Year Abroad: Bremen

A very short ten days after returning from my Topdeck trip my bags were packed again – this time to move out.

As part of my degree course I had to study or work abroad for a year, I’d gotten a job with the British Council in a school in Bremen, which was great. The only problem was I had nowhere to stay when I got there, so I set up shop in a hotel. I dread to think of the things a UV-light would have uncovered in this place.

Eventually though I did find somewhere to stay – a questionably furnished apartment in a part of town called Viertel (meaning Quarter). I’ll be honest, the yellow and lime green theme was the last thing you wanted to be waking up to after a night out, but it was a decent place right near a tram stop and with a supermarket and kebab shop nearby – what more could I have wished for?

Without going into too much detail, my daily routine in Bremen was pretty laid back.  I only had to teach 12 classes per week and I had Fridays off, so I had a lot of free time. The only downside was that German school-days begin ridiculously early, so during winter this was the view on my commute to work. Quite depressing I’m sure you’ll agree.

The winter months in general were quite tough. The weather was awful and there wasn’t a whole lot to do except from work. This is the view of the school playground one morning - most of the time it was just a glorified ice-rink.

Although I tried to make the most of my free-time, it was impossible to do something constructive every day. I remember spending pretty much half a Sunday pratting around with matches and candles. Time well spent, obviously.

I did manage to find some time for study though. This was like my bible while I was there – reading it was a sure fire way to get to sleep at night too!

I kept my place as organised as could be expected for a 20 year old.

Having never had to really fend for myself, the learning curve for things like cooking and washing was steep. I was in an apartment block and managed to break the communal washer and drier during my first week there by stuffing the wrong kind of coin in. Also, as the above picture shows, I had trouble making even the simplest dishes. I think this was supposed to be an omelette.

After a few months though I’d mastered basic cooking, I even tried my hand at some German dishes. This might look awful, but it was actually pretty good – pork with Grünkohl (and a beer obviously).

But for the times when my food went terribly wrong, there was always this to fall back on to ensure a decent taste – ketchup and mayo in the same tube!

Of course after a while I came to realise it was a lot easier to go out to eat when I could afford it. This is Bremer Knipp – a Bremen speciality made from offal.

There was plenty to see in my adoptive North-German home town. The piece de resistance was undoubtedly its wonderful Rathaus (town hall) – its copper roof has turned green with time and the façade has seen better days, but its numerous intricate carvings are a joy to behold.

Opposite the Rathaus is the Shütting, which was built by Bremen merchants as a show of power across the square from the seat of local government.

The architecture in the main square is all about flaunting power. The St Petri Dome was built by the Catholics as the biggest building in the city…

…this worried the local government though, so they erected Roland – a statue of a famous medieval knight – to face the cathedral in the hope that it would act as their conscience.

Just around the corner is the Liebfrauenkirche – the square’s protestant church.

Just off the main square is Böttcherstraße – a street condemned by the Nazis which managed to escape destruction in the 1930s and 40s. It’s now home to one of Germany’s biggest Glockenspiels.

Away from the historical centre of the city is the oddly good-looking Hauptbahnhof (main train station).

The absolutely huge Bürgerpark (citizens’ park) can be found on the opposite side of the station. It’s a maze of winding paths and wildlife surrounded by some of the most expensive properties in the city – a stark contrast to Viertel.

Other attractions included: the Windmühle.

The TV tower near to my school in Walle.

Theater am Goetheplatz.

and Schnoor.

 I, however, spent most of my time in the freezing cold stood at Domsheide being watched by the hobos outside McDonalds while I waited for my tram. The public transport was incredibly German though – I only ever experienced two delays on trams during my time there.

One of these delays was typically as I was heading to meet my visiting family at the airport. Some idiot had parked their car across the tracks so we couldn’t go anywhere. I did find them milling around the terminal eventually though. In fact I was quite lucky to have a few visits from various people over the course of the year.

This is probably one of my favourite pictures of all time - my Dad enjoying a sausage in Schüttinger. They visited in the middle of February during possibly the coldest week of the year, so we skipped sightseeing in favour of beer and meat.

My Mum and step-dad also managed to visit with my little brother, who was infatuated with riding trams.

Matt and Rob also made an appearance in late March during the first week of decent weather we’d had for months. We visited Hamburg as well of some of Bremen’s finer watering holes, including the Hofbrauhaus.

My time in Bremen would have been very dull if it hadn’t been for the friends I made while I was there though. This is me and Will, the American, at a festival in October.

Will, Tobi and me trying 3D for the first time.

Crazy German drinking games. 

Me, Will and Julia in Wohnzimmer – a normal Saturday night with dirt cheap Beck’s.

Learning to Salsa with Alma.

Cooking with Will

Playing dress-up with Mara

…and again.

Fajita night with the Spaniards and Will.

I left Bremen with mixed feelings. I was glad to be going home, but I was sad that I’d be leaving so much behind. I’d grown to love the city and the people I’d met there. The more time goes by, the more I wish I could go back – it was a simpler time.

The day I actually left was surreal. My Dad picked me up in his car, so it felt like I was gone in an instant. It was raining heavily so I threw all my earthly possessions into the boot (along with the crate of Beck’s I’d bought), posted my key and we were off. We were on the ferry within 5 hours and I was left reflecting on one of the most interesting periods of my life. I still had a year of my degree to finish and some pretty big decisions to make afterwards, but I knew that would not be the last time I went to Bremen.