South Africa Program 2017

STUTTGART EXCURSON

20.01.2017

This excursion was one of many that the group went on, however it was the first one where we travelled on the train:
The train ride came as a shock to my system, as it arrived on time, the seats were comfortable, the train was clean and the train ride was smooth (very different to the train rides back home!)

Once we arrived in Stuttgart, we got a bite to eat and in true German style, the group hurried straight to a bakery for pastries and coffee. We were then hurried along away from the bakery to our first destination; Katharina acting as our drill sergeant and ensuring that we stuck to our times LOL.

Our first stop: Stuttgart Staatsgalerie (the art gallery). The architecture of the building alone had me excited for what was to come. Bright colours, a big open space with a weird and random statue at the entrance, and of course the INSIDE HEATING, gave me and the group a friendly and warm welcome into the space. The art gallery showcased pieces of art that were appealing to the eye and some that were not, interesting and weird objects, and an insightful look into the thought processes of the artists who produced these pieces of art. However, after about a 45 minute browse through the gallery, I had looked at enough. This excursion also made me realise that with a good though process and a few strokes of paint on a canvas, I too can become somewhat of an abstract artist (no, I'm just kidding!).

After a colourful start to the morning, the group headed off to the Baden-Württemberg State Parliament. We were greeted by a member of the administration who would act as our tour guide for our time there. We were taken through underground parts of the building to get into the building as the man who was next in line to become President of Germany, was dining in the building and we would pose as a security risk, being foreigners.

One thing that stood out for me on this tour was the transparency of Parliament in this state. They demonstrate this in a literal sense in that they have massive windows that allow the public to see through Parliament from the streets. They can even see into the plenary room where members of Parliament have their discussions. Furthermore, members of the public are even allowed to pass through parliament and sit in on these plenaries.

Once our planned excursions were over with, we got to explore Stuttgart and return to Tübingen on our own time. The first order of business was of course to take all the pictures I possibly could and then to go shopping! After a few hours of shopping, myself, Azraa, Saf and Kerry met up with a few of the other guys to grab a bite to eat, at a place that felt a bit like home, McDonalds. However, we were literally attacked by birds who were trying to steal our food! This led to us running late, getting lost, missing our train and then running to catch the next one.


The day was filled with lots and lots of fun and adventures and I enjoyed every bit of it!

KENDYLL SOLOMON