Forty of our Year 8 and 9 pupils have just returned from a 5 day visit to the Rhineland area of Germany.  Our programme was packed with excitement, including a visit on the first day to Germany‘s  fourth largest city, Cologne, where we did some sightseeing, went to a chocolate museum and had free time to explore shops and restaurants. On the second day, we experienced the beautiful countryside of the Rhineland, with its many castles and pretty villages. A boat trip on the river Rhine and a cable car ride through the vineyards were just some of the highlights of that day.  The pace certainly didn’t slow down on the third day when the pupils experienced thrilling rides at Phantasialand, one of Germany’s big theme parks. This was a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding trip. The boys responded extremely positively to all the cultural and linguistic experiences on offer, recording many of them in their study visit diaries. Their standard of behaviour and politeness was outstanding and I am sure fond memories of the Rhineland will remain with them forever.