Germany 2025 – Day 1
May 27th, I woke up early excited for what was to come but also anxious about traveling without my family for the first time. I had to make sure I had everything once again so I emptied my suitcase and refilled it so that mentally I knew I was going to be okay. I left for the airport at 15:00 since we had to be there for 17:30 and traffic to Montreal is often horrible and it was. At the airport I joined the group – everyone was very excited for the trip! When everyone got there, we went to check in our suitcase and pass security which went faster than I would’ve expected. When we got to the right terminal we split up in small groups to buy what we were missing for gifts at the duty free and/or eat a little something before the flight. Then, we boarded around 20:45. The lift off was really smooth but we did have some small turbulence on the flight. Everyone tried to sleep knowing we’d get there at 10:30 but many did not succeed. All considered we were lucky and had a really nice beginning to our trip!
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Germany 2025 – Day 2
After landing in Paris, we took our first train, destination: hostel! We dropped our bags off at there before heading out for a late lunch at Bob’s Bake Shop. We stopped at a small shop to buy our SIM cards so we wouldn’t get lost in Paris, then headed out to explore! We passed by the Wall of Love on our way to explore the wonders of Montmartre. After that, we were free to split into smaller groups and take our separate paths through the beautiful streets of Paris. We ate dinner in small restaurants and returned to the hostel when it was most convenient for us, getting a good night’s sleep to be ready for our second day in Paris!
By Arissa
Germany 2025 – Day 3
The second day in Paris started with a long walk as a group to see: the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées, the Jardin de la Nouvelle-France, the Seine, and the Galeries Lafayette, ending with a delicious dinner in a crêperie. In the afternoon, we were free to wander on our own; the Louvre Museum, the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, the Archaeological Crypt of the Île de la Cité, the Palace of Versailles, and the Catacombs are some of the activities among many others that people chose to visit. To end the day, we met at the Eiffel Tower to see its magnificent illumination. Although we walked a lot, it was a splendid day full of wonderful discoveries.
By Cassandra
Germany 2025 – Day 4
Today we started by waking up at 6:30 a.m. to prepare our luggage and eat breakfast before we headed to the bus that took us to the train station. Then we took two trains to get to Gelnhausen where we met with our German buddies and ate snacks that they had prepared for us. After this, we went on a walk around the town where we saw beautiful typical German houses and a big and very impressive church. At the end of our walk, we were rewarded for our effort with beverages and typical food from Germany. After that, everyone went with their buddy to do activities of their choice, such as trying a cute little café or a new restaurant. Overall, even though we had to wake up early, we had the chance to experience rapid trains that go up to 310 km/h, eat typical German food, and visit a beautiful part of town!
By Ève-Marie
Germany 2025 – Day 5
Saturday was the first day of the buddy weekend. We were free to choose how we would spend the day with our Canadian and German friends. Three members of the group and I had the chance to go to the beautiful city of Köln. We left the house quite early in the morning to have as much time in Köln as possible. There, we visited the impressive Kölner Dom, a cathedral built between 1248 and 1880. It is the second tallest church in Europe, and the tallest twin-spired church in the world. Then, following the custom, we put a lock on the Hohenzollern Bridge, symbolizing our desire to maintain the friendship that we developed overseas. Next, we visited the Schokoladenmuseum Köln, a museum dedicated to chocolate where we learned more about chocolate, from its production to its consumption. Before leaving the city, we stopped at an Italian restaurant for supper. Finally, we jumped on a bus back to Bad Orb with our heads filled with splendid memories.
By Léa
Germany 2025 – Day 6
Day 6 of the exchange took place in Germany on a Sunday. Sundays in Germany are usually more days of relaxation. This day was also our second day of the buddy weekend and third day of getting to know our German buddies. The weather changed a lot during the day but we still managed to find ways to stay entertained. Some of the activities done in this day were, bowling, card games, the Grimm brothers festival and many more activities.
By Émy
Germany 2025 – Day 8
Today I visited Frankfurt for the first time. I really loved it! The city is beautiful. I saw the river, some tall modern buildings, and an old church. It was nice to see both old and new buildings together. We also went to a big square with a white statue. Some German people were very friendly and told us the history of the place. I was happy to learn something new. It was very interesting, and I felt thankful to hear their stories. Something that surprised me was the train system. In Canada, we always have to scan a card or buy a ticket before getting on the train. But in Frankfurt, we just walked into the train without scanning anything. It felt strange but also easy and fast. I’m really thankful for this exchange in Germany. It was a great experience. I learned a lot and saw many new things. I think other students should try it too. If you like learning and traveling, you will enjoy it a lot!
By Najia
Germany 2025 – Day 9
It rained all day, but we still enjoyed Germany as much as possible. In the morning, Najia and I went grocery shopping to cook dinner for our host family—a special meal from our countries. First, we stopped at an Afghan store, then headed to a local grocery store with our German buddy and others from the exchange program. It was really interesting to see what kinds of products they had that we don’t usually find in Canada. We planned to cook both a Senegalese and Afghan dish to represent our cultures. We also decided to bake croustade aux pommes as a Québécois dessert, so we could share three different cultures and give our hosts a taste of each.
Later, we took the train to Frankfurt with Arissa and Emy, where we bought some German souvenirs. I also got to meet my cousin, who studies at the University of Frankfurt—I hadn’t seen him in nine years! After that, we went to a fast-food place called Schnitzery, where I ate the best schnitzel I’ve ever had. On our way there we saw the memorial Wall with the ñames of the Jews from Frankfurt and the areas that were killed during the Second World War. Then we went to McDonald’s to compare the German version to the Canadian one. I finally had my first iced coffee since arriving in Europe!
After returning home, we started cooking for our host family. The evening was really relaxing. I put on some music and began preparing the food. Our host family was super helpful and curious about the dishes we were making—they asked lots of questions and got involved. We ate a bit later than planned because everything took longer than expected, but we enjoyed a delicious meal together. After dinner, we went out to celebrate Olivia’s birthday with everyone from the exchange group. We had so much fun—laughing, and playing games. Overall, it was a really fun day, and I was happy to spend time with my friends and see my cousin.
By Marie-Simone
Germany 2025 – Day 10
My day began ridiculously early as we all met at the Gelnhausen train station. Hoping to catch some sleep during the ride, I relaxed only to be met with three stressful train transfers that kept me wide awake. Once we finally arrived in Heidelberg, Vera gave us an amazing tour of the city, sharing tons of interesting facts about its history and charm. As we wandered the streets, a sudden downpour caught us off guard. We dashed into a nearby church for shelter, where we ended up writing down wishes as we admired its simple modest beauty. After the rain let up, we bought tickets to explore the castle. Instead of rushing in, my friends and I chose to sit on the grass, take in the breathtaking view, and have a deep conversation about life. Soon, we realized it was time to head to the restaurant but had no clue how to get there. Thankfully, a kind elderly man gave us directions and helped us get off at the right bus stop. Lunch was absolutely divine, though I’m not sure if it was the food or my hunger talking. Later, we returned to the church (thanks to my impressive navigation skills), visited several little kiosks, bought souvenirs and jewelry, and walked toward the bridge. As we tried to figure out how to get back, we ran into our saviors Vera and Antoine and all caught the bus to the station. With only two transfers left, I finally got some sleep.
By Zenobia
Germany 2025 – Day 10
Today was a very special day since it was our last day in Germany. We first started our day with a very interesting and educating History class about the Holocaust – as a preparation for our visit of a concentration camp tomorrow. We went to the forum for lunch right after trying a german specialty once again: German sausage.
The afternoon was quite relaxing and free for everyone and finally, we all met at a hut in the woods, where a final meal was shared by all in the form of a barbecue. Teachers, Canadians, Germans, parents, siblings, friends, we were all there to enjoy one last moment all together. Vera, our queen, opened this meal by knighting Antoine « sir sexy legs ». It was a very funny and memorable moment for everyone there and such a nice way to start this supper. They then proceeded to give as all diplomas for participating in the exchange. Then, we all gathered to eat and talk all together for one last time before saying goodbye for good.
By Jade
Germany 2025 – Day 12
Today was a heavy day. First, we had to wake up really early in the morning to take the train to Austria. At the train station it was the time to say the last goodbye before we leave. Then, we had a long train ride! We arrived in Linz at around twelve where we had some times to eat and lock our suitcases in lockers. Then, we took a bus to Mauthausen where we were going to see the concentration camp. From my point of view, seeing the concentration camp was really heavy but at the same time really interesting for everything we learn and see since it was also a cultural exchange. We could see the gas chamber, the crematorium, the place where they slept in really bad condition and many other places. A lot of places in the camp were censored since they removed practically everything. After the concentration camp we returned to Linz where we had a lot of free time. For us, we went in a little coffee since all the shop were closed. We had a piece of cake with a latte and they were really good!! The name of the coffee was Ecco coffee and I recommend it for the next years!! Then it was the time to go for supper all together. The food was amazing! After we ate, it was time to meet at the train station for our night train to go to Venice. The night train was a really nice experience for me. We slept well on the train and being with our friends was nice 🙂
By Naomie
