On Monday we met at school very early in the morning. After saying goodbye to our parents, we got on the bus and set off for England together with Mrs. Fohr-Knappe and Mrs. Schmitt. The journey was quite pleasant as we had plenty of breaks. In the evening, we arrived at our hostel and moved into our rooms. These were large enough for four to six people and offered plenty of space for luggage. We spent the rest of the evening either inside the hostel or in the garden where we could sit together and talk.

On Tuesday we took a guided tour of Canterbury. Our guide Will showed us different parts of the city and told us a lot about architecture, local traditions and also about the writers Christopher Marlow and Geoffrey Chaucer who wrote the famous Canterbury Tales. Afterwards we had a city rallye and had some time to explore the city. Many of us went shopping, bought something to eat or just walked through the streets. What was especially interesting was that Canterbury has both a historic part with old buildings and a modern city centre with many shops.

Wednesday was the highlight of the trip for many of us: the excursion to London. After a comfortable bus ride we reached Greenwich and from there took a boat ride on the Thamse towards the city centre. Along the way we passed many famous landmarks like the Tower of Londen or London Eye. We got off at Big Ben and went for a walk through the city. Among other things we saw Buckingham Palace, the squirrels in St. James’ Park, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Horse Guards and Downing Street. London – an experience many of us will remember!

On Thursday we went on an excursion to Dover. First, we visited Dover Castle, an impressive Fortress with a playground that shows you how to siege a castle and an exhibition which tells you all about the history of the castle. Afterwards we walked to the famous White Cliffs near the harbour where we had a wonderful view. Later we were taken to a small coastal town called Margate. There we had some free time to have lunch or walk through the streets.

On Friday morning we had our last breakfast at the hostel. Just like before breakfast was typically English with eggs, sausages, bacon and fried potatoes but there were also chocolate croissants, toast and orange juice. After breakfast we started our journey back home. The channel crossing was “calm” and late in the evening our parents picked us up at school.

- Mehmet Tural, Moritz Blesinger, Mats Franek

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