Blogs from Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany, Europe - page 12

As the weather begins to change as evidenced by the roll of thunder here in Hamburg, I suppose it can also be viewed as the harbinger of change marking the time to head back across the Atlantic towards home! Heidi and I took a group into the main city of Hamburg today in hopes of satisfying their intense urge to rectify their procrastination regarding gift shopping needs. There were quite a few who needed to buy anything they could find for friends and family back home. We hit up a few shops and then just plain enjoyed the city one last time. All in all, it was a good day. Everyone is home now for one last dinner with their host families. We'll rise at, or some will just stay up until, about 3:30am and head ... read more

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Heide- Park ROCKS!!! It was a great day today! The weather was awesome and the crowds were thin. We arrived at about 10:30, after about an hour on a very comfortable charter bus. I know the bus was travelling at the same speed they do in the states, but the combination of the anticipation of a fun day at the park and the fact that German cars were zipping past us like we were standing still on the autobahn made it seem like we were stuck in slow motion. The kids fanned out around the park immediately and the fun ensued. Seven hours of brilliance in the sun! The biggest change was that we arrived bit later and stayed until close by American request. At 4pm, other ... read more

To quote one of the students, “The Amazing Race was, well, Amazing!” We met up at school for a briefing and some last minute pointers at 8am. They were armed with only their prior knowledge of the city, a tube map, a day pass for transportation, and their wits. It might not sound like much, but these kids were well prepared! The competitors were all decked out in their team colors and some even made flags. We decided to give extra points for spirit and creativity, and just like with everything else, they exceeded expectations. Two students actually dyed their hair to match their team colors! We sent them of in their groups only to meet again at the Official Amazing Race Hamburg 2010 Starting Point, also known as the Hauptbahnhof McDonalds. We knew this was ... read more

A phenomenal weekend together as a full Edison- Hamburg exchange group is now completed and in the books as a great success! It started off on Saturday morning when we all met at the Harburg Bahnhof to catch the train to Lubeck. It was one of those mornings where you can just tell it is going to be a scorcher of a day. It didn’t help matters any that the train to Lubeck was packed tighter than a sardine can. Most were standing in close proximity to others for the roughly one hour journey. It was not the most comfortable of rides to say the least! Lubeck is a medieval city with many narrow cobblestone alleys, towering church steeples and an incredible number of original buildings. It is a city rich with a history that you ... read more

Today we took a group trip to the medieval city of Luneburg. This city was the salt producing capital of the known world for hundreds of years. It began producing salt from it's naturally seasoned ground water 1000 years before the United States even existed! We met up at Hanhoopsfeld at 8 and headed for the station. The 30 minute train ride was a breeze, and as usual we were by far the most boisterous group on board! A teacher at Hanhoopsfeld school, Mrs. Schmidt, met us at the station and led us up to the town hall in order to begin our tour. A city guide took over from there and for the next two hours our group was immersed and versed in the history of the city and its salt making prowess. Included in ... read more