My trip to Prague by Antoine

During the school holidays last October, I went on a school trip to Prague. There were 30 pupils and 3 teachers. We took the flight from Toulouse and only two hours later we were in one of the most beautiful cities of the world...

Our school in Aurillac, St Eugene, is twinned with a High School in Prague called PORG. Each of us stayed in the family home of a pupil of this school during one week. We welcomed a group of pupils from there during the April holidays.

The discovery of Prague and its people was an amazing experience. Prague is a beautiful city, with fabulous architecture. Prague Castle is really fantastic, with beautiful frescoes, it is for me one of the most beautiful castles I've seen. Charles Bridge is also famous and also very beautiful. From this bridge we can discover Prague from different angles. When the fog is over Prague, the Castle seems to be in a cloud and it's really great to see it. We walked through different parts of Prague, like the Jewish quarter with its beautiful synagogue and very special cemetery. There are numerous friendly coffee houses in the town centre. The Library is also wonderful with ceiling frescoes that could almost be confused with the Sistine Chapel.

We also visited Terezin concentration camp. It is very moving to visit because it is mostly intact, it is easy to imagine the conditions the people lived in. Terezin is one of my strongest memories of my trip.

We also visited Prague Zoo, selected as the 7th best zoo in the world by Forbes magazine.

Czech cuisine is very special but also very consistent. The dishes are very diverse but also very fattening! When we ask for only one plate in a restaurant, it is enough for two!

Czech music is special but pleasant to listen to. You need to get into the mood of the country, by being in a famous bar in Prague enjoying one of their culinary specialties like a good goulash and a fresh beer.

People in this country are extraordinarily kind and generous. Indeed our friends wanted all the time to pay something for us and it was the same thing for their parents who were really generous too. People are very welcoming and they really have a western type of life style and mentality, judging by their clothing or even the music that young people listen to.

All young Czechs, or almost, are bilingual, which is proof of their increasing openness to the world. My friend in Prague is an extremely nice young man and very proud of the country where he lives. Prague is, for me, one of the most beautiful capitals I've seen, not just in terms of architecture, but from a human perspective because the people are fabulous and very open.

This town is not big but it is full of history and things to discover. The neighborhoods have different resources and different very interesting cultures. Though there are a lot of tourists in Prague, it's nice to spend time in the city.

If I ever I have the opportunity to return to that country, I would with great pleasure because for me and all my classmates it was a wonderful experience. My trip to Prague will remain etched in my memory and the people I've met also.

Julie's souvenirs of Prague...

 

I’m really crazy about trips. I can’t imagine living my whole life in the same place. I need to move, to discover more and more landscapes. For me, every town contains more than one treasure. Every place has a community of people with its own story, language, way of life, its way of getting dressed, its fashions, its wisdom, its follies… Each country has its own special charm, and that’s what I love! That’s why it is so interesting and stirring to travel. Every journey constitutes a huge personal experience. And my trip to the Czech Republic was, without a doubt, one of the best of my life.

Last year, four Czech pupils came here, to Aurillac, for five or six months. Before that I didn’t know anything about this country, about the Czech people and even less about their culture. But I was pleasantly surprised to meet such people! Betka came to French Literature classes with me, whereas Tomash, Veronica and Tereza had Science classes. They were just extraordinary! I made friends with them. It’s so easy to communicate with them, they are very, very nice, so funny and they are truly like us! It’s fantastic. So, we decided to organize, with our Euro Section, an exchange between PORG Gymnasium (the High School of our four beloved little Czechs) and our French school. My class mates and I went to the Czech Republic in October 2011 for a week. Betka was my host.

After two quick hours in the 'plane, we arrived in Prague, the town called by many “the most beautiful capital in the world”. It was so lovely, so wonderful. I had the impression of being a princess. The streets of the city center were gorgeous, prestigious. A magical place! I was completely bewitched. We stayed with families, we lived as young Czech people. It wasn’t really like in France. They are freer than us. They are allowed to go to bars every evening! Oh! I couldn’t forget all these Czech nights. Every Czech pupil took his French mate to the “Kafetchko”, a very out of the ordinary bar in Prague. During these “eastern evenings”, I tasted the Czech beer. I can’t say it was better than the French stuff but it was really much cheaper...

We crossed practically the whole city, visiting every place, numerous museums, and almost every street. I remember the bridge, the miniature Eiffel tower, the John Lennon wall, the museum of contemporary art, the “antique tram”, the famous goulash, all these cafés where Betka took me to drink tea and to talk for long hours about our lives.

The Municipal House was a special place. Why? Because in one of the biggest rooms of this huge house I danced, only during five minutes, but I remember my heart beating a hundred miles an hour. I hadn’t danced in such a room before. I had the feeling of flying. I think I’ll keep all these memories in mind for a very long time. Julie dances...

I’ve only one wish, to go back again NOW! Over there, I felt at home, and this sensation is very rare when we are abroad. That’s why I would like to live for one or two years in this grandiose country in order to really get to know the culture and, why not, to start learning the Czech language!

One afternoon during the weekend, my friend Betka took me for a ride through Prague and, along the way, we passed in front of the Lennon wall. It was a grey drizzly day and, suddenly, there was an explosion of colours! This wall overflows with shapes, flower drawings, words and pictures. Betka explained that it was called the Lennon wall because originally there was just a photo of him on this wall. He never actually came to the Czech Republic.

I stayed staring for ten minutes. It’s maybe just a detail of my trip to Prague, but it was an important one for me. It was like this mere wall were alive and breathing in front of us. It seemed to deliver a sincere message of peace, of serenity and of love. I found it superb and bewitching...

Betka, what is your favorite place in Prague?

“My favourite place in Praque is called Újezd and it´s close to Prague Castle and the river Vltava. There is a little hill, called Petřín, from which you can see the whole city. On the top of this hill there's a small copy of the Eiffel tower. Near to the river is the Lennon wall, the most unusual thing in Újezd. What I like most about Újezd is that there are a lot of cafés where you can easily meet interesting people.”

We went there for real!

 Visit Strahov library (again)!

History of Strahov

Anne-Sophie's souvenirs of Prague...

She's in the dark because of the sun and she seems desperate... But the sun will turn and perhaps she will dry her tears, overcome her problems and be stronger in the light... Where is this detail in Prague? 

My favourite pics of Prague:

I asked my friend Eliska's mother where her favourite place in Praha was, and she told me it was the Charles Bridge because, for her, it is the most important site in the city. She love this place because it's wonderful and the landscape seen from there changes every season. In addition, the artists on the bridge remind her of Montmartre which she also loves. The Charles Bridge is also my favourite place in Prague!

Pierre-Edouard's souvenirs of Prague...

 What is this a detail of ?

Three of my favourite pics of Prague:

I asked my friend Vojtěch what his favourite place in Prague was...

“The Mañana Music Bar, which is in Praha 8. It is decorated in a Mexican style. There are a lot of things to do there. For example, you can play table football, or listen to old music on the Jukebox. There is a wide choice of non-alcoholic drinks... My friends and I celebrate birthdays and our end-of-year parties there. We feel really at home in this friendly club. I hope you and your class mates enjoyed the party we organized for you there!?”

Géraud's souvenirs of Prague...

Where is this stone bell in Prague ?

My favourite pic of Prague:

Miss Lochman from Prague told Géraud: 
"I like the old town square because of its history and its atmosphere. I think it is cool that there are a lot of tourists and it is quiet. My best friend got married there and I was her witness, it was marvellous. I also like the Saint Vitus cathedral where a lot of kings are buried. It’s an important place with a lot of history. The relics of Saint-Venceslas are there." 

Estelle's souvenirs of Prague...

What is this a detail of ?

 

My three favourite pics of Prague:

 

The favourite place in Prague of my friend's mother is the Charles Bridge because it is a symbol of Prague know all over the world. For a long time, it was the only bridge on the Vltava and there are many old statues with interesting stories to tell...

 

Wikipedia article on the Charles Bridge

Mathilde's souvenirs of Prague...

What is this a detail of ?

Three of my favourite pics of Prague:

 

Mathilde : “What is your favourite place in Prague, Barbora ?”

Barbora : “My favourite place is Vysehrad, it is an old quarter of Prague with a splendid church. I like the atmosphere. Next to the church there is a cemetery where a lot of famous writers, composers, etc., are buried. There are a lot of legends associated with the area, for example the one about the devil or another about a ghost...” 

 Web site about Vysehrad 

Solène's souvenirs of Prague...

 Where is this magic lamp hidden in Prague?

 

My favourite photos of Prague: 

 

 

 

Here's a question Solène put to her friend in Prague:

 

"What is your favourite place in Prague ?"

 

Here's her friend's answer:

 

"The Havelská market (the heart of Staré Mesto quarter) because it is a farmers' market where the best products and flowers of the Czech Republic are sold."

Angélique's souvenirs of Prague...

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Angélique asked her friend Terka’s mother what her favorite place in Prague is...

"My favorite place is next to the zoo. There's a panoramic view of the city from up there. And you can walk or run about, or sit quietly in front of the bucolic landscape. It is good for children, because there aren't too many people. I like to go there with Sophie my youngest child. She can discover a lot of things, she is always amazed. I love this place because it’s quiet, beautiful, it’s a little bit like the real countryside."

Thibault L's souvenirs of Prague...

What is this a detail of ?

Three of my favourite photos :

Here's a question Thibault put to his friend in Prague: 

"What are your favourite places in Prague?"

Here's his friend's answer:

"Smíchovské nádraží because when I was five I went to this place every day by the underground. And Petřín because it’s the highest point in Prague and we can see all the city from there..."

Mathilde W's souvenirs of Prague...

What is this a detail of ?

Three pics of Prague:

  

Here's a question Mathilde put to Olga, the mother of her friend Thea: 

"What is your favourite place in Prague ?"

  
Here is Olga's answer:

"I like Malà Strana a lot ; my grand-parents used to live there and when I was little I spent a lot of time with them. I played in the parks and gardens of this quarter. I don't remember my childhood very well but one moment stays in my mind... I went with my cousin and our grand-father up the Petrin hill and had a snow ball fight there; Our  grand-father walked in front of us and I hit his head with a snow ball, and his hat fell off ! I felt embarrassed and thought that I had done something bad to someone who had always been so kind to us..." 

Wikipedia article on Mala Strana

Prague, city of light (2)!

Tramping around Prague!

Prague in black & white...

Prague, city of light!

Views of Prague from a tram...

Prague Autumn...

We're back from Prague!

We had a fabulous time thanks to our Czech friends... 

děkuji!

Our partner school in Prague: PORG!

  PORG