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. 

Berlin

Our trip to Berlin was mid week from Tuesday - Thursday.  (June 25-27) Things got going very early on Tuesday morning because we had to all meet at the train station at 5:30 am!  The kids were very sleepy but in good spirits! We had about a 7 hour long journey ahead of us.

We arrived to our hostel in the afternoon on Thursday and got settled into our rooms.  Most rooms were shared 4 girls or 4 boys to a room (each room also with a bathroom).  The hostel was actually in Potsdam and each morning we had breakfast and were able to make lunch packets (sandwiches, fruit, etc.) to take with us.  We had very clean and helpful accommodation!

The first night we split up into groups- One to the Holocaust memorial, one to Check Point Charlie, etc.  Later, we all met back up for the show that night: The Blue Man Group! The kids really enjoyed the interactive show! 

On Wednesday we had some free time at the Potsdam Residence - Schloss Sanssouci.  There was a beautiful garden and the kids enjoyed the NONrainy weather :).  Then, we had two hours in the Pergamon museum, which is a very special museum to Berlin.  Part of ancient Turkish marketplace and the Ishtar Gate replica can be seen here.  We ended our day with a visit to the Reichstag and the Parliament.  Here we had a special meeting with Krefeld's representative and then had a tour of the Reichstag.  The dome on top of the building might have been their favorite part.  You get quite the view of the city up there!

Our last day in Berlin was the most sunny (even though it was still cloudy!) and on this day we took a historical bike tour around the city and it was a blast!  We rode all around some of the most famous places where the Berlin wall once stood.  I think the kids really got a lot out of this tour!

Here is part of the group in front of the Brandenburg Gate on the first night.  Boy was it rainy!!!

Another photo of some students at the Holocaust memorial.

We were also able to visit Schloss Sanssouci in Potsdam on Wednesday Morning.

One museum that we all visited as a group was the Pergamon Museum in Berlin's famous "Museum Insel".

Bike tour!

We found some Russian spies! 

24.06

Today we participated in a theatre workshop after school. We sat in a big circle and had to imitate one another, play impromptu games, and use only German! (Or just our emotions!) :)

The students really enjoyed our host, who made sure everyone got a chance to be up and moving! Their energy lit up the room and was contagious!  Everyone is also invited back to the Kresch Theatre other evenings to see an upcoming production, if they wish. 

We leave for Berlin very early tomorrow morning. In fact, we have to be at the train station at 5:30am!!! But, we have a lot planned for this group and I know we will have a great time!

17.06

Greetings to all of our faithful readers,

Today was our second day with classes and we had an opportunity to really take in some German culture - Der Markt or the local farmers market.  We gave our students a scavenger hunt to discover names of new foods, weights and measurements, how to use their German to ask about prices, and how to work in teams.

I've attached some photos of a few groups and then a group picture on the bottom.

What was really the talk of the group today - Das Wetter.  Have you looked at a weather report for our area yet? VERY HOT!  It has been 92 degrees Fahrenheit at the highest today.  This is not what we were expecting! :)

We finished our scavenger hunt, had our classes, took an hour for lunch, and then took the bus a few stops to the city forest (park).  I think the kids really got a great 'sauna' experience when they stepped onto a crowded bus with no AC. :)  As soon as we exited the bus, the fresh air greeted us at the park and we were able to play soccer, go jogging, practice volleyball, etc.  We were drinking lots of water and sunscreen was also available.  We hope to have Sport 2x a week.  

Tomorrow the students will be going along with their host sibling(s) to school.  This is a fabulous opportunity to see German schools, whether they will be attending a Kindergarten or a Gymnasium (High School/College prep).  On Friday, we will be having a special breakfast with the Mayor of the town and the students will have the chance to ask the mayor any questions that they wish.