Last Day of Prague, Last Day of Modern Europe

Hi loyal blog readers!... 

Abbey Road Modern Europe is sadly coming to a close, and with that, your favorite son or daughter will be home before you know it (tomorrow). We spent our final day enjoying both the company of our new friends and the sights and sounds that this beautiful city has to offer. In the morning we reflected on our favorite experiences, funniest moments, and anything in between that will likely give the students craving to travel more and more, feeding their appetite for knowledge and adventure. In the early afternoon a number of the students participated in Cryptex, a game in which the students were locked in a room and had to complete a series of intellectual puzzles to solve the enigma that would gain their well deserved freedom. This day was meant for relaxation - enjoying the beautiful city of Prague in all its glorious splendor. This is the end of our little blog, and the next step is hugging your little baby and having them ignore you. However, little did you know (loyal readers), a kid, oh yes a child, is writing this blog post. Who is this wunderkind? None other then the the trip's own William Blackman. I thoroughly hoped you enjoyed this post and I will leave you with this: "When one burns one's bridges, what a very nice fire it makes."

I'm sorry, I lied, I'm not done with this blog post. We will leave tomorrow at 12:30 and be on a direct nine hour flight to JFK. 

-from Paris with love William Blackman!!!!!!

Prague Scavenger Hunt!

We reached our final destination of Abbey Road Modern Europe as we entered the beautiful city of Prague. Known as "the City of a Thousand Spires," it has some of the most beautiful architecture in Central Europe... Our hotel is a beautiful building that was once frequented by the likes of Franz Kafka. After getting settled in, we walked through the old city center, across the Charles Bridge and up to the Prague Castle- reputedly one of the largest in the world. Some students chose to do some shopping in the area, while others attended a concert performed by members of the Prague Royal Orchestra at the Saint George Basilica. Then is was back to the old town for some Czech cuisine and a stroll through the quarter's lively streets. Back at the hotel we celebrated a birthday with cake and song.

From Berlin to Dresden

Today Abbey Road Modern Europe left behind the vibrant and historic city of Berlin en route to Dresden, at one time known as the "Florence on the Elbe," where we will be staying for the night. While en route to this beautiful city, the group reminisced of their love for Berliners (both the people and the donuts, but probably more so the donuts) and the wide array of monuments and memorials that represent what is seemingly an ever-changing city, while also managing to catch some Z's on the two-and-a-half hour ride.

After discussing the infamous Allied firebombing of Dresden in World War II - along with any parallels to the consequences of conflict on societies both then and now - the students explored the city's old neighborhood surrounding the Frauenkirche and along the Elbe River. The weather has continued to cool down and has thus provided a nice evening to hang out and stroll about the cobblestone sidewalks. Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog, which will detail our first day and night in Prague - the last city on Abbey Road Modern Europe's trip!

Berlin Scavenger Hunt!

Abbey Road Modern Europe spent the first half of the day playing their own version of "The Amazing Race": teams raced around Berlin to capture the best shots of some of the major historic sites and monuments of the city; we hope to publish the results on this blog tomorrow. Later on, students visited the DDR Interactive Museum where they had a chance to get a feel for what life was like in the Democratic Republic of Germany (East Germany). We ended the day with good food and fun conversation at an Indian restaurant near Alexander Platz (As you may have surmised, we've been taking our evening meals rather late by American standards ;) ).

Sachsenhausen & Berlin Wall Photos