Day 9: Ulm / Munich

We traveled by train to Ulm.  All students walked up the Ulm Cathedral steeple...768 steps!

Then, we went trained on to Munich and enjoyed a very wet and cold walking tour with our tour guide.  Well, perhaps not all enjoyed it!

9 walking miles logged today.

Update:  Pictures available here.

Day 8: Sinsheim Technik Museum

We successfully traveled to Sinsheim with the goal of showing the students this crazy "Technik" museum.

So many things (collections) with no seeming organization...airplanes mounted multiple stories in the air...climb the stairs to get in them...slide the slides to get down! 

Coin operated fair-type rides...

A strange and interesting museum with fun for most...

7 miles of walking today...

From Ed:  Today was basically a free day in Stuttgart.  Andi and I got up early to meet our friend at a Church downtown.  To our surprise, they had a live orchestra playing Mozart's requiem for Pentecost!  Amazing.  Later we met the students and took off for the Sindsheim Technick musuem.  We had to make a couple of tight connections to get there in a timely manner, but we made it in about 90 minutes.  When we arrived, they were having a Mustang car show with hundreds of classic and new Mustangs from all over Europe.  The museum itself is more of a collection, a few Cadillacs, some tanks, airplanes, a sewing machine collection, giant marine engines, bikes, and chainsaws.  They have a Concord mounted above the museum in flight and you can walk around in it.  The highlights included giant adult slides and an automated boat jump ride.  We made it back to Stuttgart and chilled out for a while because Monday is a big day.

Photos available here.

Day 7: Mercedes-Benz & Porsche Museums

We had a wonderful day touring the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums - gift shops, history, cars, technology, energy, and more mass transit opportunities as a large group!

Approaching 6 walking miles.

Update: Photos available here.

Day 6: Fraunhofer ISE - Freiburg / Stuttgart

We began the day visiting Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy...interesting concepts were presented and much was learned.

Afterward, we traveled via train to Stuttgart.  We had one exciting time changing trains in Karlsruhe in less than five minutes between 4 platforms.  This group is doing very well keeping together and understanding what is needed for the group to move around successfully.

Once in Stuttgart, we oriented them with a laundromat...the local downtown area with restaurants and shops...and the local transit system.  

We logged 8.5 walking miles...some of which was with our backpacks/ luggage...

Tomorrow, we have a later morning start of 9:45am.

Update:  A few pictures now online here.

Day 5: Strasbourg, France

We spent the day in Strasbourg, France for cultural exploration.  Many went to the top of the church tower of the Strasbourg Cathedral.  All explored the UNESCO World Heritage site - Grande Île.  Croissants, biscuits, crepes, escargot were also enjoyed.  All are very tired and should sleep well this evening.

Approaching 6 walking miles.

Update: Photos available here.

Day 4: Freiburg Walking Tour and Energy Sustainability Bike Tour

Today, we did a walking tour of Freiburg and a biking tour of the nearby villages that implement energy sustainability exceptionally well.  This group is doing very well.

Logged 10 walking miles and approximately 9+ miles biking.

Update:  More photos available here.

Day 3: Freiburg Market & Sustainability Tour - Farms/ Wind Turbines

Today started off a little rainy, but we were fortunate to get a beautiful afternoon in the Black Forest.

We began exploring the morning market that is held around the large church tower we climbed yesterday.

We continued by visiting Castle Hochburg, two farms to see various energy sustainability items in actual use, and a couple wind turbines up close and from the inside.  Finally, we enjoyed a meal of all items produced at a third farm. 

We were on the outing for 7.5 hours.  Between the outing and morning market exploring, we logged 7 miles of walking.

Update:  Photos available here.