Last week, the sixth form went on a brilliant trip to visit the Christmas markets in Cologne, Germany. We all had a fantastic time experiencing the vibrant atmosphere of the city, pursuing the lively markets, and exploring the beautiful city with our friends.
On the first day of the trip, after a hearty breakfast at the hostel’s buffet (with the best pancakes), we made our way through Germany’s gorgeous streets to the Ludwig art museum. We spent the morning admiring the pieces of contemporary art in a variety of mediums, finding all kinds of pieces, including a room of collages made by the museum’s visitors!
We then made our way to the long-awaited Christmas markets, which were absolutely packed with wonderful food, handmade crafts, and the perfect gifts to bring home. The food vendors were fantastic, and everyone absolutely loved it – I must add a special mention to the parmesan pasta stand, because that was just unmissable.
Next came the Chocolate museum, and it was fascinating to learn about how chocolate was made, its composition, and its history as well. We were all given some chocolate upon entry to eat whilst we explored, and we had a great time in the gift shop as well. The day ended with an escape room, in which my team managed to find Van Gogh’s missing ear! It was certainly a unique experience, and we all had a lot of fun trying to piece together clues and solve a mystery within one hour.
On Sunday, we were in for an absolute treat – the splendid Cologne Cathedral. We spent the morning exploring the magnificent interior of the cathedral, admiring its beautiful stained-glass windows, candle display, and many more eye-catching details. We then made our way to the bustling Christmas markets again and had the afternoon to ourselves, browsing through the never-ending stalls, each with something different to offer.
After an afternoon of Christmas shopping, we took a tram to go to an ice-skating rink for another true winter activity – have a great time in the ice and snow! Everyone could agree that we all thoroughly enjoyed skidding around the ice (some, like me, less gracefully than others), and passing through the fake snow machine. The day ended with the ghost tour, and despite not being especially successful with solving the mystery, we all had an ice cream and took a lovely walk in the illuminated city night.
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, but it is safe to say that everyone had an absolutely amazing time on this lovely trip – many photos were taken, lovely foods were tasted, and everlasting memories were made.
We must remember that this trip would not have been possible without the lovely Mrs Marker, who organised the entire trip, despite not having been on it. We must also say a huge thank you to Mr Mac, for leading this trip in Cologne, and to Mrs Griffiths, Ms Dudgeon, and Mrs O’Keeffe, for giving up their weekend and ensuring that we had a lovely time. We all really appreciate all that you have done, and we are so grateful to have had this fantastic opportunity to explore the gorgeous city of Cologne.
Frohe Weihnachten!
