Day 13 (Friday, 30th September): Going Home.

Today, at 6 am while the city was still sleeping, we made our way to the train station. Luckily we did not have to walk, but got to take taxis to Glasgow Queen Street station.

Of course, over the past two weeks the souvenirs have accumulated in our luggage and in order to get the suitcases and duffle bags closed, team work was required. Nevertheless, Noah's suitcase could not keep up with the load and the zipper broke. Luckily, Nikolai was well prepared and had duct tape with him (because his backpack already broke on the very first day of our journey and he had to fix it somehow). The problem was solved quickly and somewhat efficiently (to be seen in the picture attached). Other than that, everything went smoothly and we started our journey home. Once in London, we already had to say our first goodbyes — Emma is conveniently staying there to visit family.

After we said goodbye to her, we once again got on the Eurostar and commenced the train ride to Paris Nord. After our arrival we had to change the train station from Paris Nord to Paris Est where we took the train to Colmar. In Colmar we changed the train for the last time and after a long journey arrived in Basel.

Day 12 (Thursday, 29th September): Last Day in Scotland!

Today we were blessed with the permission to sleep in in the morning. We got up and met in the lounge of the hostel at 10am. And then, we took a walk in the nearby park for our last class activity. Discussions were held about our experiences during the trip, and we were reflecting on the positive and negative aspects of it all. After sending our summarized feedbacks to Mrs. Hänggi, the class got the rest of the day free.

We split up into smaller group and each of the groups spent their afternoon according to their liking. Some went shopping, some went to sit in a café, and some went for a walk in the city centre. Most of us were tired so it was a slow afternoon.

After we had regained all our remaining energy, the class decided, independently from the teachers, to meet up to eat dinner at a Chinese restaurant close to the centre of Glasgow. The meals were very filling, so we all went back to our hostel rooms to sleep in them for the last time. We all followed Mrs. Hänggi’s orders to be back at 10pm and to go sleep earlier.

Day 11 (Wednesday, 28th September): Scientifical Morning and Indian Dinner

By Alina and Emma

After we all had breakfast in the dining room we met in the lobby with Mrs Hänggi and Mrs Franc. They updated us on the program today. After that we walked to the university of Glasgow, where we were all surprised by how much it reminded us of Hogwarts. In the university we visited the Hunterian Museum, which represents many different topics. Most were related to scientific topics or historical. In small groups we could choose what we want to look at. We had our lunch individually and met again in front of the university at 1pm. We went for another walk to the botanical garden. The glasshouses and diversity of plants were very impressive to us. After finishing our tasks in the botanical garden we met up again. The rest of the afternoon was free. Some of us used it for a little rest while others went shopping. In the evening we met up again for dinner. Together we walked to the restaurant. It was a recommendation from one of the bus drivers of our tour to Glencoe. They served a variety of different Indian food, and the options were endless. The food was very delicious and we all left feeling warm in our tummies. After the dinner we walked back to the hostel together for the last time that day, and had some free time. A few of the class went out and later watched a movie together while others went to bed.

Day 10 (Tuesday, 27th September): Glasgow City and Street Art Tour

By Srdjan and Kyra

Today we made breakfast in the probably creepiest kitchen that one has ever seen. Where as we thought that the kitchen in Oban wasn’t already the best, the kitchen here really tops everything. In some way you could say it resembles prison.

At around 20 past 9 we all met downstairs in the lobby and went for a walk into the city. There we met with a tour guide who gave us a quick tour of the street art in Glasgow. Most of the artworks, made by popular artists, showed people and only a few of them had the typical graffiti writing that one might expect from street art. One thing that really stood out was that all the artwork which showed people was made really carefully and if you looked close enough a lot of details could be discovered. The tour guide told us that in the picture with the taxi and the balloons the man in the left corner wasn’t originally planned to be in it but that actually a fan of the artist wanted to make a picture and afterwards the artist decided to draw him.

After the tour we went to the central station where we boarded a hop on hop off bus that took us around the city. Because of the open deck of the bus it was quite cold and everyone snuggled into their clothes while listening to what the speaker had to tell us about the city. It was quite interesting and we definitely learned a lot about the city.

Afterwards we went to St. Mungo's Cathedral and had a look at the burial ground. It was quite impressive, not only because the gravestones were really big but also because the whole graveyard was built on a wide area of green grass which stood in a big contrast to the dark and shallow city.

In the late afternoon, we were allowed to stroll around the city and explore for ourselves. Some bought souvenirs, others food and others went straight back to the youth hostel. For dinner some of us went to a vietnamese restaurant while the rest stayed at the youth hostel and made themselves fajitas and tacos. Even though it wasn’t the most eventful day of our trip we still were all happy when we had something warm for dinner.

Day 9 (Monday, 26th September): Through the Highlands and along Loch Lomond to Glasgow

By Léandre and Nikolai

Most of today’s schedule was filled by our trip from Oban to Glasgow. Some started the day with a refreshing swim in the frigid waters of the harbour basin, but most chose a more relaxing morning routine. After all things were packed and lunch was prepared in the shared kitchen, we hopped into our tour busses.

Our two bus drivers, Dave and Garry, who were also our tour guides, welcomed us with their friendly smiles and supposedly homemade shortbread. We drove off at about 11am, but we took lots of sightseeing breaks, catching impressions of the native culture and nature. One very dominant aspect of Scottish nature we were lucky enough to experience was the strong wind, who loyally accompanied us throughout our entire journey. Our first big stop was at Glencoe, a Highland valley, where we had a lunch break and some time for ourselves. Some visited the site of the old village where the infamous “Glencoe Massacre” is said to have taken place. On a stormy winter night around 1692, about 30 members of a local Highlands clan have been slaughtered by English soldiers there.

Others took a walk up a nearby hill to experience the lush, green nature with its diverse flora and atmospheric waterfalls. Then we drove along to some Harry Potter movie-set locations, and later to the barren, but beautifully shaped mountains. Our guides took a quick break and so our class was allowed to enjoy the coast of the large Loch Lomond. Back we went into our busses with most of the class taking naps during the last part of the ride. 

We then finally arrived at our next youth hostel near the center of Glasgow. We were all collectively taken aback by the somewhat unsettling and disorienting atmosphere of the building. Some people had the pleasure of going outside to get something to eat while others had to face the challenge of cooking in the subterranean kitchen of the establishment.

We all went to bed hoping that the residing ghosts wouldn’t pay us a visit.

Day 8 (Sunday, 25th September): Lazy Sunday in Oban

By Alina and Emma

Today we all slept in and had a late start to our day. We ate our breakfast in the community kitchen and shortly after that assembled in one of the community living rooms for a catch up about yesterdays adventure. Mrs Hänggi explained some of the rock formation to us that we were able to see yesterday and that we had previously learned about in class.

After that the class was split up into two groups. One group with the under 18s and Mrs Franc and the over 18s with Mrs Hänggi. The first group made their way to the Oban Whiskey distillery and had the tour first. Right after the over 18s had their go. Some of the class were able to do some whiskey tasting. We learned about the various components of whiskey and how it is made in the small distillery. They taught us about the three key components in whiskey, being malt, water and yeast. The Oban distillery has four main tastes that make their whiskey individual and special from others. Their whiskeys have a smokey-salty-orangey-honey flavouring to it.

After the tour we all went our own ways for lunch. Most of us ate at home but some went out for seafood.

We had the afternoon off. Some went to the charity shops and bookshops while others enjoyed their afternoon in the youth hostel. The weather turned rapidly and the sunshine went. It started pouring with rain and stormy winds appeared.

The stormy weather didn’t stop four of the group for an afternoon swim. They ran into the ocean which is right in front of the hostel.

In the evening we went out to dinner together as a class. The restaurant served Italian food. We enjoyed the food and the time together.

After dinner we went home where most of us started packing for tomorrow.

Day 7 (Saturday, 24th September): On the Three Island Tour to Mull, Staffa and Iona

By Lara and Teresa

This morning we all met at 9:00 in front of the lobby. We walked to the ferry station and departed at 09:55. After about an hour we arrived on the Isle of Mull. There we took a bus which brought us to another smaller harbor. Throughout the bus ride we enjoyed the beautiful view of wild Scottish nature while our bus driver accompanied the ride with interesting information about the places we were passing through.

After arriving at the harbour, we got on a small boat and headed off to the Isle of Staffa. We were enjoying the windy boat ride and the sea air when the captain suddenly announced that there were dolphins next to our boat! Excited we headed out to the deck and to our luck there was a group of dolphins diving in and out of the waves. What a wonderful view indeed.

Once we arrived on the Isle of Staffa, we admired the impressive hexagonal basalt columns. While exploring the island we paid Fingal`s cave a visit and enjoyed our time on the stunning hilly meadows. 

Later we also visited the Isle of Iona. There we could visit the historical abbey but also appreciate the stillness and untouched nature of the island. After a slow stroll on which we passed many sheep, we reached a lovely beach. We really enjoyed this day in full nature, after having spent the previous days in such a big city as Edinburgh. But also after this long day at the fresh air most of us were really tired and fell asleep on the bus and ferry back to Oban.  

Back in our accommodation we cooked pasta in the communal kitchen to fill hungry stomachs. Those that weren’t too tired sat around a table playing games and partying into Livia’s birthday.

Day 6 (Friday, 23rd September): On the Move! From Edinburgh to Oban

By Sophie and Kadiatou

Today we left our luxurious apartments in Edinburgh and started our journey to Oban. Oban is a small harbour town, which is especially known for seafood and whisky. Our journey began with a train ride to Glasgow, where we took a connecting train to Oban, our second destination.

The view from the train was breathtaking.

When we finally reached Oban at 3:30 pm, we went straight to the hostel. Once there, we first settled in and admired the view from our rooms. Then it was time to go shopping for provisions and dinner.

Many of us tried the famous fish and chips and liked it a lot. After dinner, some of us sat down together in front of the McCaig's Tower and let the evening fade away. Because tomorrow we expect an eventful but also exhausting day.

Day 5 (Thursday, 22nd September): Daytrip to North Berwick

By Livia and Annika

Thursday and it’s already the 5^th day in Edinburgh. We all met at 8:45am and went to the train station. There we took the train to North Berwick. Wide fields and many paddocks passed by us. The landscape was very idyllic. After a 15 min train ride we arrived in the village.

A bird center is placed in North Berwick. They do lots of research in different aspects of marine studies. Emily, our tour guide, explained their work to us and how important it is. Then we got buckets to explore the rock pools.

The bad weather didn’t hold us back, we put on our rain boots and coats to explore the wild marine life. We found lobster, crabs, hermit crabs, starfish and some seaweed.

In the afternoon we went on a boat trip to Bass Rock and Craig Leith. Two Islands in the ocean near the coast. Ian, our skipper educated us about the behavior of the birds.

There was an island of thousands of gannets who were learning to fly. 

The possibility to see whales and seals was slim and sadly we didn’t spot any. We had lunch after the boat trip. During the lunch break Emily popped in to inform us, that dolphins were close to the shore. So, we ran with our binoculars to the terrace to experience them for ourselves. In the afternoon we divided into two groups and cleaned the beach. We were equipped with gloves, recyclable bags and pairs of pliers to collect rubbish.

Today we learnt many things and it was interesting to have an insight in the marine life. Everyone took part in all the activities, we had lots of fun. 

After the eventful day everyone was glad to go home and spend a chill evening in the loft.

Day 4 (Wednesday, 21st September): Discovering Edinburgh, Ice Cold Water and Italian Food

By Noah and Remy

Today we were sent out on our own to visit an attraction of our choice. We gathered at half past nine and made our way to the chosen locations. One group went to the National Library, one to the National Gallery and our group to the Royal Botanic Garden. We walked about 30 minutes to the garden, where we entered through the East Gate. At the entrance there was a disinfectant mat, on which we had to disinfect the soles of our footwear. As we made our first footsteps, a staggering landscape full of green and bright colors presented itself to us. A pond with water lily and a variety of water birds, a Chinese hillside with Chinese architecture and a Buddhist shrine as well as colossal trees and pretty flowers were part of our walk through the garden.  

We then all felt the need of a well deserved rest, so we moved to the garden’s cafe, where we had coffee and scones. Reenergized, we headed to the bus station. 20 minutes on the bus later, we were back in the city center, where we were to meet the rest of the class at one o.c.  Having a remaining 30 minutes, we had lunch. 

The whole class reassembled, the different groups exchanged quickly what they had done with their morning. Then, the majority of the class, including us, wanted to spend the rest of the day at the beach. So we took the bus to Porto Bello. Arriving at the beach, after walking a few minutes from the bus station, we didn’t waste any time and changed into our swimming clothes. Some ran straight into the tremendously icy water (14°C) and some took themselves a little more time to surrender to the bitterly cold waters. After the swim, we changed back into our warm & cozy clothes and sought shelter at a coffee place, where we had tea and hot chocolate. After we regained a stable body temperature, we went back to the bus and got back to the apartments. At 6:30, the whole class met again to eat dinner together to end the day nicely.