24th September 2012. Back to Calahorra

This was the last day of our trip. We got up at 6:00 a.m, packed the luggage and went straight to the high school. While we were waiting for the bus, we said goodbye to our German family feeling that we really didn’t want to go back to Spain. We have become good friends with our partners and we were very sad. The bus came and a lot of people started to cry.

At 7:45 we were all in the bus and left heading to the Stuttgart airport. There was a traffic jam so we arrived a bit late to the airport and we had little time to buy some presents for our family or something to eat during the journey. At 10:05 we took off and during the journey we got a glass of cola or water and a sandwich that nobody liked! The plane landed at 12:10. We got the suitcases and got on the bus. We were all very excited because we wanted to meet our family and tell them everything we have done in Germany. At 14:50 we arrived to Calahorra.

All together, this has been a great experience, in which we have learnt a lot about German culture and we have improved a lot our English and even learnt some basic German. Now we are looking forward to meet our German partners again in March because we miss them a lot!

                                                                                                Rosa Ariz & Zaira Cobos

23rd September 2012. Last day in Germany

We are Marta and Irene and the Sunday in the morning we met at half past eight. We went together with our German partners (Lea and Katja) and their families by car to visit an aquatic cave that it is unique in Germany. We entered the cave with small boats. It was really funny! At half past eleven we went to visit an old castle nearby and we could also admire the beautiful landscape around. At the castle we met some of our Spanish friends with their German partners.

At one o´clock we ate salad and sausages in a restaurant, before returning to Weilheim, our village. Once there, we first watched a film (Los Simpson) and later make a puzzle and played to the wii at Irene ´s partner house.

In the evening we met our friends in the Bowling alley. We played at bowls Spanish versus German, and finally the German team won. After the bowling game we had some pizza and returned home around half past nine.

During the night, how much sorry we were feeling about leaving Germany and ending this experience….. The following morning we were going back to Calahorra (Spain).

                                                                                           Marta Hierro & Irene Toledo

22nd September 2012. Second Saturday in Family

21st September 2012. Mercedes Museum and Stuttgart

On Friday we went to the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart. First we met in the parking and there we got a bus to the train station to catch a train to Stuttgart. When we arrive at Stuttgart we walked ten minutes from the station to the museum, which impressed us because it was very big. We went inside and were amazed to discover that  the museum had eight levels! Our visit began at the top level and finished at the ground level. 

 After the visit we caught the train again to go to the centre of Stuttgart and had free time to go shopping, first only Spanish students; later on, german students came from Kirchheim and join us. After two hours and a half of shopping  we bought many things-mainly cloths and presents. 

At half past four we were supposed to meet at the park, but some people were missing so we have to wait longer and miss the first train. The next one was in thirty minutes time. When we arrived at Kirchheim station we went home with our German partners. Once at home we had dinner with the family. I ate pasta, potatoes and meat. Then we went to Lea and Leire’s house to play Cluedo. Sali, my partner, won! After that we came back home and I had a shower. Finally we chatted for some time while in bed till we fall asleep. 

                                                                                     Leire García Gil & Gloria Ochoa

20th September 2012. The Black Forest

This day we had to wake up a bit earlier, because the bus left Kirchheim at twenty past seven. All the students, Spanish and German, were going to spend the day in the Black Forest.

After 2 hours of bus we arrived to the most famous Cucu clock´s factory in Germany. There, we saw a lot of hand-made cucu clocks and the owner´s factory saw us how he makes them. They were very beautiful but also very expensive. The smallest costs around 150€ and one of the biggers around 3000 €!!.One of the most interesting things we learnt in the factory was how the cucu sound is produced. It consists of two empty tubes with a lid, and when you move the tubes, the lid opens and makes the sound. So when the clock points an hour the tubes move and make sound.

After that, we went to some souvenirs shop, where we tried some funny hats and bought some souvenirs from the Black forest. Then , we went to the “Bousleis” (a kind of roller coaster, but on the real mountains. There were coaches for 1-2 persons that could be driven very fast, and could also be stopped with a handle to go more slow. In the middle of the journey there was a camera to take photos of you and your partner inside the car.The teachers bought us four tickets for each person. And we had a great time, it was amazing!!!

Later on, we ate and got into the bus again for another hour heading for the Titisee Lake where we spend around one hor time. At the lake, we saw some nice boats but we couldn´t get one of them because we weren´t 18 years old.

We went back to the bus and after a 2 hours driving we arrived at Kirchheim at 6:30p.m.

                                                                                            Ana Ruiz & Raquel Solana.

19th September 2012. Making chocolate and panting in the Neckar (Tübingen)

On Wednesday, the 19th of September, we got up at 6 a.m. and met at 7:30 a.m.at the playground of the school. We were divided into groups of 4-5 people and each group went to a different class. For example, we (Jacqueline and Marta Diaz) went to an English lesson together with Raquel and Ana. After the lesson all Spanish students got into the bus and  went to visitthe chocolate factory “Ritter Sport”. There, we learnt about the process of making chocolate and had the opportunity to do our own chocolate. Everyone made his/her own special chocolate bar by adding different ingredients: hazelnut, almonds, cereals, Haribo… and creating their own chocolate container. Before leaving the factory we also visited the shop where we bought many different types of chocolate to take them back to Spain as gifts.

In the afternoon we went to Tübingen. First we had free time to walk around the city. Later we tried panting in the traditional German boat "Stocherkahn” in the Neckar river. While panting, some people were singing the song of Calahorra “Chorra”, and some other were clapping or making pictures. 

At half past four we got into the bus and went back to Kirchheim, when we arrived to the school, our German partners were already waiting for us.

                                                                                    Jacqueline Moreno & Marta Diaz

18th September 2012. Making German bread in Beuren

Tuesday, the 18^th of September, was an amazing day because we did a lot of things… we got up at half past six, get dressed, arrived at school at seven, and were involved first in an Spanish lesson, later in a German one. During the Spanish lesson we filled in five tests about Love, Parents, Food, Hobbies and Sports, while in the German lesson we learnt some basic German to communicate around. After lessons we stayed in the playground waiting for the teachers, and after they arrived we went all to the Town Hall where we had an official reception. After the Mayor speech we had a light aperitif at the town Hall.

At two o’clock we came back to the Schlossgymnasium to have lunch at the canteen. The menu, macaroni, was really delicious. In the afternoon we went to the Eco museum of Beuren where we were taught how to make real German bread.  The recipe was not too difficult to follow, but we mixed the ingredients faster than recommended and our bread didn´t look as good as it should. Anyway, the good thing was that we could take the bread home with us to share it with our families.

In the afternoon, once back to Madeleine’s home, we saw a romantic comedy film in German with English subtitles and we ate popcorn and nachos. When the movie ended we played the Uno, a cards game. In the evening we had spaghetti with tomato sauce for dinner. While eating we spotted our shirts with the tomato sauce and couldn’t avoid laughing. Finally, we went to the bed.

                                                                                         Irene Bretón & Natalia García

17th September 2012. Barbacue in Laichingen and climb in the forest

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On Monday the 17th, we woke up at half past six and arrived at the school at half past seven. There, we were shown around the high school where our German partners study.

First, we had a look at the classrooms. Students in a music lesson sang a beautiful song for us. Later, we were walking aroud the hall and corridors where we found an aquarium with a lot of colourful fish in it and a pair ot terrariums which contain rodents and an iguana, respectively.

After the visit to the high school we had a tour around Kirchheim and visited the old church. From the tower of the church we could see the whole city.

In the afternoon, we went by bus to Laichingen where we had a really great barbecue with all our german partners. We had to put the sausages in  the fire and wait for it to be cooked. After having lunch we did some climbing. It consisted in walking through theforestbetween the trees through zip lines. It was really funny because each Spanish student had to climb together with his/her German partner, so they could explain them each step (Information  was only written in German!). After two and a half hours of climb, we had an ice-cream and took the bus back home. Me and Nuria went with Magalie and Alina to Magalie’s home. There, we played to the Olympics Games in the Wii, Magalie won everytime! and ate chips and drank orange juice while talking about the great time spent together.

 

Later on, Alina and me went home for dinner. Once at home we watched a film in English while eating pizza. I really enjoyed the film! When it endedwe were too tired due to the great day-tripand went to bed.

                                                                                       Paula Pacio & Nuria Fresno

16th September 2012. Second day with our German family

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In my second day in Germany I had a lot of fun! I woke up at 6:30 a.m like all the others days. We had a lot of things for breakfast like chocolate pancake,sausages,eggs,some fruit, etc. Breakfasts in Germany are very different! 

 Later on I went with my German partner, Miriam, and her family to a thematic park called “Tripsdrill”. This thematic park isn´t in Weilheim, the city my German family lives, but very near. Tripsdrill looks like an old german village and is the oldest thematic park in Germany. It  includes a zoo where you can see and feed more than 130 different animals and birds exhibitions everyday. Even if it isn’t the bigger thematic park in Germany, it is one of the biggers and includes more than 100 funfairs, which I tried all. There is one funfair all made of woodcalled “Mammut” whose coaches reach an speed of  80km/h. 

At lunch time I ate a bretzel  with butter, which is a typical german salty bread. Later on, I took a lot of pictures and went back home. 

Once at home, we had a typical german soup for dinner. It tasted very good!. Finally I went to the bed at 9:30 p.m because I was very tired. Itit was a great day that I will never forget.

                                                                                              Paula Turrado González

On Sunday I woke up at 10:30 a.m., had a shower and went to the kitchen to have my breakfast with my german partner (Susi) and her family. The breakfast included  a bowl of cereals with milk, some fruit and toasts with jam or nutella. Later on, I helped Susi to make some chocolate muffins, and after we finished, we watched a film while waiting for Tony and Jacqueline. When they arrived, we all went to  Sali’s cottage, where we met our spanish friends Leire, Gloria and Marta Díaz. The cottage was very big, with a lot of trees and there was also a mat to jump which gave us a lot of fun.

For lunch, we only had some sweets made by our German families: chocolate muffins, cheese pie, chocolate sponge cake …It was a strange lunch!

In the afternoon, Sali´s parents and Lea prepared a volleyball court to play a match all together. My team won the match. After the match, they taught us how to  make a special kind of  german bread. We had to take a stick and make rings of dough around it to finally cook it in the fire. After making the bread, we had the dinner all together: a delicious barbecue of sausages and vegetables.….It was a very good day! 

                                                                                                    Paula Toledo Moreno