First Day in Germany

Getting off the plane in Munich we all quickly realized the air was quite a bit cooler than the hot humid climate we had left behind us in the United States. Walking down the tunnel to the German airport with carry-ons in hand we got ready to pass through Customs and into Germany. We had 2 hours in Munich until our connecting flight to Leipzig; just enough time to grab lunch and pass through the historic Brüderkirche (Brother Church). In Munich we always eat in the traditional German restaurant called Augustiner. There you can order anything from Maultaschen to Schnitzel to Weißwurst. The waiters always look like stereotypical Germans and although I have a feeling they can probably speak English they normally try to coax as much German out of the American students as they can. The food was delicious! The perfect place to get a taste of traditional German cuisine.

With only a little time left to explore the famous city we set out to see the Glockenspiel at the giant courthouse built in the gothic style. I've attached a photo of it to this blog. Just before 12 noon almost all the tourists in the city gather in Marienplatz, the huge courthouse square to hear the bells toll and see the glockenspiel in the tower. We were right on time but only had a few minutes to spare before catching a subway train back to the airport. There we continued on in a little Lufthansa jet headed for Leipzig. Not many of us remember this flight because we were already too tired to stay awake. But the day wasn't over. There was still a lot to see and do before arriving at our hosts houses and finally being able to go to bed.

The welcome in Altenburg was quite the reception. We arrived at the brewery very much underdressed as there was already a celebration underway hosted by one of the high schools of the area. They were celebrating their Abitur (graduation) in a way which in Germany is pretty much their equivalent to our prom. All the Germans were dressed in semi-formal and we walked in in our sweatshirts and jeans. It was still an enjoyable event. Most of us were too tired to care about what we looked like but the food was good and we recieived a warm welcome from our hosts after dinner.

As far as I've heard most everyone has been happy with their host families. This year our students are being hosted by students of the Realschule in Schmölln which lies just outside of Altenburg. Both cities are included in the state of Thüringen which covers roughly 6,000 square miles in the center of Germany. The other blog was right about us being in Thüringen but it describes the larger state not just a particular city. GAPP has never visited Schmölln before and the city hasn't ever hosted a group of American students but they really demonstrated a huge effort to make us feel welcome here. We've been treated to traditional meals of the area, taken on a tour of the city, been recieved by the mayor and other diginitaries of the region, as well as gone to the pool, mini-golfing and gone bowling with the German students. On Monday we also did a day-trip to Dresden which is relatively close to Altenburg. Dresden is known for its porcelain and for the Frauenkirche which has recently been restored after its destruction during WWII.

First, the Frauenkirche with a statue of Martin Luther.
Below it, a traditional German meal of Klöse, Rotkraut and Sauerbraten.

We've had a full schedule but I think our stay in Altenburg and Schmölln was very enjoyable.
Tomorrow we leave for Berlin!! It is one of the cultural capitals of the world as well as a historically rich city. Berlin has so many things to offer and always ends up being unforgettable! I can't wait. :)
Tschüss
Erika