Day 15: Departure

Abbey Road Modern Europe 2017 has officially begun the journey home. Students are at Prague Airport awaiting departure. So far everyhing is moving along smoothly and we expect to arrive at JFK on schedule.

Day 14: Last day in Prague...

Our last day in Prague covered all the bases: from history, to culture, to tacky tourist stuff, we did it all.

At the National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror, we visited the church and crypt where a group of Czech resistance fighters made a final stand after being hunted down for their participation in Operation Anthropoid (here's the trailer for a recent movie that tells the tale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty50eiFkty4)

Of course we spent some more time on Wenceslas Square and in Old Prague.

We even went to a wax museum... and yes, it was as bad as you imagine one to be. But we balanced that part of our day with a wonderful concert at the Charles Bridge Palace of the Colloredo-Mansfeld Dynasty. Members of the Royal Czech Orchestra performed pieces from composers like Vivaldi, Bizet, Beethoven and Mozart. Krystoff Lecian was absolutely amazing on the cello.

Then it was a late dinner and a stroll through Prague back to our hotel where we will try to get some rest before tomorrow's travel back to the States.

Day 13: Prague- Castles, Communism and John Lennon!?!

The beautiful Prague Castle complex overlooks the city and houses several interesting history exhibits...

A late lunch in Old Prague was followed by an informative visit to the Museum of Communism where we learned about the czechoslovakian life under the communist dictatorship. Afterwards, we crossed back over the Charles Bridge and spent some time adding our own mark to the Lennon Wall:

Then it was supper on Wenceslas Square... :)

Day 12: Prague!!!!!!!!

As the exclamations points may have signaled to you, I love visiting Prague: beautiful architecture, great food, interesting history, etc. We spent our first moments here exploring the area around our hotel (Malá Strana)

and then we were off crossing the famed Charles Bridge and into the maze of picturesque streets that is Old Prague. Of course we saw the Astronomical Clock

not to mention the "Tyn Church" and the Jan Hus statue. And it goes without saying that we ate very well... whether it's traditional Czech food or the more cosmopolitan options, dining here is great. The stroll along the river Vltava, on the way back to the hotel this evening, we enjoyed wonderful parks and unexpected art

:)

Day 11: After Berlin, some down time in Dresden

The drive from Berlin to Dresden is a chance to see some of the beautiful countryside of Saxony, but I suspect that most of our students were asleep before the van left Berlin's city limits! Well, maybe this shouldn't be surprising, we've been going non-stop for several days. And that's why our day in Dresden was relaxed and largely unstructured. Of course, we strolled the old and new sections of the city center, but we did it in a leisurely way that allowed students to take in the sights at their own pace and according to their own interests.

Tonight we'll get some more rest; tomorrow we're off to Prague!

Day 10: a broader view of German history...

Today's visit to the German History Museum not only kept us out of the pouring rain, but it allowed us to begin developing a view of German history that extends beyond the major events of the 20th century. This beautiful museum offered exhibits covering a period ranging from early germanic migrations all the way to the modern nation state.

Later we also spent some time at the DDR Museum. This is a small museum that offers "hands-on" exhibits intended to give some insight into the daily life of an average person living in the German Democratic Republic (Communist East Germany).

Most of the group then decided to spend our last evening in Berlin relaxing at the hotel - the rigorous schedule of the past ten days has begun to catch up with us a little bit. Tomorrow's low-key overnight in Dresden will be just the thing to re-charge us for the final leg of the trip.

Day 9: Berlin; a moving memorial and a fun museum...

Our day was one that, in some ways, encapsulated the contradiction that one may experience during a visit to Berlin. On the one hand, one comes to Berlin to glean lessons from a turbulent history; on the other one hopes to participate in the positive energy of this dynamic and modern city.

We started our day with a train ride out to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial. We remembered those that suffered here- those that survived and those that did not. The experience here is not one that can be appropriately expressed in a quick blog post...

The train ride back to Berlin gave us time to reflect and then to gradually shift out of our pensive mood so that, when we got to Potsdamerplatz, we were ready for some fun. And we found it at the German Spy Museum... that's right, fun at a spy museum! This place was cool; and the highlight was the "laser obstacle challenge" similar to one presented in the film Oceans 12- we couldn't get enough of this game!

Then it was a late supper near Potsdamerplatz and a walk back to "our" neighborhood-Alexanderplatz. :)

Day 8: Monuments and Memorials in central Berlin...

Today's adventures began with a walk through Alexanderplatz, past the Berliner Dom and down Unter den Linden to the iconic Brandenburg Gate.

We spent some time at the Bradenburg Gate Museum, which offers a very accessible introduction to the history of the Berlin using the Gate as an anchor point in the narrative. We enjoyed a stroll through the lovely Tier Garten,

At the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, we reflected on the enormity of the suffering that permeates the history of many of the sites we will visit during our travels in Europe. This was further emphasized to us by the exhibits presented at the Topography of Terror, a museum that asks visitors  to consider the role of the Gestapo in perpetuating such suffering.

At Check-point Charlie, we remembered the tense/intense rivalry that developed between the USA and the Soviet Union after the Second World War.

Supper time gave us an opportunity to turn our back to the everyday pleasures we have the priviledge to enjoy: we dined at the Berlin Mall. But, believe it or not, despite an incredible selection of dining option, many of our students chose to go with one of the standard bearers of globalization:

 On our stroll back to the hotel, we went through the Gendarmenmarkt and saw the Deutscher Dom, the Kinzerthaus and the Französischer Dom:

Then in Bebelplatz we took a moment to considered the Book Burning Memorial...

Needless to say, we've been trying to make the most of time in Berlin!

Day 7: Auf wiedersehen Köln; Hallo Berlin!

An InterCity Express train carried AR Modern Europe from Köln to Berlin. These trains are quite comfortable. This was important to us because, despite the fact that the ICE can travel at speeds exceeding 220km/hr, the trip took nearly six hours. So, by the time we got to our hotel, it was late afternoon.

All of us had some laundry to do, so believe it or not, our first outing in Berlin was to Eco-Express Waschsalon! ;) But this allows us the peace of mind to know that tomorrow's adventures will be experienced in clean clothes... Anyway, after this bit of housekeeping, we dined on the Alexanderplatz and then strolled the neighborhood together to get a good feel for where will be living the next few days.

It rained during our walk from the hotel to Alexanderplatz... if you look closely you may see the rainbow...

But the rain didn't last long...

Tomorrow, we'll begin our visit of some the many historic monuments and museums... I hope everyone brought their walking shoes. ;)

Day 6: Au revoir Paris; Hallo Köln!

Paris was so sad to see us go that it sent us of with thunder and heavy showers... but we made it to the train station mostly dry :) ... Here are some more (student) photos from our time in this wonderful city:

The train ride out of Gare du Nord went smoothly and we arrived in Köln, Germany at around 4pm local time. We checked into our lovely hotel, the Coellner Hof, and then went out to the Kölner Dom and the great pedestrian area and river walk that are nearby:

Tomorrow we should have just enough time for breakfast before we're back on the train headed Berlin... 

Day 5: a Paris museum double shot...

This morning AR Modern Europe 2017 walked over to the Louvre, stood on the longest line ever, and then got to experience some of the world's most famous works of art...

Afterward, the group went over to les Halles for lunch and some shopping, before having their conception of art challenged at the Centre Pompidou...

We finished the day with a late dinner in the Marais followed by the ever popular evening on Saint Mich. Tomorrow, we catch a mid-day train to Köln.

New and improved Special Edition: all photos so far, re-formatted...

I got word that some of you haven't been able to see any of the posted photos, and so I am re-posting them here using a different format. (Don't worry, I won't also repeat the text that went with them ;) !)

Let me know if that did the trick... :)

Day 4: Paris art, history and lots of walking... ;)

After breakfast at the hotel, AR Modern Europe took the scenic route over to Musée d'Orsay. This gave us a chance to experience the some Parisian neighborhoods and monuments that we might not otherwise have seen up close, like les Invalides. At the Musée d'Orsay, students had the opportunity to see the works of renowned artists like Cézanne, Monet, Courbet, etc.

 

Then we were off through the Tuileries Garden to the area around Opéra Garnier and the Grands Boulevards for lunch.

After lunch, we strolled through Place Vendome and Place Concorde on our way to the Champs Élysées where we snacked and shopped and then finally met up unde the Arc de Triomphe in time for the Wreath Laying Ceremony.

Students voted to return to Saint Michel for a late supper and then back to the hotel to rest up for tomorrows adventures... :)