Drive to Ruedesheim am Rhein 7;30

1. So--today we went the way where the Riesling comes from--on the river "Rhein"--many castles left and right

2. Hazel does not want to be in the pictures anymore:-)--here we are waiting to get on the "Sessellift"-chairlift to a big, big monument from 1871

Heidelberg

1: shopping in Heidelberg

2. in front of the HEidelberg castle before seeing the world largest wine barrel

Heidelberg

Calhoun here - this time getting to type on a good old-fashioned American style keyboard! No trouble with mixed up Y's and Z's.

We had a wonderful stay in Kotzenaurach at the Hotel called Neue Krone. The owners were wonderful and the meals were outstanding. The dinner included curried chicken, rice, noodles and home-cooked pork roast in gravy. Why? Because they thought Chinese tourists were coming! Haha. We were thrilled. (They also had numerous salads, fresh fruit, and free drinks - which in Germany is never never never heard of.)

The breakfast the next morning included hardboiled eggs with mayonaise and a piece of smoked salmon (Lox - forgive the spelling if that is incorrect, Frau Alexander is looking over my sholder saying Nein Nein Nein, it is spelled Lachs.) So, it's Lox. haha There was also cereal, champagne glasses for the fruit juices, coffee, tea, fried eggs, sausages, multi-vitamin juices, fruit, hard boiled eggs still in the shell, cold cut meats, and most importantly breads, or Broetchen mit Butter - love the bread here, two different kinds of cake and lots of cheeses (LOTS) and many different kinds of jellies, jams and chocolates.

After the breakfast, the owner took everyone out with the scraps from dinner the night before, he threw the scraps into the garden and they came a 'runnin. Who are they? The ducklings and little chicks. Students seemed entertained.

Anyway, we were off to a good start in the morning after we remembered that we had to take ALL the students and not just the ones that had made it to the bus on time. My bad. I had told them to wait until we could come inspect their rooms to make sure no one left anything else behind (I guess parents wouldn't be surprised by kids leaving their stuff in the rooms . . . .)
Anyway, they were holding fast to the rules so good for them. (We did eventually get them on the bus.)

The bus ride was quiet as usual. That, of course, is a tiny fib. Maybe an outright fabrication on my part. OK, the bus ride is typically not quiet. :-) The girls love to sing - a lot. The guys actively discuss every topic possible. Frau Alexander just reminded me that kids are always right, and we adults are always wrong.

The town of Heidelberg was excellent. I personally found the antique shops to be the best - I doubt the kids even went in those stores. (I got a German desk clock from the 1950s - outstanding find.) Students bought sweatshirts, Coca-cola caps (becuase you can't find those in the U.S. right), souvenirs ...

We traveled to Rothenberg and stayed in a hotel called Neue Krone five minutes away from the middle of nowhere. It had the quiant and cozy feel to it. The boys found out that we had cable and were thrilled. And the dinner........was good. It was even a home cooked meal made by the owner's wife. We woke up to a delicious, once again homecooked, meal. So let's just say that we got a little bit spoiled.

students write: after Rothenburg and the Criminal Museum

Pictures: a butcher chop with all the different sausages hanging--a wonderful experience for the nose and eyes

2. Frau Alexander after a day with the kids:-)

students wrote:

After coming from Rothenburg we went to a hotel in a small village in a magical farmland five minutes from the middle of nowhere. The hotel is called Neue Krone and has the quaint and cozy feel to it.The hotel is awesome. When we first walked in the hotel staff gave us teddy bears. Then, we went to our rooms and found out that the room had cable which all of us found thrilling. And the dinner....was an amazing home cook meal made by the owner's wife.

Rothenburg

What a day agai. We started at 8:30. The first stope was dACHAU--THEN AT 3 P.M. WE REACHED Rothenburg. we WENT UP ON THER CITY WALL.

Dachau

For me -it is always very moving. I lost my grandfather in WWII and the other came back without his legs on his knees. Dachau--the concentration camp was out first stop. First we watched a 20 minute documentary about what happened in the camp. Some could not watch--it was too horrible.
After the short movie--we could walk through a very informative exhibition and visit the sleeping barracks of the prisoners.

Dachau- Rothenburg

Liv - Walking on the city wall was pretty. One of the mideval cities left.
Hazel - The Schneeballen was not good.
Ava - I am happy! I finished all the shopping for my family.
Catriona - It stopped raining.
Libby - Some guy in a store started singing to me. And gave us a free bottle opener.
Zoie - I had my first experience with a concentration camp and I was shocked.
Andrew - I got to visit Dachau and the torture chambers.It was all good.
Kelli - I had my first Doener. It was delicious. And I went to the torture museum.
Jordan - I figured out I am obsessed with the Ampelmann.
Morgan - I tried my first Schneeballen. It was good.
Timmy - I had a Doener and it was REALLY REALLY good.
Elijah - I had my first Doener. Good :)
Malik - The Christ Kindel store was shiny.
Dawit - I had a good experience speaking German to a Turkish person in a Doener store.

Watch out-they are bringing weired stuff back

Muenchen-Glockenspiel

Today we had a 2 hour sight -seeing tour on the bus. We got off to see the palace "Nymphenburg" up close and to take some pictures. The final was to see the Glockenspiel on the Marienplatz in Muenchen. From there we went to see Neuschwanstein--a 11/2 hour busride--but through very scienic area.

Neuschwanstein-the fairy tale climb:-)

Yes, it was quite a hike up--and there were many moans and goans--but Frau alexander knows what is good for them.....so in the end--everyone was happy and proud that they made it up and down on fooot in superfresh air in the alpine mountains.

On the way up and down--many souvenirs were bought...The rain fortunately started after we got back to the bus...

Muenchen

Munich day one

Calhoun here . . . trying to figure out these German keyboards with only 15 minutes until this internet cafe closes! Everyone is in the hotel and resting. Today was much fun. We stopped in Nuremberg and got a bite to eat and saw a local site called the Beautiful Fountain . . . or something like that.

We then got back in the bus and had a quiet ride to Munich. We have already taken a bicycle tour and it was great. It was raining and very cold. Truly the only way to experience Germany. :-)

Morgan had a blast riding--so much that she even hugged a traffic light pole--and so missed the green light--and spend the time waiting for green again laughing.

Tomorrow we are going to Castle Neuschwanstein. All is well here in Germany and everyone seems to be really enjoying themselves.

Sorry couldn't get the pictures to load.

Off to Nuernberg and Muenchen

Off we go to Nuernberg and Muenchen--leaving at 8 in the morning. The hotel in Dresden was great...more about Dresden later--need to run...

We stopped only for two hours to get a glimpse of the city where the highschool has the exchange with. It is very picturesque. The kids went shopping on the market square. Some start loving the "Doener"--also my favorite food to go on the street--they will describe to you what it is--yes, Ava can have it too--it is lamb or turkey meet...and a lot healthier than eating at MD.

Dresden

Ater a yummy breakfast--off we went to Dresden--on the Autobahn--of course only some stretches were without speed limit--but the driver stayed within 100 km/h.

comments from students:

Claudia: Yeah--we found Libby

Hazel: Dresden is pretty

Ava: sightseeing was pretty

Catriona: I ate my first GErman Bratwurst

Libby: We left the art museum

Zoie: I had my first "two" GErman ice cream

Andrew: I spoke to a man who played a "Herde Gerdy"--ANdrew gave me the spelling

Kelly: I loved the ice cream with the chocolate syrup on top

Jordan: I saw the lemon squeeze/ amazing buildings

Morgan: I had my first Bratwurst today.

Tim: I saw some cool stuff

Elijah: I saw many good things

Calhoun: You need to push twice to make the toilet stop ( He is discovering a lot of neat simple things-- ask him when he gets back)

Dresden is a very beautiful picturesqe city--you will see in the pictures soon.

What really happened

After a hearty and really yummy breakfast at the hotel, we set off (on foot!!!) to a German highschool. We were greeted by the principal himself who told us about the school, the students and himself. As it turns out, school principals in Germany still teach classes. Our principal was an English teacher. Lucky for us.

Ms. Klimm, the school's kind secretary then gave us a short tour of the school building(s) - there are FOUR of them. We saw the gymnasium, the cafeteria, the auditorium (where a written test was being written at the time).

Afterwards, we split up into groups and joined four English classes for half an hour. It was interesting to meet German students (who by the way were of a lot of different nationalities) and get to talk to them for a while. Some people even found it hard to tear themselves away from their newly found friends.

Then it was time for short refreshments and the tour of the school continued. We saw the biology and chemistry room and the stadium with soccer field where a soccer tournament between students and teachers was going on. We cheered them on for a while and then went to ransack (no exaggeration) a nearby supermarket. Laden with goodies (mostly of the candy and vitamin variety), we struggled on to the underground to meet our tour guide at Checkpoint Charlie.

Waiting for our bus to arrive, we got a taste of gypsies begging for money, and once we'd made it clear we had given enough, they asked for candy.

The tour took us around the whole of Berlin. We saw everything important to see in Berlin - to name all the sights would turn this into a travel guide. Back at Checkpoint Charlie, we went into the Wall Museum and learnt about the wall that separated West and East Berlin for over 25 years. And about how people resisted it. Very interesting.

Then it was shopping time. And that thought alone got some of the girls to move faster than they had moved all day. :-) And judging from the number of shopping bags they came back with, it was definitely an hour well spent.

Dinner was a German speciality - Wiener Schnitzel! Complete with French fries and chocolate pudding. With our bellies duly filled, we went up to the Berlin TV Tower. Luckily, it has an elevator. Which moves- interesting tidbit - at a speed of 6 metres a second. The trip up to the platform section took only about 40 seconds - so fast that our ears popped.

The view from up there was spectacular. After having seen Berlin from the bus, we now got a view from above. The sights looked so different from there. Ms. Alexander however did spot the statues of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and so that's where we went next. After all, those two figured prominently in the video we were always watching in class. Naturally, we had to go and see them for ourselves. Or climb onto Karl Marx' lap. And shoulder. Great fun.

We took a tram back to the hotel and were all sad that our visit to Berlin was coming to an end already.

2. Tag in Berlin

After our day I asked the students to write two sentences:
Tim: I had my first Schnitzel. It was awsome. I saw lots of sights on both days --but I'm mostly glad to get off those wretched planes and get some sleep.
Elijah: Day 1: Where's our luggage? Day 2: After all that sightseeing, I'm so tired.
Andrew: Our luggage was missing. And then I got hussled by the beggars. We also get to visit Checkpoint Charlie.
Catriona: On my first two days in Germany we have had to run through an airport, got lost in Berlin, and ate Wiener Schnitzel. Gotta love Germany!
Zoie: Ok Day 1: Lost luggage, hot Paris airport, sweaty kids, walking everywhere. :-) Day 2: Checkpoint Charlie, hurt but ok ankle, pictures, shopping, I miss my parents, but loving Germany.
Jordan: Germany.... sooo exciting! We did everything there is to do in Berlin.... soo fun!
Morgan: Day 1: Lost luggage, checked out hotel, shopped, ate dinner, and was a little homesick. Day 2: Checkpoint Charlie, Holocaust Museum, shopping, Berlin wall... I love Germany. :-)
Liv: These first couple of days have been AMAZING! I can already tell this trip will be an incredible memory. Everything here is beautiful and I really love Berlin. The school was sooo different but the kids were a lot the same. So fun.... Can't wait!
Ava: So far I have really enjoyed Berlin. it is a really pretty city and the shopping is GREAT.
Hazel: On the first day it was not too good. The plane ride wasn't good + we lost our luggage. But today was fun. We got to sightsee and shop.
Dawit: This trip has been really great. I really didn't like the airport though because our luggage got lost. I like how much the culture and spirit this place has!
Kelly: Day 1 was hectic with lost luggage, long flights and running through French airport trying to make our flight. The homesickness is slowly fading and the things we have seen or learnt are amazing and/or breath-taking.

Our First Dinner

We had our first Dinner in the Western Part of Berlin.
It was called "Samowar"--The food was interesting....
Now we are all very tired and will go to bed soon since we start walking to the school at 8:30 in the morning.

Our way with the public bus to the center of the city

Many exciting things to be seen.
All the kids were taking pictures and more pictures.
We spend an hour at the Alexanderplatz and the Fernsehturm. They know now where to go grocery shopping tomorrow and buy other things.
MAny went sliding down the wings of the Fernsehturm.
We walked then to our hotel, where we got our rooms.
At 6:40 we took off to go to dinner. We used the S-BAhn and the bus again.

Wild Trip to Berlin

Wow--what a day and night--but the kids hung in there!!! and they followeded me nicely and fast through the chaos of Charles de Gaule Airport.

Our departure times were: originally: 5:50--then delayed due to fuel strike to 8:40 --then 9... 9:15... 10--and finally we took of at 10:50.( they said that an emergency light was not functioning properly.

The food that we finally got at midnight was very good. I had mashed potatoes with mushroom and sauce.... Malike had it too and he realized too late that he is alergic to mushrooms. Thankfully, Tim had his Benadryl pills on him.....so all was good and we did not have a swollen Malik. Everybody was passed out for three hours on the plane.
We did not really think that we would make our connecting flight--we got off the plane at 12:35 and I just took everybody and made them follow me as fast as they could--we were all sweating in the end---but we made our flight at 1:15...

We arrived on time at 2:55 in Berlin --but our luggage was not as fast as we were....so we needed to spend some time at the lost and found...They will deliver our luggage to the hotel. We all received an overnight kit.

Then we all went to get public transport tickets and off we went to the "Alexanderplatz".....

Visit to a Gymnasium in Berlin

One more additional highlight , I/my friend Kerstin you will meet could arrange.
We will visit theMax Planck Gymnasium in the middle of Berlin on Monday June 14th at 9a.m. The secretary of the school , Frau Klimm, was so nice to arrange for us to go into an actual classroom where "English" will be taught. So--brush up on your "English":-)
We will walk there on Monday along a famous street that was used for all the military parades when there was still EAST Germany.
Our sight seeing will start at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum at noon.


http://schule.mpg-berlin.de/

Go-- check it out!

Kiely's Party

We met from 6-9 pm. Everybody had a wonderful time and came well prepared with their presentations. Frau Alexander handed out 4 informative sheets. She will send out an e-mail with those attached soon.--in case you lost them:-)

Final Meeting June 6

Frau Alexanders Tochter mit Opossum und bester Freundin

Today is our final get together!!! You better take notes and listen:-)