08.02.2014

Hi! My name is Manuela and I am looking forward to host Sulo when he comes from Canada to Germany.

At the moment the weather isn’t that nice but I am convinced when Sulo arrives it will look like that:

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22.02.2014

Waiting for Sulo and hoping that he has a nice time in Canada.

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22.03.2014

Hey I arrived in Germany, jumped out of a beautiful envelop and was warmly welcomed by my new host Mini!

 

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23.03.2014

Because of an exam on Monday Mini had not that much time for me but she showed me a bit around her room.

 

I should mention that she is a bit crazy about flying and aviation…!

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25.03.2014

Well, I can tell you that this day was completely crazy. Mini has forgotten almost everything, even the memory-card of her camera…

So we could not take any pictures during the day but in the evening Mini showed me some of her room.

She likes traveling like me and wants to got to Canada this year. I was there so I told her a bit about the country.

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26.03.2014

Today started some freezing cold but you can also see the spring has arrived in Germany because all the beautiful flowers start to grow.

So we drove to Minis work and she showed me around her office.

It is such a nice weather today and on our way back home Mini recommended me some good music.

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28.03.2014

Today Mini promised me to show me the most important and most popular sight of her hometown.

When we arrived we could see some strange looking buildings and a very nice sunset.

From near you could seas that this building is now a museum which shows the history of this region called ‘Ruhrarea’. Ruhr is the name of the local river and the great history of this area and of this place here consists of coal-mining and steel-fabrication.

The orange color next to the stairs symbolizes the liquid steel which was seen here during these days. All over the place you can find some relics of this time.

The well known tower of ‘Zeche Zollverein’. With the wheels and ropes is was used as a lift for the coal. This way they could bring the ‘black gold’ as they call it to the surface.

You can also find a miniature of it here and old rails because they needed trains to transport all the coal and steel.

Today it is a very nice place to go for a walk or to inform about this past times. Mini really enjoys it to come here and relax.

 

After this interesting trip Mini went to play Badminton with some friends.

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30.03.2014

Here are some funny animals in the house.

As spring is here now all the decoration was changed.

Like already mentioned Mini likes traveling and sending postcards. Her mum stores some of her cards she has send from her holidays here. And they grow some apple-trees.

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31.03.2014

Today Mini wants to send out some postcards.

And she showed me some of her kitchen.

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01.04.2014

Did I mention that spring has arrived?!

 Smells good! 🙂

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03.04.2014

Today Mini showed me more about her work and the office.

She really likes to drink tea and to eat muesli and apple puree.

Her colleagues have decorated their office very nice.

  

Mini has already took part in a Dragonboat competition with her colleagues and the year before last year she had surprises everyone in the office with such a little gift at Christmas.

Next she showed me what her work consists of. They measure the landscape to draw such plans and maps. Mini is a surveyor. This old map on the left was long time ago.

And there are nice paintings and interesting instruments.

One of her colleagues has a glass with a lot of sweets and very likes football.

And on a map in his room Mini showed me where I have been so far (red points).

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05.04.2014

Today is Saturday and Mini took me to the city center of Essen.

The shopping center ‘Limbecker Platz’ is quite new and a new building. But for example the ‘Coloseum Theater’ was put into an old fabric hall. Essen changes from a city with a lot of industries to a place with a lot of culture and fun.

We went into the shopping center and saw ‘Zeche Zollverein’ again a some statues of men who have worked in the mines in this region.

After this we went out to the pedestrian zone. This weekend there is ‘Easter Market’ and many people in the streets. In the middle of the city there is the cathedral of Essen.

There is a beautiful fountain in front of it and in the backyard it is so peaceful.

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06.04.2014

My last day in Germany. Mini took me to see beautiful ‘Lake Baldeney’.

There are a lot of sailboats and some funny ducks.

My time in Germany was very nice and tomorrow I will start my journey to The Netherlands.