The year 8 German Language trip has continued its adventures over the past two days! The picturesque town of Rüdesheim was the first location to be visited on Wednesday – where pupils continued to develop their German language skills buying gifts for family members (and each other).

The town is home to Siegfried’s Musikkabinett, which houses an incredible collection of self-playing instruments dating back through the last three centuries. Pupils were enthralled by, (and some even danced along to) the demonstration of the restored instruments that are still able to play complex pieces of music without the use of electricity.

Teacher of Business Studies and German Language specialist, Mr S Royston said “The experience at Siegfried’s Musikkabinett is fantastic; Die Loreley is my favourite! It is genuinely fascinating to see machines that can play 6 or 7 different instruments at once using only a paper roll and clockwork; it was also great to see Quentin H and Mrs R Hughes take part in the demonstration of a kurbelorgel (crank-organ), unfortunately, no change had been left in Quentin’s bucket hat by their audience!”

The group departed Rüdesheim aboard a Rhine River cruise which was another welcome opportunity to take in the breath-taking surroundings, which included hills adorned with vines used for local winemaking and imposing historic castles around every corner.

The final day of the trip was to the Phantasialand Theme Park in Brühl. Pupils have been incredibly excited about this visit; the park contains a number of record-smashing (F.L.Y is the world’s longest flying coaster!) thrill rides, exciting shows and of course, plenty of food offerings. Mr O Cooper and Mr S Royston tried to ride more rollercoasters than the pupils, but ultimately, the pupils won!