Regensburg, Germany

Regensburg’s character is strongly defined by its 11th to 13th century architecture. Lying quietly along the banks of the Danube River, the Old Town of Regensburg survived the Second World War in exceptionally good shape and is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This beautiful town serves as a supreme example of a central-European medieval trading centre,  and its buildings are a well-preserved reminder of its history as one of the centres of the Holy Roman Empire dating back to the 9th century.

Yet another one of Chris’s conferences brought us to this romantic destination, although my company there was a surprise. Originally, I had not planned to join him because part of Regensburg’s charm lies in its remote location, a 2 hour train ride through the country from Munich. But on Tuesday night we found out that Chris was awarded the Humboldt Fellowship, something he’s been working towards for over a year now and the reason we’re in Europe in the first place, so my work was kind enough to let me spontaneously fly up for the day to celebrate together.

We spent most of our free time wandering the stone streets and narrow car-free lanes of the Old Town, admiring the beautiful pastel buildings and maginicent cathedral, pondering its history. At the edge of the Old Town we found a magnificent castle, complete with a sparkling gold crown on top. And of course, we had to squeeze in a classic Bavarian bier garten one night – what better place to celebrate?

And what better reason to celebrate than seeing how hard work and dedication really is rewarded, and on top of it, giving us a reason to spend another two years in Europe!