GERMANY TRIP
Summer 2008
Report by Dana McMahon
It started off with a double decker bus. Instruments, stands, suitcases and, in some cases, pillows and blankets cluttered about our transport.
The atmosphere was buzzing - everyone just wanted to get away from their mums, dads, brothers, sisters, aunties, uncles and grandparents who were all waving and blowing kisses up to their embarassed relations.
As the bus started, it barely made it round the first corner, never mind all the way to Germany. But once we were off, an excitement grew deep within me. I had never been to Germany before and didn't really know what to expect but I hoped I was in for a good time as there would be more than sixty of us in the same place at the same time.
When we arrived at the ferry, it looked absolutely huge. We were told soon afterwards that we wouldn't be allowed on deck as the weather wasn't looking too promising. Typical, I thought, but it didn't seem to matter. Who wants to go and get seasick anyway? The monster of a bus made its way onto the ferry and we were greeted with lots of stairs.... lots and lots of stairs....
I had never been on a ferry before either and was quite happily surprised when I realised it wasn't like Titanic. The cabins were small but comfortable and although the sea was choppy, we managed to enjoy a great dinner and watch the cheesy evening entertainment singers.
When I awoke the next day, I was greeted with a Welcome to the Netherlands text on my phone, so I hoped we were fairly close to Germany. We made our way back onto the bus and as it drove off, I suddenly realised we were far from Motherwell. The sun was splitting the trees and the scenery was incredible. I can just remember the blueness of the sky and the different colours of greens - just like a patchwork quilt. However, the lack of sleep grew on me and the next time I woke up, I was at the hotel.
After sorting out our rooms, we had a band rehearsal as the next day was really important.
My alarm went off. Oh no, I moaned, but when I loooked out the window and saw the sun shining brightly, I realised I was in Germany and was suddenly fully awake.
We were going to do our first performance in the little town of Ruddesheim. I became nervous: what if German people hated us? But in fact, the performances went great and we managed to gather a small crowd with our tremendous noise.
The next day, we went on a boat journey down the Rhine. The sunny atmosphere made this experience unforgettable. We then proceeded to go on a skyline tour which was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I will never forget that day. Later we had some free time in the little town where our hotel was situated.
Another early morning rise meant my fellow roommates were expecting to be cranky, but this wasn't the atmosphere at all. We were going to the famous theme park, Fantasy Land, which was absolutely fantastic - something far more memorable than M&Ds!
This was to be our last night in this beautiful country, so we sadly made our way back to the hotel to pack our belongings.
On the way back home, we stopped in Holland at the city of Maastricht to do our final performance of the whole trip. It was a happy experience but also quite sad, as it was the last show of our current, incredibly successful band.
On the ferry home, we partied on, fighting tiredness.
Before I went to Germany, I didn't know what to expect. People of Scotland don't really go there on holiday so I didn't have any expectations. However, having been there I've realised just how beautiful it is. I am so thankful for this experience and I'm sure everyone in the band feels the same way.
Click here to read about the band's adventures in Germany and Holland in 2006.