A trip that began with an organized schedule quickly flowed into a weekend of leisure. Host families could take their American Students to notable sites in the area.
I was lucky to enough to see the old city Heidelberg. Heidelberg is located about an hour away from Hanau and it possess many of the same qualities. A small city environment enriched by its foreign population and unity throughout the whole community. We started off our tour with a walking tour guide. He introduced us to the local flavor of the area through a pedestrian walking zone with shops and restaurants as well as a walk across a bridge. The bridge set up a panoramic view of the surrounding mountainous landscape in the area. After this, we took a train up a small mountains to an old castle. The old castle had burned down, but it still maintained its structural integrity. The elevation change provided another amazing view, and the wonderful sunny weather allowed us to see far into the distance. We then entered the old castle and took a brief walk around and looking at all the remains that were perfectly intact. We were able to see a wine storage system as well as old stone architecture. After seeing the inside of the castle we walked to the Apoteke Museum. This museum was dedicated to old medicine and medical techniques. After the conclusion of a small self guided tour through that museum, we stopped for drinks and sat down to enjoy the wonderful weather the day had to offer. We then took a stroll around the surrounding area and through a nice park with another amazing panoramic view of the surrounding area. After this, we walked down steps to ground level and stopped for a late lunch. We enjoyed some traditional German food and drinks. After our late lunch we took a tram to our car and headed for home. All and all, a great day filled with lots of memories and interesting sites
After returning home from a great day of sightseeing I was greeted with a wonderful German barbecue dinner that consisted of sausages and different types of meat. The perfect end to a great day.
After a busy day on Saturday I was finally able to catch up on some sleep on Sunday. I woke up with no alarm and was greeted with a great breakfast waiting for me- a perfect start to the day. Following breakfast my host family decided to take me to Seligenstadt, a small city nearby. The city was full of old German architecture and breathtaking views of the Main river. We decided to walk along the river for a little while before stopping at a home made gelato shop to enjoy some gelato and cool off. We then walked through the city and I got see a large garden as well as a church from the year 830. After seeing the church and large garden we walked along the river again and took some pictures of the amazing view. We than made it back to the car and headed for home. At home we decided to relax for a bit before the big soccer game between Germany and Mexico.
After relaxing we went to a traditional German restaurant to watch the game with our school group. I really enjoyed seeing all of the passionate fans rooting for their team. After the game, we took a short walk home and we got ready for a night out at another traditional German restaurant. I really enjoyed the local cuisine, especially the weiner schnitzel. After our dinner we returned home. We than played some basketball at a nearby park with some locals. After this we returned home and relaxed and prepared for bed. All and all, another great day to end off a wonderful weekend.
(Written by Hardy M.)