We instead travelled a short distance to Sinsheim, where we visited the Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum. You may be reading this thinking, "A museum? They had fun at a museum?" But this is no ordinary museum. There is something for everybody, from IMAX 3D, to WWII exhibits, to an actual Air France Concord that you can walk through all the way to the cockpit. In our photos and video you will see that a majority of the day was spent on the rides, which cost only 1.00€, sometimes for a two-person ride!
We ate lunch at the museum before we headed to a small village called Bachenau to take part in a community celebration. Schnitzel and bratwurst were being served consumed faster than you could blink, as the community filled the town square. We were played in by the local community band and Mr. Edwards had the opportunity to conduct his own special Birthday Song as the German community sang along with glasses raised. With a quick rest under a shady tent, it was time to set out again, now to the town of Untergriesheim. This is the home of a special former Westwood Collegiate graduate, who in 2007–2008 attended the school for her graduating year. She did so because she had seen this exact tour in an early trip, and wanted so badly to take part in something so special. It was so nice to be welcomed into her community, as we had welcomed her into ours. In Untergriesheim the choir put on an incredible performance at the village church. The beauty of the church, along with the perfection of the acoustics made for an unforgettable experience. The town greatly appreciated the students presence, and showed their gratitude in demanding 3 encore performances! The closing number, Let There Be Peace on Earth, brought a number of people in the audience to tears. It was truly a moving performance.
Following the concert, we were welcomed outside to a community BBQ with bratwurst and pop. The townspeople were very excited to talk with the students, and everybody enjoyed the conversations, whether in broken English, large hand gestures, or through music. After saying good bye, we made the journey back to Bad Wimpfen.
The students were tired, but there was a change that took place today. Not just because one of our fearless leaders turned one year older, but because the students became a family. On what was a quiet bus to start the trip turned into a rip roaring party on the way home, tunes such as Justin Bieber's "Baby", and of course Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" came pouring through the bus...yup, they're a team now! Just as we were getting comfy, it's off to Switzerland tomorrow. We are sure to have many beautiful pictures to share with you from the Interlaken region. Until then, auf wiedersehen.
