Cottbus

Great work in the wood
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Cottbus

Day 1. The drive to Cottbus was very nice and relaxing we arrived about 1. However; we were unable to check in as they were closed until 1:30 for their lunch. So we walked around the old market square and were amazed!  For a city that most western Germans look at you as if you had grown another head when you mention you are visiting - it was great. The people were friendly and the area was very clean. We found a church that was built in the 1500's and is absolutely beautiful. We were very much in awe.  Then we checked in and the night was spent playing cards and relaxing. We were all very tired. Do you know that teenagers do not know what sleep is unless you are trying to wake them in the morning?

BAGPIPES and LEATHER KILTS!

Sleeping is good
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Day two:

We woke up early and had a nice healthy breakfast and then off to Spreewald. WOW! what a wonderful place. I must visit again but stay there with my husband for a week of peace. It was very relaxing riding on the Kahn - a boat - through the Spreewald with Dirk our punter and Harry up front with us. We had a boat to ourselves.We saw plants and animals and crazy German youth. We had a "snack" at a local restaurant on the river. The snack turned into a very large bowl of venison stew with bread. Yummy.  At the end of 4 hours we headed back to the bus. Then off to the PARK.  Först-Pückler Park is an outstanding representation of art done with the land. The gentleman in the late 1800's, with his wife, took a piece of very flat swampy land and turned it into a paradise. His trees from around the world and his designs are still used to teach peopel today. He is buried in the park. He built his own tomb for when he died. It is a pyramid on one of the lakes. He made the pyramid out of earth and covered it with plants such as the virginia creeper. His reason ing was that a earth pyramid would stand forever. If he had made anything else to imortalize him, someone would have used it during a war to create more arms. We were supposed to have a 45 minute tour but Angela, our guide, gave us extra time and we were there for almost 1.5 hours. Then backto the bus.

Beautiful shot
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We made it back in time to have dinner at the hostel. It was a cold dinner which was good because it was hot. I think we brough the Texas weather with us. In the middle of the square that the hostel surrounded a festival was being set up. We came to Cottbus during the City Festival. It had carnival rides and food and games and shoppin and even bagpipes!  In our square was the medieval portion. They had forging and swordfighting. They even had the old baths if you wanted to use them. The festival vendors all dressed in Garb and the group that played in our area was the Heiden Laerm. We loved them. We danced and jigged and many CD's were purchased. The ended the night with a great fire show!  That was the area I stayed in the most so that the 4 group of students could check in as they wondered around. They could wonder in groups of 5 as long as they checked in at specific times. It worked really well, especially since they found the ride of their choice and all ended up playing together. They even came back to have me try it. I will let one of the students explain the ride, I am still abit dizzy from it. :-) After the fire show it was back indoors. Showers were taken and then the kids started playing cards. I laid my head down and read. Finally, everyone calmed down and sleep came. Allergies were high at night with all the dirt stirred up from the festival but then it rained during the night and that helped.

Dwarves are good
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All in all, what a great day!

See you all soon and I hope to figure out this computers picture access during the day tomorrow.

Frau