The German Exchange: March 7th - 14th 2009
In October 2008, our German Exchange partners from Königswinter joined us in Healing. We had a great week with them, and some secure friendships were made. So when our turn came in March to visit them in Königswinter, we did so happily, in the knowledge that we would be meeting up with friends, getting to know their families and learning about their way of life.
Der Flug (Flight to Germany)
Bright and early (8 a.m. Saturday), Mrs Danielewski and Mrs Chacón-Tuke joined 14 excited Yr10 travellers at Humberside Airport, ready to spend the day travelling to Bonn. Our journey went very smoothly and it was only on our return that the Dutch were wondering whether to let us come back in, or not!! But that is another story…
We arrived safe and sound in Bonn at about 6 p.m. where we were met by the German host families. We then said our temporary goodbyes and went off to our German families’ homes.
Die Familien und das Essen (Families and food!)
Year 10 reported on a fun-filled first weekend, and many German specialities – such as “Waffeln mit Kirschen und Sahne” (waffles served with hot cherry sauce and whipped cream) had been sampled and found approval. It was clear to see that everyone was having great fun, enjoying their partners’ friendship and the families’ hospitality:
“When I arrived on the Saturday night, the family was really welcoming and offered me something to eat and drink. Then I was shown around their nice house and where I was going to be sleeping. There was always plenty of food and they made sure that I wasn’t ever hungry or thirsty. All the members of the family were friendly, and they were keen to improve their English! I fully enjoyed the visit and would love to go back soon.”
(Ellie Matters)
“If you are worried about the food you may eat whilst in Germany, don’t be! It’s great: mostly meats and all different sorts of other foods. Their bacon, ham and sausages are really good. The main sweets there are Haribo and there are different types that you don’t find here, and they are really cheap! The families never let you go hungry and are always checking that you are OK.”
(Tom Grimley-Barnes)
“My host family took me to the Königswinter Sea-life. It is beside the river Rhine and is a fairly new building. The main attraction within is the 360 degree underwater tunnel which allows visitors to walk through a fascinating ocean tank containing 600.000 litres of water. This tank goes below the floor level round and above your head, housing everything from dogfish to stingrays! All the tanks contained a wide variety of amazing underwater wildlife; the most memorable one for me is the ‘big bellied seahorse’ with its bright colours and unusual body shape.”
(Emily Simmons)
Das Siebengebirge Museum / Das Rathaus (The ‘Siebengebirge’ museum / Town Hall)
“All the German and English students met up at the museum where we were given facts and information about the area, which was built on seven mountains (hence the name ‘Siebengebirge’). We learnt about the different rock types, their uses and the heights of the mountains. We were also told about the rafts that were built to transport the stone down the Rhine and were shocked by their size and the number of people they could hold (500 men). The tour of this museum helped us to feel more comfortable in Germany as we felt that we knew more about our surroundings. This feeling was reinforced by the Mayor’s welcome immediately after the museum visit. He let us know of his desire for the Exchange to continue and made us feel really welcome. After his speech, we were given drinks, biscuits, sweets and chocolates, and were left to talk to one another. I really enjoyed the opportunity to exchange information with the other English students and to find out about what they had done in their families on the Sunday. It also gave me time to chat with the other German students who had become great friends of mine whilst in England, as I had not managed to talk to them at the airport.”
(Frances Smith)
The local press gave us an excellent, full colour write-up, and many of the host families attended the Reception, which gave a lovely, family feel to the occasion. Clearly, the Mayor of Königswinter and the participating families are very keen for our schools to strengthen our ties further and to continue with the Exchange for many years to come.
Feeling more settled into the German way of life, and pleased to have seen all of their English friends again, our pupils left the Town Hall looking forward to the planned events of the coming week – some cultural, some more sporting, but all great fun!
Die Schulen (schools)
We spent two mornings in the three German schools (“CJD”, “Gymnasium am Oelberg” and the “Realschule Oberpleis”), which proved an extremely interesting experience for our pupils: “I was amazed by the schools: they don’t wear a uniform and it is very laid back. They don’t eat in a dinner hall or canteen, as they eat their packed lunches at break (and even in the classrooms!). They go home at about 12:30. The schools are very large and you might think that it sounds really good to go home early, but you do have to get up much earlier – we had to wake up at about 6 o’clock and catch the bus, but it didn’t put any of us off – Germany is a beautiful place!”
(Megan Tutty)
“I went to the CJD Grammar School and found it very relaxed. It was very different from our schools.”
(Emily Johnson)
Der Zoo Our visit to the Zoo in Cologne was a great favourite, despite the rain!! “It was fun and exciting to be with both the English and German students because we all got on really well together. We learned the German names of all sorts of animals, including bears, monkeys and zebras.” (Aimee Rook)
“At the zoo, we were allowed to walk around in small groups of our choice. We saw all sorts of animals, including meerkats, camels and elephants. We were told that the elephant park is one of the biggest in Europe. The zoo was my favourite part of the week, and my favourite animal was a monkey that was right up against the glass. “
(Nikki Smith)
“Aimee Rook, Tom Hallam-Gravells, Megan Tutty,
Sam Biggs and Laura Ramsay enjoying the zoo!”
Der Kölner Dom
We travelled into Cologne by double-decker train and were very impressed by the speed and comfort! We then experienced the “U-Bahn” (Underground). Everyone attempted the strenuous climb to the top of the bell tower – and most made it to the top… “Cologne Cathedral was an impressive piece of architecture with lots of history behind it. When we first entered, it was amazing to see all the artwork, and the tour was really interesting. The climb to the top of the tower was tiring – hundreds of steps, but a great view!”
(Tom Hallam-Gravells)
“Precious artefacts and beautiful stained glass windows inside the Cathedral”
“I was amazed by all the gold and stone work. We climbed up the tower, which was massive – we were the first ones up! Afterwards, we had time to go shopping in groups. It was a fun, interesting day in Köln!”
Bowling… the traditional way!
This was a wonderful opportunity to meet up with all the German and English pupils and teachers to enjoy an evening of bowling together. This turned out to be a highly competitive event, and our pupils adapted to this different style of bowling very quickly. But most importantly, it was extremely gratifying to see how well our pupils were communicating and mixing in with their partners – a fine example of successful “Twinning”…
Marksburg “We travelled by private coach to our next destination and were able to enjoy the scenic countryside en route.“We had a guided tour around the Marksburg Castle, near Koblenz, and learnt a lot about the previous owners, their way of life and the methods of defence used when under attack. We were shown the torture chamber and the guide explained the different methods of torture and punishments (for overly talkative women, thieves, traitors, etc!) We also saw the changes in the different suits of armour worn by soldiers over hundreds of years.” (Katie Barker)
Once again, our pupils acquitted themselves admirably, and our guide was full of praise for their impeccable behaviour and manners.
“Attentive listeners!”
“Leaving the castle, and glad to not have to endure the hardships of times gone by…”
Deutsches Eck Here we able to savour the view of the river Rhine and Mosel at the very scenic spot where the two rivers meet. Although not raining, it was a still rather grey and dull, but we could just imagine how lovely it would be on a sunny day with an ice-cream from the cafés in the square.
Linz We sauntered around this beautiful little town and indulged in yet more delicious cakes and ice-creams, whilst wondering at the markings and plaques on the entrance gate walls, where the various high-water levels reached over the last decades has been recorded - many topping the 2 metre mark!
“Mrs Danielewski and Katie Barker enjoying the quaint surroundings”
Das Haus der Geschichte (History museum) / Bonn
Of course, we spent a day in Bonn, the former German capital, starting with a tour of the History Museum, which was particularly interesting for our Year 10 historians, as the events leading up to and following on from World War II were explained from the German perspective. Naturally, famous monuments could not be missed on our guided tour of Bonn.
“Monument to Beethoven in the Münsterplatz”
We took our final group photograph on the steps of the Town Hall in Bonn and even witnessed a wedding with some guests in full national costume!
“The Exchange partners line up one last time” “National costume”
Auf Wiedersehen! (“Until we meet again!”)
All good things must come to an end… and sadly, our next meeting point was at Bonn airport where we all had to say our goodbyes. A good sign of a trip having gone well is how many tears are shed, and we certainly witnessed plenty. On the other hand, plans for return visits were being made, and many of the German families expressed how delighted they had been to host our pupils, who had been courteous, helpful and very well behaved. Many remarked on how well they had fitted into their family way of life and were impressed by their efforts to communicate in German.
Hopefully our pupils will have established long lasting friendships, and will now be able to pass on their experiences to the current Year 9, who are already eagerly awaiting their opportunity to participate in the German Exchange 2010.
Yvonne Danielewski / Belinda Chacón-Tuke
22nd May 2009