hours, and I hope to return and go through everything properly. Truly a wondrous collection, 1000% would recommend!

(I'm also so pleasantly surprised that theres an interactive bow shooting game where the game indicated I'm a Manchu archer type, which actually accurately predicted my Manchu heritage!)

Yuqi SUN

Department of Robotics, Robotics

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Computer Science

1 - Back to Bonn, finishing the Haus der Geschichte (plot twist: I didn't)

Not that it is encouraged, but technically there is nothing stopping you, or in this case me, from taking a bus to Aachen Rothe Erde station and catching a train to Bonn. As I promised myself, I went back to Bonn to finish seeing the Haus der Geschichte museum. This time I jumped straight to the 1960s section and tried to move through everything a bit faster. The coolest part is that there is even an area where they let you try on authentic clothes preserved from the 70s. I found a whole jacket and jeans outfit that really vibed with me. Another cool item is a pair of Monopoly sets displayed side by side: one sold legally in West Germany, and one secretly hand printed and illegally produced in East Germany, since Monopoly was banned there for its "capitalist characteristics" and considered extremely "counterrevolutionary," yet people still loved playing it anyway. There was also a fan's handmade merch for the Rolling Stones, a band that was likewise banned in East Germany.

Then in the 80s and 90s there was another memorable comparison. West Germany was living in abundance, with TV networks, live broadcast game shows, and even hosting the Olympics (despite losing the football match against East Germany). In contrast, East Germany had the Stasi secret police and surveillance everywhere, genuinely like a real life 1984. Yet as a wave of liberalization swept across Europe in the late 80s, communist and authoritarian regimes began falling one after another, including Poland's Solidarity movement breaking the communist monopoly on power, Hungary opening its borders to the West, and the Velvet Revolution toppling the government in Czechoslovakia, all while Gorbachev was pushing reformist policies in Moscow. East Germany, however, as a satellite state, was ironically far more faithful to communist ideology than even its own patron, the USSR, and actually distanced itself from the rest of the Eastern Bloc as the other socialist states collapsed one by one. Eventually, though, the will of millions of people could not be suppressed, and as hundreds of thousands tore down the Berlin Wall, it was all over, and freedom once again reigned over a unified Germany. Not everyone was so fortunate, though. While Romanians also won their freedom in 1989, in China the CCP brutally crushed calls for democracy and carried out the Tiananmen Massacre, and refuse to listen to the will of the people even when condemned by the international community. Still, seeing this part of the exhibition gave me real hope, and I think it would give hope to anyone around the world still living under oppression without democracy, freedom, or basic human rights.

I did not manage to finish the museum since it closes at 6 PM, so next time I will go back to see Germany post unification, from the 1990s up to today.

2 - Japanischer Garten

Later we took a really nice train to Rheinauenpark, a big composite green space near Bonn. Bonn truly feels like a major city, given that it is the former capital of Germany, and it is genuinely magnificent, with infrastructure so advanced it still does not feel outdated even decades later.

The Japanese Garden inside Bonn's Rheinauenpark was opened on April 27, 1979, as part of the Bundesgartenschau (Federal Garden Show). The garden was beautiful, and I got to practice my German talking with two brothers testing out their vintage Japanese film camera there, as well as a girl from Bonn University who was painting the garden. We left to get some Japanese ramen near Bonn Hauptbahnhof. At the ramen shop, our waitress was a German girl studying at Bonn University, and when she asked whether we wanted to order in German or English, I jokingly said Japanese. It turned out she actually studies Japanese and is almost fluent, so I ended up ordering for all three of us in Japanese. A pleasant surprise to end a fantastic day in Bonn.

Btw the park also overlooks the UN building across the pond, and I also went to Beethoven square and memorial, and theres also a huge Beethoven bust in the lego store at Bonn.

3 - Forschungszentrum Jülich

We took a 40mins bus to Forschungszentrum Jülich, one of the largest interdisciplinary research centers in Europe, founded in 1956 and now home to thousands of scientists working across fields ranging from neuroscience and materials science to energy research and high performance computing. The campus is enormous, almost like its own small city, and it houses some of Europe's most cutting edge computing infrastructure, including Europe's most powerful supercomputer, a cluster of quantum computers, and Germany's own sovereign AI initiative. We went inside the room housing one of the supercomputers and also got to see the new JUPITER supercomputer, currently the 4th most powerful in the world.

4 - Rursee trip

We took a bus to Jugendherberge DJH Simmerath-Rurberg and spent the afternoon exploring a fenced off lake beach area. The sun was lovely and we swam around for a while. Later that afternoon there was an RWTH Olympics where we played a bunch of fun activities as a team, though sadly our team did not win anything. In the evening there was a DJ party since my roommate had brought along a DJ set, and we ended the night watching a movie together. The hostel environment was really nice, though my only complaint is how hot it gets without AC. The next day we woke up early, walked a short while, and took a bus to Woffelsbach, a town on another part of Rursee. There is a lot of RV camping there and the whole area felt like a holiday beach, full of German families enjoying the weather. In the morning we just sat in the sun and relaxed, then I walked with some friends to have lunch at Woffelsbacher Imbiss Rursee, a wonderful restaurant where we sat out on the terrace, though there is also an indoor section with angular glass windows. The women running the place were incredibly kind and friendly, and they even have an unofficial menu of special dishes based on what they like to cook for themselves. The Köchin's name is Anke. She recommended I try Bohnenstampf, a Rhineland local specialty and a true old Rhein classic, and I loved it. I also had Fassbrause, a drink made locally in the Rhein Ruhr area. (Don't ask why I was wearing a UMich School of Nursing shirt, lol.)

After lunch we went out on a small pedal boat onto the lake and had Aperol Spritz while floating around. We were all exhausted afterward, so I fell asleep on the bus ride home.

Next week is going to be tough. It is the internal deadline for producing the first model for my research project, and there is also a midterm exam for German class, which I have somehow forgotten to do every single homework assignment for. Until next time!!

Yuqi SUN

Department of Robotics, Robotics

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Computer Science

1 - Lousberg After my German lesson on Monday, my classmates planned to go jogging at Lousberg in the evening, so I naturally went along. Lousberg is a gentle wooded hill right on the edge of Aachen's city center, one of the city's most beloved green spaces and a popular spot for locals to walk, run, and unwind. The paths wind through a mix of open meadows and dense tree cover, with the city visible through the treeline in places, making it feel surprisingly removed from urban life despite being so close. The weather was actually really cold in the morning, but by the time I got there for the jog it was super sunny and perfect for some exercise. It is about a 15 minute walk from the Ponttor bus stop.

2 - Some cool stuff I saw

Walking to the Lousberg park entrance, I passed by the massive Lindt factory right here in Aachen. Apparently there is a store there too and tours can be booked, so I will definitely go check it out sometime. Halfway through the run I also came across a really interesting circular tower in the middle of the forest called the Drehturm Belvedere. It is a historic rotating observation tower built in the early 20th century, designed so that visitors could be turned to face different panoramic views of the surrounding landscape without having to move themselves. The architecture is quirky and charming and it looks genuinely cool, so next time I want to go inside and see it properly.

Near the end of the route there is also the Tranchot-Obelisk, a stone monument erected in honour of Jean Joseph Tranchot, the French cartographer who conducted one of the first systematic topographic surveys of the Rhineland in the early 1800s. The obelisk marks one of his key surveying points, and the view from the platform up there is amazing. There are also goats grazing on the slopes below, which was a pleasant surprise.

3 - Investigating a mysterious art piece

There is also an interesting installation nearby, something like a lever with a red knob and a massive brightly coloured nuclear warning sign. I tried reading the German text and gathered it had something to do with a Belgian nuclear power plant, but I could not quite figure out what it was saying. I looked it up online and could not find any specific information about the installation itself, except that the city of Aachen has been in a long-running dispute with Belgium over the Tihange nuclear power plant, which many Aachen residents consider a genuine safety risk given how close it sits to the city. I will investigate further what this interesting piece is actually about.

I also saw a statue about the devil lending money to build the Aachen cathedral and reap the soul of the first living being to enter it once its completed but the devil was tricked by the people. There's also pictures at the Lindt factory store, a tiny library out in the wild, and extremely beautiful streets.

4 - Dreilägerbachtalsperre, Roetgen

We went hiking again, this time starting at a dam called Dreilägerbachtalsperre after a 1.5 hour bus ride from Aachen. The trail runs through a forest area called Hasselbachgraben, which sits within the Eifel nature park. The landscape here is quintessentially northern European forest: tall stands of beech and oak lining narrow paths, the ground carpeted in ferns, and small streams threading quietly through the undergrowth. The canopy is dense enough that the light filters through in long soft shafts, and the whole area has the kind of deep quiet that makes you want to slow down.

I really loved it because the forest floor was thick with moss, with tiny water ponds scattered in between since it had just rained, and everything smelled incredibly fresh. The ground was squishy underfoot, the whole place so serene and beautiful that it genuinely felt like a frame from a Ghibli film. It reminded me of Princess Mononoke.

5 - Kuhberg

At the end of the hike there is a small town called Kuhberg, which literally means "cow mountain," and it earns the name. There are small hills dotted with cows, and the houses are super modern and well kept, like some kind of utopian countryside community. Families put cow decorations outside their homes and every single house seems to have at least one, with cow statues and models appearing on rooftops and in gardens as well. There were also lots of RVs and camper trailers parked around, including tiny ones. Theres also a part of the Westwall from ww2 remaining, filled with concrete "Dragon's teeth" intended to stop the allied tanks advancing into rhein-ruhr region. It didn't work, and Eisenhower ordered them to be dismantled after the war, though there are still tens of kilometers of the westwall remaining. I fell asleep on the bus back to Aachen.

This was a peaceful week and not much happened besides lots of hiking. An easy 15k steps daily. Will update next week as we approach the halfway point of the research program!

Yuqi SUN

Department of Robotics, Robotics

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Computer Science

1 - German lessons

The German course I am enrolled in actually started on April 20th, so I had already missed 4 classes by the time I showed up, because I physically was not in Aachen until mid May. Although the class is not mandatory, the final exam is worth 100% of the grade, so I figured I had better attend and not fail, or else I would not get my transfer credits. So on Monday I finally showed up, and it was quite different from what I expected. The professor is super friendly and the class is really small, around a dozen people, so everyone already knows each other. They were all very welcoming to me as a newcomer. The class format has everyone sitting in a semicircle and the content is highly conversational, basically nonstop talking from 8:30 until the class is dismissed at 12:00 on the dot. By the end I am nearly falling asleep from how long it is, but I sat through the whole thing. If you are coming to Aachen next year, be prepared to wake up at 7:00 on Monday morning and speak German for 3.5 hours straight.

2 - Mensa (dining hall)

The dining halls here are really different from Michigan too. They are called Mensa and there are a couple around campus. The best one is at campus central near the Audimax bus station, and there is also one in the Informatikzentrum right across from where I live on Halifaxstraße 85. If you have a student blue card it is very cheap, only 3.30 euros for a lunch dish with either salad or boiled vegetables. Currently my favourites are the Swedish meatballs with potatoes and the cordon bleu with french fries, and both come with a small bowl of salad included. The lines are really long though. Another thing I do not love is that the food is not an unlimited buffet like back in Michigan, but the food quality is genuinely much better and the taste is always incredibly pleasant. It is also really inconvenient that the Mensa only opens for one meal per day, which is lunch, and closes at 2 PM, and does not open on weekends. So plan accordingly if you want to enjoy the cheap and delicious lunch.

3 - Cooking in the WG

I set a goal to master cooking one dish at a time while I am here. This week I have been focused on practicing spaghetti. Although it might seem like madness to make the same dish every single day for a whole week straight, I am quite certain the taste is improving noticeably each time. My current recipe uses cherry tomatoes and brown mushrooms combined with either Hackfleisch or Wiener to make the meat sauce, then shredded mozzarella combined with Gouda or Edammer and egg yolk to make the cheese sauce, and I have also been alternating between spaghetti and fusilli to see which one mixes better. In the end it comes out as a delicious baked pasta. I will try a completely different dish next week.

4 - Maastricht again

Because the Netherlands is so close, our UROP group went bowling there and I won. Barely, though, considering I had not played in nearly 8 years.

5 - Bonn, Haus der Geschichte

The Haus der Geschichte, or House of History, in Bonn is one of Germany's foremost museums of contemporary German history. It traces the story of Germany from the rubble of 1945 all the way to reunification and beyond, spanning the parallel lives of West and East Germany through an extraordinary collection of everyday objects, political artifacts, propaganda posters, original vehicles, and reconstructed interiors. The museum does not just present facts but immerses you in the texture of what life actually felt like across different decades, from postwar reconstruction and the Economic Miracle of the 1950s through the social upheavals of the 1960s and the political tensions that defined the Cold War era.

I barely made it through to the 1970s, with a special section dedicated to the Beatles along the way, before I realized 2 hours had already passed without me noticing. As I rushed out, I saw the exhibition continued all the way up to right now! It was recently renovated to include the current Bundeskanzler Merz, which is cool. The museum's slogan is literally "You are part of history!!" so I will definitely come back for more next Sunday to finish seeing everything. It is my favourite museum I have visited so far in Germany.

6 - Botanical garden

Afterwards we walked over to the University of Bonn's botanical garden for a Spaziergang, but the rain started falling heavily so we left early, and the train back to Aachen was also delayed by over an hour. Next time I will come back to Bonn on a day with better weather.

Bonn is also the birthplace of Beethoven, and Germany's UN city and seat of western europe along with 18 UN organisations. I'll be back next time to visit them all!!

Yuqi SUN

Department of Robotics, Robotics

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Computer Science

1 - Travelling to Dreiländereck, where three countries meet: Germany, Belgium, Netherlands

Dreiländereck, which literally means "three country corner" or "three lands point," is a place where the borders of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany all touch. It is roughly a 1.5 hour hike from SuperC, RWTH's central landmark building. Though the entire hike did not feel that long — we walked around 30 minutes to leave the city and another hour through the fields — the scenery is very calm and you can see endless stretches of farmland and plantation. The weather was also gorgeous: extremely sunny, with clouds so white they looked fake. Incredible temperature. Many people complained it was too hot, but sunny days are exactly what I miss most after spending a cold winter in Ann Arbor, because the warmth and that tingling feeling on my skin reminds me of the weather back home in Hong Kong. If you want to do this hike, I would highly advise bringing a hat and enough water, plus some fruits or snacks along the way. The difficulty is low but staying hydrated is the most important thing. I brought a carton of Durstlöscher, which literally means "thirst quencher" and is an extremely popular drink here. It tastes like sweetened tea, decent, but not exactly what I would reach for next time I actually want to quench my thirst.

2 - Manna Bunsik, restaurant recommendation 1

Since I am still waiting to get my blue card so I can eat at the Mensa (cafeteria), I have to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner every single day, and very quickly I got tired of it. I discovered Manna Bunsik, a small restaurant with only six tables that serves quality and authentic Korean food. I ordered the Ganjang chicken rice. The price is fair and the portion is fulfilling. The chicken is stir fried with onion slices in a BBQ and soy sauce mix, coated with honey for a sweet finish, and placed on top of salad leaves and rice. I was extremely satisfied with this meal and the taste was exactly what I expected. I would highly recommend it. They also have a variety of waffle desserts and Korean corndogs, and even more menu items featuring different styles of Korean fried chicken.

3 - Auf der Hörn, restaurant recommendation 2

Another recommendation is Auf der Hörn. Since I live on Halifaxstraße, I am quite far from Aachen city center and do not want to take a 30 minute bus ride every time I want to eat out. Auf der Hörn is only a 14 minute walk from my apartment and serves both German and Italian dishes like Schnitzel and lots of handmade pizza and lasagna, as well as Turkish dishes. I tried the Kofta with tomato sauce and yogurt. Kofta is essentially elongated meatballs, though I am not sure if these were roasted or fried. The texture is grainy and quite firm, but the taste is like a better burger patty. Beneath sits bread cubes covered in tomato sauce alongside half a raw tomato. The yogurt mixes with the bread and adds a creamy finish. It is a delightful dinner at a very acceptable price and the service is great as well. Highly recommended for both the food quality and its convenient location.

4 - Bibliothek, not quite like our library

After the lab meeting, I went with my colleague Aday to study at the Bibliothek. I was really surprised to see that there are more people than books inside, and although the word simply means "library," it functions very differently from what I am used to. It is a great place to just come and study together, and I was struck by how quiet it is despite being packed with people row after row.

5 - Maastricht, Netherlands

At 9:00 AM we met outside Aachen Hbf, but the train got canceled again. Since I arrived here, the railway to Aachen has been so inconsistent, broken more often than it is functioning. So instead we took bus line 350 to Maastricht and walked around 30 minutes to Sint Pieter Fort, where the tour for North Caves Maastricht Underground begins.

The North Caves are a vast network of underground tunnels carved into the soft marlstone beneath Sint Pietersberg hill, stretching for hundreds of kilometers and even crossing into Belgium. The limestone was quarried here for centuries, and the caves run deep enough that the temperature inside stays a constant cool even in the height of summer. During the tour, our guide pointed out dinosaur fossils embedded directly into the walls, preserved in the rock since the Cretaceous period. The caves carry a layered history: nearby sections were used during World War II as shelter and evacuation routes for civilians and even for hiding artworks. One of the more memorable stories from the guide was about Napoleon's general, who invaded and attempted to bomb the caves in order to bring down the fortress above, but failed not once but twice, leaving the fort partially sunk into the ground. This apparently gave rise to a Dutch saying: when someone does something only halfway and gives up, they call it "doing it the French way."

Afterwards we explored some of the attractions around the town center and, of course, had ramen again. Could not resist.

Yuqi SUN

Department of Robotics, Robotics

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Computer Science

Salve! This week has been full of fun adventures so I will just jump right into them! 

CIS Cooking Class

First off, CIS hosted a cooking class at the Nonna Flora Cooking School right here in Sorrento which was so much fun, and actually turned out to be some of the best food I’ve had so far while being here. We started off by learning how to make tiramisu using their family recipe which does not include eggs like a traditional recipe calls for. After we assembled them we set them in the fridge to chill and started on making homemade pasta. We all made our own dough and kneaded the dough until it was smooth, and then had some aperitivos (mini appetizers) while we waited for our dough to rest. Afterwards we got to shape our dough and then they cooked all of our pasta together and made this amazing eggplant and cheese sauce which was genuinely to die for. Finally we got to taste the tiramisu we made, which was so good I might even try to make it again once I return home!

The tiramisu and pasta we made!

Bagni Regina Giovanna 

Another activity I embarked on was hiking to the Bagni Regina Giovanna which is about 45 minutes away from Sant’Anna to go cliff jumping. It genuinely felt like a hidden cove–it was so beautiful and had such a gorgeous view of the water and coast line. There is not really a sandy beach area, but there are a lot of flat rocky areas where you can set your things while you go for a swim or just lie down and enjoy the scenery. Sant’Anna also hosts an event where they go through the hike with you to get there, but I was not able to attend due to class so a friend and I went when we had a free day. I would definitely recommend setting aside time to visit this area because it was honestly one of my favorite days spent in Sorrento. 

The cove part was so relaxing, and then we jumped from the rocks on the right which is just through the opening you can see in the first photo

Starting Session 2 and Discussing Housing

Along with the start of the second session here at Sant’Anna there have been plenty of new faces around! Getting to know them and talk about my time here so far has given me such a profound perspective on my growth since arriving here. Seeing them navigate through all the challenges I too dealt with when I first arrived like figuring out the best ways to travel or finding the best local restaurants and gelaterias has made me realize how much Sorrento truly feels like home now. 

While I am on the topic, I figured this would be a good time to talk about my housing experience. Now when you commit to studying abroad through this program, you have to pick from 3 different housing options. First, there are the dorms directly in Sant’Anna which is what I chose, second there is the Villa, and lastly there are the shared apartments.

Since I have only experienced the dorms, I will talk about that first. There are singles, doubles, and triples here and I believe you can select a preference when you make your housing decision online. My room is a double, but all the rooms are essentially set up the same. My roommate and I both have our own beds, desks, and closets, and then we share a mini fridge and an attached bathroom. Our room also overlooks the gardens with a nice patio, but the rooms on the other side overlook the water. Included in the dorms are several common areas both inside and out, as well as a shared kitchen space. There are also washers and dryers that cost 4-5 euro each per load which can get kind of pricey, but you can also hang dry your clothes which is extremely common here. All in all I have loved living in the dorms since they provide everything you really need and it's such a great way to meet other people, especially those who attend other universities.

The room and amazing balcony view!

As for the Villa, it is about a 15-20 minute walk from Sant’Anna (and I will warn it is not the most fun walk in the beating hot sun but it's not that bad). It is owned by a couple who takes care of everything there which is nice, and I have heard nothing but good things about them. It has its own pool and they provide dinner a few times every week which is nice. You are given a certain number of dinners you can “opt in for” which roughly accounts for 3 dinners per week and you are provided breakfast every morning. For other meals/nights you have to eat out because they do not have a communal kitchen so keep that in mind when budgeting since eating out frequently can be costly. Room setups also vary they all seem nice and I haven't heard any complaints about it.

Then for the apartments, it really is a mixed bag. Most of them have 4 people living in each one. Many have shared bedrooms and common areas, but I have also heard that some of them vary on bathroom arrangements (ensuite or shared). Additionally, they are scattered all around Sorrento so the commute to Sant’Anna is different for each one, but they are all still walkable so don't worry about that. Some of them are located above local businesses and many are next to other units with actual locals who live there full time. All the apartments I have heard of have a full kitchen and access to a washer, although most do not have dryers.

Although I do not know a ton about the villa and apartment living options, I hope this gives you a better idea of what each one is like, especially since they all have different costs (for the housing itself, and things like groceries or laundry).

Venice

Now, onto this weekend's travels! This past Friday I flew from Naples to Venice to meet a friend of mine from UM who is studying abroad in Rome which was exciting! Now I will say compared to a lot of the other big cities in Italy, this trip felt a lot more relaxed. There isn’t a ton of things to see when it comes to monuments or tourist attractions, it is more so just the city itself. That is not to say there isn’t a main piazza because there is, but I think my favorite part was just walking around with no specific destination. Getting to see all of the random streets and bridges over the water was such a fun experience. Everywhere you looked was so picturesque, and there are so many hidden gems to find when it comes to bakeries, restaurants, small shops, and more.

The Rialto Bridge and Cafe Florian

St. Mark's Square and Basilica and Doge's Palace

I also went on a gondola ride which I will admit is pretty expensive, but if you get a group of people together to split it is not nearly as bad. They usually can hold up to 5 people, and the price is capped by the city at 90 euros per boat as a flat fee. Getting to see the city from the water was really enjoyable, and it's so iconic that you almost have to ride a gondola at least once if you are going to visit Venice.

Gondola ride! -featuring our amazing gondolier

Now I went for 2 days so the first was just walking around and taking in the city, but the second day I took a boat tour to Murano, Burano, and Torcello which was only 25 euro and it lasted about 5 hours. Murano is known for glass blowing so as soon as we got off the boat we got to a glass blowing demonstration which was such a cool thing to witness, and then we walked around for a little bit. There is not a ton to do there, but I definitely enjoyed my visit. Torcello was the most naturey which was a nice change of pace from all the busy cities. There was a church which you could go in for 5 euros, but most people (including myself) took this time to get a bite to eat and breathe in the fresh air. Finally for Burano, they are known for lace, and primarily their beautifully colored buildings. This was definitely my favorite island and it had the most things to do. There was a decent sized downtown with lots of shops and restaurants, but it was also just fun to walk around and look at all the colors you were surrounded by.

Glass blowing demonstration at Murano (left), Torcello (middle), and all the colors of Burano (right)!

Other than that, I will advise you to bring bug spray because all the water is a lovely breeding ground for mosquitoes, and equip yourself with the knowledge that during high tide some of the streets become slightly flooded and it will smell as though you are right next to a sewer if you get my drift. Also make sure you pay the tourist fee (5-10 euros) to get into the city or fill out the exemption form if you are staying overnight in the city.

I hope you enjoyed learning of this past week's adventures, and I look forward to even more updates next week! We are going on our first physics field trip, attending more Sant’Anna events, and then heading to Barcelona, Spain over the weekend which I am beyond excited for–so see you next week!

Ava Sillars

Data Science Engineering