Adamp autumnal Thursday morning
saw fifteen 61 scholars,
accompanied by Mrs Cashmore
and Mr Smith, packed and perkily
anticipating the thrills of not just any
school trip, but an educational mission
headed to the destination of Prague. Our
diverse party of enthusiastic and
impressionable individuals was ready, to
tour, to taste, to marvel and to conquer
the Czech Republic in only 96 hours.
After a smooth flight and minibus transfer,
we were safely delivered to our hotel in
the centre of the city. Despite our
brimming curiosities to enjoy the delights
of this eclectic and Bohemian country, the
first night gently eased us into Eastern
European society. Signs of a regime
under Communism and Soviet rule were
undeniably apparent, painted on walls and
posted onto billboards, as we began our
trip exploring Wenceslas Square just
below the Town Hall which beheld the
Velvet Revolution of 1989.
A hearty meal of goulash and local sweets
prepared us for a 6.00am wake-up call, as
we were to drive to a Skoda factory in the
Mladà Boleslav district. Despite the early
rise, everybody was very much impressed
by the mechanics, the robots and the
production process involved. Arriving
back in central Prague, our group
dismounted the minibus to marvel at the
spectacle of Prague Castle via the
beautiful Renaissance Belvedere.
A plentiful Czech lunch energised us for
our tour of St Vitus Cathedral and our
investigation of the Old Town with its
remarkable collection of wondrous
buildings exemplifying Cubism, Bohemian
Baroque, Renaissance, Neo-Classical,
Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
Drawing breath at St George's Basilica in
the Castle and the Tyn Church the following
day allowed us to recognise the key
architectural features, as the buildings are
some of the oldest in the Czech Republic.
Saturday morning was bitingly cold as we
marched towards Wenceslas Square to
appreciate numerous Art Nouveau inspired
structures. A merry walk along the river
rewarded us with a pit-stop for coffee,
before we rallied on to the Communism
Museum. After tolerating the depth and
realism of Prague's temperamental history
under Communism, Saturday afternoon
was a chance for us to team up and
choose where and what we wanted to visit.
The boys headed in the direction of the
Army or Technology museums, but not
before getting lost on the trams, and the
girls stayed locally, exploring the weird and
wacky Wax Museum and Cubism Museum.
The delight of the day was a visit to the
sweet shop, where frozen fingers thawed
whilst witnessing Czech umpa lumpas
crafting candy. Reconvening at around
6.00, we were treated to a rustic Prague
meal, surrounded by boars' heads at
U Sadlu, which was the cherry on top of a
thoroughly productive and enlightening
day sightseeing, happy-snapping the
sights, and souvenir shopping.
Sunday proved to be yet another day of
enchanting pleasures: the metro provided
ample entertainment, transporting us to
Charles Bridge from where we pensively
wandered into the amazing St Nicholas
Church. For some, the Rugby World Cup
final proved too good to miss, but for
others we ambled on and up a
mountainous hill to amuse ourselves in a
mirror maze. Once again we were able to
select our preferred destinations and, this
time, the Veletrizny modern art gallery and
the music museum tempted many. After
congregating again we peered into the
Jewish cemetery in the Josefov
community, and witnessed the
masterpieces of the Bohemian Gothic
Agneska art gallery, until Barbar filled our
rumbling stomachs with a scrumptious
dinner of more regional sensations.
Fit to burst, our final evening climaxed
with an idyllic stroll across Charles Bridge
under the Czech moonlight and through
Old Town Square, to reminisce over an
absolutely fantastic and truly memorable
Prague experience.
61 scholars' trip
2011
by Charlotte Dathan
Aluredian 33