BAVARIA, GERMANY

Today was a day of ups and downs for the team. The day started extremely early, and had us out of the hotel by 8:00 and on our way out of Austria. Once back in Germany, we headed to the town of Dachau; site of the first known Nazi concentration camp. It was an emotional morning as the students were able to explore the grounds. It chills you to the bone to walk into a once working crematorium, and know what it was used for. As rough an experience as it was, it was good for all of us to see the memorial, and to appreciate what the area has done to say, "Never again!" You will only see a few images from Dachau (the main gate, and the maintenance building with the sculpture in front) as students were encouraged to leave cameras on the bus, and take in all they could.

After getting back on the bus, we continued to drive through the Bavarian region of Germany until we reached the town of Hohenschwangau–home of the famous Neuschwanstein Castle (after which the Cinderella Castle at Disney was modelled). Once outside the bus and given some free time, the mood picked up, and the students were again excited to be in a new territory! The city is beautiful, with quaint cafes, multiple castles on surrounding hills, and a lake at the bottom over which they look.

Following dinner, the girls (and some of the boys) loaded onto the bus and travelled to nearby Fussen, where they were able to scurry about town in search of some souvenirs, or just sit and enjoy an ice cream or cappuccino. Some of us were able to get to the newly developed BLZ Ice Hockey Rink, where the local under-19 team was playing. Fussen is known to be the hockey Mecca of Germany, and produces many of their famous players. The local pro team, EV Fussen Leopards, have won 16 championships, and the new arena had a special display to commemorate these victories. We spoke with the coach of the team, who ended up being from Ottawa. It was great to have a conversation with another Canadian who has lived here for almost 20 years. You'll notice in the photo album that the team got changed quite quickly to come outside and take a photo with the ladies.

We are now split up into 3 different hotels around town, so things are relatively quiet. It was also our bus drivers' last day with us, so we were sad to say good bye this evening. They sure did an incredible job! For now we get to rest and sleep in a little bit (8:00am), and tomorrow, we visit King Ludwig II's castle!!! We may even have some great rodelbahn photos in the near future as well. Check back again soon!

SALZBURG, AUSTRIA

Our day in Salzburg, Austria began at an old folks' home, near the Mirabell Gardens. The choir sang for a jubilant group of senior citizens, who were so overjoyed to see the excitement that our young people were bringing to them. One lady in particular was very excited about the singing, and was clapping and smiling the whole time. It's amazing to see how much joy a group of high school students can bring to people who don't even speak your language.

The remainder of the day was spend in the city of Salzburg. Students were set free on their own for 6 hours! There are things for everyone in Salzburg, from shopping, to lunch at a cafe, a castle at the top of the hill, or listening to the locals play on the streets. It was a perfect day for us, since we've been stuck in either extreme heat or rain for the past while. It was overcast, but the rain held off, so we were quite comfortable throughout the day.

To get to the castle, a funicular takes you up the side of the mountain for a spectacular view over the city of Salzburg. The Dom (biggest church in Salzburg) dominates the city, but there are a handful of large churches whose spires stand out in the skyline. Within the castle walls, there is a museum that tells the story of the area, which was in fact captured by Napoleon during his reign in France.

The students did lots of shopping, and of course, picked up a bag of the famous Mozart Balls! The moment you enter the city, your eyes become bombarded by Mozart paraphernalia. You can even go and visit the house in which he was born! 

At the end of the day, the students all met in the Mirabell Gardens at the rose hill; a site from the infamous Sound of Music film. Some of the students had chosen to go on a guided city tour during the day, which highlighted many of the famous scenes from the movie.

After a long day on our feet, the Westwood crew spent the rest of the night at the hotel, either relaxing in the lobby, or going for walks around the neighbourhood. Tomorrow is a very early morning, as we will be leaving the lovely country of Austria, and be heading back to Germany. It has sure been a whirlwind tour, and it hard to believe that we are about to enter some of our final destinations. Missing you all, and hoping that you don't miss us too much!

Our new friend Patricia (the helpful young woman at the front desk) shared this Austrian saying with us this evening, and felt that we should share it with all of you at home as well..."Fledermais singen leis, bis keman die Mais." (something to do with bats and mice...doesn't make sense, but they think it's funny because it rhymes)