Auf Wiedersehen, Deutschland!

Wow. Some how three weeks have passed and it's already time to say goodbye to nutella with every meal. Before reflecting on the whole trip, I'm sure everyone wants to know what we've been up to since Thursday.

Friday was an unplanned day, but a lot of us embarked on a journey to the Bodensee, the biggest lake in Germay, bordering Switzerland. Though it took three hours to get there, changing trains several times and sleeping throughout, the journey was well worth as we set our eyes upon the bright blue waters of the lake. As we arrived at the beach, more of a grass park as there is no sand, we staked out an area to spread our towels and relax. We enjoyed spending a few hours just hanging out, talking and soaking in the sun (it was about 90 degrees and full sun). After swimming, eating some ice cream, and playing life size chess, we headed back home. Others spent the day by going to an amusement park or even enjoying a baby shower.

Saturday was another unplanned day. I think it's safe to say that just about everyone enjoyed sleeping in before going out. A few of us headed in to Stuttgart for a few hours, shopping for scarves and ducking for cover from the rain. Others enjoyed a day in a town in France, some shopping in another town, and a classical music concert.

Today is also a mostly free day. Tonight we will have a grill party at the school, giving us one more chance to hang out and enjoy Germany.

So. Three weeks. I think I should start by thanking Frau Fraser for organizing an amazing trip, from day one to tomorrow. I don't know who else could have put together such a cool trip. Also, thanks to Mr. Meyer. We have all enjoyed extending junior year to get more time with him, and the time he has put in to making sure we are all okay is very appreciated.

Looking through pictures I couldn't believe everything we've done, from the frauenkirche to the Olympic Stadium, to Tübingen. Not only have we all had an incredible experience, for which we must thank you parents as well, but we have also gotten to know each other much better and grow closer as a class.

While we are happy to come home, we will definitely miss the beautiful country of Deutschland.

Well, it's lunch time, so I have to cut this a little short---One more day!!!!

Austin Bream

 Getting ready to eat!

Last chats

Goof Balls

The sunsets on our evening and our 3 weeks...It's been a wild ride!

As you all know, we have been with our host families since Thursday night. Although there were no more planned class trips, we continued to experience all Germany has to offer. 

On Friday many people went to the Bodensee. It´s the biggest lake in Germany and borders Switzerland, so many took a boat across the border. Others went to Strasbourg in France or to Europa Park (a popular amusement park). I went with a few others to Herr Herr´s wedding. We just dropped by to stay hello and congratulations during their champagne toast, which comes in between the ceremony and the reception. As we experienced this German tradition, it was clear that the weddings here can be very different than at home. The newlyweds got married in the town hall and had a full day ahead of them at a museum followed by a party, all after the champagne toast of course. After the various day trips, many Germans and Americans met up at night to play cards or watch a movie. 

More adventures were to come on Saturday. Some crossed the border to France or Switzerland, while others shopped in Stuttgart or experienced the view from the TV tower. I went to Essling, a quaint town about twenty minutes from Stuttgart. There were plenty of shops and cafés to keep us busy for a few hours. Saturday night many attended a small garden party while others met to play games or go to dinner. 

Today was our last planned activity, a farewell grill party at the school. Beforehand, some visited Stuttgart one last time or took a hike in the black forest. I saw the spectacular view from the TV tower near Stuttgart and headed home to prepare some food for the party. We met at around 6 and stayed for a few hours, eating and enjoying the company one last time. Tomorrow we will say one final goodbye to our new German friends at the airport. While we are all sad to leave, I think the majority of the Americans are ready to come home. We miss our friends and families at home, and will be seeing all of you tomorrow night! This trip has bonded our class closer than I ever imagined possible, and I am confident we will return to our Senior year not only as classmates, but close friends. We have learned and experienced a great deal during our time in Germany. Having experienced the German culture and speaking the language for the last three weeks, we will all return home brighter than before, some of us even inspired by this wonderful country. Each and every one of us is beyond grateful to Frau Fraser for making this trip possible, and to Mr. Meyer for coming along. They are both truly selfless for volunteering to practically live with 23 high school kids for three weeks. A big thank you also goes out to the parents for not only paying for the trip, but for allowing us to experience this rare opportunity. 


We will see you all tomorrow! - Molly Cunningham

Hi Heidelberg Hei

We began the day by singing happy birthday both in English and in German to the birthday boy, Rohan. We then boarded the bus for a two-hour ride to the city of Heidelberg. Most of us slept until we arrived at around 10 am. The class was given about 15 minutes to go grab some coffee or croissants from one of the cafés in the area. After getting some much needed caffeine, the class headed out on "Philosophenweg" or "Philosophers' Way" to walk the path the great philosophers of the town took when they were deep in thought. After a bit of a hike and some photo shoot breaks, we arrived at the top of the hill, where we had a wonderful view of the city. Next, the class split up a little to get lunch and explore the city. A group of us went to a café where many of us enjoyed enormous hamburgers. We then walked around the city a bit and went in some different stores before setting up camp at the park on the water. We spent about an hour there, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather. At 3 pm, the class met up again to take a short hike up to a castle. The view of the city was great, and the castle provided for some cool pictures. We took our final class photo together with a view of Heidelberg in the background, and then made our way back down to ground level to board the bus back to Filderstadt. We have family time for the rest of the trip, and I know everyone is looking forward to enjoying their last days in Germany. 

-Zoë

Last group picture (unless we do an airport shot)

The old bridge...and the curvy path on the right is the path up to the Philosophenweg

The teachers with the birthday boy

Heidelberg from the Philosophenweg

Mind-sweat

Tübingen & Rittersport MMM...Chocolate!

Today we went to tubingen, a beautiful college town not too far from filderstadt. When we arrived we quickly searched for breakfast and met up later for the first small adventure of the day. We split into two groups and took a pontoon tour of tubingen. We were able to see why tubingen is such a popular city: a great combination of historic and college atmospheres. 

Tübingen from the bridge (admittedly taken last time there)

On our Stocherkahn ride with the city in the background

Mr. Meyer steering the ship!

Tübingen from the castle's view

We spent the second half of our day at the Ritter Sport factory (located just 15 minutes away from Dietrich Boenhoeffer)! Now, Ritter Sport is my favorite chocolate, so this has been something I've been looking forward to the whole trip. We were first directed upstairs to watch a short video about the production of the chocolate, which featured the owner of Ritter Sport in what I can only hope was an outfit purposely modeled after Willy Wonka. (And, my word, the hair.) We were then given a complimentary chocolate bar and reccomended to take a stroll through a small exhibit about the history of the company. After we politely ignored this reccomendation, we made a beeline for the main attraction of visit: the outlet store. Stacks on stacks and literally sack fulls of chocolate for bargain prices. If you are hoping that your child did not go absolutely insane and buy five pounds of candy, then I have good news for most of you, but bad news for a select few (including my parents... sorry. Although I doubt this is a surprise.) Anywho... after buying our cumlative 16 kilograms of chocolate some people headed off to the cafe where I spied a few people purchasing what seemed to be a „frozen chocolate.“ While we waited for the group to rally I made my way over to the bus where I made friends with our very friendly coach bus driver for the day. While I didn't understand a lot of what he said, our friendship became close enough for him to offer me use of the bus's refrigerator, so that my six pounds of chocolate wouldn't melt. (Mom, Dad, I swear it's not all for me.) After this we made the brief return trip to school where we were picked up. As I write this many people are deciding what they are doing for the night. Among other things, I've heard about some attending a movie showing at an open air theater (Shawn, Frau Fraser) and classical music concert (Rohan, Tim). Nevertheless, despite having done a lot already today, in typical German style the evening has not even begun! - Faith

Mercedes/Stuttgart

Unless one’s host family brought them there in the free time, today
presented the first chance to explore the city of Stuttgart for most
Americans. Most students were dropped off at the school, though a few
walked. Either way, we met at the train station and rode the S-Bahn to
Stuttgart, and walked from there to the Mercedes Benz museum. Luckily,
we had a little time to spare before our tour began to drool over the
150,000 EURO’s (about $180,000) automobiles. At our own pace, we were
able to explore the relatively modern museum, which began with an
array of the company’s first products, including a horse drawn
carriage, a primitive flying machine, and a fire engine. As you
descended from the top floor, both the cars and the historical
information became more and more contemporary. I personally had the
luxury of exploring the exhibit with the knowledgeable Mr. Meyer, who
was able to contribute interesting tidbits of wisdom in addition to
the all-encompassing museum descriptions. Some made a stop in the gift
shop, and we were on our way. We rode the S-Bahn once again, this time
closer to the city center, and declared a meeting place. From there,
students were free to roam the city; eating, conducting research,
shopping, seeing the sites, and most especially, eating. Among the
landmarks of the city were a 197 meter TV tower, the first of its
kind, and a former imperial palace. Returning to the meeting place
around 4:15, some Americans’ host students had come to the city to
meet them, while others rode the train back to Filderstadt and were
promptly picked up by their interim families. From my understanding,
there were two main events that occurred in the night’s free time. One
group of kids (myself included) picnicked at the lake, where we swam,
played cards, ate (sausages mostly), and machte spaß. Another group,
from what I was told, had a group over to someone’s house and ate
fruit salad. I do miss fruit salad. And that was Tuesday. We are past
the two-thirds point! See everyone at home very soon –Declan

Monday (and before that)

We left Munich Saturday morning and arrived in Stuttgart in the afternoon.  Our hosts met us at the Filderstadt train station and we all went our separate ways to our new homes.  The rest of the day and weekend was devoted to family time.  Erika and I were warmly welcomed by our host Anna-Lena and her family.  I am definitely speaking more German here than I did in Leipzig, and glad to say that I can understand more as well (the accent is also a bit easier to understand here). 

After settling in on Saturday, our host family took us to a tractor event here in Filderstadt on Sunday.   It’s really nice that Stuttgart is close by, yet Filderstadt has a bit of the country aspect to it.  People brought their tractors and attempted to pull massive weights as far as they could.  Despite living in the Midwest, I have not been to such an event before so it was interesting to see.  Afterward, our host family took us to Ludwigsburg, where we visited the Ludwigsburg palace.  All in all, it was a pleasant weekend.

On Monday, the whole group met together again.  We toured Filderstadt’s school, which is one of the more modern high schools (or gymnasiums) in Germany.  Though smaller than GBS and GBN, it is really nice.  One of the most interesting features in the school is a futuristic clock in the center of it, which tells time with various colored stripes—though it’s difficult to read.  As we toured the school with Herr Herr (Mr. Mr), we saw some familiar faces of the exchange students that visited GBS last November. 

Next, Frau Fraser took us into Filderstadt where we had a scavenger hunt.  We all formed small groups and went from store to store asking for directions, what time the stores open, the names of places, etc.  In the meantime, many of us stopped by the bakery there and had various pastries.  Upon returning to the school, we visited Herr Herr’s 7^th grade English class.  They greeted us by reading all of our names in English.  Then it was their turn to do a mini scavenger hunt by asking us various questions in English about whether we like to do certain things or not (such as watch Glee, take hot baths in the summer, if we have a German last name, if we can sing a German song, etc.).  Then we played Ninja with the group, and let me tell you, some of them were really good!  J 

After having lunch, some of the group went home with their hosts, while others joined Herr Herr and his class for an ice cream trip.  That basically summed up Monday.  Afterward we all went home with our hosts.  Erika and I got to visit the Media tower in Stuttgart, and then spent time with our families.  Looking forward to the last week now! 

bikes, a lake, alpine slide and a castle

We left the hostel on the eve of this active and hectic day at about 8:30 a.m. with a train ride to Marienplatz and then a short walk to Mike's Bike Tours, the company with which we had booked a morning bike ride around Swan Lake and two castles, a hike/bus ride up to the Neuschwanstein caslte, and a guided tour of that castle. On the way to Neuschwanstein, we were briefed on the day's activities and then watched an informative video in which our tour guide, Brad, explained the history behind the castle, the construction of which began in 1869 following orders by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, but was ended in 1886 on account of his death.

About 15 minutes after arriving at the Mike's Bike Tours facility in Hohenschwangau, Brad and his girlfriend Meike fitted us to bikes for the bike tour. There were dark blue bikes for the boys and lime-green bikes for the girls, both sharing the wide, curved handlebars, long bike frame, and wheel covers characteristic of European transit bikes. There were also 'tall men's bikes' for Mr. Meyer and a few students, which resembled hybrid bikes.
We then took a scenic bike tour around the mountain, stopping to enjoy such nature as Swan Lake (which Brad joked was the lake that inspired the classical music piece bearing the same name). At the end of the bike tour, Brad let us ride as fast as we wished back to the bike storage facility at the foot of the mountain, which resulted in various experiences, ranging from an exhilarating race to an attempt to find the correct path back to the facility. This ride was followed by a fulfilling lunch (the highlight of which was the Apple Strudel dessert--which came with custard, whipped cream, and vanilla ice cream) and a very exciting optional toboggan ride. The view from the track of the mountain was gorgeous, and the ride itself was faster and more thrilling than the one we rode while in Leipzig. While some students rode a second time, Brad put on an exciting magic show in the nearby restaurant.

After lunch and the ride we took our bus about 5 minutes up the mountain, at which point we were offered two options: Get off the bus now and take a bus to the Neuschwanstein castle, or get off in a few minutes and hike to the castle. Everyone on our bus selected the hiking option.
The hiking was not difficult in the beginning, but rain began to fall soon after we set out, and increased in heaviness by the second. In spite of this hindrance, we enjoyed the scenery we passed during the hike, including a waterfall that in old times was part of a hydraulic system that ground materials into cement.
Two-thirds of the way into the hike we were shown the site of the most beautiful photo opportunity, a high bridge. Some hiked the whole way there, only to find the overlook hidden beneath a blanket of fog. As the rain was penetrating through raincoats and backpacks, we eagerly made our way to the castle.
Our guided tour of the Neuschwanstein castle was relatively short but nonetheless interesting. We visited roughly 6 of the castle's finished rooms, all of which were beautifully made. We learned that the King had built the castle with the desire to accommodate his longtime friend Richard Wagner there as a prized guest, but had only lived there for about 175 days before his death. The castle was opened to the public just 6 months later. While walking through the castle, where photographing was unfortunately prohibited, I was overwhelmed with the exquisiteness of its design, including the King's toilet, the seat and backrest of which were leather cushions. The castle also had a fully-functioning plumbing system that captured naturally-flowing cool water from the top of the mountain as tap water.

After our tour of the castle, we travelled back to Munich to have dinner. We ate at a 500-year-old restaurant where the waitresses--all older women--were fitted in Dirndl, a traditional Bavarian women's dress. The food received mixed responses, but we were all happy to have eaten.

Day of contrasts and perspective...

Yesterday was a very memorable day of our Germany trip. First off, it was the first time we were given the option to do our own laundry. For those of us who didn't want to do laundry, we slept in a little longer to brace ourself for the long day ahead. After meeting in the hostel lobby around 10:15, we departed for Dachau slightly behind schedule. Everything worked out for the better, though, because the former concentration camp was less crowded. We participated in a relatively new interactive tour designed for a large group of students. We congregated in small shed inside the camp, where our tour guide began by laying out photos taken of the camp during World War II. In groups of two, we picked a photo and shared to the rest of our Academy class why we picked it. The next activity involved us placing events from the 1930s and 1940s in chronological order. Following that we took a tour throughout the camp. While we had learned about many of the things we saw and heard, there was an eerie feeling that came along with the massive yet abandoned camp. The barracks were torn down, but the space they used to occupy was marked and filled with gravel. The watchtowers were reconstructed and some things were renovated, but other things, such as the gas chamber and crematorium, were mostly intact. Following Dachau, we traveled to the well-known Hofbrauhaus for dinner. People from around the world had journeyed here for the traditional German experience. A couple performers entertained us with German dancing and music while we ate delicious food and drank (pop/juice) out of massive 1-liter mugs. On our walk back to the tram, half of our adventurous Academy class sprinted through a fountain in the city of Munich. In retrospect, that was not the brightest idea. We came out of it soaked and freezing, but with a handful of memories. Exhausted, we returned to the hostel to rest for an early trip the next morning. - Rohan

memorial at Dachau

German band at dinner

The fountain sprinters

The highlights of yesterday were going to Dachau and seeing the Hofbräuhaus. As Frau told us that morning, it was strange going to a place as sad as Dachau and as much fun as the Hofbräuhaus in one day. Upon arriving at the concentration camp, we were stunned by how large it was. Our tour lasted for 3.5 hours, and was very informative. It was focused on the history surrounding the Holocaust. Visiting the barracks, seeing the fences and guard towers, and walking through the SS bunker was a solemn process, but we were deeply saddened as we passed through the gas chambers and saw the crematorium. We were all quiet for a long while afterwards, but we all agreed the experience was enriching and touching. After two hours of free time in Munich, we were in a better mood and were ready for a great dinner. The Hofbräuhaus was festive, crowded, and loud. Between the cheering and the band/performers, the atmosphere was great. The German food was outstanding, and the most impressive sight of the night was when our waiter brought 15liters of soda at once using only his hands. While it is hard to call it "fun" (because of the morning), we had a very good day in Germany. - Tim

on the way...

Sorry everyone.  It has been a full and very tiring day.  Everyone is happy and healthy but too exhausted to stay up to write the blog post.  We will be posting again tomorrow night.

Thanks for reading! Liebe Grüße aus München!

Munich Part Zwei

Today was a truly magnificent day. We started off with an included breakfast at the Hostel, including bread with various spreads, breakfast meats, cereals, fruit, yogurt, and several drink options. After getting our fill of the food we headed out of the Hostel at 9:30, and we proceeded onto München for the day.  At first we stayed together as a group, and Frau Fraser took us around the city, showing us everything any true traveler has got to see in Munich. We got off at the Haupt Bahnhof (the main train station) and made our way over to Marienplatz. Marienplatz is chalk full of notable sights, such as the Frauenkirche (different than the one we saw in Leipzig, but still very notable), a Viktualienmarkt (which is an outdoor farmers market type place), and a Jewish Synagoge/ Museum. From there were made our way over to the Rathaus, which had an awesome Glockenspiel show at 11:00 am. The building itself is quite stunning, much nicer than any town hall in Northbrook or Glenview. The show started off with a series of bells ringing, and then a minute or two later these figurines in the center of the building started to move around. The figurines were pretty cool, with things such as jousting men. From there we strolled over to the Odeanplatz, where we saw an old residential hall. This was a place where the past emperors and rulers lived, with their own church and garden included. Here, in the garden, we ended our group part of the tour and we had from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm to do as we pleased. There were a couple of different cool things to hit up, including the English Garden. A lot of us went over there to stroll about the garden, where we saw these Germans who surf on the river (which was so cool) as well as a Chinese Tower in the middle of the Garden. Some people took a tram over to the Bayern Munich football Stadium, which they said was awesome. Some other notable sites were the University, and the various sites that we saw earlier as a part of our class tour. It was a beautiful day throughout with clear skies, and some lovely 80-degree weather. At 4:00 we headed back to the Hostel, and then we got ready for our night! - Josh

Glockenspiel

surfer

After the two hour break we went to the Olympic stadium for a tour.  It's absolutely stunning and the tour was great. We got to see a film about the history of the stadium, sit in some of the seats, see the locker rooms, and go out onto the field.  The field was set up for a formula one race, but that didn't stop some of us from taking a  little victory lap.  After that we went back to the festival and split up for dinner.  Overall I have to say it was a good day.  - Brian

normal group

olympic poses

On to Munich!

This morning we all said a sad farewell to our wonderful Leipzig host families and boarded a tram, then a train, and were on our way to Munich.  The train ride lasted four and a half hours, but I spent most of the time snacking, writing in my journal, reading, and playing cards. Okay, I basically spent the entire time playing cards. My highlight was definitely beating Brian at Egyptian Rat Screw, which for parents who don't know, can be the longest card game ever. I also learned a new card game, "Lucky," from Shawn, which became rather addicting for our entire table. We also played Speed, BS, and several other card games.


After the train ride, we walked to our Youth Hostel, enjoying the sun and warm weather (warmer than Leipzig, but much cooler than Chicago!). After learning the rules, figuring out how to open the room doors, and getting settled into our rooms, we all went to a Festival for dinner and a little souvenir shopping. At around eight, we walked over to the Olympic Village (home of the 1974 Olympics, the last time Germany hosted the Olympics), which we will be touring tomorrow. We took an elevator up to the top of the Olympic Tower and watched the sunset.


Afterwards we went back to the Hostel, and a few of us went down to the Disco for some dancing. - Jordan

the group atop the hill

olympic tower in olympic park

The Group (except Kuba :( ) atop the tour with the stadium

If you look close, it spells Germany!

The festival we visited...from atop the tower!

Last day together

Today was wonderful. The weather was perfect. After arriving at the school at eight forty-five, we took a bus to Colditz. The bus ride was about an hour. 

Colditz was a castle that was later used as a place to keep prisoners of war and even mental patients. While on the tour we talked a little bit about the history of Colditz, but the focus of the tour was the escape attempts by prisoners of war. I think a class favorite was the one where a prisoner built "wings" and tried to fly off of the property. Another interesting attempt at escaping was when some French prisoners tried to dig their way out of Colditz. Sadly, they were caught a day away from finishing their tunnel and escaping.

Next we went on Sommerrodelbahn, which was kind of like a toboggan. Everyone had a ton of fun. There were almost a few accidents, but no serious damage. 

We then went on a tour of a castle, given by someone who dressed the part of someone from the twelfth century. The tour was in German, but with all her hand gestures, everyone was able to understand almost everything.

Tonight is our last night with the host families, so most kids are spending time with them. Tomorrow we have a five hour train ride to Munich, so everyone can catch up on their sleep.

Today was a very exciting day filled with many different  sights. First, we went to a small town named colditz. There, we saw a castle and had a tour. After that, we went to a town in the hills where we went tobbaggoning down on a metal chute. We had few rounds of that and were able to walk around the town. From there, we went to a castle called burg gnandstein. A lady, dressed in full costume from 800 years ago, gave us a tour of the whole palace. She was able to point out the differences between the castle in modern times and how it was back then. We got home in the late evening, and I spent the rest of my last night here with my host family having some nice family time. - Ali

Dresden

We had a lot of fun today even though the weather was not so great. It was cold and rainy all morning, but finally let up by the end of the day. Most of us took a bus to Dresden (about an hour and a half away) for the day. We were supposed to have a walking tour, but we had a bus tour instead because of the weather. From our windows, we saw most of the city. Dresden is a unique and very interesting city because the beautiful old architechture stands alongside the newer (and more uniform) houses from around the second world war. A lot of the city (sometimes entire neighborhoods) had to be rebuilt because of the bombings. Some buildings we saw included the Opera house, Rathaus (for politics) and other churches.

After the tour, we split up into smaller groups to eat lunch and go shopping. Many of us shopped in a large mall with a lot of stores (including supermarket type convient stores!) and great places to eat.

The highlight of the day was the Frauenkirche. It survived bombings in past wars and even bombs in WWII because of its high, domed top. What destroyed it was firebombs that got inside the church and burned everything. After some time, people in Dresden wanted it rebuilt because it was an important and beautiful community center. It was finally completed a few years ago and is amaying to go inside and look at. It's mostly light-colored (blue, pink, white) and is ornately decorated. We listened to audio tours and even got to see the church's basement, which was previously for graves.

For the weekend, we have time with our host families. The next time we will see the whole group is Monday. So far, everyone looks like they're having a great time!

-Cordelia Brand

We gathered at school around 7:45 waitng for a bus that would take us(Germans included) to Dresden. After picking up our tour guide, we were off!! As the driver passed varying landmarks, our tour guide discussed the history and importance of each site. Among the interesting thigns were the castles, the grape fields, the city's Rauthaus (city hall), and also a small market where vendors sold things from clothes to fruits.

 

The 2 main attractions of the day were the hygiene museum and the Frauenkirche. The hygiene was fullz of varying exhibitions and interactive games. We challenged each other to a game of wits, or lack of actually. With 2 people playing, this game would be won by the one who thought less. The thoughtless headed person had the ability to move a ball with thier mind. There were many other things to be done, but we left at 12:45 to head over to the Frauenkirche.

 

The Frauenkriche is a place of much significance in Dresden. It barely survived the bombings of WW2, but interestingly enough, parts of the old church were used in the new one. This church is trulz magnificent. It has such a holy environment with its white stoned structure and gold accents. With audio guides, we learned about the history and structure of the beautiful church. There were 2 rooms underground, one containing old documents and the other being a great hall. After finishing up with the Frauenkirche, we all went home and enjoyed the rest of the evening with our host brother or sister. - Nour

The whole group (minus some Germans) at the Frauenkirche in Dresden.

There was a hill...and I was already on the way down...and...

Ninja!

Thursday, 12.July

Today was our second day in Leipzig! We began the day with an informative bus tour of Leipzig. It was a great way to see the city and bond with the Germans as well as the other Academy students. We saw some great sites on the way to downtown, such as a huge monument commemorating Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig. The bus then took us to downtown Leipzig and gave us a nice overview of the history and the main attractions. We were then able to get off the bus and tour downtown Leipzig on our own. Many students visited the Stasi Museum as well as the Nikolaikirche (Leipzig's biggest church), St.Thomas Church and Bach Museum, Mädlerpassage (a sort of upscale indoor/outdoor shopping mall) and the Panorama Tower. The Panorama Tower was one of my favorites because we were able to go to the top of a high rise building and see breathtaking views of Leipzig. Other than sightseeing and shopping, students began to conduct some research in the city for the research projects. After a fun but tiring day downtown, we will spend the rest of the evening with our host families and get some rest! Tomorrow we will go to Dresden and I'm sure everyone is looking forward to this! - Nicole




Hallo! Today was a fun filled day in the city of Leipzig. We started off at around 8:30 at the school in Markkleeberg and then we head off on a nice, roughly two hour, bus tour of Leipzig.  The tour was very interesting and it took us to all sorts of places in Leipzig such as the zoo, some historic churches, and the city hall, to name a few.  We stepped off the bus at a monument to take some pictures.  The monument was in memory of the battle that took place against Napoleon and Leipzig was one of the first cities to defeat Napoleon.  After the bus tour we went to the Stazi museum where we had a museum employee give us a tour of the back parts.  She showed us many of the files that the Stazi had of the people in Leipzig and it was very interesting to see thousands of file of people who used to live in Leipzig.  After the Stazi museum we went our separate ways, but a big group went to get lunch at Vapiano which is a nice Italian restaurant that served pizza, salad, and pasta.  It was a cafeteria-esk style where we were given a card upon entrance and then we we ordered our food our card was swiped and when we left the restaurant we gave the card to the cashier.  After our fulfilling lunch we split up with our research partners and walked around Leipzig handing out surveys and talking to random German people which was very entertaining.  We did this quite a while, walking through streets, going into malls, and even talking to people eating at little cafes.  After this we met back up with our German partners and walked around for a little and then went home and had some delicious dinner.  Others may have had dinner in Leipzig.  Then after dinner we went back out to Leipzig and walked around during the night life which was equally interesting and entertaining as during the day.  Today was an awesome day where we learned about Leipzig and got to hands on see what life really is like.  I can't wait for tomorrow!

-Ryan

Wednesday 11.July

Hallo! Today was a very long, yet fulfilling day for the American
participants. After a long day of travel, we all woke up around 6:30
to head off to school with our hosts, whom we shadowed throughout the
day. Unlike GBS, the German school ends at 1:00. Some students went to
French classes, while others enjoyed Math, German, Chemistry, Music,
and Latin. After school, most students returned home for about an
hour. At 2:30, we returned to school, this time only meeting there
briefly before kayaking for just under two hours. Some chose to make
this a competitive activity, while others enjoyed it in a leisurely
way. Luckily, only two boats were tipped. Returning to the land, some
students participated in a basketball game with the Germans, while
others began to enjoy the spoils of the "Grillparty" or barbecue.
The food was great, featuring bratwurst and pork, as well as a variety
of salads, along with some fruits and vegetables. Following dinner,
many Americans played a game of soccer with the German students, while
the less "football" inclined (like myself) just enjoyed each others
company. Some Americans followed their hosts to the nearby beach,
where they had a lovely evening, while others returned home to spend
time with their host families. Overall this was an incredibly
enjoyable and educational day, and I look forward to many more to
come. - Declan

Today was our first full day in Leipzig! A busy and fun day began with our visit to the school of our exchange partners. While many of us rode in the car with our partners, myself included, several of us rode bikes with our partners to school where classes began at 7:30, an early rise. The headmaster of the school welcomed us to the school and we spent our day with our partners, sitting in their classes and enjoying the different classroom settings. At 2:30 we met at the lake behind the school, where we prepared for canoeing! I cannot tell you for how long we were out canoeing for time simply ran by as we glided in the lake, down a path for such canoers and kayakers, into another lake, and returned a little wet, and a little tired for the most part. Games of basketball with some of us guys, a few of our partners, and solid minutes from none other than our star player Mr. Meyer. After, we enjoyed a tasty barbeque with pasta, salad, and other delicious dishes, as well as a small game of soccer with our partners. Some of us and our partners made plans to go to the beach, while some of us returned home to our families. It was another fun-filled day and we look forward to the days ahead! -Shawn

Today we arrived in Deutschland!!! We all arrived safe and sound. After an 8 hour flight to Düsseldorf on which we had trouble sleeping, and the tiring journey that continued to our final destination, we are all tired. We are happy to be going to bed tonight. But even though we are all physically tired, it does not mean we lack energy to experience the future ahead. In fact, we are all full of energy! After finally arriving to Leipzig we were all taken to our respective host families. There we were easily accepted into the family and we all fit in very nicely. What many of us thought would be awkward at first soon turned into a pleasing experience. We are speaking in german to our host families and surprisingly we know more than we think. Frau Fraser has prepared us well. I firmly cannot wait for the next 3 weeks that lay ahead. This truly will be a blast. -KUBA