On the evening of the regional final of Europavox Campus in Regensburg on the 17th February 2023, the German singer-songwriter elen in wavs won the jury’s votes with her soft songs ranging from indie-pop to neo-soul. It means she’ll perform at Europavox Campus European final in Clermont-Ferrand on the 26th of April. An advice: don’t miss her moving show where she appears alone on stage, only joined by her faithful electric guitar and lots of chills. In the meantime, we asked her to bring us on a tour of her city and university, from the canteen to the library, and recommend things to do, eat, read, and watch in Regensburg… Stuff she picked with her heart, obviously.
< Get your tickets for the finale ! >
The library
Which book could you read a hundred times?
I’d say “Where The Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens. It really touches me every time.
Is there a book that you discovered during your studies and had an impact on your life ?
“Mornings In Jenin” by Susan Abulhawa. It gave me a new perspective on war, international responsibility for peace, migration and the culture of people punished by war in the Middle East. Very touching. I think everyone should have read it at least once in their lives.
The canteen
What is your all time favorite dish?
I just truly love vegetarian lasagna. And all Asian food.
Could you present a traditional dish from your country?
Since I’m vegetarian I’ll present you my favorite German veggie dish: “Knödel” (some kind of dumplings) with mushroom sauce and typical German red cabbage.
Do you have a go-to cheap and easy recipe to recommend to students?
Pasta with all the veggies you have at home 😉 or “flammkuchen”.
< Discover the 3 other finalists >
The movie theater
What’s your favorite international movie of all time?
“Spirited Away” by Hayao Miyazaki.
Which movie from your country should we absolutely discover?
“B Movie – Lust & Sound in West-Berlin”
Outside of the university
Tell us about your favorite restaurant or bar in your city?
My favorite bar is “Die Couch”, it’s also where I work additionally to my studies and it’s definitely the coziest café of the city if you ask me. Also there are always lovely visitors. Foodwise, there are many good restaurants here, but my recent favorite is “Exil”, where they have very tasty Kurdish specialties and beautiful decorations.
What is your favorite cultural site to visit in your city?
I truly love all the old churches in town, especially the Dome of Regensburg. I like the calmness, peace and silence in churches, and in Regensburg you can find really old and historical ones.
How would you describe your university?
My university is pretty modern and diverse. Most of the studies are rather technical and our canteen lies really pretty at a small lake.
And your city?
People tend to call it the northest town of Italy, because it really looks like that. Regensburg has many tiny alleys, small old bakeries and buildings, a lot of water (there are at least 3 rivers to dip in near the city center), and a lot of green spots to hang out in the sun. It’s really beautiful here. Also there are many young people enlivening the city due to the big study offer. And last but not least: the city is full of culture. In summer, you can travel from jazz festivals to concerts to art exhibitions…
