From Place to Place

Time has gone by so quickly and we're already half way through the trip. We've been to Berlin, Hamburg, Köln and now Achern traveling from the East to West and now North to South. Traveling by train is a breeze in Europe and luckily we have a wonderful group leader who plans the routes for us and makes sure we are always on the correct train-car. The ride from Altenburg to Berlin was went by in just a few hours and we found ourselves in the middle of one of the most exciting cities in the world. The day we arrived we barely had time to settle in to our rooms at the hostel before traveling to the Tiergarten in preparation for the game that evening. It was Germany vs. Ghana and everyone in the area was gathering on the Fan-mile for the momentous event. We got there 2 hours before the game just to make sure we got a good spot and it definitely paid off. As you can see in the picture I took we were right in front of one of the big screens and even had a place on an island in the middle of the blocked-off road so that we were a little bit taller than the people in front of us. We were lucky to have such a good view of the game. Along with 500,000 fans we screamed and cheered "Tooooooor!!!", jumping up and down when number 8 Özil scored the winning goal. The atmosphere was unparalleled and the experience brought us all closer together. Literally. It was hot, sweaty and loud, but Germany won and thats all that mattered. One step closer to winning the Soccer World Cup in South Africa.

The next day we all got up at the ripe hour of 8 a.m. for a tour of the city led by Mr. Körner himself. First the Brandenburg gate and group photo in front of the famous monument, then a short walk to the German parliament building known as the Bundestag. One thing I learned while waiting on the giant steps for our tour: it is the most visited government building in the world! The giant glass dome rising out of the outer stone structure is amazing to behold and we got to walk all the way up too the top along the inside of the glass. Waving German flags outline the skyline of Berlin and it is possible to easily recognize such structures as the giant tv tower and the Center of Cultures also known as the pregnant oyster because of its odd shape. We also saw the official residence of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel; a massive, modern creation made from steel and glass located on the banks of the Spree river. After a day of touring and shopping we headed back in the direction of the hostel and enjoyed a delicious italian meal at a nearby restaurant. Then it was off to the Qdam to experience some of the Berlin nightlife. Techno and flashing lights lured many of us to the dance floor while those who were too tired to join simply enjoyed the general surroundings of excitement and music. The following day we took a day trip to Potsdam while most of the group visited the concentration camp Sachsenhausen. I went with a small group to take a stroll through the magnificent gardens and palaces of Sans Souci while the others got a taste of what life and death was like for those who suffered under the Nazi regime. Maybe one of the other students will elaborate more on that subject.

Next we travelled on to Hamburg where we received a warm welcome from new host families in the nearby city of Reinbeck. We visited the school there and spent most of the time with our hosts, making each students experience in Hamburg unique. One thing I know we all did: everyone watched the soccer game of Germany against England. Wherever we were we all watched the Germans dominate with a score of 4:1 in one of the most exciting games I have seen in a long time. There were so many goals, so many controversies and such a well-played game by the team in white and black. As for me and my family, we took a boat-tour through the port in Hamburg. I've attached one of the photos I took from there.

Three days after arriving in Hamburg we moved on to Achern stopping in the city of Cologne (Köln) for 3 hours. Just long enough to see the famous dome which took over 800 years to construct. The two steeples of the dome, tower at an unbelievable height as you step out of the train station and look up at the intricate structure. The gothic architecture on the outside was an amazing sight to see and the inside equally incredible. The art, mosaic, statues and stained glass cover the walls, floor and ceiling make it almost impossible to take in ever detail; much less capture it in a few photographs. After the cathedral we got a quick bite to eat, retrieved our suitcases from the lockers and headed off to catch our train to Achern. It was a long day of travel and trains but when we finally arrived in Achern the wonderful families who recieved us made it all worth while.
Now each student is with their own host family from our partner school the Gymnasium Achern. I think we are all having a great time so far and I will be sure to post again as soon as I can. So far we have been to the Ulmer Brewery on a tour and have been giving our presentations at the school as well as attending various classes with our hosts. The best is yet to come: Be sure to watch the soccer game, Germany vs. Argentina on Saturday at 10 a.m. American time. We will all definitely be watching!!
Grüße,
Erika