German Exchange 2018

Today was our first free day to spend time with our exchange partner and their family, so some of them planned a day trip to Strasbourg, France. We arrived early in the morning and had the whole day to explore and and experience the french culture. We met outside the Cathédrale Notre Dame before touring the beautiful city.  Some people went on a boat tour while others stayed back to walk along the streets and go shopping. Everyone enjoyed the bakeries and eating the fresh croissants, baguettes, and macaroons that France is so well known for. It was amazing to experience yet another new culture in only one day! Here are also a couple of pictures of the vineyards, which are directly on the edges of Stuttgart:

Yesterday we all attended school in the morning and then headed for the pool. Next to the school there is a big swimming complex where we all enjoyed a few hours in the sun. After the pool, our group took the train to the TV tower. We took the elevator up to the viewing platform and spent some time just taking in the view. At 150 meters, the platform was very, very windy, as you can see if you look at the hair in the attempted group photo! Once we finished our visit we all headed for ice cream. Fortunately, we found a place which also had a very beautiful view of the city! Then we headed back to the school and met our partners, saying goodbye for the evening. Today our group left early to visit Ludwigsburg Castle. We took a train from the school and then walked through Ludwigsburg to the castle. We had a lovely tour of the inside and then took a few hours to wander through the gardens. The castle grounds have a special garden which is called the Fairy tale garden. Here, there are man...

Today we went to school in the morning, yet again. We met for a short homeroom after the first two blocks and then headed to the downtown. Our first stop was the city hall (Rathaus). Here, we met another group of American exchange students from Missouri and got a welcome from a staff member. The highlight was definitely the continuous, doorless elevator. Hopefully you can see from the pictures how it works! After our welcome we were lead on a tour of downtown Stuttgart. We heard the history of many old buildings and saw wonderful gardens/parks. When the tour was over we had time to walk around the shopping street that has been designated to pedestrians. That was the last of our planned activities for the day, but many students met up with their partners and went to the pool...as it is getting very hot here! A few others went to the RitterSport factory to make their own chocolate:)

Today we all attended class with our partners for the first two blocks in the school day. We then got the group together for a welcome from the Headmaster and a group photo with the American and German students - posted below. Our group from BBA came together for homeroom, where many of us walked into Untertürkheim for food. After homeroom we got a tour of the Wirtemburg Gymnasium from some of our partners. In the afternoon, we went to the Wilhelma, which is known as one of the best zoos in Europe. The general consensus was that our group agreed - it was a great zoo!

Yesterday morning our group walked into town and toured the Romanticum Museum. We learned all about the history the the Upper Middle Rhein Valley and the resources it provides. It was an interactive experience which kept us all interested. After our visit we headed back to the hotel to get our luggage. Then, we hauled our bags to the train station to catch our train to Stuttgart. Once we arrived we ventured on the S-Bahn which took us to Untertürkheim where the school is. We were welcomed with a wonderful dinner with the exchange families...while watching soccer on the big screen of course. Today was our first day at school with our partners. We had homeroom together and then went back to class with our partners. It was a different and new experience for all of us. Many of us walked in to Untertürkheim for lunch during the break, which is what many students do daily. This afternoon we walked to the Mercedes Benz Arena and got a tour. We got to see inside locker rooms and press room...

Yesterday evening our group took a gondola over the Rhein river. We walked to a viewing tower on the other side and looked out over the city. We took the gondola back over the river, and walked into town for dinner. It was an early night for everyone, as we had all been awake for around 30 hours straight. Today we took a boat down the Rhein to Braubach. We went on a tour of the Marksburg castle, the highest point along the Rhein which hasn't been destroyed. After our tour we ate lunch in the castle and walked back down into town. We made our way back through the little streets of Braubach to the river where we met our boat. Back in Koblenz we came upon a small electronic music festival where we found dinner and a live soccer game. After watching the game on a big screen tv we walked back to our hotel. Tomorrow we head to Stuttgart!

We arrived in Koblenz and made our way to the hotel. After dropping our luggage, we went on a walking tour, starting at the Residenz Schloss (Residential Palace) - group picture above.