They hit the ground running after a very early start on Day One, completing a quiz in the picturesque town of Boppard, which served as the base for the duration of the trip.
On Day Two, after enjoying a generous German breakfast buffet at the hotel, the group embarked on a Rhine cruise from Boppard to Sankt Goarshausen, passing the famous Loreley statue. The journey continued to the beautiful wine-making town of Rüdesheim, with its quaint streets and many half-timbered houses. The busy day concluded with a visit to Marksburg Castle, offering spectacular views over the Rhine and the surrounding countryside.
Day Three included exploring Bonn, Beethoven’s birthplace, followed by a trip to Cologne to visit the iconic Cologne Cathedral, the greatest Gothic cathedral in Germany. This was followed by a visit to Cologne’s Lindt Chocolate Museum, which was enjoyed by all. The array of cakes in its café was truly amazing. The day’s activities finished with an evening of bowling at the West Bowling Centre in Cologne. There was much entertainment and suspense on the coach journey home as the group followed the England versus Switzerland penalty shoot-out on their phones.
The next day was spent at the theme park of Phantasialand near Cologne, enjoying the large number of rides on offer and discovering all the different themed areas of the park. On the last day, the group took the chairlift from Boppard up to the top of the hill, where they experienced unforgettable views of the Rhine Valley, the largest loop of the river, and the “Four Lakes View,” where the Rhine appears as four separate lakes. The hike down the hill to Boppard was rewarded with ice-creams in the local ice-cream parlour. The group was sorry to leave on the coach for Frankfurt Airport after enjoying five days of beautiful weather in such a lovely part of Germany.
Overall, the trip provided the pupils with an excellent opportunity to practise their German and learn more about life in Germany. Many thanks go to Dr Blain for organizing the trip, and Mr Chalkley, Ms Mursin, Miss Kaufmann, and Miss Rollason for accompanying the trip.
