We arrived in Germany after an exciting coach journey, passing through France and Belgium.  We arrived at the youth hostel which was extremely modern and had a hotel feel.  The rooms were a decent size with comfy beds and the best shower ever!  On the first night we walked into Cologne, past the Cathedral and into the markets.  The markets had a very festive feel and they sold lovely trinkets and many German confectionaries.  I bought two hand crafted Christmas decorations which were very lovely.  The second day was very action packed.  We started off by climbing the famous Cathedral, which was very tiring but worth the view.  We were then given some free time shopping around Cologne and time to explore.  The city is very modern and has fantastic shops.  The ‘Kaufhof’ is the biggest department store I have ever seen, with the best make-up counter in the world.  After that, we had the benefit of visiting the Lindt factory.  We got to see how their chocolate was made and learn about the history of chocolate.  Later that night, we went ice-skating.  It was a really fun evening and managed to tire everybody out. 

 

On our final day, we visited a fairytale themed market which sold tools made of chocolate.  The grottos were decorated beautifully and had many wonderful things to buy.  On the way back, we managed to watch the whole first series of Gavin and Stacey which made the trip home much better.  Overall, the experience was fantastic and I learned about German as a country too.  I was able to apply my German when I needed to buy things and managed to cold conversations.  It was the best trip I have been on and I would love to go again!

Beth F – Year 11 – S09 

 

This is a trip I would recommend any German student should go on.  It is a brilliant opportunity to experience different cultures, new food and free-time with your mates! 

James M – Year 11 – D03  

 

December 2013