Back to Work
Trip Start
May 25, 2008
1
9
12
Trip End
Jul 30, 2008
Böttingen,
Germany
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Last weekend I went to Tuttlingen, which is the capital of the region I live in, because there was a big Stadtfest (city festival). Lots of music, food, drink, and people. The next day my host family took me to the Stausee, a lake near Schömberg, which is a few towns over. We took a little boat out and drove around a bit.
Friday was of course Independence Day in America; I didn't really celebrate. I attempted to teach my host-niece to play guitar, though. Yesterday was a feedback session for my exchange program, but it was actually a part of an alumni get-together for the Berufsakadamie. We talked some about the program, had some food and drink, and then just talked for a while. The five of us Americans here hung out all afternoon with some of our host family members, our program coordinators and some other affiliated people, and a Canadian exchange student and another from Hungary. Several of us later went to Tuttlingen for a festival in the former castle ruins overlooking the city, but we got there a bit too late and tickets were sold out. We hung around the ruins for a few hours anyway and had a good time.
Today there was a big music festival in Königsheim (one town away from Böttingen) in honor of their music club's 100th anniversary. It was in a big tent and there were tons and tons of musicians from nearby towns. There was supposed to be a big procession, but because of intense rain, they had to cancel it. Instead, they had every musician in the place play along to some piece and then the German national anthem. That was cool. Hundreds of musicians, really loud, everyone singing the words to themselves. We stayed for a few hours and enjoyed the music and the company of another local mayor, a regional government official, and the priest of Böttingen. Staying with the mayor of two different cities makes for some interesting situations sometimes.
Last weekend I met an Irish guy who came here for a soccer game six years ago and decided he liked it better here and thus never left. Yesterday I met an American who came here twenty years ago on what seemed like a whim, decided he liked it better here, and never left. Hmmm.
Comments
sounds like so much fun
patrick, it sure seems like you are continuing to have a great time. wish we could be spending some of those travels with you. its great that you are doing a lot of local stuff and getting the feel of the towns and villages and the activities there. a music club 100 years old... would love to read their minutes!
dad