Update

Ok so, leaving Hannover shortly. Work focus since arriving in Berlin on Tuesday night have visited a number of schools, held presentation evenings in each and yesterday all day at an education fair here in Hannover. All of this has gone well and positively. Some very good interest despite the inevitable questions about earthquakes. The strength of the NZ$ against the Euro is another issue. But expect we'll still get a good number next year. Yesterday was six hours of being interviewed by German parents. Literally "And so Mr Davidson tell what is special about your school that would make me send my son there?" No sidling round the issues here. The NZTE rep who was supposed to give a 30 minute presentation on the NZ Education system was unable to comer at short notice so the Principal of Otago Girls and I did an impromptu outline. I was impressive.

Berlin is still a seriously cool city. We were staying in an apartment out in Charlottenburg just a couple of stops on the S Bahn from Zoo. So quick in fact I discovered that if you day dream you can suddnly find yourself further up the line than expected! Thursday we didn't have appointments til late afternoon and evening so headed into town early. Hit the Berliner Dom first. Was badly damaged in the war but restored. I love it for the crypt with all the Hohenzollern tombs going back centuries. Then on to the Pergamon Museum with is stunning Greek and Babylonian collection. The Pergamon Altar is the main attraction and is busy in almost Sistine Chapel like proportions but get into other galleries and its great. A really interesting display based on research into the Greek tradition of painting statues. It was a colourful world back then.

Gotta check out.

More later

So now we're in Munster. Back back to Berlin. From the Pergamon onto the German History Museum which was great  - well worth a visit from our History students. Then caught a bus along Unter den Linden and around to Zoo for a visit to the Kaiser Wilhelm (the I not the II) Memorial Church (see below) the modern replacement for the original which was mostly bombed out during the war - sort of Berlin's answer to Coventry cathedral. Blue glass gives an absolute haven of tranquility after the hurly burly outside including the tat and souvenir booths clustered around the  bell tower. And then a short walk along to the Stieff shop.

Friday  was another school visit. This time to to Sophie Scholl Schule - named after a young woman from Munich who was guillotined in 1942 - along with her brother - for passing anti-Nazi material. School with a lot in common with OC in terms of approach, the peer mediation team and 1200 students. But they only have one Deputy Principal. I wonder.................

Saturday morning when to three flea markets. First two mostly Turks selling tat but at least by going to the Rathaus one I can say I say where JFK announced that he was a donut. Tiergarten produced a couple of small reptilian purchases.

Over to Hannover late afternoon. Apparently there are some very attractive areas of town but clearly not where we were which was obviously badly bombed in the war and ultimately rebuilt in a very unimaginative way.

Physics Lab - teacher's view

Physics Lab - student's view

Headed over to Lohne a smaller rural town but which has a Gymnasium which has regularly had students coming to NZ. Interesting school - see the photo taken from the back of the physics lab. If we adopted the german approach to science teaching we could save a fortune!

Left Munster just after 5 and drove over to Munster which looks great - its even got a cathedral!!! Meeting isn't until 6 tomorrow night so in the morning I'll do some work and then David and I will borrow the hotel bikes and explore. There are zillions of bikes here and they all take priority over cars. They are also all of the upright basket on the front variety.....David and Birgit also have fold up bikes, which I have declined to use. Apparently they have a suggested weight limit!

Ok  time to go and test the skype.