Monday was a holiday so all the shops were closed. We got on a train that morning to head to
Bonn. When we arrived it was raining and
hailing. When it stopped it left the
city hot and humid. I thought I might
have a heat stroke lugging my stuff to our hotel. Nils met us there and took us on a tour. It was nice getting a tour from someone I knew
and who was so excited to show us around.
We started the tour with ice cream, which is always a great place to
start. We then got to see the cathedral,
remnants of a Roman house and AIB. The next
day we traveled to the Cologne zoo where I got to feed a baby elephant! It made my day! We were able to go behind the scenes and
watch them train the elephants and trim their feet. I respected the zoo for always using
protective contact and not open contact to protect the workers. The elephants were well behaved and with the
poke of a stick they would press their head against the bars or lift their
foot. I wish we had been able to go
behind the scenes at the other zoos we visited.
It made it seem more personal and we were not just a typical visitor seeing
the animals. I would highly suggest
being able to do that for future classes. We then got a tour of the Cologne Cathedral,
which is the third largest cathedral in the world and where the remains of the
three wise men are kept in a gold shrine.
It was amazing seeing that! We
then got a tour of the city by an entertaining guide. She kept the atmosphere light and showed us
some of the unique aspects of the city, including city hall that has a statue of
the ruler Aggrippina on the side and a spider underneath her. She explained to us that she continued to
rule even after her reign through her son Nero.
He even had to try 3 times to kill her since the first 2 failed. I learned about the laidback Cologne way of
life with the motto “if not today, then tomorrow.”
The next day we stayed in Bonn and went to the animal
shelter. All the shelters in Germany are
“no kill” so there are animals there that have not been able to find a home for
years. Seeing them made me miss my own
dogs. I cannot wait to get home and play
with them and let them know I did not abandon them, although I am sure that is
what they think happened. The shelter
tries to be understanding and open to drop offs to minimize the number of
animals dumped over the fence with no history.
The cat ward was neat to see. One
of the rooms was very elaborately decorated with hiding places and bridges all
over the room. It is a cat’s paradise. They shelter kept dogs, cats, rabbits, mice,
turtles, and guinea pigs. There were
animals everywhere and the staff worked hard to ensure they got the best
treatment during their stay. That afternoon
we visited an organic farm. It was nice
to be able to just pick strawberries off the plants and eat them. I was shocked to see how many weeds the farm
had and how unkept it looked until the lady explained that due to waning
support over the years they were not able to have the number of workers they
previously had and that aspects of the farm could not continue. Neighbors complained and, of course,
won. In the past students would come out
during the summer to work and learn how much work goes into a farm. It also allowed these generations to get back
to the basics of agriculture. She said
they would come to the farm not knowing that chips came from potatoes or milk
from a cow. I wish that more programs
like this existed. Coming from a farm I
cannot imagine people not understanding where their food comes from. It is also because of these people that we
get so much grief for our practices. I
hope that the farm is able to continue its work and get back to educating the
public about their roots.
We had to say goodbye to Germany and head to Utrecht the
next morning. Kellen and I were able to
drop off our bags at our host’s house before going to the university for
lectures. During our time at the
university we received a total of 5 lectures.
It seemed like 3 of them were the same lecture over again: the history of veterinary medicine and the
university. I wish we could have taken
this time and toured the large animal hospital and talked over cases like we
did in Leipzig. That was my favorite
part of being at the universities and we were not able to do much of that after
Leipzig. We were able to tour the small
animal hospital and see their setup. It
was like most university hospitals, although they have primary care, medium
care, and ICU. Cameras are also in every
ICU cage so owners can keep an eye on their pets without bothering the
clinicians. It has gotten good feedback
from clients and clinicians alike. That
night the hosts had a BBQ at the DSK student bar to welcome us to their
university. I really enjoyed the food
and being able to get to know the students better. The next day included more lectures and a lab
animal hands-on experience. I personally
hate rodents so I did not hold an animal but enjoyed hearing them talk about
handling and medicine. Students have a
practical on restraint, which I think would be really good for those interested
in lab animal medicine. That night we
grabbed supper with some of our hosts before heading to DSK to watch the world
cup game against Spain. The Netherlands
killed them 5-1 and it was fun to cheer them to victory. I even got a souvenir jersey and foam
finger. The next morning we were able to
take a tour of the city via canoe. I
have never been canoeing and I cannot swim so it was definitely an
experience. I had a great time and it
was a unique way to get to see the city, despite my arms being on fire
afterward! One boat of girls lost their
balance and turned over in the water.
Nobody drowned and being cold was the worst problems they had to
endure. It was a success. I do wish we had learned more about the city
as we canoed but I still had a blast and would suggest it to anyone going in
the future. Our hosts then took us into
the city center for some shopping and we tried a Dutch favorite, a croket. It is hard to describe but I enjoyed the
fried food. We then met for our farewell
supper. Nils also treated us to our last
ice cream feast.
I cannot believe the program is over and I am heading back
to the United States in the morning. This
has been the best experience and I am sad to see it end. I made some wonderful friends in the
classmates I did not really know as well as the Auburn girls and my hosts. Nils has been the best coordinator, and I
hope that having to deal with 13 girls did not wear on him too badly. Thanks to Dr. Wasser, Dr. Pine and the AIB
staff for putting together such an amazing program. I would not have been able to come if it had
not been for the study abroad program.
But now I would like to come back to Europe in the future. There
is so much to see and do and we barely scratched the surface. This experience has also made me thankful for
everything I have. Although the places
we visited were amazing I could never live here. I miss the luxury of getting in my truck and
going where I need to, when I need to.
Checking train and bus schedules seems like a hassle and I would hate to
have to do that on a daily basis. I look
forward to seeing my family, friends, and animals when I return. Until next time Europe!
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