scenes from mallorca

brückentage spent abroad

May in Germany (and most of Europe) is a fun month. Not only is the weather finally getting nicer, but it’s the month with the most public holidays. In Berlin, we have three, all of which happen to fall on a Thursday this year. In January I went into my calendar and requested the following Friday off for each of these holidays. In April, we also had Good Friday and Easter Monday as holidays so I took the days off surrounding it to make the most of it.

When you take that day off in-between to make it a long weekend, it’s called a “Brückentag” in German which translates to “bridge day.” Most people do this and I have not in the years prior. I’m wiser now as I round the corner of my third year living abroad. This Thursday, May 8, is a one-off holiday in Berlin to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the liberation from National Socialism. As a person who holds an Austrian passport because my grandmother and relatives were persecuted by this regime, I’m happy to see this recognized and confronted by the country who started it in the first place.

I digress.

This week is my last week of “freedom” so to say before I start my intensive German course. In Germany, you’re permitted to take “Bildungsurlaub” every year which is essentially educational leave. You can take five days per year or ten if you borrow from the following year. For mine, I decided to continue working part-time but take my course in the middle of the day. It sounds lame but I’m actually looking forward to it. Learning German to a level where I can speak/work confidently was my main priority for 2025 so here we are! I put so much pressure on myself to reach a certain level in an unrealistic timeframe but then I remember a random day at the post office…

I always take Russ with me to deliver packages. While it’s usually inconvenient and cumbersome to take him into this small waiting area, I do it because he loves going along AND he’s allowed to. So one day about a year ago we were standing there, my hands full with packages and Russ tethered to my side, when an older woman next to me in line asked a question. I had my headphones in so I went to take them out and started with “Sorry, I didn’t hear you.” She quickly switched to English and said “Oh, you’re an American!” By her response and accent, it was apparent she was as well.

She told me she had lived in Germany since she was my age. By my calculations of her age, there was about 30 years between us. She asked where I was from, how long I had been here and then the dreaded question: how’s your German? I told her the honest answer which is, it’s a work in progress. The next thing she said has been my totem and a response I revisit in my head often, especially when I’m feeling down on myself or unmotivated. She said, “It will come. I’ve lived here for decades and I never thought I’d learn and now my life is mostly in German. It can’t happen overnight so be patient with yourself.” Talk about putting things into perspective.

Anyway, this class will start soon and I’ve had holidays and short weeks to get my head cleared and ready for what’s ahead. On that note, another goal of mine for this year was to visit three new countries. While the trip I’m going to mention doesn’t help me reach that goal, it’s still a place I’ve never been and I enjoyed it very much. It also helped me accomplish my goal of making the most of the Brückentage.

Kodak gold!

A few shots from our recent trip to Mallorca. One of the Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain. A cyclists paradise and a common destination for German partiers, it’s got something for everyone. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I knew it would be beautiful. And it was. We rented a car and went to the biggest city on the island, Palma. We sat in the square and had coffees in the sun. We drove to small beaches where you had to descend down a flight of never-ending stone stairs to reach the cliffs where you could lay down a towel or jump in the water. We drove up to the town of Valldemossa where every street is narrow, cute and filled with shops and places to grab a drink.

Mallorca, my last hoorah before diving into the deep end of German learning this spring. I hope wherever you’re reading this, it’s sunny and warm.

Bis zum nächsten Mal! Der Frühling ist da.

(Until next time! Spring is here)