Ehrenamt UkraineFirst week (1st – 8th July)
The children from Cali and Barranquilla and their supervisors arrived in the hostel without any major complications. After checking in, the distribution of the rooms had to be organised and there was time to get to know the accommodation. Afterwards, everybody was quite hungry and happy to eat delicious pizza.
On the first full day (Monday), the first German class took place together with Gosia. After lunch, we took the train to Hamburg and Rike gave us a quick tour. We have seen the beautiful ancient town hall as well as the famous Jungfernstieg and eventually made our way to the harbour. There, we had the chance to see the Elbphilharmonie and to have break. On our way back to the central station we did not only go by train but also by ferry which was a highlight for the children. Back in Bad Oldesloe, the children could do a little bit of shopping in the local shops.
On Tuesday, the regular German lesson was postponed since Christian has organised a visit at a German school in Bad Oldesloe. It was great because at that time the school organised a cultural theme week and we were able to participate. Firstly, we got to see a mini talent show with numerous ambitioned musicians of the school and afterwards we went to the class 6a in order to chat a little bit and sing typical songs of the football world cup. Then, some of the children went to play football and others went to explore the school aerials. In the afternoon we explored Bad Oldesloe and we were able to apply our new German knowledge in the city.
After dinner we went back to the Ida-Ehre school because there was another event and talent show with a bigger audience. After some time, we went back to the hostel and the children watched the rest of the football match Colombia vs. England.
During the visit of the Gut Karlshöhe, the children could easily forget about the football defeat. We got to know the certified biologist Silvia Schubert who talked about renewable energies and were able to experiment ourselves.
On Thursday, we went to see the annual parade of the Vogelschießen after breakfast. It was very exciting and nice because the children got a lot of candy and met their new friends of the Ida-Ehre school again. After the German lesson and lunch we went to the moor with Gosia and could use new words from the fields of animals and plants. Furthermore, the children collected beautiful wild flowers and craftet flower wraths in the evening.
After the walk in the forest, the children went to the local funfair and got to eat typical German fair food. Moreover, they enjoyed the various amusement rides.
On Friday, we started the day with a yummy breakfast and German class. After lunch, we went to Bad Segeberg to see the Karl-May-Spiele. The show played in Mexico and the children were able to understand not only the German dialogues but obviously also some Spanish sentences. During the break, the children were able to buy some souvenirs and merchandise of the show. In the evening, we had a nice and cozy BBQ party and Diego made us some delicious sausages. The children were very happy and danced ad sang to Columbian and German music.
On Saturday, we had our first big trip to Bremen. Isabel guided us through the city and we got to see the central station, the market place, the cathedral and the town hall. Furthermore, we have seen the famous Bremer Stadtmusikanten.
On Sunday, we went to Lüneburg with Gosia and Rike. It was a nice and relaxed trip and we got to see the stunning old town as well as the Wasserturm.
All in all, we had a very nice first week and are looking forward to the time that is to come!
Second week (9th – 15th July)
On Monday, we took the train to Hamburg and visited the Miniaturwunderland. The kids really enjoyed it and were able to see monuments from all over the world. Furthermore, they could have a look at a volcanic eruption and the entire city of Hamburg.
The next day, we went to Bad Segeberg again. There, we took a nice walk to the Kalkberg and participated in a guided tour in the bat cave. There also was an exhibition with tropical bats as well as seleced reptiles and insects.
On Wednesday, we went to Hamburg. The kids had two hours to go shopping in the famous Mönckebergstraße. Afterwards, we went to see the Musical Aladdin. The kids were extremely excited and even dressed up for the special occasion. Everyone really loved the show, particularly the costumes and the stage design. What a great day!
On Thursday, we went to the Elbstrand, a beautiful beach by the river and the harbour. It felt great to relax a little bit and to spend time by the water. The children played in the sand and marvelled at the giant ships that passed by.
Before the weekend started, we spent a very active day. The children were looking forward to the canoe trip and the bike tour. Initially, canoeing was quite tricky but after a few minutes everyone was able to control the boat and had a lot of fun. Of course, the group was hungry after so many athletic activity and we had our second BBQ party with delicious food, games and dancing.
On Saturday, we went to the Karls Erlebnishof. There, the children could pick strawberries and move freely on the aerial. There were attractions such as a corn maze and a potato bag slide. Moreover, we could learn about the production of candy and had the chance to buy some at the local store. Afterwards, we went to Lübeck and visited the Marienkirche. Then, the children had some free time and at their first Döner Kebab ever – yummy!
On sunny Sunday, we took the train to Travemünde to the beautiful Baltic sea. There, we rented beach chairs and could relax. The children played in the sand and rented pedal boats. After so much sea air we were hungry and prepared a delicious picknick.
Third week (16th – 22nd July)
On Monday, we went to Hamburg and visited the St. Michael’s Church together with Jule. The “Michel” is the most important church of the city and has a very impressive interior. What we liked even better was the view from the platform on top of the building. We could see the whole city and managed to walk 453 steps without any problems!
The next day, we took the bus to the North Sea after breakfast. We wanted to go to the nice little Town Husum by the mudflat. Firstly, we had a little tour in the city centre. We were able to see the castle, the Christmas house and the Theodor Fontane house. The famous author gave the name “grey city by the sea” to Husum. Afterwards we had ice cream and a little free time.
On Wednesday, we left after breakfast to go to the beach. This beach, however, was a bit different than the ones we have seen before in our home country or the Baltic Sea for instance. The water is not always there and at specific times, you are able to make a mudflat hiking tour. It was super interesting, and we could play and discover everything together with our guide Melanie. Furthermore, we learned a lot about the North Sea as well as the typical animals and plants. Another highlight.
We spent the Thursday in Hamburg again. We went to St. Pauli to visit the Millerntor football stadium. It was very exciting, and we were even able to look at the dressing rooms of the players. It was great to be behind the scenes!
The next day, we visited the labour museum. There, we participated in a print workshop. We were able to print ourselves and could take our works home as a souvenir.
On Saturday, we went to the farmers market in Bad Oldesloe. There, we ate typical fruits such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and cherries. Afterwards, we went to the Zoo and particularly enjoyed the tropical aquarium and the polar exhibition.
On Sunday, it was time to say goodbye to bad Oldesloe and Hamburg. We headed to Berlin for the last week of the course. After checking in in the new hostel, we met our guide Margit who showed us the Brandenburger Tor and took us to eat Döner Kebab. Then, we went on a boat trip on the Spree. In the evening, everybody went to bed merry and tired.
Fourth week (23rd – 27th July)
The new week starts with the regular German class. Afterwards, we went to the Brandenburger Tor and then to the Alexanderplatz. On our way, we were able to see further stations and sites such as the University and the Marx-Engels-Forum. Then, we had some free time at the Alexanderplatz. We took a lot of photos of the famous world clock and the television tower and went for a shopping tour.
On Tuesday, we went to the German Parliament right after breakfast. There, we were able to enjoy the beautiful view from the cupola and we got a tour in the building itself. We learned a lot about German politics! In the afternoon, we went to the “Gedächtniskirche” with Margit. The locals also call the church hollow tooth because it looks like due to its unrestored state. After dinner, we went to the East Side Gallery where we could find old parts of the Berlin wall – an outstanding photo setting!
On Wednesday, we went to the museum of natural history. We could see dinosaur fossils and skeletons as well as various local and exotic animals. After dinner we went up on the television tower and enjoyed the romantic view in the light of the sunset.
The next day, we went to the castle Sanssouci in Potsdam after lunch. There, we took a walk in the majestic castle park and admired the vineyards and Chinese tea house. We also went to the “New palais” and visited the impressively decorated rooms.
On our very last day in Germany we had a German lesson in the morning. Then, we had to pack our suitcases and clean our rooms. In the evening, we had a nice farewell party on the rooftop of our hostel. One last time, we had a delicious BBQ and got to drink a typical German (non-alcoholic) punch. The students received their certificates and there also had to be some farewell tears. Later in the night, the whole group went to the airport and took the plane back to Colombia.
The four weeks went by way too fast and we can say that we had an unforgettable time in Germany! The children learned a lot about the German culture and language and improved significantly. Now it is time for them to enjoy the last weeks of their vacations together with their families.