This is the final post from the 2009 trip to Germany and Switzerland:
Sunday, Oct. 18
Today was a VERY long and tiring day of traveling. It all started when we gathered at 6:30 in the morning for a quick breakfast then we boarded a chartered bus that took us to the airport. Once at the airport everyone successfully checked all baggage and made is safely through security. They rest of the day was spent on flights from Frankfurt to Detroit, then Detroit to Erie. We are very happy to report that everyone has arrived safely back in the United States and had an absolutely amazing trip through Germany and Switzerland!!! Thanks for reading our blog and we hope you enjoyed it.
Check out more photos from our trip on Dr. Ralph Ford's Facebook page.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Day 10: Frankfurt
Saturday, Oct. 17
Unfortunately most of today was spent on trains, buses, or walking around the city to the hostel. But thankfully after arriving at the hostel around 3:30 in the afternoon we had a few hours before dinner to hit the town and see what Frankfurt has to offer. We were able to find St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral not far from the hostel as well as a local square where many street performers gather. This was a very interesting journey about town but again our fun was cut short by cold and rainy weather.
The class gathered at the hostel at 6:00 to head to the last meal of the trip. We ate at an amazing local German restaurant. During this meal we all had to the opportunity to share experiences from the trip with each other as well as experience another authentic German meal. After dinner some of us went out to watch some college football at a local Irish pub and others went back to get to bed early for another early rise for our trip home tomorrow.
Unfortunately most of today was spent on trains, buses, or walking around the city to the hostel. But thankfully after arriving at the hostel around 3:30 in the afternoon we had a few hours before dinner to hit the town and see what Frankfurt has to offer. We were able to find St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral not far from the hostel as well as a local square where many street performers gather. This was a very interesting journey about town but again our fun was cut short by cold and rainy weather.
The class gathered at the hostel at 6:00 to head to the last meal of the trip. We ate at an amazing local German restaurant. During this meal we all had to the opportunity to share experiences from the trip with each other as well as experience another authentic German meal. After dinner some of us went out to watch some college football at a local Irish pub and others went back to get to bed early for another early rise for our trip home tomorrow.
Day 9: Cultural Day in St. Gallen
Friday, Oct. 16
Everyone was completely exhausted after a late night but we were up and around by noon. Unfortunately the weather today was not the best. It was raining when we woke up and the forecast shows it should turn to snow by tonight. Regardless of the inclement weather a few of us set out on the town to finish up our souvenir shopping and see as much of St. Gallen as possible.
After several hours of successful souvenir purchasing we remembered the Olma festival was going on in town. The Olma is a local festival that celebrates local agriculture and food. Unique to this festival is the Olma Bratwurst, a sausage that is only made once a year and served during the festival. And let me tell you, this sausage is delicious!!! Along with the great food at the festival there were rides, games, and many, many vendors selling all sorts of goods.
Two hours of wandering the streets of the festival was enough for us in the cold rainy weather so we decided to head back to the hostel and get cleaned up for one last night out on the town in St. Gallen. We had met some locals the night before and had planned to meet with them at a local bar. After meeting with them they took us to another local dance club. This was a great experience having the locals take us around and show us what the nightlife in St. Gallen was like. We turned in to bed early in preparation for another early rise for our travels to Frankfurt, Germany.
Everyone was completely exhausted after a late night but we were up and around by noon. Unfortunately the weather today was not the best. It was raining when we woke up and the forecast shows it should turn to snow by tonight. Regardless of the inclement weather a few of us set out on the town to finish up our souvenir shopping and see as much of St. Gallen as possible.
After several hours of successful souvenir purchasing we remembered the Olma festival was going on in town. The Olma is a local festival that celebrates local agriculture and food. Unique to this festival is the Olma Bratwurst, a sausage that is only made once a year and served during the festival. And let me tell you, this sausage is delicious!!! Along with the great food at the festival there were rides, games, and many, many vendors selling all sorts of goods.
Two hours of wandering the streets of the festival was enough for us in the cold rainy weather so we decided to head back to the hostel and get cleaned up for one last night out on the town in St. Gallen. We had met some locals the night before and had planned to meet with them at a local bar. After meeting with them they took us to another local dance club. This was a great experience having the locals take us around and show us what the nightlife in St. Gallen was like. We turned in to bed early in preparation for another early rise for our travels to Frankfurt, Germany.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Day 8: Fakuma Trade Show
Thursday, Oct. 15
After a lovely 5 a.m. start to the day we all gathered in the lobby of the hostel at 6 to head to the train station. The train ride to Romanshorn was quick, lasting only about a half hour and then we waited for the ferry to take us across to Lake Constance to Friedrichshafen, Germany where we attended the Fakuma Trade Show. This show focuses on injection molding and extrusion industries.
It was much larger than we anticipated, consisting of 11 buildings, one of which focused solely on extrusion. Our first three hours at the show we spent wandering the first five buildings. During these first hours we had the opportunity to see many interesting things, like a display featuring a Nestal injection molding machine running a 4 cavity stack mold at a 2.97 second cycle time. Also there was a robot display that was running incredibly fast. (Video to come). Another interesting part of the show was the amount of rapid prototyping equipment that was on display.
After meeting with the class at noon we were instructed to meet back up at 2 p.m. and then we were going to head back to St. Gallen. The journey back was pretty uneventful and upon arriving in St. Gallen everyone was exhausted and took a quick nap before hitting the town. After waking up and getting another excellent authentic Swiss meal we wandered around to several bars before making a stop at a bar close to the hostel. There we met some local college students and spent several hours talking with them and cruising around to some different clubs. It was a late night full of fun and excitement. Should be interesting to see what tomorrow brings.
After a lovely 5 a.m. start to the day we all gathered in the lobby of the hostel at 6 to head to the train station. The train ride to Romanshorn was quick, lasting only about a half hour and then we waited for the ferry to take us across to Lake Constance to Friedrichshafen, Germany where we attended the Fakuma Trade Show. This show focuses on injection molding and extrusion industries.
It was much larger than we anticipated, consisting of 11 buildings, one of which focused solely on extrusion. Our first three hours at the show we spent wandering the first five buildings. During these first hours we had the opportunity to see many interesting things, like a display featuring a Nestal injection molding machine running a 4 cavity stack mold at a 2.97 second cycle time. Also there was a robot display that was running incredibly fast. (Video to come). Another interesting part of the show was the amount of rapid prototyping equipment that was on display.After meeting with the class at noon we were instructed to meet back up at 2 p.m. and then we were going to head back to St. Gallen. The journey back was pretty uneventful and upon arriving in St. Gallen everyone was exhausted and took a quick nap before hitting the town. After waking up and getting another excellent authentic Swiss meal we wandered around to several bars before making a stop at a bar close to the hostel. There we met some local college students and spent several hours talking with them and cruising around to some different clubs. It was a late night full of fun and excitement. Should be interesting to see what tomorrow brings.
(Pictured above, a rapid prototyping display at the Fakuma Trade Show.)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Day 7: Tour of the Schottli manufacturing facility
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Early rising today for an hour and a half-long train ride up to Diessenhofen, Switzerland, where we toured Schottli. Schottli is a Swiss high precision injection mold manufacturing facility that specializes in molds for the medical and packaging industries. The tour started with a presentation by Johannes Strassner, Schottli's managing director for sales and marketing. His
presentation was very informative and did a very good job of showing all of us what Schottli's capabilities are and what Swiss technology brings to the plastics industry. After the presentation we were broken up into three groups and given detailed tours of the manufacturing processes that Schottli's products go through. After the tours, Schottli hosted a lunch for all us. This tour was a great experience and was very informative for all the students.
The journey back to St. Gallen was full of the beautiful scenery of Lake Constance. Once we got back, everyone hit the town to get some dinner, where we had the opportunity to experience some authentic Swiss food. While dining at the Schwarzer Engel (which translates to Black Angel) Restaurant, we were able to get dishes such as pumpking risotto, fresh rabbit and homemade pasta, and also schnitzel served with locally grown vegetables. After a hearty meal we're off to bed to get up early for the Fakuma Plastics Trade Show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
Early rising today for an hour and a half-long train ride up to Diessenhofen, Switzerland, where we toured Schottli. Schottli is a Swiss high precision injection mold manufacturing facility that specializes in molds for the medical and packaging industries. The tour started with a presentation by Johannes Strassner, Schottli's managing director for sales and marketing. His
presentation was very informative and did a very good job of showing all of us what Schottli's capabilities are and what Swiss technology brings to the plastics industry. After the presentation we were broken up into three groups and given detailed tours of the manufacturing processes that Schottli's products go through. After the tours, Schottli hosted a lunch for all us. This tour was a great experience and was very informative for all the students.
The journey back to St. Gallen was full of the beautiful scenery of Lake Constance. Once we got back, everyone hit the town to get some dinner, where we had the opportunity to experience some authentic Swiss food. While dining at the Schwarzer Engel (which translates to Black Angel) Restaurant, we were able to get dishes such as pumpking risotto, fresh rabbit and homemade pasta, and also schnitzel served with locally grown vegetables. After a hearty meal we're off to bed to get up early for the Fakuma Plastics Trade Show in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Days 1-6: Checking out Heidelberg and Interlaken
Day 1: Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009
We traveled from Erie International Airport to Detroit where we boarded another flight to Frankfurt, Germany. After we arrived in Germany we started traveling via train from Frankfurt to Heidelberg.
Day 2: Friday, Oct. 9
Upon arrival in Heidelberg we found our way to our hostel. Everyone got settled into their rooms and then we ventured out on the town to get some much-needed food. Luckily the old part of town was nearby and everyone had the opportunity to try some local cuisine. The remainder of this day was spent checking out the nightlife that Heidelberg had to offer.
(Pictured above, the group gathers in Heidelberg.)
Day 3: Saturday, Oct. 10
After an early morning wake-up call from Mr. Meckley, we gathered around 9 a.m. only to discover that the weather was not the best. Rain, rain and more rain had settled in on Heidelberg. After waiting for an hour or so we ventured off to Hofeintritt ErmaBigte Castle, located in the Heidelberg's old town. Still suffering the cold and rain, we ventured into the castle, where we got to see the historical pharmacy museum of Germany as well as several monstrous kegs used to store liquids in the castle over the years. We also noted that the castle had undergone severe damage over the years. After our tour we had some free time for lunch and to make any last minute purchases in Heidelberg.
Everyone gathered at the hostel at 1:30 to gather their things and head over to the train station. Back to the rails to venture off to Interlaken, Switzerland. It was a late night arrival in Switzerland and when we arrived everyone scattered about the town to check into their hostels. This first night in Interlaken most of the students went out and met local people. It was great to experience their culture and sample the food of Switzerland.
Day 4: Sunday, Oct. 11
Unfortunately the culture in Switzerland does not allow for many shops and tourist attractions to be open on Sunday. However we did a very good job of finding what was open. Some of us traveled up into the mountains to experience the beautiful scenery of the Alps. Others partook in outdoor activities such as completing a ropes course and hiking in the mountains.
As stated above Interlaken is a very touristy town and many of us took the opportunity to get all of our souvenir shopping done on this day.
Day 5: Monday, Oct. 12
The faculty asked all students to assemble at the Interlaken East train station at 9:30 a.m. to present them with their planned activity for the day. Some of us decided to go to a castle in the town across the lake. On the way back from the castle we got off the train a couple of stops early and took a cave tour. The rest of us went on an all day hiking adventure.
Day 6: Tuesday, Oct. 13
Today is the last day in Interlaken, Switzerland. Again we met at the train station at 9:30 am to give the professors our daily plan. A group of four of us traveled to the top of a mountain called Schilthorn, which was used as a filming site for a 007 James Bond movie. There were also three students skiing with Mr. Meckley in Zurmatt, who will meet up with us in St. Gallen.
We traveled from Erie International Airport to Detroit where we boarded another flight to Frankfurt, Germany. After we arrived in Germany we started traveling via train from Frankfurt to Heidelberg.
Day 2: Friday, Oct. 9
Upon arrival in Heidelberg we found our way to our hostel. Everyone got settled into their rooms and then we ventured out on the town to get some much-needed food. Luckily the old part of town was nearby and everyone had the opportunity to try some local cuisine. The remainder of this day was spent checking out the nightlife that Heidelberg had to offer.
(Pictured above, the group gathers in Heidelberg.)
Day 3: Saturday, Oct. 10
After an early morning wake-up call from Mr. Meckley, we gathered around 9 a.m. only to discover that the weather was not the best. Rain, rain and more rain had settled in on Heidelberg. After waiting for an hour or so we ventured off to Hofeintritt ErmaBigte Castle, located in the Heidelberg's old town. Still suffering the cold and rain, we ventured into the castle, where we got to see the historical pharmacy museum of Germany as well as several monstrous kegs used to store liquids in the castle over the years. We also noted that the castle had undergone severe damage over the years. After our tour we had some free time for lunch and to make any last minute purchases in Heidelberg.Everyone gathered at the hostel at 1:30 to gather their things and head over to the train station. Back to the rails to venture off to Interlaken, Switzerland. It was a late night arrival in Switzerland and when we arrived everyone scattered about the town to check into their hostels. This first night in Interlaken most of the students went out and met local people. It was great to experience their culture and sample the food of Switzerland.
Day 4: Sunday, Oct. 11
Unfortunately the culture in Switzerland does not allow for many shops and tourist attractions to be open on Sunday. However we did a very good job of finding what was open. Some of us traveled up into the mountains to experience the beautiful scenery of the Alps. Others partook in outdoor activities such as completing a ropes course and hiking in the mountains.As stated above Interlaken is a very touristy town and many of us took the opportunity to get all of our souvenir shopping done on this day.
Day 5: Monday, Oct. 12The faculty asked all students to assemble at the Interlaken East train station at 9:30 a.m. to present them with their planned activity for the day. Some of us decided to go to a castle in the town across the lake. On the way back from the castle we got off the train a couple of stops early and took a cave tour. The rest of us went on an all day hiking adventure.
(Pictured above, from left to right, Tim Farrell, Keith Maloney, Nicole Cocuzzi, and Paul Baird atop Schilthorn at 10,000 feet.)
Day 6: Tuesday, Oct. 13
Today is the last day in Interlaken, Switzerland. Again we met at the train station at 9:30 am to give the professors our daily plan. A group of four of us traveled to the top of a mountain called Schilthorn, which was used as a filming site for a 007 James Bond movie. There were also three students skiing with Mr. Meckley in Zurmatt, who will meet up with us in St. Gallen.
(Pictured above, the view from Schiltorn.)
We left Interlaken at 3 p.m. by train and traveled to St. Gallen. After arriving that evening everyone got checked into the hostel and then headed out on the town to get some food. Early morning tomorrow--Leaving around 6 a.m. to tour a Swiss mold shop.
(Pictured above, from left to right, Tim Farrell, Nicole Cocuzzi, Paul Baird, and Keith Maloney on their way up Schilthorn.)
We left Interlaken at 3 p.m. by train and traveled to St. Gallen. After arriving that evening everyone got checked into the hostel and then headed out on the town to get some food. Early morning tomorrow--Leaving around 6 a.m. to tour a Swiss mold shop.(Pictured above, from left to right, Tim Farrell, Nicole Cocuzzi, Paul Baird, and Keith Maloney on their way up Schilthorn.)
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