50 posts later...

Welcome to post number 50 of my blog! I can't quite believe how many I've done! Here goes another one:


My week started as ever with an enjoyable lie in, before, since I was feeling particularly refreshed, I nipped out and did a little shopping before school. I once again visited the 'chicken man' (as I've come to call him) and purchased another half a rotisserie chicken. Once back at my flat, I just couldn't resist tucking into it, so I ended up having it as a tasty lunch before I left for school. At school it was my penultimate lesson with the Year 5 class. The class is split into two groups and I take the first group for the first hour and the second group for the second hour. The first group were really good, maybe the quietest they've ever been! However the second group proved a lot more louder. Maybe this was because it was the second hour and they were ready for home, or maybe they're just a louder group. I'm really not sure. But I am sure that, despite their friendly greetings whenever they see me and the funny questions that I often get asked, I am sort of looking forward to next week being the last lesson with them.

Before the lesson on Monday, I had a quick chat to the teacher who gave me an overview of what we would be covering the class. She gave me a book and told me which page to turn to and without thinking I turned straight to the page. It's really difficult to explain, but it felt as though I didn't even use my brain. Even after all this time in Germany, when someone says something to me in German I still have to think pretty hard in order for it to go in, but Monday was the first time I really noticed this difference. I don't really know how it happened, but it just did and afterwards, once I'd realised, it reassured me.

The weather this week has been lovely, with the mercury hitting a staggering 30 degrees during the week (Hotter than Spain, I'll have you know!). I enjoyed a little bike ride in the sun on Monday and I'm really enjoying being able to enjoy the sun from my balcony.

On Tuesday I did some conversational stuff with a Year 7 class and just spectated in another. Tuesday was also spent doing lots of administrative tasks, which I'm trying to do early rather than leave everything until the last week, which I know will be pretty hectic anyway. With another afternoon to kill and the sun blazing down, after I'd been back to the flat and changed into my shorts, I cycled to the 'Dultplatz' where the Regensburg fair is currently being held. It was nice wandering round in the afternoon sun and it was quiet since everyone else was still at work. I was impressed with the size of it and what it had to offer - a huge wheel, lots of rides, several large beer tents and the standard array of candied nut stands, bratwurst sellers and ice cream stalls. Due to our busy weekend plans Lois and I haven't had and won't have chance to visit, which is unfortunate, but as an official Regensburg citizen, I'm glad I can say that I've been. The sun was still shining after tea, so I went on a short walk. The smell of BBQ's filled the air and it made me jealous. I'm so excited to have a BBQ when I'm back at home!

The Regensburg Dult

The view over the River Danube is beautiful. It's something
which I've actually got used to and it's very easy not appreciate
things you see every day. That being said, I know I will miss
it once I've left and I'm making an effort to really enjoy things
like this in my final few weeks here.

In my first lesson on Wednesday I was asked if I could do a spontaneous presentation about Birmingham. I always like to have at least something prepared so I was little on edge, but it went really well. As a student there I was able to talk about the city enthusiastically and I think I sold it pretty well ;) I say this because after my presentation even I was excited to go (back) to Birmingham! As I exited the class, I was asked how old I was. "21" I replied. "I thought you were 16" said the boy. This isn't the first time this has happened, and I imagine it won't be the last. I was also surprised, and disappointed, to learn that one of the teachers has sensed a little competition between many of the Year 7 girls - they compete to sound as American as possible when speaking English. The influence of America on the English language really does grate on me, and I don't think you realise the effect it has until you come to somewhere where English is learnt as a second language. Why couldn't they be having a competition to sound as British as possible!? After my weekly conversation class with the trainee teachers, I saw that I had a whole 4 hours before I was needed again. With nothing to prepare, I went back to the flat and chilled. A few hours later, I left the flat again, bought some lunch in the city, sat out eating my tasty Leberkäse sandwich in the sun overlooking the Danube before proceeding onto school for my final lesson of the day. This was with a Year 8 class, and I had been asked to just do some fun speaking activities with them. I had found several in my huge collection of teaching material that has built up over the past 9 months and the class went well. It went a lot better than I had expected it to actually. As I exited school on Wednesday, one boy greeted me on the way out. "Ey Up" he said. I smiled. At least someone remembered something from one of my lessons. I did some shopping before going back and enjoyed tea on my balcony.

The view from my school is also something I really don't appreciate enough

Thursday was another very hot day, but in the school I was left disappointed since I wasn't required at all. I was disappointed because this was my last ever Thursday and I really would have liked to be a bit more active. I had been asked to come into school for the third lesson where I would be helping out in a very important way, however when I arrived I was informed that the lesson had been moved forward and had already finished! With nothing else for me to do until my last conversation lesson, I found myself just killing time on the computer. Shortly before the class would begin (a matter of minutes) I learnt that my conversation lesson wouldn't take place because the students were revising for important exams. (I had prepared a fun lesson too! :( ) So although I was indeed in school, I wasn't actually needed at all! So unfortunately my final Thursday was pretty uneventful.

On Thursday evening Lois and I received emails from university giving us our marks to our essay that we spent the last few months completing. Unfortunately I got a very disappointing mark, but I'm pleased to say Lois did really, really well. Getting my mark made me really concerned - I still struggle to speak German and evidently, I also struggle to write in German, and this led me to question my entire life and whether I was doing the right thing. I was disappointed because I really did try hard and put in a lot of effort. Oh well, I guess I just need to work extra hard next year. Chin up Marcus - tomorrow we were to travel to Berchtesgaden.

Berchtesgaden is located in the deep south of Germany. In fact, once in Berchtesgaden you're only a 30 minute drive from Salzburg in Austria. We caught an early morning train on Friday and by lunch time we had arrived. The final part of the train journey took us through alpine valleys that gave incredible views of the snowy alps which made the journey a little more pleasant. We found our hotel, which was a small little alpine house that also offered rooms and were given a hearty welcome from the super friendly owner. After a quick bite for lunch, we met at the designated meeting point for the tour we had booked on. The tour was a special 'Eagles Nest Tour', which, surprise, surprise, was to take us to the famous 'Eagles Nest' as well as other places and we felt this was the best way to see everything and also learn lots. The tour was in English, so we joined with lots of Americans and boarded a coach which took us up some extremely steep roads (27% in places!) to the Dokumentation Centre in an area called Obersalzburg. During the journey we were given a fascinating history of the Nazi party in this area of Germany by our very good tour guide. At the museum we were given a tour of the exhibits before making our way below ground into the bunkers, built especially as protection against air raids for the leading Nazis who lived around this area. The bunkers were of an impressive construction and almost like a small village under the ground. After this part of the tour we then boarded some special buses to take us to the final part of our tour. (the buses are equipped with special engines for the climb up the 'Eagles Nest' and also special brakes for the descent!). The 6km road up to the 'Eagles Nest' was specially built, and is closed off to everything apart from these special buses and the journey up is beautiful. The views are just incredible as the smooth road winds its way up the mountainside. As long as you don't look down the treacherous drops either side of the road, you can enjoy views of Berchtesgaden, Salzburg and the Alps.

Our cosy little guesthouse

The view from the Museum in Obersalzburg

Just one part of the huge maze of underground bunkers

This was Hitlers own private entrance to the train station in
Berchtesgaden, which then led on to his own private platform.
This gives you an idea of the significance of this area.

For those of you who don't know, the 'Eagles Nest' is a house constructed especially as a 50th birthday present for Adolf Hitler in 1938. The house was to serve as a place where the 'Führer' could retreat to and as a place of entertainment for high ranking officials. The house has no bedrooms, so was never intended as a place to stay. The house is at an altitude of 1,834m and for the last 124m an elevator is used to reach the top. We made our way up inside the shiny, golden elevator and into the house at the top. Nowadays there is a restaurant at the top and not much else, but as we wandered through the various rooms we were told information about their former uses. Surprisingly, because of its impracticality and the effort it actually takes to get there, Hitler only visited the 'Eagles Nest' a grand total of 14 times. Unfortunately on the day that we visited, the 'Eagles Nest' was completely surrounded by cloud, meaning we couldn't see anything. Normally, you can get some of the best views in Germany at this location, but we weren't able to experience this and we felt a little disappointed. Nevertheless it was a very informative visit and we're so glad we've been. The tour was totally captivating throughout and it was definitely worth doing. It's worth mentioning that, as I mentioned before, the whole area of Berchtesgaden was used by the Nazis during the period of their control, yet there is very little left now. Hitlers famous 'Berghof' residence has been completely destroyed, as has his tea house that we would walk to every single day. Interestingly, Hitler himself spent 3/4 of his ruling time here in Berchtesgaden and Obersalzburg, considerably more time than he spent in Berlin or anywhere else. Not only is it a fascinating area for these reasons, it is also an area of tremendous beauty.

The snow indicates how high we were!

Unfortunately we couldn't see much!

And this is what it should have looked like! (Courtesy of Google Images)

If the clouds weren't there, this would have been a super picture!

After the tour on Friday evening, we strolled around in the old town centre of Berchtesgaden and found a lovely Greek restaurant for our evening meal. We were able to sit out in the shadow of the Alps and enjoyed a delicious meal - We've worked out that we have actually enjoyed 12 different cuisines during our Year Abroad, something we think is pretty cool! After our meal, we had a little walk in the evening light before going back for some much needed sleep.

The location for our evening meal

On Saturday, the weather was glorious and there was not a cloud in the sky. Since we felt a little let down that we weren't able to enjoy the view from the 'Eagles Nest' the following day, we decided to try again on Saturday. We purchased an all day transport ticket and made our way up. Once at the foot of the road which takes you up, we learnt that our ticket wasn't valid for these particular buses, and not wanting to pay the overpriced fare to the top, which we had already seen, we opted to return to the town. The only problem was that the buses weren't regular and we would need to wait several hours. With this in mind, we reluctantly began to walk the long descent back down to civilisation. By the time we reached the bottom our legs were exhausted, simply because of the gradient the entire way down! With time running out before we had to catch our return train, we jumped on another bus which would take us to the most popular sight in this area, Königsee. Königsee is an alpine lake and once there, we understood why it was the most popular thing to see. The crystal blue water lying in the middle of an alpine ravine was simply stunning. Frustratingly we weren't able to take a boat trip on the lake due to time restrictions, but we were able to get a taste of the beauty of the area. We enjoyed the view and checked out a few of the unique shops around the area before returning to the town and catching a train back. The train journey back lasted 4 hours and once back in Regensburg we bought some tea and returned to the flat. With our legs still feeling the effects of our long, steep descent and our bodies tired from a few busy days, we were in bed pretty early.

Königsee

It's a shame we couldn't take a boat trip on the lake

We enjoyed our time in Berchtesgaden

 

 

On Sunday, we relaxed on the balcony, once again enjoying a day of hot sunshine. We also took the opportunity to write our thank you cards for our teachers which we would give to them over the next few days. In the afternoon we visited the train station and booked our train tickets which would take us to the airport in 11 days time, which was very exciting. After this we went to Margaritas, the Mexican restaurant where we're now regulars and took advantage of their great value Sunday meal deal. We sat out in the blazing sun and enjoyed delicious Mexican food and a beer (generously paid for by Lois' mum. Thanks Jenny!), before coming back, packing Lois' bag and then walking to the train station where we said goodbye for the last time in Germany - We could hardly believe it, but the next time we see each other in just 3 days time, we will have finished at our schools and will be with each right up until we're back in England.

 

This final week has been a long time coming, but we feel mixed about the last days at school. Whilst we're nervous about the obligatory goodbyes, we're also excited to finish, whilst at the same time, we're also pretty sad to be leaving. Anyway, I will update you all next week.

 

Until then,

 

Tschüß 

 



My 21st in Venice

As I skipped out of school on Thursday, I almost couldn't believe I was going to Venice for my 21st birthday. But I was. And it became much more of a reality as I met Lois at Munich airport for our evening flight. Our mini break got off to a pretty exciting start, when at the airport I suddenly noticed a mass of red and white tracksuits wandering through the terminal. As I looked closer I saw that this was in fact the Bayern München football team! These guys are A list celebraties in Germany and even bigger celebrities in Bavaria, so this was a big deal. The players that I had seen on the big screen when I visit the sports cinema in Regensburg where here right in front of me and it was pretty cool. I recognised many of them, but wasn't quite quick enough for a cheeky picture. They were making their way to Dortmund for the cup final which was to be played on the Saturday. Seeing the Bayern München team is something that I know a lot of my students are going to be very envious of and I'm looking forward to telling them when I'm back in school.

Once on board our flight, we began celebrations early with a little wine. No sooner had the wine been served to us that we were informed that we were beginning the descent, requiring Lois to 'down' the wine, as if it was some sort of drinking challenge. As we touched down in Italy, we could hardly believe that between take-off and landing, the flight had lasted just over 30 minutes! Stepping off the plane we were hit by that warm, humid air you associate with the holiday feeling and it was exciting. Following a useful recommendation from a friend, we immediately got our ACTV card which allowed unlimited travel on public transport for the duration of our stay before boarding our bus to take us the hotel. As we had no idea of where to get off the bus, we had to ask the driver to let us know when to get off. After about 40 minutes, the driver clicked at us, pointed at the door and we exited. We had a vague idea about how to get to our hotel, but we obviously still looked like two lost sheep, since the manager from a hotel we passed came running out to us and asked us if we needed assistance. He was possibly the friendliest person we have met and gave us the directions we needed before shaking our hands and sending us on our way. We arrived at our hotel and we were impressed with the luxuriousness of it. This wasn't the usual budget hotel that you associate with students on a break, but since it was slightly outside the centre of Venice we had got a good deal. We settled down for bed and looked forward to the following day.

Waking up in Venice on my birthday and with Lois was very special. It was even more special that I was able to quickly chat to my family over Facetime and I also opened a few cards that had been sent from home which was really, really nice. We both enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast which would set us up for the day ahead and then made our way to Venice. The bus ride lasted about 20 minutes and Venice creeps up on you very fast, suddenly we were there, amongst the water, the boats and the pretty Venetian buildings. With no real idea of where we were or where we were going, we set out following the other tourists. We soon found ourselves in the typical Venetian alleys and streets, lined with shops selling strange masks, restaurants offering pizza and pasta, ice cream shops with huge arrays of delicious ice cream and cafes offering the typical Italian Espressos. The air was warm, the buildings were pretty and it was lovely. Each little alley has several opportunities to turn off down another little alley and it's very easy to get very lost. But this is probably the best thing to do in a place like this and we enjoyed just wandering aimlessly and without direction. Every now and again, we crossed a bridge over the famous canals and on more than one occasion had to turn down Gondola rides being offered. Suddenly the alleys disappeared and the buildings parted and we found ourselves in Piazza San Marco. Home of the famous St. Marks Basilica, this is the centre of Venice and gives the best views out to sea. The white buildings reflected the sunlight and the square was buzzing with tourists. With no desire to queue for hours to see the interior of the basilica, we walked towards the sea and discovered one of the best views of Venice. Here you can see the Grand Canal and the constant stream of boats sailing up and down. You can look right down the coastline of Venice and see the beautiful buildings, many just appear to be sitting right on the water line. It was beautiful. We decided to make the most of our travel card and boarded a water bus which takes you all around the city, stopping at various points where you can disembark. This is undoubtedly the best way to travel in Venice and whizzing along the waves with the warm wind in your face was just so cool. The water buses are efficient and you can go almost anywhere you want. We enjoyed standing on the deck of the boats as opposed to sitting inside. We loved just riding on the water buses, rather than actually using them as a means of transport. After a few changes and several laps around Venice and along the canals, we changed again and went across to one of the many islands around Venice. Again on the recommendation of a friend we ascended a bell tower, which from the top gives an incredible view of the entire area. You can also ascend the tower in Piazza San Marco, but the tower we went up gave a view of the entire square, a view you couldn't get if you were in the square itself. It really was an amazing way to see Venice and gives an idea of how small, yet densely packed the area is. An essential part of any visit to Venice.

The view over Venice from the bell tower

Keeping a look out on the water bus

The canals are just full of Gondolas!

Following an ice cream break, we made our way to Rialto Bridge, another famous sight in Venice. It was another hive of activity, but again, the outlook down the canal was stunning. We asked several people to take a picture of the two of us, but we always seemed to ask someone who was technically inept, resulting in lots of very bad pictures. Fortunately we ended up getting a semi decent one, so we settled on that and decided to move on. As we began looking for somewhere to eat, I received a phone call from Annette, my mentor teacher, wishing me a happy birthday. This was a very pleasant surprise, mainly because I hadn't even told her it was my birthday! But it was really nice to hear from her and made me realise that I've met people on this Year Abroad who I will really miss. After lots of comparing and discussing we finally settled on a restaurant next to the canal and within view of the bridge, and as we took our seats we knew we had made the right decision. As gondolas passed right next to us and the sun began to set amongst the buildings, it was just the perfect way to end a birthday in Venice. We enjoyed pizza and pasta (of course!) and also, because it was my birthday, we enjoyed wine. Maybe a little too much of it as well, considering the evening then becomes a bit of a blur. But we do know that we had a beautiful evening sat out having our meal, before making our way back through the little streets and then returning to our hotel. I really did have the perfect birthday in Venice.

Rialto Bridge

The 'semi-decent' picture that we eventually got

Tea by the canal just next to Rialto Bridge

Saturday was our final opportunity to sample Venice, and with a good idea of where everything was located after already spending one day there, we could walk about with a little more direction now. Even then we often found ourselves in streets we had not yet been down. To say it's not particularly huge, there really is a lot there. Again we enjoyed speeding about on the water buses and enjoying the bright sunshine. Seeing as though we would be leaving mid afternoon, we decided to enjoy lunch in Venice. We once again found a fantastic location, this time on one of the islands just across the water from the main part of Venice. We were the first customers and were able to choose the perfect table, once again, right next to the canal and with stunning views. We enjoyed more pizza and pasta (we had to make the most of our time in Italy!) and then after walked around the island. This island was a lot less 'touristy' and the place where many locals spend their time. The bars over this side were cheaper and there was a cosy atmosphere about the whole place. Following a sit down next to the canal and after one of the best ice creams I have ever enjoyed, it was time to depart for the airport. We left Venice, got the bus to our hotel to pick up our bags and then made our way to the airport. The flight wasn't quite as fast as our flight coming out, but we were back to Germany on time and made it back to Regensburg before midnight. We were pretty warn out after two busy and active days and slept really well. I had the perfect 21st birthday and we both had so much fun. What a fantastic way to spend such a significant event and it is something I will remember fondly for the rest of my life. I feel very, very fortunate.

Enjoying pizza by the Grand Canal

Time to come home

A few further points I think worth mentioning - Venice really wasn't as expensive as we had expected. We actually found the prices very reasonable (Around 10 Euros for a pizza, which is also what we pay in Regensburg). Obviously the prices are location dependant, but we were nicely surprised overall. We also felt we spent the perfect amount of time there - 2 days is definitely long enough for a stay in Venice, or so we thought. We're not really into the art, music and religious scene, so didn't go into any of the attractions. The ACTV card was fantastic and was great value. The water buses are a super way to travel. We really don't feel like we missed out by not going on a gondola. In our opinion they are over priced and just a little awkward. With the water bus you can reach more places and still enjoy travelling on the Grand Canal. Finally, Venice really is a romantic city. We couldn't really imagine visiting with a family - it just doesn't seem right! Visiting as a couple is definitely the way to do it.

Sunday was spent in Regensburg. It was a grey Sunday and a bit of a 'come down' from a sunny few days in romantic Venice. This is also our last full week (well, 4 days) in school since next Thursday is a religious holiday. There really isn't long left.

Until next time,

Tschüß

Pub quiz, a quiet week and a lesson in Yorkshire dialect...

My normally lazy Monday became even more lazy this week, as I learnt that my only class on Mondays (the troublesome Year 5s) had no English lesson. I'm not sure why, but this meant I wasn't needed and consequently had the whole day to myself - perfect! As you can probably imagine, I was very happy when I received this news. I did my German practise in the morning by watching and reading German news and then went out later to do a little food shopping. On Mondays in Regensburg small food trailers pop up all over the place selling freshly roasted chicken. They seem pretty popular so I decided to sample one and see what it was like. I returned home with my half a chicken and concocted a delicious meal including Bisto Gravy and Paxo stuffing, both of which I had brought from home. It was like a Sunday Roast at home (but obviously not quite as good) and it made me realise just why I love being British so much! At this point in time, when we're both missing home a little, home comforts like these really do lift the mood.

On Monday evening I visited Regensburgs Irish Pub together with staff from one of the schools. I met Anja, my mentor teacher there, and we were joined by some of the trainee teachers. This was my first visit to the Irish Pub and it was a really cosy, cool pub. With the quiz in mind, I spent my afternoon anticipating what questions would come up and finding the answers for them. So I checked out Eurovision results and also learnt, in detail, information about the Giro D'Italia bike race, which is currently underway and that this year started in Ireland. 'Great' I thought 'I'm ready'. Typically, none of the questions I had expected were asked leaving me with very little to contribute. The quiz really was difficult. The questions were offered in both German and English and I was able to help a little with some of the English orientated questions. We did end up guessing many questions, but this seemed to pay off, as team 'Marcus & The Mechanics' came a very respectable third place out of 18 teams. The prize was a bottle of rum and despite being offered the bottle, I let the trainee teachers keep it and told them they could put it in their staff room, for when the lessons get a little too much. Throughout the evening as the German conversation flowed, I found it very difficult to follow what was being said. Like any pub it was quite loud, but I really did struggle to converse and this led to a few awkward moments. Just when I thought I was getting the hang of this German malarkey, I feel like I'm back at square one. It's frustrating.

I had another super easy day on Tuesday - once again, much to my joy. One teacher was doing a test with her class and another teacher was away meaning I wasn't needed until the afternoon. Once at school I learnt that this teacher was also away! I feel a little bit guilty for not doing anything for two days, but what could I have done!? On the way home I visited the hairdressers for my final German haircut - a very significant moment, I'm sure you'll agree. (Got to make sure I'm looking dapper for Venice ;) ). As I cycled back to the flat, a car passed me with a boy hanging out of the window waving frantically and with a huge grin on his face. I'm pretty sure he is a student at one of the schools, but there are so many, I'm not certain! He seemed to have recognised me anyway and I thought it was very friendly.

On Wednesday I had another quiet day with little to do once again. I found myself just spectating in a few classes. In one class I played the role of invigilator and ensured no cheating was going on during an exam and then later I found myself playing teacher and marking a presentation some students were doing.

On Thursday I had lots more to do. We were flying to Venice on Thursday evening so I had to take my suitcase to school with me and then make a mad dash to the train station as soon as I had finished in order to get to the airport on time! But back to school. My first lesson was with my favourite Year 5 class and they were learning how to give directions. We first of all discussed how to give directions and what the words mean and then as a little test, I asked some volunteers to come to the front of the class and then gave them instructions and they had to do as I say and make their way around the classroom. It was fun and they loved it. After this I put them in pairs and gave them some exercises to do. At the end of the lesson as I left the teacher said thank you to me for doing the lesson and then all of a sudden the students broke into a chorus of 'Thank You Very Much, Thank You Very Much...' and so on. (Although it was more 'Zank You Wery Much') It was really funny and put a big smile on my face, as I walked of the room with the entire class singing me out. Immediately after this lesson I was in a Year 8 class to practise some speaking skills. We were in a big circle and basically spent the lesson swapping partners and discussing different topics, which were written on cards. I really enjoy this aspect of work, but I find it difficult when you're paired with a shy person. Some people would only give me Yes/No answers and making conversation for 2 minutes proved difficult. At the end of the lesson my voice was almost horse from all the taking I had been doing! After a short break, I then found myself in another class where I had been asked to do a presentation about Yorkshire. To my horror, just as I was about to begin, the Headmaster of the school walked in and took a seat at the back of the class! But I reminded myself that I was English, and he was German, so whatever I said, I was right! (This is something I remind myself about a lot and certainly helps!). I told them about Yorkshire and showed a video from 'Welcome to Yorkshire.' I then explained a few 'symbols' of Yorkshire - Yorkshire tea, flat caps, and finally ended with a little lesson on Yorkshire dialect. I explained the phrase 'Ey Up' and told them this a greeting where I come from. We did a little acting and pretended we were in Yorkshire and we were greeting each other. 'Ey Up' I said to which the class all replied 'Ey Up'. It was surreal but it was pretty funny and made my day. In Bavaria they have something similar. They say 'Servus' as a greeting and this is only said in Bavaria, so it was good that I could compare something like 'Ey Up' to something that they could relate to. My final lesson of the day was my weekly afternoon class and this week only 3 girls came, so we ended up just having a relaxed conversation about some differences between England and Germany and it was really nice.

I left school on Thursday buzzing with excitement. Tomorrow would be my 21st Birthday and I would be spending the entirety of it in Venice with Lois - I couldn't wait...

A little acting, Walhalla and Schnitzel

After another lazy Monday morning, I was back in school. I ended up arriving too early due to not being required for one of my normal classes, so found myself hanging around until my class with the Year 5s began. Once again the class were well behaved and this time, dare I say it, I even enjoyed it - a little bit. I like to think they have changed their ways, but I'm not hopeful. I was again teaching together with the class teacher and it works well. There was one particularly odd moment of the lesson though. The students were copying some work from the board, but it soon emerged that not everyone was doing so. The pupils who hadn't written anything (and I mean nothing!) were then told, a little more forcefully, to start copying. And for those pupils who had already copied the work, the teacher had something else planned. She simply said the word 'meditate' and suddenly the pupils hopped off their chairs, sat on the floor, crossed their legs, closed their eyes, put their middle finger and their thumb together and literally began to mediate. I was very confused, but didn't question it. I think I just stood their for a few moments, mouth open, wondering what was going on! This is something I've never come across before and it is a little weird - I think it must be a technique unique to this teacher. After 8 months of teaching here I thought I had seen it all, but I was wrong! To be fair the pupils liked it and it did mean we were able to enjoy just a few moments of silence, so I will definitely have to remember that one. Once the others had caught up with the work, we continued the lesson. We were also able to enjoy a cake break since one of the students had baked a cake, a 'punishment' he had received for misbehaving the previous week. This is a concept I really like! The weather on Monday was nice and I enjoyed an evening walk later on. In an effort to explore a little more of my surrounding area, I soon found myself lost in the thick Bavarian woodland - a pretty scary experience! But getting lost is the best way to explore a new area, right?!

Since I'm not often in school for the first lesson, by the time I arrive all the bike stands and places to leave your bike are often occupied. This is especially the case now. Whilst a few months ago, when it was cold and grey, I had no issue finding somewhere to leave my bike, but now since every pupil seems to be riding to school, it is becoming a little more difficult. It's not really an issue, it just means I may have to walk to the other end of the playground in order to lock up my bike. On Tuesday I was in my usual lessons and just helping out. My afternoon class was with the Year 10s and together with the teacher, I discussed their homework and offered corrections. I had not seen the homework until I was at the front of the class and the teacher passed me the sheet. The teacher had written the answers down, so I breathed a sigh of relief as it seemed I had it easy. That was until I realised some of the teachers' answers were wrong! I had to quickly find the correct answer, whilst also asking students for their answers and then seeing if they got it right! Once again I found it very difficult when the students asked me why something was so. There were a few awkward silences as I tried to offer some sort of explanation - but the explanations I did eventually give, made no sense at all and I think just confused them more.

One thing that occurred to me on Tuesday was how open the Germans seem to be with swearing (and I mean English swearing). I hear expletives coming from students everyday so this has occurred to me many times before, but on Tuesday some of the clothing being worn made it even more apparent. Two students in the Year 7 class were wearing what I would class as 'inappropriate' clothing for school. One had a t-shirt emblazoned with 'I don't give a F**K' (in big bold letters - and let me tell you, the asterisks weren't present on this particular t-shirt), whilst another wore a hoody with lewd references to 'rude parts'. I've seen bags and satchels with swear words, hats with expletives and lots more. I guess it's because I'm English that I take these a little more seriously and I don't think that the students really know how strong these words are in England. Furthermore, this highlights one of the problems with a no school uniform policy and makes me feel lucky, proud and fortunate that in England school uniform exists. In my opinion England definitely has one over on Germany here!

Wednesday was a busier day and I helped out in several classes as well as doing some dual teaching too. Many teachers keep asking me when I'm leaving and then panic when they discover I only have 3 more weeks left! They all seem to want me to do a last lesson with their classes, so I think the next few weeks could be a little busier than I thought they would be.

On Thursday I was asked to help out with one of the referendars and was asked to do a little acting. He was teaching his Year 5 class about arguments and they were studying an example in the book. He briefly explained what we should do before the lesson, but even then I had no real idea of how it would work out. It started with him asking me about football (All Germans love football, so this seemed a perfect topic). What followed was a disagreement about the teams we support and how good or bad they are. I was surprised and shocked to learn that some of the vocabulary the students are to learn are the words 'stupid' and 'idiot'. So as the 'argument' got more and more heated, we began raising our voices and calling each other 'stupid' and 'an idiot'. The argument ended with the teacher 'telling me off and telling me to sit at the back of the room'. The students giggled and gasped, so despite acting not being my thing, and despite it being totally improvised, it seemed to work. I was further surprised when the teacher asked the class to repeat the words 'stupid' and 'idiot' in unison after him. Hearing a whole class of young German students shouting words like 'stupid' and 'idiot' all together was not something I had ever expected to hear. After that I was in another Year 5 class and this time I was teacher. We did a dialogue from the book, and as always there were too many volunteers for the actual number of roles, which I think is a really good thing, and then we did some written exercises. With a large gap until my next lesson I spent some time in the staff room talking with teachers, which is a situation I now feel much more confident in, as opposed to just a few months ago. I've been asked lots of questions about how I've found my year here and I've had to turn down lots of offers of meals at teachers houses or evenings out with the staff due to the packed weekends that me and Lois have planned! My school day on Thursday ended with the first of my 'news' classes that I've been asked to offer. We talked about technology and discussed some articles. There were only 6 girls who were present and we got everything done pretty fast, so I ended up finishing the lesson pretty early. (When you're the teacher, you can do these things ;) ) Lois' arrival that afternoon signalled the end of another week and the start of another weekend - the last full weekend, in fact, that we're spending purely in Regensburg - now that's a strange thought!

On Friday we went into Regensburg and did a little shopping as usual. Following a browse and the purchase of a book about German 'Jugendsprache' or 'youth speak' (I'm going to be able to know exactly what my students are saying now!), we went to the cinema. We went to see 'Bad Neighbors' or just 'Neighbors' in England. It was a comedy and it must have been good because it made us both laugh. This was the first time we had been to the cinema together in Regensburg and we both really enjoyed it. The film is an American film but is obviously dubbed in German. Once we were over the fact that the mouths of the actors stopped moving way before the German dubbing had finished (strange for us, but almost every film is like this in Germany, so I guess they're used to it), we found ourselves absorbed in the film. I've said it before, but it's quite a rewarding experience being able to watch a film in a foreign language, laugh when you're meant to and also follow the story. After the film we came back, made tea and spent the evening glued to the TV since it was the final of 'The Voice of Germany: Kids'. We've been watching this singing competition for the past few weeks and have really got into it, so we enjoyed our chilled Friday night in.

This is in the cinema. Why take the stairs when you can
take the slide!?

 On Saturday we made a trip to 'Walhalla' (Valhalla). 'Walhalla' is a hall of fame, a memorial, that honours famous personalities in German history. It is a temple, modelled on the Greek Parthenon, constructed in 1830 by King Ludwig of Bavaria and is located just outside Regensburg. It's a very popular and well known sight and teachers have been shocked to hear to that I had not yet visited, so we felt that we had to do it. We caught the bus and after a short walk found ourselves at the temple. As you can imagine, it's a very big structure and very different to anything we'd seen before. The Greek design seems out of place in Germany, where the buildings, churches and general architecture is so much different. Walhalla offers a good view over the Danube and the city of Regensburg is just about visible in the distance. Inside the building one big hall contains busts of the famous German personalities - from Alfred the Great to Otto von Bismark, from Albert Einstein to Beethoven and many many more who we'd never heard of! We enjoyed the views and just enjoyed seeing such a different building. The temple gave off a very powerful feel and it was a very impressive building to see. We didn't stay for long and came home via a visit to one of the modern shopping centres in Regensburg which we don't often visit. We relaxed in the afternoon and spent another evening glued to the TV, this time for Eurovision. As always it was very entertaining and we enjoyed discussing each act together and giving our own predictions. Although, even after 9 months in Germany, we were reassured to find that our loyalties still remained with the UK, despite a pretty poor entry. 

The interior houses the busts of many famous German

Just taking in the view

You can call me Zeus

On Sunday we joined the rest of the German population and enjoyed a day, predominantly, of rest. We spent the morning doing a little lesson planning and then organising next weekends plans. Lois packed her things and then we left to go to town around mid-afternoon for some food before we said goodbye. Sundays choice of restaurant was Kreuzschänke, famed for it's picturesque biergarten and huge schnitzels. This was another restaurant we had not yet been to, so we were excited to try something new. We had heard the schnitzels were big but we still gasped in awe as the waitress served us with a great big schnitzel each, so big that it was hanging off, the already big, plate. We were sat out in the biergarten and it was a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. The schnitzels were absolutely delicious and obviously very filling. Once again, we found ourselves saying that we're disappointed that we haven't the chance to re-visit this restaurant. Regensburg simply offers too much choice!

I told you they were big! But the clean plate should indicate how delicious
they were!

 

This week coming is particularly exciting. On Friday it's my 21st Birthday and since we celebrated Lois' 21st in Vienna, we thought we had better choose an equally spectacular destination to spend my birthday in too... So on Thursday evening we are travelling to Venice! Thus meaning I get to spend my entire 21st in Venice and I cannot wait! We have two days to soak up the sights and then return late Saturday night meaning we have chance to recover before back to school on Monday, but more importantly, providing I don't have too many Peronis, I can update my blog and let you all know how we found it. Like I said, we're both really excited, so roll on Thursday!

Until next time,

Tschüß

The first week back after Easter, a long weekend and curry!

I was eased back into the routine on Monday (thankfully! Even with only 5 weeks left it still takes a lot of effort to muster my motivation). I just had the Year 5 afternoon class and they behaved well for me this time. I taught together with the teacher, which involved us both standing at the front and taking it in turns as we went through various exercises and answers. This dual teaching is something I very rarely do. Often I find myself teaching alone or standing at the front of the class on my own whilst the teacher sits at the back. But I enjoyed this new format and it seemed to work. Monday was important for another reason though. On Monday I finally submitted my 'Year Abroad Project'. This was an essay we were required to write for university and goes towards our final degree mark. I started it as soon as I returned after Christmas and it has involved a lot of work so it was a huge relief to print it off and post it to university as well as sending an electronic copy via email. Whilst I'm not confident about securing a good mark, I know I did my best and I really have tried. The dissertation that we're required to write for our final year at university will most likely start taking shape as soon as we're back at university in October, so right now I just need to enjoy being essay-free!

Tuesday was a fairly quiet day with me helping out in the usual classes. One of the teachers broke the heart-breaking news of my departure in just 5 weeks time to his class, to which the class responded with a long and heavy 'awwww'. I'm not sure if this was out of genuine sadness or sarcasm (probably the latter) but it made me smile. Tuesday also gave me opportunity to speak German with some of the teachers. The previous day I had struggled in trying to make conversation after the two week break which involved me speaking lots of English and not much German, and I found myself doing the usual thing I do when unsure and confused - nodding and smiling. But on Tuesday I felt a sense of reassurance as I managed to slip back into 'German mode' and hold a conversation again. As you know we're now getting towards the end of our time here, but I'm finally starting to feel that things are beginning to fall into place in terms of my German and I feel a sense of achievement and of relief. Although after what will be 9 months spent here, this really should be as expected. (However in my defence I would like to point towards a quote by Mark Twain, which illustrates just how long it does take to master German - "I never knew before what eternity was made for. It is to give some of us a chance to learn German.")

On Wednesday I once again had little to do. After my weekly conversation class with the referendars (trainee teachers) and with a gap of a few hours before my next lesson, I wandered into the city. I spent my time browsing in the shops and I visited the library where I like to read the daily newspaper (This way I don't have to buy it - cheeky!). After my final class of the day which was with the Year 10 students and involved lots of football talk about Bayerns disappointing performance the previous evening and also involved questions about alcohol related English vocabulary, I cycled back to my flat. A few hours later I was back in the city meeting Lois, who, thanks to Thursday being a national holiday, had come a day early and this made us both really happy. We did a little food shopping (forward thinking - since the following day was a national holiday there was no chance we would be able to buy food - living in Germany makes you very organised!) returned to my flat for an early tea and then caught the bus back into Regensburg and went to my school as it was the schools 'music evening'. This had been in the pipeline for several weeks and I was really keen to go along and see just how talented some of the students I teach are. And we weren't disappointed. It was sort of like a talent show, taking place in the school gym, and the place was full with proud parents, teachers and other students. I was spotted by some of the students who got very excited at the prospect of performing in front of a real 'Engländer'. The acts varied from singing, to magic tricks, from dancing to acting, but they were all really impressive. Seeing students who are normally fairly quite being able to sing perfectly or others being masters of musical instruments was surprising but really impressive. My particular favourite was my favourite Year 5 class (the good ones) performing a typical Bavarian song, including the accompanying dance, and complete with some Bavarian leg-slapping. The whole evening was really entertaining and it made me realise just how much talent there is at the school (and how little talent I have!). All the songs sung, except one, were sung in perfect English, so I will no longer accept any students trying to tell me they cant speak English!

The 'Musikalischen Abend'

 

Like I just mentioned, the 1st of May is a national holiday in Germany. A bit odd considering this year it is a Thursday, but we're not complaining. 'Maifeiertag' or 'Tag der Arbeit' is when the Germans celebrate the arrival of the spring weather, celebrate the rights of workers and has a particularly strong meaning in Bavaria. In many villages in Bavaria, men gather and erect a huge decorated tree (Maypole) in the village square. This Maypole is then guarded for 24 hours to prevent other villages coming and stealing the pole, which would be seen as very embarrassing. Often people have competiotions to see how high they can get up the pole, and people often dance around it. Once the pole has been erected (this is seen as the 'work' for the day), the villagers then partake in a very popular German pastime - namely, they have a huge German feast. Here in Regensburg however, because of its touristy, city status, very little happened and Lois and I had a chilled day indoors.

Due to a miserable and grey few days, Friday and Saturday were also pretty uneventful. We went on a few short walks to get some fresh air but apart from that spent most of the time inside. We watched plenty of German TV and also a German film and we like to think that this counts as German practise. We also did a little lesson planning, but we're both relieved that we only have another 3 weeks that require this type of planning.

On Sunday Lois and I ventured into town in the hope that we could watch a little bit of the Regensburg Marathon that was taking place. Disappointingly we were too late and the marathon had already happened. The Marathon had taken over the city for the morning but by lunchtime the barriers had been cleared, the super-fit runners had already completed it and everything was back to normal as if nothing had happened - German efficiency at its best! With only 5 weeks left and still so many restaurants to sample, we decided to visit one of the few Indian restaurants in Regensburg and take advantage of their Sunday buffet. We enjoyed a delicious spread of various curries and were stuffed following our meal. As it goes, Indian food doesn't have a particularly good rep in Germany, but after this experience we really can't understand why. It really was delicious and the buffet style meant we could try a selection of different curries. It was great value too and it's just unfortunate that we are unlikely to be able to go back in the short time we have, especially with so many other restaurants to try! We enjoyed a walk back in the sun and then a chilled afternoon sat out on the balcony (we were so full we couldn't do much else!) But after I had taken Lois to the train station and in an effort to make the most of the glorious evening sunshine, I went on a little jog. Now I'm sure you're aware that for many Germans Sunday is a day of rest. However for many more it is a day for exercise! I can guarantee that if you go out of the house on a Sunday in Germany, within a matter of minutes you will have seen four different types of people - people jogging, people cycling, people power walking with hiking poles (oh, they love their hiking poles!), and at least one person wearing roller skates (if they too have hiking poles, you get bonus points). So on Sunday evening I fitted right in as I jogged through the beautiful open landscapes that surround Regensburg. It really was very pleasant.


A tasty selection of curries

Now that May is here, the end is in sight. Our contract with the schools ends officially at the end of May, so we really don't have much time left. We're very much looking forward to going home in early June, but we really want to make the most of our final month here so we have lots planned for this month and we're excited! I'll keep you all updated.



Until next time,

Tschüß

The Begleys in Germany: A visit from my family

My last post ended with Lois and myself eagerly looking forward to the arrival of my Mum, Dad and Sister, who were to visit for the second week of the Easter holidays. And as the second week of the Easter break draws to a close, all I can say is what a week it was.

A welcome breakfast

Lois and I welcomed our guests on Saturday morning (my family had arrived in Regensburg on the Friday evening, but after a long day travelling got an early night at the hotel) with a breakfast fit for kings. A fresh fruit salad, bagels, toasts, yogurts, eggs, bacon, cereal ensured their stay in Germany got off to a good start. Welcoming them into my flat was a surreal experience but it was so so nice to finally have them here and show them where I have been living. Being able to chat face to face without technical glitches as experienced on our Skype calls was something I had really missed and chatting and catching up with each other was just simply the best. Fortunately the sun was shining as we caught the bus into Regensburg. We wondered around the city as I explained where and what everything was and it gave them a chance to see, what has been for the past 8 months, my home town. We had a look in the cathedral, which even after all this time, I still find breath taking, I pointed out the famous 'Historische Wurstkuchl', where we bought some of the famous sweet mustard as a souvenir, and also showed them the well-renowned stone bridge. Perhaps the nicest thing to do in Regensburg however is just to stroll through the small little alleys and passageways, which we also did. It didn't take long for Mum and Dad to fall into the German way of things, as we soon found ourselves having the standard afternoon beer sat out in the sun. We took them up one of the church towers which gives a fantastic view over the city and after more exploring, a little shopping, and an obligatory ice cream break, we made our way to L'osteria - A great Italian restaurant in Regensburg, which serves perhaps the biggest pizzas you've ever seen! 3 pizzas were more than enough between the five of us and it was tasty! The restaurant was full and even some of my friendly Year 10 students were there with their football team, which Freya seemed to enjoy ;) We left the restaurant and caught the bus back to mine, said our goodbyes and looked forward to the next day.

On Tuesday morning we hopped in the car and made our way to Eichstätt to see where Lois has been living. Lois and I are making the most of the visit by sending home all our heavy winter clothes in order to make the packing at the end that little bit easier. The car was loaded up with Lois' clothes to be sent home and Lois gave us a tour of her accommodation as well as taking us around the town, which included a cake stop at our favourite café in Eichstätt. Once again the weather was lovely and the park and market square looked beautiful. With much of the afternoon still left we made our way to Augsburg. I had heard that the Augsburg Volksfest had just started so suggested we go and show Mum, Dad and Freya some real Bavarian culture. The festival wasn't well signposted and we actually ended up at a flea market thinking that that was it! I was convinced this was too small and relaxed for an annual beer festival, so we set off again and after asking for directions, successfully reached our destination. The Volksfest is similar to a fair or gala and this was the first day. It was great to see so many people wearing the traditional dress of Lederhosen and Dirndls. We soon found ourselves in a very lively beer tent. Beer was being served by the litre, huge pretzels were being munched by those who had already had a little too much to drink and a band were singing party songs - from chart toppers to German nursery rhymes. The atmosphere was electric so we sat ourselves down to soak it up. It was fantastic for them to experience something like this. A few beers and a pretzel later, we moved on to sample the food. Obviously, since this was a German fair, we had to have Bratwurst. Freya was intent to go on one of the rides and Lois and I were persuaded to go on with her. The ride swung and spun and really went quite high. A good 4 minutes and several stomach churning turns later we hobbled off the ride with the Bratwurst - Beer mix still spinning in my stomach. We left soon after as we had a drive back to Regensburg, but we were all buzzing from our experience and I'm really glad we were able to see so much!

The Begleys in Eichstätt

Eichstätt made a good impression in the sunshine

Dad getting into the German spirit with a 1/2 metre Bratwurst

The beer tent was alive and kicking!

If you look hard enough you can see us!

Monday was Easter Monday and was therefore a national holiday. I'm sure you're now aware that Germany enjoys a nationwide shut-down on Sundays and national holidays but fortunately we learnt that Nuremburg was hosting an Easter Market, so we decided that was our best option. It also gave us the chance to use the train and using the Bayern Ticket meant it was extremely good value. In typical German fashion the train was late (due to hitting an animal on the way to Regensburg believe it or not!) but it didn't dampen our spirits. We soon arrived in Nuremburg and explored the Easter Market which was in the main market square. The market had all sorts of gifts and products and was a hive of activity for a national holiday. Lois and I took Mum, Dad and Freya to the castle which overlooks Nuremburg. It gave us a great view over the city, although I'm pretty sure Dad enjoyed listening to the Czech band playing at the top a lot more than the view. After descending from the castle we made our way outside of the city to visit the former Nazi party rally grounds. To be able to see such an iconic piece of history and be able to actually stand in the spot where Hitler himself once stood was both fascinating and eerie, but was interesting for all. It was here that we also discovered another festival - The Nuremburg Volksfest had also just begun. It was warm, we were tired, so we enjoyed another beer break at the bustling festival before going back to the city for our evening meal. The train back was fortunately on time and we were soon back in Regensburg.

 

On Tuesday we once again found ourselves spending the day in Regensburg. Dads car had been experiencing a few issues and with plenty of miles still to travel, we decided it was best to get it checked out. And since Germany are so well known for their quality cars, why not make the most of being here! We took the car to the mechanics in the morning and after a few hours waiting around and some friendly German hospitality consisting of free coffee, we were given the all clear and made our way to the city. We did some shopping at the modern shopping centre before sampling some typically German food in the form of 'Döner Kebaps' and Leberkäse Sandwiches for lunch. Then it was back to the old part of the city to soak up the atmosphere as well as the sun. Mum and Dad enjoyed browsing in some of the more luxurious shops the city offers whilst Freya, in typical girly fashion, bought herself some shoes. The sun was energy sapping so by the time tea time came around we were all ready for it. Tuesdays venue for our evening meal was mine and Lois' favourite Mexican restaurant - Margaritas. We enjoyed a full round of cocktails (it was happy hour after all) before Nachos to start and then five huge main meals. As a little surprise at the end, we were given five free shots of Tequila. Mum was driving and Freya is too young, so being the good souls we are, Dad, Lois and I had the five shots between us. I never expected to be doing Tequila Slammers with my family on their visit to Germany! The food at Margaritas lived up to expectation as always and it was really nice to show my family where Lois and I often eat. We were left the restaurant full up and had an early night in preparation for our next busy day.

Thursday was set to be a long day as we decided to visit the famous Neuschwannstein Castle in the deep south of Bavaria. With a 3 hour drive ahead of us, we were up and out early doors. Mum did her stint as driver and got us there in great time. Neuschwannstein Castle is in the foothills of the Alps in Füssen. You can see on a map that it lies almost directly on the border between Austria and Germany but it's definitely worth the drive. I had been before with Lois and her family when they visited and it was just as spectacular the second time around. Fortunately we had booked tickets for our tour inside the castle, so managed to avoid the huge queue that had formed. We picked up our tickets, took a deep breath and began the steep, one mile walk up to the castle. Freya and Dad stormed ahead leaving Lois, Mum and myself to sweat it out at the back. Once at the top we made our way to Marienbrücke which offers the best vantage point of the castle. It was here that Lois and I had a very important task to fulfil. Several months ago I bought a lovelock for us and we decided that this is the spot we would like to put it. We locked it around the bridge, shared a kiss and threw our keys into the gushing water below. It was so special and just how I imagined it. The lock looks striking with the view of the castle in the background and the thought that our love is forever sealed at this beautiful place, with such a magical castle in the background, is a very warming thought indeed (no matter how soppy I sound) After our little romantic moment and the obligatory picture taking we proceeded across the bridge to a 'secret' woodland opening which offers even better views of the castle. It was now lunch time and with our packed lunch in hand, what better place than this to enjoy our sandwiches. It was so cool eating our lunch with such a spectacular view - a definite once in a lifetime moment that I'm really glad I could share with my family. We made our way back to the castle entrance and after a quick refreshing drink at one of the restaurants located close to the top, we entered the castle for our tour. I had never been in the castle and it was really interesting to be able to see this part of it. We were told stories of each room and given interesting information about King Ludwig, the owner and only inhabitant of the castle. The castle was as expected lavishly decorated and bigger than I thought it would be. The views that can be seen from many of the rooms mean this castle is totally unique and if not the most, one of the most, wonderful castles in the world. With our tour complete and after seeing the castle from almost every angle possible we made our way back to the car and then drove into the serene town of Füssen for our evening meal. Füssen is, in itself, a beautiful town, yet the castle located on the hillside just above the town steals most of the attention. It was evening so we didn't get much chance to explore this pretty little place but we did have chance to enjoy some Bavarian food in the form of Schnitzels at a cosy restaurant. As we made our way home we enjoyed the stunning views of the Alps and alpine lakes for the last time and another super day, which included several unparalleled experiences, was over.

Our lovelock

 

A picturesque picnic

 

This was the view we had from our picnic vantage point

Thursday was the final day in the stay of my family and we had planned to go to Munich, my favourite German city. Again we went on the train (Mum, Dad and Freya were far too excited about being on the upper deck of a train!) and this time, it was on time. The sun was blazing and we were all looking forward to another day in a city. Our first point of call was however something a little more sombre. Dad and Freya were keen to visit Dachau, the concentration camp located just outside of Munich. We spent the morning here and although it was mine and Lois' second visit, all of us found it very interesting. The hot weather and bright sunshine made it hard to imagine the atrocities that took place there. The amount of information that is available is staggering and far too much even for a whole day, so unfortunately we had to brush over a lot of it. I'm glad we visited as I think it really gives an unmatchable insight into such a difficult part of history and something that can only be done here on the continent and something that books or films in England just can't compare to. Once we dragged Dad away we then made our way to Munich. Everyone was blown away by the magnificence and beauty of Marienplatz, the very centre of Munich, as well as many more of the 'German-esque' buildings. We enjoyed delicious ice cream and a refreshing drink before splitting up to explore the city. Mum and Dad enjoyed looking along the expensive Maximillian Straße whilst Freya enjoyed the fact that there are 5 H & M shops all within walking distance of each other! After being entertained by some typical Bavarian knee slapping and spoon tapping in Marienplatz, we made our way to the central institution in Munich - the world famous Hofbräuhaus. No other beer hall can compare and if you want real Germany, this is the place to come. As we entered the band was already playing the typical German beer hall songs and we sat ourselves down in close vicinity and got into the spirit with a huge one litre 'maß' each and some typical Bavarian food of 'Schweineshaxn' , 'Schweinebraten', 'Spätzle' and 'Brathendl'. It was delicious and the atmosphere was incredible and my family loved it. Yes, it is a little touristy but I think it's great and you simply have to visit if in Munich. This was the perfect end to a fantastic week.

'ARBEIT MACHT FREI' on the gates into Dachau

The town hall in Marienplatz looked amazing in the sun



Bavarian food all round!

The Hofbräuhaus is a must in Munich!

On Friday morning we said our goodbyes as I filled the remaining space in the car (Mum and Dad had bought a crate of German beer to take home amongst other souvenirs) with my winter clothes and anything else I can survive without for the next 6 weeks. It was hard seeing them leave, especially since the week went so fast, but knowing I will see them again in just over a month makes it a lot easier. The week was incredible and I wouldn't have changed anything. I had been counting down to this week for so long and it definitely didn't disappoint. I really feel they got to experience 'real' Germany and they were able to learn a lot. Being able to show them where I've been living and the country I've been living in meant a lot to me too. Me and Lois are used to life here now, but having guests from home made us realise just how cool many parts of German culture are and we've come to appreciate these things again. Being able to order in German for a family and ask questions when needed also gave me a new found confidence in my speaking ability.

One of the other highlights of a visit from home

The weekend that followed didn't consist of much. We spent the time recovering from our busy week and finalising the last bits of our essay ready for submission during the week (boy, that's a relief!). This also marks the end of our 2 week Easter break. It's gone fast but at the same time it feels like we have done so much! We've both agreed that this has been the best two weeks of our Year Abroad so far. But now it's back to what we came here to do. We only have 5 weeks left in our schools, which isn't long at all and I know this will go fast. The home run has begun!

Until next time,

Tschüß