Chris

My first Saturday in Germany started out bright and early. I woke up at 7AM and my German family and I pilled into a car and drove to Mainz. The drive was about an hour long and when we arrived we had breakfast at a small cafe in a pedestrian square. It turned out that we had gone during a big street fair so at 9AM the streets were fairly quiet. Following breakfast we went to look at some Roman ruins which were still remaining from the time when Rom occupied what is now known as Germany. Over the years the ruins have been barried and lost and it was not until a new shopping center went under construction that the ruins were found. Now the museum of the ruins lies under the shopping center.After visiting the ruins, we went to visit the Gutenberg-Museum, where the first movable type printer was invented. The collection in the museam hosted a number of printers ranging from the origonal, invented during the 1400's, to a collection of bibles, printed with the early presses. After the museam, the church congregation was over and we could finally go into the Dom Sainkt Martin. This catheadrol was massive and housed and a large church and many smaller chappels, which I was told were used for different artisans. I was also told that during World War II much of Mainz was bombed so many of the sights have had to be reconstructed, following the plans of the origonal. The cathedrol was still impressive and also hosted a museam of historical church artifics, all were alaboratly decorated with gold and gems.

Finally, it was time to head back to Bad Dürkheim. Mainz was only the begining of my night. After returning I took a quick nap and then went to a Lion Club dinner (which my host father member of) and had my first Pfannkuchen. Pfannkuchen is a delecasy known in the area. It's like a think crust pizza, but with no tomato sauce and various vegtables. Following dinner, we went to my the dance school where my host student and her brother both dance. Here I was able to learn (or attempt to learn) how to walz, Tango, Salsa, and Cha-Cha.Learning to dance in another language with a partner who doesn't speek english and who german is a second language to turned out to be quite difficult. However, the night turned out to be loads of fun, and I am now a much better dance because of it.

To conclude, Germany has been and while be great experience!