Germany - Day 3

I don't think I've talked about how hot it's been here in Europe! Hot and humid...probably in the mid 90's...and high humidity...and NO airconditioning...none...nada...except on the coach. I need to say to those parents and family reading, that it's been amazing that the delegates have not complained about the heat. I know they're hot, but they're not complaining.

Jeanette and Bjorn told us that most people in Europe don't have air conditioning because it's just way too expensive. Spain and Italy have it because they have so much more heat and for a longer period of time...but the rest of Europe, no. Jeanette was telling us how many Europeans know it's not good for the environment...so that's another reason not to have air conditioning...

Anyway, today was a reprieve...we went to a large park and pool at 10 a.m....and swam until 12:15 p.m. There was a big water slide that many of us enjoyed too.

Kaylin (from the Texas part of the delegation) and Camille

Some played volleyball in the sand...it was a very relaxed morning.
After swimming, each delegate was given 6 euro... We drove back into the town of Heidelberg, divided the delegation into groups of 4, gave them each a map and a quiz...and they went together to find the answers to all the questions...and to buy themselves lunch with their 6 euros. They had about 2 hours... Heidelberg

The winner was announced on the bus after Jeanette graded them... and our winning group received a gummy bear pizza! It was so cute...and I think they pretty much shared the glory with the rest of the delegation!

Back on the coach ... and we were on our way to meet the families to start our home stay. We
arrived...the delegates met their new families...and they were off! We actually had to drive another hour or so to drop some of the delegates off. They're situated in 2 different towns...but Jeanette was told there was only one meeting point...not correct... so we drove the rest of them to the next meeting spot. Gwen and Karen are in the town with the first drop-off of the delegation...and Steve and I (along with Jeanette and Bjorn) are here with the last group. We're staying in hotels...which was a little disappointing to me at first. But this hotel is wonderful...and we just got back from walking into town for dinner...

So, this is night #1 out of 3 for the home stay... The home stay is usually the favorite part of this P2P experience!

Germany - Day 2

The delegates cheered last night when we told them that wake up would be at 8 a.m. and breakfast at 9...leaving at 10 a.m.

So after our late breakfast, Bjorn drove us further into town and we took a walk around the town of Koblenz.I had never even heard of this place, but it's fascinating. It's over 2000 years old! It was founded by the Romans...and one reason it's always been so important is the fact that the junction of the Rhine and the Mosel Rivers is here.
We had a little trouble finding Bjorn after our walk...it's a difficult city to find bus parking, so by the time we found him...and drove to the town of Boppard, we missed our cruise boat. Jeanette had called to say we were running about 5 minutes late...but the people were not in Boppard ....and they didn't call the boat to tell them to wait...so the boat took off. No problem for our Jeanette! She kept talking...and a lady from the boat company got on our coach with us, and we went down the road...the boat re-docked...and we got on! We missed about 5 minutes of the boat ride but the story behind it is much better than the 5 minutes!

We had a delicious lunch on the boat...then most of us went outside to enjoy the scenery along the Rhine River!
We docked in Oberwesel

...and Bjorn met us...and on we went to Heidelberg...a fairy tale looking city. It's so quaint...so picturesque! We went to the great Castle of Heidelberg and had a tour. It is beautiful...but it was also so incredibly hot. Ask your son/daughter about the wine barrel... Oh my gosh! There are wine barrels...and then there are wine barrels... it was enormous!

We went into the town for dinner...had a regional dish called Flammkuchen...which is a very thin crust pizza...it was so good!
And then we arrived at the hotel...and zonked out....

Germany - Day 1

Today was a day of travel...

We left Amsterdam...and made our first stop in Germany in the town of Cologne...or Koln as they call it here. Our first stop was The Dom (The Dome) which is an enormous gothic cathedral. It looks so much like Notre Dame in Paris, but it's darker - much of the stone actually looks black. It's also larger. When it was built...can't remember when...17??...it was the largest cathedral...tallest building in the world!

The Dome...
Looking down the main part of the Cathedral

After looking at it from the outside...going through the inside and listening to some of the mid-day mass...and not understanding a word of it...taking a few photos...then coming back out and taking some photos with some of the street performers (Charlie Chan was there...along with Elvis...and some other characters), we headed to the Hard Rock Cafe. The delegates were SO EXCITED when Janette announced that's where we were going. Camille, Charlie Chan, and Tom

Kayla, Charlie, and Hannah

Michael runs away from Michael Jackson...

Michael Jackson and Camille


Cheeseburgers/hamburgers..oh, they tasted so good! We're used to fries...fritas...because that's a Belgium food and we had fritas several times in Belgium. The Hard Rock cafe did NOT serve them with mayonnaise!

After lunch, we divided into two groups...those that wanted to climb The Dom's Belfry and those that wanted to get a jumpstart on shopping. 23 of us took the climb...with a bonus at the top....

Cori, Chad, and Danielle on their way to the top!Checking out the view from the top of The DomeGenevieve, Rae, Allison, and Sebastian checking out the view

Peter...or Fat Peter, the bell in the belfry of The Dome

"Peter"...or more commonly known as "Fat Peter" is at the top. "Peter" is the bell... and he is indeed fat...or robust...or in other words, he's a big bell! Our own Peter...he also made the climb to the top to see his namesake. It was worth it...

Just for your information...it was 533 steps to the top...and 533 steps back down...

I rested with a iced coffee from Starbucks after I came down...

It didn't take that long to go up, look around, take some photos, and come back down...so the 23 of us had lots of time to still do some shopping...or drink some iced coffee...or whatever...

Back in the coach we went...and came to our next stop in Germany...Koblenz. Dinner was pretty good...beef stroganoff...

In the restaurant for dinner...

We walked along the Rhine River a little before heading back to the coach. Bjorn, our great coach driver, pointed out these little plaques on one of the homes facing the river...little plaques that were taller than him (he's about 5' 10")Bjorn standing in front of the high water marks

and they were high water marks from when the Rhine has really flooded...

Back at the hotel, the hotel manager tried to give Bjorn a smoking room...It was great to watch this older German lady meet our 23 year old fireball delegation manager, Jeanette. They were talking in a very heated, very fast, German exchange of words...

Jeanette won....Bjorn got a no-smoking room that hadn't existed 5 minutes earlier!

So here we are...my first time in Germany...and tomorrow: a cruise on the Rhine River...and I can't even remember what else right now...