Moien!
It snowed yesterday. Now, I know for those of you living in Ohio that's not a big deal but in Luxembourg it hardly ever snows. We were on the train and it was just an overcast day, then all of a sudden "poof!" everything was white. It only took about 3-4 hours for 4" of snow to accumulate on the ground. It did make everything look even more pretty though!
We got to visit a high school in Diekirch, Luxembourg. They are so different from schools in the U.S. In Luxembourg, you would begin school at the age of 4 and finish high school at 19. They go to school longer because in what would be comparable to our elementary school level, they learn Luxembourg, German, and then French. The only other academic area they study is mathematics. Next would be secondary school, they don't have junior high over here so it is combined with high school. That is when science is introduced. In the middle of secondary school, they can decide what they would like to pursue whether it be academic, such as college, or technical. After they graduate, they can continue on with college. It was a gorgeous school, I wish our high schools looked like it!
It snowed yesterday. Now, I know for those of you living in Ohio that's not a big deal but in Luxembourg it hardly ever snows. We were on the train and it was just an overcast day, then all of a sudden "poof!" everything was white. It only took about 3-4 hours for 4" of snow to accumulate on the ground. It did make everything look even more pretty though!
We got to visit a high school in Diekirch, Luxembourg. They are so different from schools in the U.S. In Luxembourg, you would begin school at the age of 4 and finish high school at 19. They go to school longer because in what would be comparable to our elementary school level, they learn Luxembourg, German, and then French. The only other academic area they study is mathematics. Next would be secondary school, they don't have junior high over here so it is combined with high school. That is when science is introduced. In the middle of secondary school, they can decide what they would like to pursue whether it be academic, such as college, or technical. After they graduate, they can continue on with college. It was a gorgeous school, I wish our high schools looked like it!
Next, we went to Vianden. There is an adorable little town right below the Chateau du Vianden. The snow made everything even more enchanting! The castle actually began as a Roman fort around 360 AD. Inside, there were displays of weaponry and what guards would have worn. Also hanging on the walls, were original tapestries and some furniture was set up in some of the rooms. There were circuits for the displays to show you all around and then took you out on balconies and brought you back into other sections. The views were incredible!
After we left Vianden, we took the bus to Remich which is very close to the border of Germany. This is the wine country of Luxembourg, specifically known for their white wines and champagne! We watched a movie about the vineyards and community and took a tour of the winery, Poll-Fabaire. It was really cool to see what all goes into making a glass of wine and how it is such a staple in the community (they have multiple celebrations a year for wine). After we concluded the tour, we got to taste 3 wines and a cremant (of course, I loved the champagne! It was delicious! But out of the wines, my favorites were the Riesling and the Pinot Blanc).
Today, we finally got to sleep in! It was so nice not having to set alarm! Raegan and I were invited to lunch with our host family. We had chicken, rice, potatoes, salad, bread, and ice cream (I now know that pineapple with caramel and vanilla is really really gooood). We didn't really talk much, just listened because they talked in French the whole time, but we could understand some so that was good! Now, I am just chilling in my room and we might go explore the city a little more. The only problem is most places are closed on Sundays, so we will see if we do that much. Also, I'm going to Belgium next weekend! Well, that's it for now!
Talk to you soon,
Kirsten
Talk to you soon,
Kirsten