Zwingenberg am Neckar

So we got back from the camping trip earlier than I expected. It was a really fun trip. There were about thirty or so people who went, and I was right in that it was very similar to what I did in my high school chemistry class. The majority of the time was spent collecting data (pH, COD, temperature, etc.) from the river (the Neckar) and some of the local creeks and streams that fed into it. We camped right on the river in a little village called Zwingenberg am Neckar. The village was stretched out along the opposite side of the river, and right above the houses sat Schloss Zwingenberg. It made for a really incredible camping spot.

The students split off into four-person groups and on Friday my group spent the day tromping around one of the streams that trickled into the river. We took the aforementioned measurements before taking the ferry back across the river to our camp ground. That evening the institute's professors played host to a professor from Idaho State University. He was really interested in talking with Melissa and myself about what we were studying / researching and our experiences so far. The professor was part of this international group of engineers that was visiting the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and you could just tell that these guys had some intense credentials.

Saturday was a blast. My group went with one of the professors on his boat down the river to do some work by one of the lock systems*. This stretch of the river winds its way through this deep V-shaped valley with steep, tee-covered hills on either side. I sat on the roof of the boat, and the view was simply breathtaking. And then on our way back up the river we rounded one of the last corners and then, bam, Schloss Zwingenberg pops up out from the thick forest. Words can't even begin to describe the beauty of this area. It's easy to see why the old monarchs would have chosen to build a castle at that particular spot. I lucked out and the group I was with got to travel on the river a fair bit more than some of the other groups. It was ridiculously incredible.

[* We were between the port-towns of Heidelberg and Heilbronn, so there were tons of river barges ploughing up and down the river by where we were working.]

Other than the boat trips and great view, not a lot happened. It was really fun to spend so much time with other students. Most of them were Germans, but there were quite a few foreigners as well. I really got to flex my German language skills. I'm glad we got back early, though. It gives Melissa and I a few hours to prep for our weekend in Paris. I'm pretty excited, and I'm currently clearing off my camera and charging all my batteries, so expect tons of photos when I get back Sunday night. Until then, enjoy the few photos I took in Zwingenberg am Neckar.

[Editor's Note: As per popular demand, I have started tagging some photos with short captions, so now you can get a better idea of what the photo is of.]

I also wanted to give a quick shout-out to my colleagues here at the institute who let me borrow a sleeping bag and a tent. THANK YOU!

So with that said, "Off we go!".