Friday, July 23, 2010

At the Foot of the Alps

The farewell at the train station in Achern was a tearful one. In just a few weeks we had already shared so many good times and finally begun to feel at home in the Black Forest. As sad as we were to leave, the train still left the station in the direction of Freiburg and Stegen where we would stay for the next 3 days. In Freiburg the group met some of the German students, took part in a scavenger hunt together and then went on to Stegen. There, the students of the deaf school were awaiting us with a cookout and dance party in the basement of one of their school buildings. Although all of the students are at least hard of hearing, they are taught to read lips in order to survive in the real world without sign-language. It's amazing that they can even understand English and have almost no problems speaking with foreign students. The reception in Stegen was a lot of fun. We danced for most of the evening and got to know quite a few of the students. The next day we got an early start with a short breakfast and then visited some classes with our presentations on different subjects in America. My sister and I talked about fashion and styles, while others described their school or typical day. Afterwards we split up into small groups and went to class with one or two of the German students. Just before lunch we had to say goodbye to our new friends from the boarding school, who go home every weekend to their families all over Germany.


After the students left us, we went for a ride around the countryside in a horse-drawn carriage. You can see a group picture we took in front of the horses above. The heat was barely tolerable but underneath the shade of the trees the view of the mountains and vinyards was beautiful. Later we had dinner in a questionably mexican restaurant (most of us had seafood pasta or giant burgers...at a mexican restaurant??) and spent our last night in Stegen chatting with two of the Germans who had stayed behind as our guides.

Early the next morning we enjoyed another delicious breakfast of German rolls and müsli before heading off to Garmisch-Partenkirchen; our final destination. The train ride to Garmisch has some of the most beautiful scenery in all of Germany. The route meanders through the mountains where countless castles and ruins are nestled among the evergreens. We were on castle-watch the whole way, in awe of each and everyone of these magnificent monuments.

Viele Grüße,
Erika

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