You may be wondering why this is part one. Well, that’s because I have been to Germany twice, but in very different circumstances, so it feels fitting to split this prompt into two posts.

The first trip was in 1999. I was still technically a cub, not yet even 18, and the trip to Germany, via coach, saw me travel with my brother, and others in his year group. It was a looooong coach ride, and it was marked by a lot of us eating our packed food – intended to be eked out across the entire 15 or so hours – before we had reached the Channel Tunnel. There was a TV on the coach, and the teachers (this was a school trip) had recorded some music videos to help pass the time. It was still a lengthy, tiring experience.

One abiding memory of the journey there was stopping off at a petrol station, and grabbing a can of cola. It tasted weird, almost like petrol had gotten in. I still drank it.

The trip itself saw trips to local towns (I forget precisely where), and we soon noticed that Germans love an ice cream parlour. There was a theme park near where we stayed, and this got a visit too. It was quite the experience, if gruelling in terms of travel. Being a school trip, there was this vague hope we may learn something, but if I did, I can’t remember!