Guten Tag from Heidelberg

Hallo! I'm settling into Heidelberg and learning my way around the area a little bit. I'm now accustomed to sitting at a table or around a group of people and just smiling and nodding while my brain listens for familiar words so I might get a little clue as to what they are talking about. It isn't quite as frustrating any more but more exciting that I can actually get a little bit of what is going on. Yesterday I went to church and sort of imagined what might be being spoken. At one point the crowd started laughing, so of course I start smiling and giggling and then I started laughing harder that I didn't know what I was laughing at but I was laughing. Was actually quite funny. Heidelberg is very beautiful. The Neckar river runs through the middle of the city and a it is very cool to drive over during sunset. There are two main bridges that cross from one area of town to the other. One is a beautiful cobble stone bridge that you can walk across and get an incredible view of the Heidelberg Schloss (castle). There are many cobblestone streets with cool architectual buildings lined up directly beside each other seeming to crowd and protect the area between. It may sound as if it is claustrophobic but is actually quite quaint. One street called the Hauptstrasse is filled with small shops, cafes, bakeries, coffee shops, ice cream parlors, outside dining areas and shopping stores. It's pretty busy around that area most of the time but is definitely a place to check out and hang out any day of the week.
It seems my confidence is pretty minimal these days when it comes to ordering anything or asking questions around town since I can't speak the language. I usually not afraid to go out on my own or find my way around and check out new things so this is a bit new for me. It's a bit of a humbling experience I suppose. I am definitely excited to learn to speak the language but I think the hardest part is going to be making a fool of myself quite a few times before I become more confident. This week is on my agenda to get signed up for an intensive course. I'm also planning my next place to visit at the moment and will fill you in when plans become more concrete. Ciao!