Day 6 - Wiggy and Stuttgart

6.21.23

The day started off as normal, with a combination of school and presentations. Several of us were actually in an English class where we watched a documentary in English, reminding us of all the times we watched German movies in class where we could only understand bits and pieces without subtitles.



From there, we went to a quick informational meeting with our partners to discuss the plans for the rest of the week. Once that wrapped up, we were off to the center of Stuttgart!

First, we visited the Rathaus (town hall). The building, along with a majority of the city, was destroyed during WWII bombings. Thus, it was far more modern than, for example, the old city of Esslingen. The Rathaus is open to the public, featuring many exhibits detailing the cultural and social aspects of the surrounding city. Our lovely tour guide who showed us around the building taught us how the city got its name. Stuttgart is a combination of the words for 'Stute' and 'Garten' (mare and garden) as a central part of the city was the breeding and keeping of female horses. A female horse is depicted on the city's insignia (many mistake it for Ferrari but it is actually more like Porsche) and all over the city. We then got to ride the historic elevator in the Rathaus that can only fit one person at a time and is in constant motion. Once we reached the first floor, we gawked at the view of the central square where many festivals and celebrations are held. Our tour guide then led us to a small conference room (the bigger ones can fit over 500 people!) where she discussed more history of the town and some of the major sites in the city to visit. 





As we left the Rathaus to meet another local guide for our on-foot exploration of the city, rain began to fall from the sky. We pushed on though, seeing everything from indoor markets to old and new castles to statues that reached the sky. Our tour ended near the top of the Kunstmuseum (art museum) Stuttgart where we had a bird's eye view of the path we had just walked and the main commercial street. 










We were left on our own to split into groups for lunch and other site-seeing around Konigstrasse (King Street) in Stuttgart. Some of us stayed in the building to look at the modern art that spread across the first floor. Others took the time to try authentic Döner kebab (which actually originated in Turkey but became most popular on the streets of Germany) and crêpes. Others explored the local shops: bookstores, Asian markets, and souvenir shops. A few of us even went to a protest happening in the main square, one demanding better treatment for healthcare workers and a better system to support the system in Germany as shortages of medicine and mistreatment of workers is all too common. 



We returned together and took the S-Bahn back to school where we all went home or into town for our evening activities. 

Danke und bis zum nächsten Mal!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 13 - Bretzel Backen & Graduation

Image
 6.28.23 On the 28th of June, we went with our group to a bakery, where we were taught by the owner of the bakery how to make pretzels. He taught us what the 5 ingredients (flour, butter, salt, water, and yeast) are that you have to use and also how to know when the dough has been mixed enough (the first sign is if the bowl is clean, the second sign is of the dough is smooth or soft, and if you can stretch the dough and make it translucent it is ready). After preparing the dough we rolled it out and then folded them into the shapes of pretzels. The shape may seem simple enough but it was a little confusing to replicate. The example that the baker gave us was so quick and practiced we all were stunned at how fast he made it. After we had made the shapes of all the pretzels it was time to glaze them in the next ingredient called Lie which is what hardens and turns the outside crust brown. Then we sprinkled salt and cut a little line on the bottom of the pretzel and threw them in the ...
Read more

Days 15, 16, & 17 - Weekend and Farewell Dinner

Image
6.30.23 to 7.2.23 Friday and Saturday we had no school, which meant we could spend time with our families and friends. The previous days were not filled with much so it was decided to consolidate three days together and focus on the Farewell Dinner on July 2nd.  That Sunday, we spent our last full day in Stuttgart with our host family. Most of us spent the day washing and packing clothes while also joining our families in activities.  In the evening, we made our way to the vineyards for our farewell dinner. It was a beautiful setting at the house of one of the German exchange students. After having some food and sparkling water, we handed out “awards” to the host families and sang a few songs for them. We sang a German version of the song  “Country Roads” that we wrote and the German class favorite, “Schnappi.” It was a lot of fun and a great last evening together.
Read more

Arrival in Germany and Day 1

Image
6.15.23 & 6.16.23 We arrived at Frankfurt Airport at 7 am German time on the 15th of June. After barely sleeping on the long 7-hour flight from Boston and the 1.5-hour commute from Frankfurt to Koblenz, our whole group was (to put it lightly) pretty beat. However, we pushed through the jet lag and had a wonderful day full of activities. After dropping our luggage off at the hotel, we set off to explore the Marketplatz filled with bustling people and busy shops. We then walked along the historical Rhine River where we saw the Deutsche Eck, also known as German Corner. It’s the corner of the land where the river Rein and Mosel combine. There is a massive statue of Wilhelm I on a horse there as well, and it weighs in at over 60 tons! After that, we took a gondola ride up to visit Ehrenbreitstein Fortress: a fort that overlooks part of the river. We trekked back down to the town and split into groups to find dinner, which ranged from authentic Schnitzel (basically a breaded pork patty...
Read more