THROUGH MY EYESADÉLA ŠÍPKOVÁSTUDENT FROM GRADE ONE E N G L A N D - 2 0 0 2 / S C H O O L T R I P

AN EXTENDED WAY TO ENGLAND

My stay in England lasted only one week but I yet enjoyed it very much. I left for England with my school-mates in September 2002. Because of the floods that year, we didn't go straight across Germany as everybody usually goes but the Austrian borders were the first ones we crossed on our way there. Then we went on through Germany to France. We boarded the ferry in French Calais and crossed the English Channel within half an hour.

EVERYTHING WAS DIFFERENT

The first thing we noticed in England, though we're not drivers, was driving on the left side of the road. The second specialty was that it keeps raining there. The third interesting thing was that we had to move our watch one hour back.

THE FIRST TOURIST STOP

Our first stop was in Catenbury where we visited the cathedral. Then we quickly moved to London. Our next stops were Greenwich Observatory and the Prime Meridian.

Greenwich Observatory ->

STAYING AT HOST FAMILIES In the evening we found ourselves in London borough of Harrow which was

supposed to become our new home for one week. We arrived at the parking lot where cars were waiting for us to take us to typical English semi-detached houses. Each of us brought a present for the family he was staying with. I chose typical Budweiser gifts: Budweiser beer and The České Budějovice guide written in English. After gifting our hosts lodged us in a little cosy room. There were three beds, a desk, a wardrobe, a piano and two chairs in the room. We had an hour for accommodating ourselves and then the dinner was waiting for us. It wasn't typical English dinner, we had fried escalope and chips. Almost all English people are used to cook instant food but hunger is the best cook at all. After dinner we were going to take shower and there was little surprise for us in the bathroom. English sinks have a tap with cold water on one side and a tap with hot water on other side.

The next day we woke up at seven o' clock and we had toasts and jam and butter, cornflakes with milk and tea for our breakfast. And then we hurried towards our next experiences. The history of England was waiting for us.

Wash-basin->

SOME OTHER TOURIST STOPS

The fourth day we visited a giant wheel that rotates over the Thames and you can see the whole London from it -- London Eye. The next day we were in Oxford. We could see a lot of university buildings in this university town. But they would have probably been just interesting old houses if we didn't learn that the Harry Potter movie has been shot in one of them. The following day we visited Windsor. We couldn't see anyone from the royal family but the castle is great. It was our last trip.

RETURNING UNDER WATER

We were returning home under the English Channel by train. The journey lasted only half an hour but it wasn't pleasant feeling. It was fortunately the only bad feeling during my trip to England.