A CBYXer's Guide to Bad Laasphe

The CBYX program begins with a 4-week intensive language camp. Knowing German is not a requirement for applying to the program, so many people, like me, didn’t have it in school before arriving. This makes “lang camp” very important. We stay in Schloß Wittgenstein, a castle that spends most of the year as an international boarding school (Schloß is the German word for castle). Our program is run by the “Teamers,” a group of highly dedicated volunteers mostly comprised of college students and former exchange participants. And at the bottom of the mountain on which Schloß Wittgenstein rests is the charming town of Bad Laasphe.

Stop 1: The Ice Café. I walk up to the ice cream counter nervously. This is the second time we’ve been to town. Outside, the music of an American rock cover band playing AC/DC blares through the village square. “Ein kugel Cookie, bitte,” I ask at the counter while pointing to the flavor I want. I pay and walk back outside, ice cream in hand. Swerving around a group of partying Germans, I find the spot where my friends are sitting. I join them and take my first bite. Lecker!

German ice cream is much richer than in the US. Single scoops are also far less marked up than in the US, making afternoon treats sweet and affordable! The ice cream shop was also where I had my first Spaghettieis, later on in the program. The shop is almost the first one coming down the mountain from Schloß, right on Main Street. Continuing on will bring you to our second stop.

Stop 2: The Bookstore. "Hallo!" greets the shop owner as we walk in. A friend of mine, who’s in the advanced-level German class, goes to talk to her for language practice. I swerve right, where an entire shelf is dedicated to “Der Kleine Prince", a book heavily recommended to all CBYXers. I select a copy and grab three short paper children’s books that look to be on my level. I then wander around, looking at the stationary sets, calendars, and postcards. The store reveals a whole world of literature just outside my grasp – many of the titles I recognize from English, but they are a bit too advanced for this early on in the year.

Many German bookstores will have bins of small children’s books. These books cost only one Euro and cover topics ranging from the Deutsche Bonn train system to dinosaurs. Printed on basic paper and stapled together, these are a great starting point for language learners. The bookstore is tucked away next to the bike shop. Riding on will bring you past the train station and to our final stop.

Stop 3: The Supermarket. I snag a box of German chocolates, grab a bag of pretzels, and even some “American Style Chocolate Chip Cookies” just to see what they taste like. The packaging is, of course, all in German; this becomes much harder when trying to find shampoo. I walk around, looking for my friends, and find them by the gummy bear aisle. Once everyone has their purchases, we head to check out. Someone grabs a cloth bag to make the walk back up the mountain go smoother. The cashier is cheerful, ending our trip with "Danke, bis später!"