FRIDAY, 12th APRIL 2013

On Friday we had a school day. Our students attended classes from 8am until 12.25am. In groups of 4, they went to various classes: German, English, Maths, Politics and cooking! 

At 12,25am we went all to the kitchen and learnt how to prepare and bake "Brezeln" and we had a barbeque "Grillfest".

 Most of the host families came and brought delicious German salads and we ate altogether. After lunch we all tidied up and said goodbye until Sunday at 4pm when we're meeting at the airport to fly back to Barcelona. 

How time flies! Our students are enjoying a weekend with their host families.Speak back in Barcelona!

THURSDAY, 11th APRIL

Yesterday we visited Mainz, another beautiful old city in Hessen. We walked through "Markplatz" the market square and saw "Mainzner Dom", the cathedral of Mainz.

Afterwards we went to Gutenberg´s museum where we have had a guided tour in Spanish and we saw a replica of the first printing press Gutenberg invented in 1455. The guide showed us how Gutenberg printed the first Bibles in the XVth century and she demonstrated how the printing press works.  Also we saw three copies of Gutenberg´s bibles and the smallest book in the world! The students found the visit really interesting!

We went back to Niedernhausen by train and our students went swimming in the afternoon with their partners.

WEDNESDAY, 10th APRIL 2013

Today we've visited Frankfurt and our German partners have come with us! 



The meeting point was as usual the Niedernhausen train station, it starts to become a second home to us, so we've taken the train at 8,30am and in 40 minutes we arrived to Frankfurt city centre, in the shopping district.




Of course, all our students were really excited about being there even though the shops and department stores are really similar to the ones we have in Barcelona, globalisation is a fact.

After that we've visited the Old Town in Frankfurt where we've seen the few remains that were left after the second world war: the Römerberg, the church of Nikolai and the City Hall. The rest of Frankfurt has been reconstructed and looks as a modern city because during the Second World War it was almost completely destroyed.

Later we've seen the Film Museum which was on the other side of the river Main and we had to cross the famous bridge "Eiserner Steg" where we've seen thousands of padlocks of couples who left them to show to the world they are in love, like in Pont Neuf in Paris. The Film Museum was really interesting! We've learnt who were the Lumière brothers and Méliers and we've experienced how special effects are made, lots of fun!

Finally we've travelled back by train to Niedernhausen. The students are mingling and getting on really well and a collaborative atmosphere has been created. Although their use of English and German is still not so fluent, day by day more students are trying to break the ice and communicate despite their beginner level. We hope they'll improve progressively. Speak tomorrow!

MIÉRCOLES, 10 DE ABRIL

Hoy era el día de Frankfurt y además nos acompañan nuestros partners alemanes. Como casi siempre empezamos en la estación de Niedernhausen, empieza a ser un lugar familiar, cojemos el tren de las 8:30 y en 40 minutos estamos en el centro de Frankfurt, en plena zona comercial. 

Los muchachos encantado por supuesto, todo y que la mayoría de las tienda son muy similares a las de Barcelona, la globalización es un hecho.

Paseamos hasta la zona histórica de la ciudad, que de hecho Peter (nuestro acompañante alemán), es una reconstrucció de como era Frankfurt antes de la II Gerra Mundial, ya que en ese periodo y después de multiples bombardeos quedo totalmente derruida.

Luego pasamos el río Main por el puente llamado "Eiserner Steg". y visitamos el Museum del Cine, muy interesante!

Después comida, tiempo libre y vuelta a Niedernhausen.

Los muchachos ya están mucho más integrados, de manera natural se forman grupos mixtos, y se ha creado un ambiente muy colaborador. Y todo y que la práctica del inglés y el alemán es muy desigual, cada vez hay más alumnos que se lanzan, esperamos mejorar con los días.

TUESDAY, 9th APRIL 2013

This morning we've been to Rüdesheim a romantic setting in the heart of the Rhine river area at the southern entrance of the Lorelei valley. Surrounded by castles and vineyards, we've been so impressed by the awe-inspiring views.

Our journey started by train from Niedernhausen to Wiesbaden and to Rüdesheim by train. 




There we've walked up through the Trodelgasse full of souvenir shops and typical restaurants up to take the cable car to visit the famous monument "Germania or Niederwald".                  





Afterwards we've walked through the forest to discover old castles, vineyards, ancient oak trees, wild rabbits and wild deer! 






Finally we've taken another cable car down to get to the romantic village of Assmannshausen. 

There, we've taken a boat trip through the river Rhine back to Rüdesheim. A really exciting and fun day!  

MONDAY, 8th APRIL 2013

At 7,20am this morning, 19 students from ESO 3 and 4 from our high school and two teachers have flown excitedly to Frankfurt where our German host families were eagerly waiting. On the plane, nerves and emotions all over, for some of our students it was their first time on a plane and they were impatient to see through the window how Germany is like.

At 9,30am we arrived on time at Frankfurt International airport where our German families were waiting and later have taken their host student to Theisstalschule, the German school.

At 11am the school principla Herr Brühl and the exchange coordinator Maria Lorenzo have welcomed us and showed us a bit the school premises. At 11,30am our students have given a presentation in English about Catalonia and our customs in Spain and straight after we've had lunch at the school refectory. Today's menu was: meatballs, mashed potatoes and vegetables. At the end we've said goodbye until tomorrow and our students left happily with their German new friends chatting away in English or a bit of German. Speak tomorrow!

LUNES, 8 DE ABRIL DE 2013

Esta mañana a las 7,20h 19 alumnos de 3º y 4ª de la ESO de nuestro instituto y dos profesores hemos volado muy emocionados a Frankfurt donde nos esperaban nuestras familias de acogida alemanas. En el avión todo eran nervios y emociones, para algunos de nuestros alumnos era la primera vez que volaban y estaban impacientes por ver por las ventanillas como era Alemania.

A las 9,30h llegamos puntuales al aeropuerto interncional de Frankfurt donde las familias alemanes nos estaban esperando y más tarde han llevado a sus respectivos alumnos al instituto Theisstalschule.

A las 11h nos ha recibido el director Herr Brühl y la coordinadora del intercambio Maria Lorenzo y nos han enseñado un poco la escuela. A las 11,30h nuestros alumnos han hecho una presentación sobre Catalunya y nuestras costumbres en inglés y seguidamente hemos comido en la cantina del instituto todos juntos. 

El menú de hoy era albondigas con pure de patatas y verduras. Al acabar nos hemos despedido y nuestros alumnos se han ido tan contentos con su nuevos amigos alemanes hablando inglés y un poquito de alemán. Hasta mañana!