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. :)