By Mrs Arrowsmith (MFL Teacher, German)

Thirty-five excited students from Years 8 and 9 embarked very early on Friday 1st December to catch the plane to Germany for the Cologne Christmas markets. The weather was delightfully crisp and frosty throughout our stay, combining with the Christmas lights to give the whole experience a sparkly feel.  

On arriving in Cologne, we went straight to a typical German restaurant for lunch. Then it was time for the much-anticipated visit to the Lindt Schokoladenmuseum, where we saw how chocolate is made and enjoyed some free samples and some delicious wafers dipped in the famous chocolate fountain.

The following day started with a river cruise on the Rhein, and then there was plenty of time for Christmas shopping in the Angel Market and the Heinzelmännchenmarkt. The students were pleased to find the stall-holders responding positively when they tried out their German language skills. After a pleasant visit to the resplendent Christmas department of the Galeria Kaufhof, the day ended at the Farinahaus Fragrance Experience, where the students found out all about the creation of the original Eau de Cologne and tested their olfactory skills as they attempted to recognise a wide range of different perfume ingredients.

Ella Quirighetti (Year 9) said: “The trip to Cologne was really fun and a great opportunity to hear German being spoken and also speak it ourselves. It was nice to go to the Christmas markets and the other sights of Cologne. My favourite part was the perfume experience because we got to try lots of different perfumes.”

View photos from the trip here.