Teaching in Germany

Last year I was teaching a course in Mentoring in the Workplace with staff caring for the personal of the various forces based in Germany. I did most of the support online but had to go and do a few days of face to face sessions at the start and the middle of the module. I flew into Dusseldorf and was picked up by Elaine. We drove from there to Bergen. When I had looked up the map i found this was near the Bergen Belson concentration camp. In fact we drove right past it. The place looked dreary in the rain and cold weather and I was not in the least bit inclined to go visit it.

When we got to Bergen and Elaine took me to see the place I would be teaching. I was taken aback to find that the buildings which were the base was where Hitler's panzer division was housed at one time. The place suddenly took a new meaning to me. The area is quiet dispite being a busy base. Below is the picture of the building where Hitler had his offices and the balcony in from is from where he used to hold his speeches and rallies. Apparently the car park we were stadning on to take these pictures used to be a small lake. I think I was being fanciful but there was a shiver which went down the spine looking at this place and feeling the vibes of the times gone by.

I enjoyed my time here with very friendly students and staff. Despite the cold we did walk about a bit and went out. On the last night most of us went out for a meal. The area surrounding the small hotel we were staying at was quiet. Some of my students had traveled form other parts of Germany and so were also staying with us at teh same hotel. Being a vegetarian was not a major problem for I manged to find some Italian food and so pizza was the order of the week!





It amused me to see a sign saying warning tank crossing on a road.


The buildings are set out around a square and the building to the side is the one in which I was teaching for 3 days.

My friend Elaine took me for a little sightseeing on the last day before dropping me off at the Hanover airport. This picturesque town is called Celle and has remained intact with buildings as old as those from the 1600's. There are many photos showing this lovely architecture and it was a pleasure to walk around seeing the buildings as well as the beautiful shops. I wish I had the time and the money to do some shopping as there were some lovely clothes there.






We found the bronze statue in the town center very very amusing and you can see the back and front of this sculpture. I think people walking by were a little amused to see us taking this picture. Its my friend Elaine who was showing me around Celle.



View of Celle town center - photo taken in the square.

This is the Museum in Celle which I would have loved to have seen but I was there for an hour or so only. As you cna see this is another impressive building.

This is the palace in Celle with beautiful grounds around it.


Varied architecture in the small town of Celle. The main street in the town center is lined on both sides with these old buildings which have so much of the old world atmosphere. The colors are vibrant and the carving still fresh and detailed.



Beautiful windows in Celle. The carvings in the wood are varied and the colors are so vibrant.