Amerang Farm museum and Chiemsee

Hi everyone, 

well what an exiting week it has been. Today we visited a farm museum, called Amerang, that had one farm house that was 400 years old!  There were also other farm buildings and houses that weren't quite as old, only 200-300 years old..!  It was amazing, even though the weather wasn't that great we still had a great time. The houses that were built back then were crafted and built so well.  They took such pride in what they were building as they wanted their houses to last.  They built the houses so that they could be warm in winter and not hot in summer. But the surprising thing is that for a long time they didn’t have the invention of a chimney, so that the smoke could leave the house after the wife has cooked.  Instead all the smoke from the fire would go into the upstairs part of the house. They did have a high risk of starting a fire inside. We also saw how rope was made back then and learnt also why bees were so important; bees were a great way to make a good income because it was the only sweetener available, but you had to be very careful. 

Later that day we went Lake Chiemsee and we took a boat to the Herreninsel to visit King Ludwig’s Castle Herrenchiemsee.  The castle was spectacular although it was never finished because the King ran out of money and later that year he passed away in mysterious circumstances. 

Later we went on the boat again and went to the Fraureninsel where we walked around the island and explored the island.  We visited the church which was very beautiful. 

It was such a lovely day and I wish we could go back.  

Danke, Matilda Manning

Big Day!

Big day!  Today by train we visited the very old and iconic city of München. Although the weather was not the best, we still had loads of fun.

 
München is the most amazing city I have ever been to. It is so old but yet so new. The city is split up in to almost circular parts. The centre is the older part of the city, 'Altstadt'. It has the most amazing architecture and buildings I have ever seen. The buildings must have taken years to finish fully. 

This is a group shot at one of the entry gates into the Altstadt

The churches in the area are wonderful. They have ridiculously fine details all over them. The biggest church in the whole of München, which we visited, is called the Frauenkirche. It is gigantic. The Frauenkirche is a very famous church. It is said that the man who built the building knew he would not have enough time to finish the construction in time, so he got some help from the devil, who said he will only help if the man gives the devil his soul. The devil said that 

In the background are the two steeples of the Frauenkirche

the man would have his soul back if the church had no windows. When the devil entered the church, from where he was standing he could see no windows so he stomped his foot on the floor and the man's soul was given back to him. The Devil's footprint still remains in the church. You can see it very clearly. If you want you can put your foot in the place of his and look to see any windows. Although the devil could not see any windows from where he was standing, there are actually windows all over the church. 

There was a downs stairs compartment to the church which had a dark and eerie hallway which was gated off. It was creepy as. 

After we looked through the church we stood outside listening and watching the church bells ring. The sound was awesome. A long time ago there was a big plague in the area which killed a lot of people. The people that survived were very sad. So the barrel makers decided to try and cheer them up by dancing. On the new town hall were figures that were the barrel makers, and at 11:00 and 17:00 they move and dance while the church bell rings. It was an amazing sight. München is wonderful.  
So that's me for this week's blog. Having a great time!

This is the Town Hall with the dancing figurines just visible about halfway up.

We went to BMW World where it is all about touching and trying things out, dreaming big.  I think the smiles say it all!

Interesting architecture that was part of the 1972 Olympic Village

Getting around town using the U-bahn (underground train)

Wow! What a weekend!

It’s that jittery feeling, you know? When you go down a hill in a car or the elevator? You know what it is but can’t find the words to explain? You know it’s about to start. But the excitement just overwhelms you, and it’s impossible to contain it. First the ascending, then head over heels, and finally the drop, followed by your stomach and its insides all jumbled up. I’m suddenly screaming and a huge grin emerges from my mouth. Am I actually enjoying this? Or is the pressure of the air forcing my mouth open? Am I going to fall out of the seat and plummet to the ground? Or wait 28 seconds until it’s all over?

It is very difficult to explain the feeling, but this is what I felt on one of my days over the breathtaking 3 day long weekend.  My family went to the Bayern theme park where we also met up with Matilda M and Tessa W with their exchange partners.  I went on many different rides, the best being the black and green roller coaster. This was my first roller coaster that went in a loop at an extreme speed. 

This experience added to the many others I have had since arriving in Germany, only one week ago.  There have been new sights, with stunning views of the individually shaped hills and mountains, the old buildings, and a whole new and different culture to understand.

And there’s also the language. They all talk so fast it’s almost impossible to understand anything they're saying. For instance, if they say something, it takes me a few seconds to realize what they’ve actually said. Then once I’ve worked that out, they're on a completely different subject! I really need/ want to improve my German skills!

Now Monday!                                                                                                

Monday my family got the opportunity to visit Schloss Neuschwanstein (the Disney Fairytale Castle). We had a tour, and learnt about King Ludwig II, and of course the castle itself. I found this very interesting, and I really wanted to speak with the king himself and ask questions like, 'how long were you planning to live here?' I wish I could show everyone some photos of the inside, but unfortunately you weren’t allowed to take any pictures of the inside of the castle.

If you want more information, then please check out this website http://www.neuschwanstein.de/englisch/palace/

I thank my German family for taking me on these two experiences, and all of the effort they have put in for me. And thank you everyone else for making this German exchange trip happen! Thank you so much.

Dankeschön

Tessa

Mountains on the weekend

Hallo!
This past week of staying in Germany has been a real eye opener for me. I have seen and experienced many things  that I would never have thought of. What I have enjoyed most so far about this trip has been seeing the cultural differences and by far the best experience has been the German mountains.

This weekend Doreen and I hiked up a mountain called Becherspitze. We woke up early at 6:00am and had breakfast. For breakfast there was a wide range of meats (like salami and ham) and breads such as rolls, pretzels and loaves of bread. We left early in the morning at 7:00 to catch a train to the base of the mountain.

I have noticed many things that are different and similar between Germany and Australia but one has got to be the houses. They are very tall usually 2-4 stories high, unlike many houses in Bright that are usually longer and flatter with only 1-2 stories.  Many of the German houses are known as a "typical farmhouse" and these are very long, with lots of wood and space on the ground level for animal stalls or hay storage. I have also noticed a lot of corn being grown in the paddocks everywhere especially while driving or going for a run with Doreen.

The hike took 5 hours overall and was a very steep trudge up the mountain, on parts of the trail we were almost rock climbing up. But in the end it was all worth it, the views were spectacular everything was so green it all looked like something taken out of a fairy tale, there were a lot of tall pine trees, steep rocky cliffs with a very well peaked summit and a lot of very green grass.

Many mountains in Germany have houses  or restaurants usually about halfway up the mountains as well as churches or crucifix at the top of every mountain.

For dinner that night I tried something called Knödel which is like a ball of potato and vegetables mixed together, we also had pork and sauerkraut. I have been trying and seeing many amazing things while being in Germany and have been loving every moment of this exchange trip.  I can't wait to see more of Germany and its culture

Nicola

Salzburg - a pretty cool school excursion!

Hallo! 

Today we went on an excursion to Salzburg, Austria, the home of Mozart, the Sound of Music and the most incredible scenery I’ve ever seen. It was yet another beautiful warm day, which made the day even more amazing.

We drove by bus along the Autobahn to Salzburg, which took about one and half hours. It’s funny to think that in an hour and a half in Australia, we can drive to another state, and here they can drive to another country in the same amount of time.

We passed some of the huge, incredible mountains on the way. I was in absolute awe! The mountains were so steep and tall, so different to our mountains in every way possible! There were bright blue, crystal clear rivers curving through towns and flowing under bridges. The houses were very traditional with their balconies dotted with brightly coloured flowers.

Our first stop was at a 500 year old salt mine just out of Salzburg. There, we went on a tour of the salt mines, which are still used today. We rode on a small train into the mountain and then slid down a huge wooden slide. It was so fun! We were shown around and told all about the history of the mine.

Afterwards, we made our way to Salzburg. It was fantastic. The buildings are so magnificent and have so much history. I couldn’t quite comprehend how old everything really was. Salzburg wasn't bombed during World War 2, which is why there are still so many original buildings and the city still has its original layout.

The Salzburg Cathedral was built in 1181! In Australia, the oldest buildings are around 200 years old. Buildings here are over 800 years old!  The city is overlooked by Hohensalzburg Castle, which is over 900 years old.  We walked through the city and saw water fountains, busy markets' and beautiful gardens. We saw the house where Mozart was born and the gardens at Mirabell Palace.

I loved every minute of being in Salzburg. It is the most beautiful and intriguing place I’ve ever been to. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I hope to go back there one day so I can explore even more of the city!

Elly

The Best Time!

Hey everyone. It has been a big week for all if us this week. Full of fun and excitement. I am having the best time.

Today we had a normal school day with no interruptions. Unfortunately I have to get up at 6:00 every morning and it is not the best thing but I am sure I'll get used to it. Kilian and I walk to the bus stop where we get picked up and taken to the train station. It is a 20-30 minute trip to Bad Aibling where we only stop once to change trains. My train ride is pretty good. I mostly listen to music and try pick up some of the language that Kilian and his friends speak, it is German but it's like German with super speed added to it. Lots of them speak so fast it sounds like they are just saying random things. 

School is so good here. Apart from getting up early, and classes starting at 7:55am you get to finish at the way earlier time of 12:50pm. It is awesome. After school you can go and see things and do things and not worry about, let's say, getting your homework done in time. The classes are pretty good too. Each goes for 45 minutes and they are run very well. The teachers are good too. They are nice and explain everything clearly. My class is funny sometimes, but they all get the work done. 

The school is so big here, they actually have more than one school. The Wirtschaftsschule is part of a school precinct.  There is a grammar school which is the highest level of education and ours is in the middle of three. But this one is different to other German schools because it is a business school. Unlike us back in Bright, they learn, accounting, economics, operational economics and so on. It is a really nice school. 

My time in Germany just keeps on getting better and better. I am getting used to how the people live here and how their days pan out. I feel like it is becoming normal. 

Tonight I am going to a festival which is like the Oktoberfest but is it much smaller, less expensive and less crowded. It seems like they have a festival on everywhere week after week. Some of them go for months. On Saturday I'm going to the Oktoberfest in München. It will be very crowded and very expensive but I am looking forward to it a lot.  

I am having a great time her among these people and their culture. (Don't worry mum and dad I am coming home). 

Daniel

We had a meeting with the mayor - Herr Schwaller

Walking through the Kurpark in Bad Aibling

Delicious ice-cream from the local 'Eisdiele'

The Salt mines

Think of the longest word you know, now multiply it by 3 or so, and you get the German word,  Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft. This mouthful means: ". Association for subordinate Officials of the head office management of the Danube steamboat electrical services"

"Why?" You may ask, the reason for the length of some German words is simply you can compound various German words into one long word. So, a trip to Germany (a Germany travel) becomes Germany travel. 

Here's a short video that shows how to do this, HOWEVER it is in German, but you might be able to get the gist of it.  Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG62zay3kck

Today, we spent some time in Salzburg, Austria, and at the Salzbergwerk salt mine, also known as the Salt Mine Berchtesgarden. To get down into the mines, we rode a small train, similar to a roller coaster, through a series of tunnels not wide enough to stretch your arms out in. Down the bottom, we were given an audioguide which (thankfully) was in English.  This mine has been in operation for 500 years.  They can now mine a distance in 3 days that previously took 1 whole year.

After listening to the first section, we went down a big wooden slide, and made our way to the lowest, publicly accessible floor, over 130 meters below the ground! Once there, we took a boat ride across "Mirror Lake" where the lights dimmed and a light show reflected off the surface of the water to light up the cabin, while classical music played in the background, I found it quite emotional! On the other side of the lake, we were given some very salty water to try, which when poured on your hand and left to dry, created salt crystals on you skin!  It was 28% salt.  The water in the ocean is about 4%.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it


Ethan Murphy.

Mirror Lake, 130 meters below ground

The roof of a beautiful Austrian church