Unfortunately this isn’t about skiing down the snow-covered sides of the Alps (I’ve never been skiing and I’m fairly sure it would be a pretty humbling experience if I started). My friend from Purdue came to visit me and another friend in the Ruhrgebiet, the heart of the German Industrial Revolution.

There’s too much to write about, so here is a summary.

A new friend

Thomas and his family were incredible hospitable hosts. Not only did he plan great activities for us around Bochum, but he and his family taught me so much about German life and culture, answering so many of the basic questions I have been wondering about, such as who has the right of way when approaching an intersection without a stop-light. We explored the university campus, toured the small Moritz Fiege private brewery, climbed through the tunnels of the coal museum, and watched in awe the incredible German rendition of Starlight Express.

Coal mining in the Ruhrgebiet

Like in America, coal industry is tough industry. As we got lost in the network of underground exhibitions in the Bergbau museum, I couldn’t help but to feel sadness and desperation for those who worked here. It was incredible to see the infrastructure and to learn what it was like in a coal mine, but we were mere guests in a very clean version of the reality, akin to watching war movies on TV. The men and women who worked here spent their entire lives in the dirty and dusty darkness, hundreds of meters below ground. I kept wondering what it would have been like to never see the sun and to work daily in those conditions. Even more so, the machines and mine shafts were so large, the digs so expensive, and the actual coal deposits so small and scarce that one must wonder how such a business could ever be profitable.

Driving das Auto

Everyone always asks about driving on the Autobahn. I can finally say that I have done so and have now driven faster than most people I know – up to around 210 km/h (130 mph). It’s true that the Autobahn has no official speed limit, that is, you cannot break the law by driving too fast. However, there are many places where special speed zones exist that limit traffic to 130 km/h or 80 km/h.  Therefore if you want to experience the speed you have to take advantage of the straightaways when they come. Overall, people are reasonable with speeds and traffic was often moving at what I am used to in the States. Driving really fast is somewhat self-limiting because of how it feels at those speeds: the wind pushes harder on the car, steering is more sensitive, and the driver has to intensely focus on the road to stay safe. Though worth the experience, I will be taking the cheaper, faster, and safer train next time where I can sleep or work during transit.