Travelling Teachers Weekend

The International Travelling Teachers Association in Switzerland organised a weekend way in Schaffhausen for current and previous exchange teachers to get together. On Saturday morning, 24th May, we met at our accommodation, a medieval castle, Schloss Laufen, overlooking the Rheinfalls. These waterfalls are very powerful and impressive to be near.

A small boat took us up close to the base of the falls where we were sprayed with water. After a picnic lunch we travelled by train to the town of Schaffhausen. We had a guided tour through the beautiful old town which is known for its Oriel windows. We climbed up a steep path that led to the top of the Munot tower. Marcel's (the organiser) friend, Hans-Ruedi kindly invited us to his family house for drinks. The evening was spent on the balcony of the Rheinfalls restaurant swapping stories and information. Just before bed time we headed down for another look at the falls, which were lit up in the darkness.

On Sunday morning we boarded a small ship that leisurely cruised along the Rhine River for two hours. On arrival at Stein am Rhein we walked around the historical town, toured through a house that is set up as it would have been 150 years ago and had an ice-cream. Alexandra met an organ-grinder who let her have a go.

We caught the train back to Schaffhausen, said good-bye to the other exchangees, and headed back to Dagmersellen. We enjoyed the weekend immensely - the places were beautiful and interesting, and the chance to meet other teachers in the same situation as us was rewarding.

Interlaken

On Saturday, 17th May, we left Dagmersellen and headed for a weekend away in Interlaken. Unfortunately, the weather was wet and cool for the whole weekend. This meant that we couldn't see the famous Eiger, Monch or Jungfrau mountains, or take a train to the mountain top for a view. We checked in at a lovely, homely Bed and Breakfast Hotel (Rugenpark) and went for a walk around the town of Interlaken, which is quite attractive.

An afternoon drive took us to the Lauterbrunnen waterfalls (below), where water pours out of the rocky cliff-faces from high above. From there we drove to Grindelwald. This small town is a well-known ski-resort in the Winter months.

On Sunday we felt adventurous, so after checking out of our B&B we visited Seilpark, a high-ropes course. The girls and Terri-Lyn had a brief introductory lesson (right), then we hit the ropes. After overcoming a slight fear of heights we all made it through the course and had lots of fun flying on the zip-lines.

The weather may have put a dampener on what we were expecting to do at Interlaken, but it gave us the opportunity to explore other activities. We had a great time, and hope to return again to visit the mountain tops.

KKL - Uffikon

On Sunday, the 11th May, we decided to explore the area on the outskirts of Dagmersellen. Our first stop was the KKL in the neighbouring town of Uffikon. KKL stands for 'Kunst and Kulturen auf dem Land'. This roughly translates into 'Art and Culture of the Land'. We walked around the large farmland and saw many works of art scattered in the fields. The artists are certainly free-spirited, in that they have bizarre ideas and a sense of humour - as you can see in these photos, eg. 'Hangin' around in Beijing'

Through the forest we went along the boardwalk that lead to little huts. We entered the hut to see some seats facing a curtain. The TV began to play, telling us about an aspect of art, then we were told to open the curtain - and wala, we see out the other side of the hut to 'nature art' (a tree, a banana lounge, a bird's nest, etc).

We looked in a hut with bees making honey. The proud owner explained to us all about how the bees make the honey in Swiss-German, but we got the general idea anyway.

There is also a winery on the property, and they tell us to have a 'creative processing break' at the bar while trying the wines. The wines are flavoured with fruits, which would make them perfect for a summer's day.

A former tobacco barn has been transformed into a fantastic spectacle. Walking in, the loud operatic music begins and the musical comes to life. This creation is a combination of sheep, wool, music, movement. A sight to behold - see below.

After leaving KKL we drove around the area, passing through villages such as Triengen and Willisau. We then visited the picnic area in Dagmersellen where there is a foot-bath for reviving tired feet.

Our Second Visit to Glessen

Thursday, 1st May and Friday, 2nd May were religious holidays in the canton of Luzern. We decided to use this long weekend to visit our relatives in Glessen, Germany, as we were unable to go the following weekend for Aunty Netty’s 85th Birthday party. We arrived late on Thursday afternoon and had cake, coffee and juice with Aunty Netty, Uncle Jupp, Irene and Ecki. That evening we went to Hermann’s (Ecki’s brother) house for dinner. It was lovely to catch up with Rosemary and Jupp, also.

On Friday, after a continental breakfast, Irene took us to the Eifel Land, where Mark’s German family originated from. We visited the family house, Komp’s Hoffje (Kermshens Herfue), had a walk around

Reifferscheid (spoke to Karl-Heinz’s parents, popped in to see Teresa and Fritz, and took the path up to the old castle and church). After a picnic lunch we drove to Monschau, a beautiful little town, where we walked around the old streets and looked at the charming buildings. In the evening we shared a delicious Ecki-made meal with Aunty Netty and Uncle Jupp and caught up on all the news.

On Saturday morning Mark went for a run and then he and Terri-Lyn enjoyed a sauna that is attached to the house. We drove to Heffen, near the German capital city, Bonn. Mark’s cousin, Bernd and his wife, Connie live here. They took us to Drachenfels (Dragon Rock), where Madeleine, Alexandra and Zoe rode a donkey up the steep path to the top of the hill. At the top, on the castle ruins, we had a wonderful view over the Rhine River and Bonn while eating an ice-cream.

When we returned to Glessen the girls played Yatzee with Aunty Netty while Irene, Ecki, Mark and Terri-Lyn went to a pre-wedding party (Poltern Abend) at a farmhouse. It was in a barnyard with plenty of soup, beer and music. As is tradition, we took along a piece of ceramic to smash on the ground as we entered the party. This is supposed to bring the happy couple good luck for the future. A truck reversed into the barnyard and offloaded a heap of ceramic bowls, plates, cups, and even a toilet bowl – which all smashed onto the ground. Back at Irene’s home we had a chatty nightcap.

On Sunday morning Ecki cooked up a delicious feast for breakfast: rolls, bread, eggs, bacon, jam, cheese, ham, tomatoes, cucumbers, juice and coffee. We gave Aunty Netty a gift for her 85th birthday, then packed up and headed back to Dagmersellen.

For those of you who have not visited Glessen, here are a few expressions that are often said:

pee-pee macken – going to the toilet;
kookamal – look at this;
pass auf (sounds like buzz-off) – pay attention;
gute fahrt – have a good trip.