0:00:37 > 0:00:40My name is Rhona and I'm nine years old.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47TRANSLATED: I live in Kinderdljk in the province of South Holland.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06It is only a small village but people come here from all over the world.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11They come to see something special. It is something you will like.
0:01:13 > 0:01:20What people come to see are the windmills.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26We have 19 windmills.
0:01:28 > 0:01:35Most of them stand along the canal. The canal is a drainage canal.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Our windmills are used to keep the land dry.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48If they didn't, the land would flood.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53The windmill is a symbol of the Netherlands
0:01:53 > 0:01:57and it's really important in the history of our country.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02In cold winters the canal freezes and you can skate on it.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07My dad said they used to skate it every year.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16What is special is that the windmills are lived in.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Bjorn is putting on the sails. He is a miller.
0:02:26 > 0:02:32A miller is actually a wind catcher.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Not many people in the world know how to do this.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39A miller needs to know a lot about the weather.
0:02:42 > 0:02:49Mr Vandenberg also lives here. He has been a miller here for over 40 years.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03His children also know how to operate the windmill,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05but I'm not sure if they will be millers.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08It's not easy to become a miller. It takes a long time to learn.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19What are you doing?
0:03:19 > 0:03:22TRANSLATED: Taking the brake off, so the windmill can start turning.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27- Will you be working the windmill tomorrow?- Yes, if there is wind.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31When the mill is running you can hear the sails.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35They go really fast, just like the wind. It sounds a bit like this.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38RHYTHMIC BREATHING
0:03:55 > 0:03:59When you go inside, straightaway you will see some big wheels.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03The sound of the mill can send you to sleep.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05But a miller will know exactly if there's a problem
0:04:05 > 0:04:08or if the wind stops or changes, just from the sound.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15This is a windmill you can visit.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22You can see inside this one and see how millers used to live.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33This is where the parents used to sleep.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39This is the chamberpot.
0:04:39 > 0:04:45And these are the clocks people used to wear. And some people still do.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51Here are some old clock boots millers used to wear.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55And some old ice skates.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I'm going to live in a windmill soon.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09This is our windmill.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Rick is my brother, and he's helping Dad do up our windmill.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Our windmill is octagonal.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35My dad is very passionate about windmills and keen to preserve them.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Because the windmills are very old,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47they are an important part of Dutch history.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52We have to look after them otherwise we lose a part of our history.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07If you'd like to visit, that would be fine by me.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13It's great fun to live in a windmill because, well, yes,
0:06:13 > 0:06:14it's really rather beautiful.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18And it's also on the water.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46TRANSLATED: I am Robert. I am nine years old.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51I live in Vera, in the province of Zeeland.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Zeeland is in the south-west of the Netherlands.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10The province consists of islands and water.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Did you know that almost half of our province is water?
0:07:21 > 0:07:28After the big North Sea flood in 1953, the Delta works were built.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31My home is located near the Delta works.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35The Delta works is a network of sluices.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41When there's a really big storm they protect our land from the sea.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44There are 13 Delta works dams.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Without this dam, half of the Netherlands would flood.
0:07:52 > 0:08:01What is so special about the dam? The sluices can remain open.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03The sea water can flow in with the tides.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07This is good for the fishermen and nature.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Famous engineers from all over the world have come to see it.
0:08:21 > 0:08:27I live in the centre of Vera. It's a town of about 1,600 inhabitants.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33I live with my family, just a few minutes' walk from school.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46There are 72 pupils at my school.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53School starts at 8:30 AM, but I get there a few minutes earlier
0:08:53 > 0:08:55so I can play around with my friends.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57We usually play ball.
0:08:57 > 0:09:03Our school is Protestant and class starts and ends with a prayer.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10Afterwards, we sing a song and I love taking part. We also sing in English.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15My favourite subject is maths.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18I really enjoy maths because it is easy.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26ALL: # And we are ready to go
0:09:26 > 0:09:33# Ready to go, ready to go We are ready to go, you and me
0:09:33 > 0:09:41# Where we can see Are you ready? Yeah! #
0:09:46 > 0:09:51Whilst I'm at school, my mum works at a nice restaurant in the town centre.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Lots of tourists go there in the summer.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59And their favourite meal is mussels.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Tourists come from all over the world to just eat mussels,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07oysters and lobster.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Hundreds of people living in Zeeland
0:10:14 > 0:10:17earn their living from mussels and oysters.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28In Europe, the Netherlands is the biggest producer of mussels
0:10:28 > 0:10:30after Spain and France.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33We have different types of mussel farming.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37One method is called hang culture.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Where the mussels grow on ropes in the water.
0:10:44 > 0:10:50The baby mussels take about 30 months to grow into big, juicy muscle.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54These mussels are big but they are not yet big enough.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58These are from near the river mouth,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02where the water mixes with the seawater from the North Sea.
0:11:16 > 0:11:22My dad, grandpa and my uncles are fish wholesalers.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28This is Friday. This is the day when dad gets back
0:11:28 > 0:11:31with a lorry full of fish.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36They buy, sell and transport fish.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43My dad fetches fish from all over Europe.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50Sometimes I go and help him when he comes back from a trip.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55When he arrives we offloaded the fish into containers.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59I've been doing it since I was three years old,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01and I also joined him on trips.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Your hands get really cold, but it's still fun!
0:12:09 > 0:12:12My great-grandfather founded the business.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15At the time, he traded fish from the local area.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Sometimes I travel with my dad in his lorry.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27This is great fun and I can visit lots of other places in Europe.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35My favourite thing of all is football. That's my passion.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43I train twice a week and then I have a match on Saturdays.
0:12:43 > 0:12:49My older sister, Nina, also plays football.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55My position is striker.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00I support Ajax. It's the best team in the Netherlands.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08I love football because I love to score.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15If you are passing Vera any time, come and watch me play.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30My name is Mika,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32and I'm 10 years old.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37I live in the city of Haarlem.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57TRANSLATED: Haarlem is a lovely city
0:13:57 > 0:13:59with lots of typical, old Dutch buildings.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05So it may look old-fashioned but it's very nice living here.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12The River Spaarne runs through Haarlem
0:14:12 > 0:14:15and it connects to the North Sea Canal.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19You can't miss the river. It is part of Haarlem and the city life.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29I'd say Haarlem is full of creative people.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34It's a pretty relaxed place with plenty of music, arts and dance.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50I love dance, especially street dancing.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58It's really fun to dance with friends
0:14:58 > 0:15:01because with different kinds of music we make the dance.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06I like street dancing a lot because it's really cool but also different.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16I love going shopping or stopping off for something yummy to eat.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Have you tried Oliebol? This is something typically Dutch.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48Oliebol are delicious, warm and also very sweet.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05I'd like to show you a great cheese shop
0:16:05 > 0:16:07we have in the centre of Haarlem.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17My dad and I really love Dutch cheese.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Thank you. Mmm! SPEAKS DUTCH
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Our favourite cheese can be translated to English
0:16:35 > 0:16:39as "old cheese".
0:16:39 > 0:16:43I love old cheese because it's a bit sharp and crumbly.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45This is a typical Dutch cheese.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57You probably know Haarlem is really famous for its flowers,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01especially tulips.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15My mother's favourite tulips are the pink ones.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33I can't show you any blossoming tulip fields
0:17:33 > 0:17:36but I can show you something interesting about the bulbs.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Because now it is bulb planting time.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46In spring, all these fields will be covered in flowers.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Rob is a flower and bulb grower.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56TRANSLATED: This is where the tulips are.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00And over there, under the greenery, we've planted the daffodils.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Rob plants thousands of bulbs out in the fields.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07He plants 20 million bulbs a year!
0:18:08 > 0:18:12Lex is his son, and he also wants to be a bulb and flower grower.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20This family specialises in hyacinths, daffodils,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24crocuses and, of course, tulips!
0:18:24 > 0:18:30- Let's see if we can find a tulip. - They are buried quite deep.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Yes, they are about 10 centimetres deep.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40In March, April, that is when they will flower.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45This is time for their winter sleep.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48It is also when the flowers have time to grow inside the bulbs.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58In the winter, some of the bulbs are planted by hand in peat.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03The hyacinths are a big part of their business.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11You probably recognise the Delft blue hyacinth.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17I think the bulbs look a bit like red onions!
0:19:19 > 0:19:20That is my grandfather.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26These are all hyacinth bulbs.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29They have to make sure the roots are planted correctly.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33This is so the flowers grow straight and not crooked.
0:19:44 > 0:19:50My mum likes planting daffodil and crocus bulbs in our garden.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56She also plants them in the winter.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I think it's a real shame
0:20:01 > 0:20:07that I can't show you the beautiful flowers when they come out.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10But I can show you my great new pony.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17His name is Billy and I just got him a few weeks ago.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24It was a huge surprise and I was very happy.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32I love Billy because he's brave and cute and sweet
0:20:32 > 0:20:36and small and fat.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46I'd don't need many words with Billy
0:20:46 > 0:20:50because when you have a thought, horses can read your mind.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57So, when you're sad then your pony is sad.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00But when you're happy, your pony is also happy.
0:21:04 > 0:21:10HAPPY MUSIC
0:21:14 > 0:21:16My name is Josephine.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21I'm 11 years old and I'm a speed skater in Inzell.
0:21:21 > 0:21:28TRANSLATED: Inzell is world-famous for speedskating.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33Inzell is at the foot of the Alps in a region called Chiemgau.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35And it's in Bavaria.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10We have lots of beautiful mountains.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16These are the Alps and the Alps are in Germany.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Over there, where you can see the snow caps, that's all Austria.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36The river is made from melting ice water
0:22:36 > 0:22:40that runs down from the mountains.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46It's a little bit cloudy but otherwise you could see Munich.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48And Munich is where my mum works.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Sometimes, I like to go walking in the forest.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01The forest is very important in our area.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06It protects us from rock and snow avalanches.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17It gives us wood as we still build many houses from wood.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34We also use the wood for our heating.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50There are lots of farms in Bavaria.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Some of the farms are very old.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00The animals, mostly the cows,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03are now brought into barns because it's getting colder
0:24:03 > 0:24:05and the snow will come soon.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07They'll stay there until April.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Some cows are still in the meadows but they'll soon be brought in.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23In the autumn, like now, we still get sunny days.
0:24:23 > 0:24:29So, sometimes, I like to go wave boarding with my friend, Susanna.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35I especially like wave boarding with her
0:24:35 > 0:24:37because we can do lots of good tricks together.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Soon, we won't be able to any more,
0:24:50 > 0:24:55because in winter we always get a lot of snowfalls.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Sometimes more than a metre.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Here, in Inzell, you can do lots of sports in the winter,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07like skiing, cross-country skiing and sledging.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15But, for me, the best is speed skating.
0:25:22 > 0:25:28Speed skating actually started at a lake here called Frillensee.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35In the 1950s and '60s, people trained here in winter
0:25:35 > 0:25:37and there were very important competitions here.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46It's the coldest lake in Germany.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48And one of the coldest in Europe.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53In the winter, it's completely frozen.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Now, all the competitions are held at our new indoor arena.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09The ice stadium in Inzell is really new.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14It was officially opened for the world Championships in 2011.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26It's the most modern speed skating arena in Europe
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and in Germany there are only three.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Teams come from all over the world to train here.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42It can offer teams the best training facilities all year round.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28I trained three times a week with my two friends, Anita and Susanna.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21We get on really well and we joke around and chat.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Anita and Susanna are both really nice.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33When we train, we often skate in a threesome,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36one behind the other.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40we are all the same speed and level
0:28:40 > 0:28:45so we can keep together, which is always much more fun.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54It's great racing around the track together,
0:28:54 > 0:28:57feeling the air rushing passed us.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04At competitions, we wear a skin-tight suit.
0:29:06 > 0:29:11Then we feel so light on the ice.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Almost like you're flying.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16And, yes, that's just such a great feeling.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26I hope you can come and watch us one day!
0:29:38 > 0:29:43My name is Philipp. I live in Bavaria.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03TRANSLATED: Halblech is a few kilometres away
0:30:03 > 0:30:07from Schwangau and Fussen.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11This region is called Allgau.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31My father is a soldier and works in Dresden, training officers.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Once, he was stationed in Afghanistan.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42That was quite hard for my mum because she was all alone.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48Ciao! Ciao!
0:30:53 > 0:30:56My house is made from wood and concrete.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03The concrete comes from our family business
0:31:03 > 0:31:05which was started by my grandpa and grandma.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20My mother, grandpa and uncles all work at the gravel pit.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Grandpa and I often drive the bulldozer together in the gravel pit
0:31:33 > 0:31:36and we dig from the huge mounds of gravel and sand.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52Once, we found a mammoth tooth in the sand!
0:32:09 > 0:32:13It's a lot of fun driving the bulldozer with my Grandpa.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46This is the land of kings and castles.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50Neuschwanstein is the most famous castle.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57King Ludwig built it.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01Some people say he was mad
0:33:01 > 0:33:04but he is often called the Swan King or Fairy Tale King.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12This castle has been a location for lots of films like
0:33:12 > 0:33:16Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Sleeping Beauty.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24I can see the castle from my house and my school.
0:33:27 > 0:33:33This is my classroom and from here, I can see Neuschwanstein Castle.
0:33:36 > 0:33:41In Bavaria we have many old customs, for example,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44we have a traditional costume club.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Each club has its own costume with its own colours.
0:33:56 > 0:34:04My feather is a real eagle's feather but eagles are now protected.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Our mountains and lakes are really beautiful.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58Our mountains are called the Alps.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Lots of tourists come up here to see the beautiful views
0:35:01 > 0:35:04and enjoy the tasty food.
0:35:04 > 0:35:09From the top of the mountain, you can see all the lakes, rivers and woods.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39The most famous lakes in our area are called the Forggensee,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42the Bannwaldsee and the Alpsee.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46The Forggensee is the largest.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50It is man-made and it was built to help generate electricity.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01At the power plant,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04there is a section that looks just like a pair of trousers!
0:36:06 > 0:36:14In Bavaria, we have got about 4,200 hydro-electric power plants.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26What I really love is fishing by the river.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37The river is called the Lech.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41I fish for trout all year round, except in winter
0:36:41 > 0:36:43when we are not allowed to.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54The river is important because we use its water for drinking.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00It's pure, clear and flowing water from the mountains.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10We don't need to clean the water with chlorine because it's so clean.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30In the summer, lots of children come here to build stone men by the river.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43It's quite tricky because you need to be careful
0:37:43 > 0:37:44that the stones are balanced.
0:38:02 > 0:38:03I love where I live.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07And if you were to visit Allgau, you would love it, too!
0:38:21 > 0:38:24TRANSLATED: My name is Zoe. I'm nine years old.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26I live in Hamburg in Germany.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44I live in Hamburg, in Altona, close to the River Elbe.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05Maria is a good friend of mine.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08At school she is very helpful and kind.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13Actually, she is very helpful generally and she is very nice.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22My favourite place is down by the beach.
0:39:22 > 0:39:27From the beach, you can see the big ships, almost as big as a house.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Sometimes, I ask myself where the ships are coming from.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37And where are they going?
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Every year, ships bring ten million containers.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47The big ships come from the sea.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55The water is deep, otherwise the ships can't get through.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03Hamburg is about 100 kilometres from the North Sea.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08And Hamburg is the third largest port in Europe.
0:40:12 > 0:40:17From the ferry, you can see the big ships, the small boats,
0:40:17 > 0:40:20the port and the cranes.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25And the people who work there.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34There are lots of bridges in Hamburg.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40There are also tunnels in Hamburg.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47In the old tunnel, there is a lift for cars
0:40:47 > 0:40:50so they can go under the Elbe.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12I have a brother. He is 11 years old.
0:41:12 > 0:41:13I also have a little sister.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15She is 1 1/2 years old.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23My hobbies are... Playing a bit of football.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29And I play the violin and the piano.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33My school is called Trenknerweg.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35I am at primary school.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38My school is a kilometre away from home.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46I like sport and art and also like English.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52I take an extra English course because I enjoy it so much.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59We went on a visit to England and I met my friend Emma.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07We went in a small group to make contact with an English school.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14Next year, 25 children from my school will go there.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26You saw them wearing uniforms. Would you like to wear uniforms?
0:42:26 > 0:42:31Perhaps girls would wear a skirt in summer and a dress in winter.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Maybe the boys would wear short trousers in summer
0:42:34 > 0:42:36and long ones in winter.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38In that checky pattern.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42Is there anyone here who wouldn't like it?
0:42:42 > 0:42:46Yes, because we would all look the same and that would be boring.
0:42:47 > 0:42:52If English children came here, they would want to explore Hamburg.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55What would be your favourite places to show them?
0:42:57 > 0:42:58I would show them the Elbe.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04The Elbe at night because there are lights everywhere
0:43:04 > 0:43:06and it looks really great!
0:43:12 > 0:43:17I would take them to the town hall at night. It looks so great lit up.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27The Hamburger Dom comes three times a year.
0:43:27 > 0:43:32I would definitely show any children visiting the Dom.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37I like the big wheel best and the wild mouse ride
0:43:37 > 0:43:40and the booths where you can win things.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59In Hamburg we like eating Frikadellers.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02In England you call Frikadellers hamburgers.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13Anyone visiting Hamburg would have a brilliant time.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41Hello, my name is Helen. I am 11 years old.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43I live in Rantum on Sylt.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47TRANSLATION: And down there is where I live.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09Sylt is the biggest German North Sea island, with an area
0:45:09 > 0:45:11of 99 square kilometres.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16There are 11 villages on Sylt and one town called Westerland.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26Rantum, where I live, is one of the narrowest parts of the island.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35My pets are chickens.
0:45:58 > 0:46:03My guitar teacher is called Oliver and he also teaches my brother piano.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10I started when I was six years old.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13I couldn't even write then and now I have been playing for four years.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20I was born here on Sylt and I have lived here my whole life.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26I live here with my brother and my parents.
0:46:41 > 0:46:46Sylt has a population of 21,500.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54It is just 38.5 kilometres long from north to south.
0:46:57 > 0:47:03And east to west, it is between 350 and 12,600 metres wide.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14A third of the island is covered with dunes.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16The rest is covered with heathland and marsh.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25In Sylt, the wind blows mainly from the West.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31There are lots of thatched houses on Sylt.
0:47:31 > 0:47:36In the past, reeds grown on the island were used to make their roofs.
0:47:40 > 0:47:44In winter, far fewer people live on Sylt.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47Lots of people only come in the summer
0:47:47 > 0:47:50to spend time in their summer houses.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06Over 800,000 people a year come here on holiday.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17Since the 1st June 1927,
0:48:17 > 0:48:21Sylt has been connected to the German mainland via the Hindenburg dam.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33To stop Sylt shrinking, sometimes a ship anchors off the coast,
0:48:33 > 0:48:36sucks up the sand from the sea bed and squirts it back onto the beach.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50The Wadden Sea is a nature reserve
0:48:50 > 0:48:52on the more protected east coast of Sylt.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04I am here with my friends because we are really
0:49:04 > 0:49:08interested in the Wadden Sea and we are young Wadden Sea guides.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18Kirsten says you can only protect and conserve what you know about,
0:49:18 > 0:49:22which means, that if we really get to know the Wadden Sea,
0:49:22 > 0:49:25then we'll know how best to take care of it.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31This is sponge. Like Spongebob.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35It is a native sponge of the North Sea.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40And when the mussel boats dredge the mussels from the sea,
0:49:40 > 0:49:44they destroy the sponges and everything else on the seabed.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53Kirsten has shown us all the different plants
0:49:53 > 0:49:54and animals on the Wadden Sea.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03Up to two million tiny plants
0:50:03 > 0:50:07and organisms can live in one square metre of the Wadden seabed.
0:50:11 > 0:50:15Svea, Samira and I have learnt a lot about the ebb
0:50:15 > 0:50:16and flow of the tides.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30We know that the tide goes in and out, or ebbs and flows,
0:50:30 > 0:50:33because the earth is spinning.
0:50:34 > 0:50:38And when you spin around, you are forced away from each other.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47The same thing happens to the water on the earth when the earth spins.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54There are two high tides and two low tides every 24 hours.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11Because of the wind, the weather changes very quickly
0:51:11 > 0:51:13and it often doesn't stay bad for long.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20Sylt is an extreme place to live in and we love it!
0:51:41 > 0:51:46My name is Nicholas and I am nine years old.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49I live in the city of Cologne.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10TRANSLATION: It is the fourth largest city in Germany.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16You'll see that Cologne is a pretty busy place.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30You can't say Cologne without mentioning the River Rhine.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35Because the Rhine is part of life here.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41The Rhine flows through the city
0:52:41 > 0:52:44and people live on both sides of the Rhine.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54My grandma lives very near the Rhine and I visit her often.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01Sometimes we go off to high places and look at the views.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06You can even see castles.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13I like it when she tells me things about the river.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19Did you know the Rhine is one of the longest
0:53:19 > 0:53:21and most important rivers in Europe?
0:53:21 > 0:53:26It is over 1,000 kilometres long.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28Its source is in Switzerland
0:53:28 > 0:53:32and it ends in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
0:53:37 > 0:53:43I like strolling by the water's edge because you can find so many things.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48It is a lot of fun because you can watch the boats
0:53:48 > 0:53:50and wave to the captains.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53SHIP HOOTS HORN
0:53:53 > 0:53:55Sometimes they hoot and call us.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04My grandma says she has never seen the Rhine so low.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06When we were on a walk today she said
0:54:06 > 0:54:08she had never seen those rocks before.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13This is because we haven't had enough rain.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18Usually, you can't play on these rocks
0:54:18 > 0:54:20because the river covers them all.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27My grandma can still remember when the river came right up to there.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32The river went up to over ten metres.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37But my grandma says that Cologne has a very good defence system
0:54:37 > 0:54:39to protect us from floods.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48It is very easy to get around Cologne with buses or a tram.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52But the best are the trains.
0:54:57 > 0:55:01You can get a normal train or you can get a high-speed train
0:55:01 > 0:55:02called ICE.
0:55:03 > 0:55:08ICE stands for Inter City Express.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13ICE is a fantastic express train,
0:55:13 > 0:55:16which can go up to 300 kilometres an hour.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22It's the fastest train in Germany.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27There's also another fast train, it's called the double express.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31Here, people can sit upstairs and downstairs.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36When I travel from the main station,
0:55:36 > 0:55:40I always cross over the famous Hohenzollern Bridge.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46People have hung over 40,000 padlocks on it.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52These are love locks to show how much people love each other.
0:55:54 > 0:55:55Look at this one!
0:55:58 > 0:56:04When they've locked it, they throw the key into the Rhine.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08If you walk over the bridge, you will come to the old part of town.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10That's where our famous cathedral is.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17It is one of the most visited sites in Germany.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22It took 750 years to build it.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29Cologne cathedral has the largest free-swinging bell in the world.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33It's called Fat Peter and weighs 24 tonnes.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40But there's something else that Cologne is really famous for.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45The Christmas markets.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49We have seven really beautiful ones in Cologne.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55My sister and I love this one.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02Elves are hidden all over the place but I can easily spot them.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10The market in the old part of town is called the Elves Market.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19It is called this because of our very famous fairy-tale,
0:57:19 > 0:57:22The Elves Of Cologne.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25This is the famous story of Cologne.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32There are so many lovely things!
0:57:35 > 0:57:39Over four million tourists visit the markets in just four weeks.
0:57:47 > 0:57:49There's also a puppet stand.
0:57:56 > 0:57:59The lady selling the puppets at the stand was really nice
0:57:59 > 0:58:02and we chatted about the puppets for a long time.
0:58:08 > 0:58:10You can also learn a lot about wood cutting
0:58:10 > 0:58:13because there's a wood sculptor there.
0:58:20 > 0:58:23If you come in December you will be able to have
0:58:23 > 0:58:24loads of fun in the markets.
0:58:30 > 0:58:33- Mmm! Yummy!- Delicious!
0:58:53 > 0:58:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd