GPS and McCallie students in Germany.
Sixteen students from GPS and McCallie have been on a two-week visit to Dusseldorf, Germany, where they have observed German family life, discovered their customs and cuisine, and toured German historical sites. The Suitbertus Gymnasium (school) in Kaiserswerth was the group’s host during the trip, and students from the host families will visit Chattanooga next fall, the third year of the Chattanooga/Germany exchange with McCallie School and GPS.
The trip began with a visit to Charlemagne's Cathedral in Aachen, Germany, followed by a visit to the Henri-Chappelle American Cemetery in Belgium where 7,992 are buried; Americans who lost their lives during two major advances of the U.S. armed forces into Germany, including the Battle of the Bulge.
After a train ride to Cologne at the end of their first week, students toured the Cologne Cathedral and topped off the city visit with a tasty tour to the Lindt Chocolate Museum.
While touring the old section of downtown Dusseldorf, students also took a tour of the Hinkel Bakery, sampling German breads, and they've taken to other German fare such as schnitzel and currywurst.
The real highlights of the trip for the students, however, may have been the opportunity to live with their host families, said officials. They realized that German high school students are no different than they are, and the group bonded over pizza, bowling and shopping.
During the last week of their visit, the GPS/McCallie group toured the coal mining museum in Essen, which is a part of the region's history, and visited the German History Museum in Bonn.