Germany has a deposit-return system for plastic bottles, called Pfand. When you buy a bottled drink, you pay a hidden fee of around 10 to 25 cents each that you can later earn back by recycling the empty bottle. You can do this by bringing the empty container to a machine called a Leergutautomat, which can usually be found at the supermarket. The machine will print out a receipt that you can bring to the register to redeem the amount in cash.
My favorite meal so far was making Flammkuchen with my friends, who also work as language assistants or researchers in Aachen. Flammkuchen is a type of flatbread that originates in the Alsace region of France, which lies on the border with Germany. We bought pre-made dough and typical toppings like creme fraiche, onions and bacon, as well as other ingredients. We each made our own Flammkuchen and then tried them all together later. It was so much fun to cook something new with others!
This week, I heard some amazing organ music at the cathedral in Aachen! The organ itself is massive, and I can't imagine how difficult it must be to play it.
This week, my friends and I took the train to Liège, a major city in Belgium. Besides walking around the city, we went up the Montagne de Bueren, a giant and incredibly steep staircase, and visited an art museum. We also made sure to try two delicious local specialties: Liège waffels and Belgian fries.
