Our stay in Munich . . . . .

I am going to post an email I wrote today in reply to one from a parent. The parent asked some questions about how much free time will be allowed by our students in Munich - very reasonable questions, to be sure. I hope this will allay any concerns/fears you might have about our week stay in Munich. Our two weeks in Schwetzingen are pretty much taken care of: we attend class, live with our host families, explore with them Schwetzingen and the surrounding area. On the second weekend we'll definitely take an excursion to nearby Heidelberg, but on the whole, our aim in Schwetzingen is to live like the Germans do and integrate ourselves into the day-to-day life of our host families. In Munich, we'll be more "touristy." Here is a copy of that email, missing words and all:

Thank you for your email. Two chaperones will be on the trip to Germany. While in Munich, We will have a fairly tight schedule of activities; there is much to see in Munich. As far as allowing the students to explore the city extensively on their own in pairs or groups of three or four, no that will not happen. I and my co-chaperone will always be afoot with the students. The old city center around Marienplatz is fairly compact. I do envision two or three mornings or afternoons during that week where we all walk to Marienplatz, the central market square in the old city, and split up in several small groups for exploration within three or four blocks of the Marienplatz, taking pictures, interacting with people, and meeting up at a designated location at Marienplatz. I will have cell phone - a disposable one while in Germany - and with payphones still ubiquitous in European cities, I'll always be within reach. The students will all have a map of the Old City also. In short, my co-chaperone and I will never just stay at our lodging while the students run off in Munich, and the only independence allowed to the students will be two or three strolls around the old city center in the middle of the day in groups of three or four for two hours at a time. They'll not be allowed to use public transportation by themselves, nor would they even need to. The rest of the time, we'll be together as a group, visiting museums, picknicking in the English Garden, going on excursions to outlying areas, including a day trip to Salzburg (1.5 hours by train), and seeing the city at night.

I hope I have answered your very reasonable questions. More details on the exact itinerary while in Munich will be posted at our website.