Travels to Frankfurt

A couple days ago the group made a plan of visiting Frankfurt. We left early in the morning and were able to get there within an hour and a half by train. My group took a little break in a cafe in the mall for a quick cup of hot chocolate and bread. We shopped the mall for a few hours, then went outside and shopped at the stores around the main strip. We had the chance to see some really talented guys breakdancing and making a show in the square. At the end of the day, we were all tired and happy with our experience in Frankfurt. -Nicole Nath

Buchenwald Concentration Camp

The Buchenwald Concentration Camp was one of the most interesting but the sadest thing I have ever experienced. It was so devastating as to how cruel the Nazis were to all the inmates and prisoners in the camp whether they were dead or not. Being able to see how things were in the camp was very hard to take in but it was a lesson learned to never let it happen again.

Wiesbaden

On Saturday all the American students along with our hosts took a train to Wiesbaden, the capital of Hessen. When we got there we took a tour of the building where the parliament works. The building used to be the Duke's palace. We saw the old rooms of the Duke's home and then saw the modern offices of the parliament. The tour guide explained how the government system worked and the changes made after WWII. He also showed us where each group of the paliamentary system sits in the meeting room, and told us the views each group holds politically. I thought the tour was really interesting and I liked seeing the old rooms and decorations. After the tour we had time to walk around and look at the little shops. We went to see the largest Kucoo clock in the world. We also saw the city hall and a very big church right next to it. The architecture in the city was beautiful! The trip was a lot of fun but the only downfall of the day is it was cold and rainy all day.

--Mikayla Ness

 

On Saturday all the American students along with our hosts took a train to Wiesbaden, the capital of Hessen. When we got there we took a tour of the building where the parliament works. The building used to be the Duke's palace. We saw the old rooms of the Duke's home and then saw the modern offices of the parliament. The tour guide explained how the government system worked and the changes made after WWII. He also showed us where each group of the paliamentary system sits in the meeting room, and told us the views each group holds politically. I thought the tour was really interesting and I liked seeing the old rooms and decorations. After the tour we had time to walk around and look at the little shops. We went to see the largest Kucoo clock in the world. We also saw the city hall and a very big church right next to it. The architecture in the city was beautiful! The trip was a lot of fun but the only downfall of the day is it was cold and rainy all day.

--Mikayla Ness

Good morning

It's a big change having to wake up at 5 in the morning to catch a train to school. I have never really been on a train but its an easy and cool way to get to places you need to go and it only takes 15 mins. it is always there at exactly 6:36am every morning. So I have to wake up at five and every morning we have breakfast wich is alway good, after all we are in Germany. A typical breakfast includes fresh bread, cheese, and sausage.

Emma Kwasky

Free Day with the Family

Yesterday was our first free day since we have arrived. My host family and Mikayla's host family took an hour drive to Edersee. We went to Wildtier Park and saw all the animals. There were hogs, fallow deer, birds, otters, etc. Here we also watched a bird show. The birds were very well trained. It was scary though because the birds flew so low. One almost took off my head! After the show, we drove up to a castle built in the 1600s. The castle was so grand and beautiful. Plus, the view was great! From there we went to a dam. They call it a wall. I learned about how the dam was bombed by the English during WWII and how devasting it was to the small villages downstream. The dam is a huge energy source here. They have A LOT of solar panels in Germany that they use for energy also. I love seeing new things with my host family!

Amanda Adler

The first week By: Megan Kearney

We have been in Germany for a week now and it has been great! We have gone to a lot of amazing places and seen a lot of great things. My favorite place that we have gone so far was in Kassel when we visited Hercules Fountain. The view from the top of the fountain was breathtaking. I had so much fun walking around the park taking pictures with my friends. We have also toured the city of Treysa and seen a lot of historic places and heard a lot of great stories about their history. Last Saturday we went to Wisbaden and toured their Parliament building. It was so beautiful how it was decorated, so old fashioned! We then had time to walk around the city and visit the stores and eat some great food! It has been a great experience so far and I am having a blast! So excited to visit all the places left to come! :)

What a week! Today we slept in and laid around all day, recovering from all the walking, eating, sightseeing, and laughs from the first week. Sounds rough huh? Seeing the water rush down from Hercules at the top of the hill in Kassel was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Things are going great here in the village of Obergrenzebach. Can't wait for week 2!

-Jordan Shea

Transportation:

The transportation in Europe is much different than it is in America. Before I came to Germany I had never been on a train and I realized they are much easier than driving by car, especially in bigger cities. I am so used to getting in a car and driving myself places, but here kids can not drive themselves until they are 18 so its a huge difference. Overall I have learned that the transportation here saves alot of gas money and is convienent to those who can not drive and also a help to those who can.

Lexi Jacobson

HANDBALL:

This weekend I attended a handhball game with my host family for the first time. It was a great experience because I have never seen a handball game in my life. Its very different from many sports in America and thats why I liked it so much. The game is like a combonation of my favorite sports, basketball and soccer so I enjoyed watching it. The fans were loud, crazy and supportive which is something I thought was cool. I would attend another handball game again if I had the oppertunity!


Lexi Jacobson

Adventures In the Area

       After settling in with my host family I have visited many cool attractions in the state of Hessen. On Wednesday we traveled to Kassel to see the Herules statue and the fountains. We got to see the last time they run the water down the hill this year. We  got lots of pictures of all the scenery! On Friday the group took the train to Frankfurt to go shopping. It was exciting to ride the train into the big train into the city. In Wisconsin we don't have trains everywhere like here in Germany. I wish we did because it is a very easy way to get around. Finally, on Saturday we went to the capital of Hessen, Wiesbaden. We toured the government buildings and explored the city. As you can see, we've visited many places in our first week here. However, there's still plenty to see!

-Nate

Germany So Far!!! By Nate Jelinek

        I´ve only been in Germany for a few days but I have had lots of fun! I´ve gone to neighboring towns, explored Treysa, and gone to school. I´m excited to go to Kassel today and soon I will be going to Frankfurt. Here´s some things that have been very different from America.

Light switches are buttons

Toilet flushes with button

Cars drive really fast!

Beverages aren´t cold

Food is very different (But good!)

 

Oktoberfest

On the first day, Saturday, I went to Charley's village's Oktoberfest. Her youth group worked and set up the event. All the girls (even the adults) were in traditional dresses. I wore a traditional dress also. The boys wore high waisted shorts, long socks, and blue or red plaid shirts. At the event there was food, drinks, and dancing. I learned how to do a traditional German dance also. The band was playing traditional folk music the whole time. At one point, there was a sing along, congo line, and group dance that I took part in. I had no idea what the lyrics were, but I just followed along and had a blast. It was a great way to kick off the trip!


Amanda Adler

Schule
 The first day of school was a very good experience. Their schooling has some similarities and some differences to our school in Lodi. It started off with my 45 minute bus ride to the school from Amy's Village. They have 45 minute classes and some free periods. Their classes are kind of like college classes because they don't always have a class for every period and if their teacher is sick, they don't have class. It was very interesting to see how they run classes compared to us. In class they just review their homework and take notes on their own. Students have different classes everyday and some have to stay at school until 5pm.


Holly