Dönerstag

Today was our last 'Dönerstag' together! Every Thursday of our trip the kids went in the city to eat the Turkish specialty 'Döner'. It is very thinly sliced lamb, beef, or chicken in a toasted bread pocket. You can either choose sweet or spicy sauce and an assortment of vegetables. 

We say Dönerstag, because it sounds a lot like the German word for Thursday (Donnerstag). Therefore, we always had a good laugh and a nice lunch on Thursdays!

Aachen

Our last getaway trip as a group was last week Thursday. We traveled by train to Aachen. Aachen is famous for having a large technical University and also a beautiful Cathedral, where Charlemagne was crowned king. 

We had beautiful weather and enjoyed our trip. We had guided tours in the treasury and the cathedral. We saw the crowned jewels, a jeweled cross, and the marble casket, where he once laid, now on display. 

We also had the option of touring the city hall, visiting the technical university, and learning about the history of German newspaper in the newspaper museum. 

Aachen

Our last getaway trip as a group was last week Thursday. We traveled by train to Aachen. Aachen is famous for having a large technical University and also a beautiful Cathedral, where Charlemagne was crowned king. 

We had beautiful weather and enjoyed our trip. We had guided tours in the treasury and the cathedral. We saw the crowned jewels, a jeweled cross, and the marble casket, where he once laid, now on display. 

We also had the option of touring the city hall, visiting the technical university, and learning about the history of German newspaper in the newspaper museum. 

Düsseldorf Kirmisfest

On Tuesday, July 16th, instead of taking our usual bus to the city park in Krefeld for sport, we rode a tram to Düsseldorf for a special afternoon. We surprised the students with a trip to the city summer fair situated on the bank of the beautiful Rhein river. This festival is only in Düsseldorf for a limited time, so we made sure to use this opportunity before it would be gone. 

We had beautiful weather, but it was also extremely warm. We also reminded everyone about the importance of drinking enough water and applying sunscreen. Most of the students chose to try out a the rides and came back with big smiles!  

Lebkuchenherzl ❤❤❤

Achterbahn = Roller Coaster

Riesenrad = Ferris Wheel

Teachers can have fun too, can't they?

Cooking Lessons

 Some of our students were willing to share their cooking experiences with their host families.  They were assigned to either share their favorite recipe with their host or cook their hosts´ favorite together.  The goal was to share cultural ideas and experience food together.

I´m still waiting for a few more photos (and explanations of what they cooked!) :)

Annie Furtner and Sydney Worthington shared their final products with me - Kartoffel Auflauf and Tirimisu.

Elizabeth Grooms baked chocolate and peanut Broetchen with her host sister.

 Pudding - from Connor Basch.

 Deutscher Bunter Salat - from Beth Werner.

10. 07 - Köln

Hello Family and Friends,

On 10. July we took a day trip to Cologne and had a great day! Our schedule was pretty full and we were able to see a lot of the city.  We also had much better weather (our first 2 days in Berlin were pretty cold).

We met at the Krefeld train station at 9:15 and then took a direct train to the Cologne station.  The ride only took about 45 minutes.  The kids were so busy chatting and laughing with one another that they didn't even realize how much their German skills had grown over the past few weeks! Everyone was energetic and the mood was very happy in general.  (Maybe just because we didn't have classes!)

When we arrived the Cologne cathedral loomed above us in its gothic glory.  We had some free time to take pictures and explore a little before our city tour began.  We were then split into two groups and had a tour in the cathedral and then a walking tour around the city.  We learned about the history of the cathedral, the earlier Roman residents of Cologne, and the beloved Karneval celebration.  The tour was very well done and very informative.  Next, the kids had the option to climb up the 533 steps to the top of the cathedral.  Thankfully no one had fear of small spaces, because it gets pretty tight in the tiny winding stairwell during high tourist season.  But, once we got to the top, the view was immaculate! It was worth the sweat to get to the top!

The Rhein river awaited us next! We walked about 15 minutes alongside the river to our destination: The Lindt Chocolate Museum!  This museum was very interactive, smelled, and TASTED great! Many of the kids said they felt like they were in a modern Willy Wonka factory! (only not as colorful)  The museum overlooks the Rhein and has 3 levels of chocolate fun.  The history of chocolate in cultures, chocolate advertisements through the years, and you can watch every step in the assembly line where each chocolate is wrapped by machines automatically.  Lots of our kids also chose to create their own chocolate bar by mixing wild flavors and ingredients together.  For example: Hot pepper, coffee, and strawberry! haha

4. July

Happy 4th everyone! The Krefeld IUHPFL group had a wonderful holiday and we are sending you all of our best wishes!

Our holiday started with a tour of Burg Linn. This castle is on the outskirts of Krefeld and we were all able to explore this medieval fortress as a group!  Many kids climbed up the tower, discovered many different rooms, and discussed the history of German life.  

Later all families and friends of the program were invited back to Burg Linn to celebrate our country's birthday! Every family brought a dish to share. We even sang our National Anthem for all! Many kids played American football and had the chance to share American traditions and culture with their host families.