Our awesome school trip to London. 25th-29th March 2019

Day 1

11.01 PM After 10 hours sitting on our seats we doubt this trip was a good idea. Fortunately our black double-decker bus provides enough comfort and space. Hopefully the only WC will not be full too soon. But, all of us still alive. We can´t afford enough stops at gas stations because we need to catch an early-morn ferry. Let´s hope it´ll be fun tomorrow.

Our black ´double - decker´

Day 2

Petra:
I have to say, the first day in England was so exhausting, but totally worth it. I thought that even though it was the first day, we managed to visit quite a lot of interesting places. I think everyone was thrilled by the ride we took at London Eye, China Town was magnificent, Picadilly Circus was simply great, I liked the atmosphere of that place. Trafalgar Square is really as beautiful and huge as everybody says, there were many street artists, but also people from the edge of the community. National Gallery is a great experience for everyone who loves art. To me, London seems like a cultivated town, mainly for the people, because if you take a look anywhere you will see them in a suit or dress, clean shoes and such, I haven’t seen anyone in trainers.
Me and my friend got a great host, so we were delighted to get to know her.

Vojta:
Our second day started by getting waken in the middle of the night by our tour guide. Here we are, in Calais, waiting for our turn for the passport checkout, some of us really tired and most of us stressed if we are going to be let inside the United Kingdom. We roamed around the cruise ship which took us to the British Isles and we were more exausted than ever. Dover, finally, here we are in the United Kingdom and ready for London, but traffic was terrible and most of us slept no more than 4 hours, so we slept on our way to London. The Centre of London is awesome, have not seen anything better, the Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, London Eye, Westminster Abbey, it is remarkable, this trip is worth everything, even the lack of sleep. I will tell you something which will be helpful for your trips to London or England completly. Watch over your money and documents, be careful what are you offered on the street, be careful of the traffic and all bikers in London are just... something remarkable. You will hear from me again tommorow!

Houses of Parliament

Amazing London Eye

Westminster Abbey

China town

London Eye´s stunning view

Breakfast at a host family

Picadilly Circus

Day 3

Petra: Even though it lasts from our town (Ashford, where we are staying) one and half an hour to Windsor, it was totally worth it! Windsor is famous especially for it’s beautiful and truly majestic castle, prince Harry married Meghan Markle there. I must say that I’ve never seen more beautiful castle than Windsor, I mean it, it does a great honour to it’s town. Before you get to the castle, they will give you headphones and electronic thing that looks like a huge phone, in the phone is a voice guide that will tell you everything about the castle, in a different languages of course.

Our group in front of the Windsor Castle

After our visit at Windsor castle, we went to London, but to be exact, to Oxford Street and I think it’s more than obvious why we went there. SHOPPING! We spent there about two hours until we had to return to our host families. Oh, I almost forgot to say.. Who didn’t want to go shopping could go to the Hyde Park, which was really near the shopping centre. Hyde Park is as huge as everyone says, the park is so neat and clear, it was a pure joy to be there.

Day 4

Petra: We packed up everything, then our host made for us a great breakfast and she gave us lunch box at the end. After breakfast, Gloria (that is the name of our host) took us to the place where we were supposed to leave by bus. She stole our hearts, even though we were seeing her especially in the evening than in the morning, but even so, saying goodbye to her was really hard for us. Fortunately, we took a photo so we could have nice memory on her and she gave us contact so we could write her and we were so glad that she did that because she was a literal angel!

Families bringing students to our meeting point

I am sitting in the bus while I am writing this, we are going for another adventure, yaaaay! If I can call it an adventure. When we arrived to our final destination, we went to the Greenwich Park, we saw, at least from the outside, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Queen’s House, University of Greenwich a National Maritime Museum. Then we had a short break and waited for our ship to arrive, which should have taken us to Tower Bridge. When we got there, we scouted the area a little bit and otherwise everyone had a choice which was to go and see some of the history or just to hang around the area. I would be kinda stupid if I didn’t catch the chance to just look around so me and my friend used the situation so we went for a coffee and then for a lunch. After two hours we finally made a decision to go on Tower Bridge as it is, the view from the bridge is truly magnificent!

Tower Bridge

Our exhausted students in front of Tower

We spent a while there and then we head off to have a look on. We also had a chance to use the Underground in our last day, which was maybe the biggest experience from the whole London trip, because that crowded metro/underground wasn’t ever even in Prague! We’ve never seen anything like it! Oh God, sweet Prague!
Then we finally took off and went to Dover, meanwhile I write this, I am sitting on the ferry with earphones around my ears and I am saying to myself: , , Damn! It ended too quickly!” But I don’t regret any of these past three days, it was a great experience and we have definitely some unforgetable memories! I am really so glad that I could go on this trip, so if I can just with my words change your mind on English people and England as it is, then don’t hesitate and GO while you can!

Vojta:
Our last day in London. We started our day very early beacuse the ferry which should have taken us across La Manche was cancelled. We packed our things, gave our best to the families that we were with and we went back on the bus which took us to Greenwich. After a stroll through the Greenwich Park, we finally arrived to the Greenwich Royal Observatory. Nothing I have ever seen before, that view was worth every penny we had. Skyscrapers going up and up into the sky and the front of them decorated by the University of Greenwich and it's beauty of architecture.

View at the City of London from Greenwich

After going through the park and National Maritime Museum. Our journey just only began because we boarded a little "River Bus" at least that is how it is called. It is a little boat that travels on the Thames and stops on piers which are near the most visited places in London.

A boat trip on the Thames

After stopping at London Tower and some shopping nearby we came to see the Tower Bridge, which was nothing less but beauty. Going around the City of London we stopped at the St. Paul's Cathedral. And from here roamed about the streets of all old guilds of traders. Going through the "Tube" also branded as Underground was something very scary for someone who has not gone to a metro before, but everybody survived and nobody was lost. And so our last day in London ends and we are all exausted but refreshed with all the information and beauty we have seen. It was a great trip and I think we should all thank our school and teachers who made it all posible.

St. Paul´s Cathedral

Day 5

9.40 AM CET time - finally. Travelling home on endless kms of German highways full of trucks. Have been sitting in the bus for 17 hours. Everybody is eating crisps from Tesco looking forward to our own showers and beds. Kde domov muj. Home sweet home.