Our Last day in Germany

Wow, what a day it's been! It is very late so I will try to keep it brief, but there is a lot to share.

Our day started with a short gathering at the school before walking to the train station to catch the 9:47 train out of Tuttlingen to begin our journey to Rothenburg. It was a time of sad goodbyes for all of us. Our Tuttlingen hosts have been wonderful, giving us all such great experiences and the chace to experience German family life, schools and communities. Words cannot begin to describe our appreciation for our experiences. We all feel very excited at the opportunity to offer back the hospitality and experiences we have had here.

Goodbyes at the Train Station

After a journey of three trains and a bus ride through a very different part of Geramany, we arrived in the medieval city of Rothenberg. A quick check-in to the Pension Elke, our home for tonight, then a walk to the Crime and Punishment Museum. This museum portrayed the legalistic history of Western Germany and featured a variety of the torture instruments used in times past along with some of the ancient documents and images that reflect just how long the process of seeking justice administered by an authority has been a part of European history. Not to mention, Mr. Perrault got some ideas for some new furniture for his office...

A quick break for dinner and then we met in the Market Sqare for the Nighwatchman's Tour. This was a very interesting tour of the old city led by an actor portraying a night watchman from days gone by. While offering a very humourous monologue, our host led a tour of about 200 people through the streets of old Rothenburg, offering glimpses into the history of this place.

Afterword, we went on a brief walk along some of the Old City Wall. Thank goodness modern safety guidelines have added railing to this wall - very interesting and exciting.

This is likely the last post on the blog for this part of our journey. Thank you for sharing your kids with us for this great adventure. They have been a wonderful and keen group. They will have many stories to share with you when they get home and start preparing to host their Tuttlingen partners!