b'BERLIN TRIPOctober 2023 a point of view shared by all of us and reflected in the very positive reviews we posted when we returned to our hostel.Following a year of Teams announcements and carefulOur third day in Berlin began with a walk to the DDR planning, and with increasing excitement and anticipationmuseum for a short guided tour, where we learnt more as the departure date approached, the day finally arrivedabout life in East Germany following World War 2. We on 24th October 2023 for the Y10, Y11 and Y13 trip totravelled onwards to the Deutsches Technik Museum Berlin, accompanied by Mr Jones, Mrs Yates and Mrwhere we saw some great exhibits and some physics in Bennett. action, which Mr Jones explained well using the benefits We gathered at the Dawson Road gate at 1:30am as Mrsof his degree in physics. Next stop on our itinerary was Yates voiced her intention to sleep as much as she couldthe Berlin Wall Memorial, where Mrs Yates turned back the on the journey to Luton Airport. A long traffic delay on theclock and provided us with some interesting insights into M1 may have helped her in this endeavour, but we madewhat life must have been like behind the Berlin Wall. After it to the airport with no major issues and boarded our 7ama great meal at the Hard Rock Cafe, we returned to the flight to Berlin. hostel for our final night in Germany.A coach journey through the German capital conveyed usDay four began with early packing ready for our later to our hostel where we would be staying for three nights.departure, but we still found time that morning to take in Some Y11s (which may have included myself) hada guided tour of the Olympic Stadium, where we learned taken it upon themselves to study the very mixed reviewsabout its history and how the stadium is used today, in of said hostel which caused some exchanges of looks asparticular as it is the home of Hertha BSC. We returned we approached our accommodation, but we need notto the hostel to pick up our luggage and then travelled have worried. We dropped off our luggage and walked toto Brandenburg Airport to catch our flight home. With Alexanderplatz, where we bought our lunches from theBirmingham drawing closer as we headed up the M1 and wide choice of fast-food shops there, and continued onM6, Mr Jones urged everyone to inform their parents of our to the Spree River, where we enjoyed a 45-minute boatanticipated arrival time, so that he and the other staff could trip learning about the surrounding buildings bordering theavoid spending their night waiting for that last student to river. Our first evening meal back at the hostel included abe picked up, and he received a spontaneous round of good choice of salad, rice and pasta, followed by an earlyapplause for his brilliant planning of this wonderful trip.night recommended by the teachersperhaps they shouldLearning about the history of Berlin was interesting and fun, know better when there are four rooms of excited Y10 andand with all the tours and guides there were memorable Y11 students! moments throughout. It was a pleasure to learn about Following an early breakfast the next morning, publicBerlin from Mikhail and the other guides, and it was an transport took us to the Sachsenhausen concentrationexceptional experience to share with the other students camp, where we were guided around by Mikhail, whoand staff on our return to school. One last thing which gave us an excellent and knowledgeable insight into theis worth noting about Years 10 and 11 and the German history of the camp. The visit was a moving experience. HecapitalBerlin also never sleeps!then accompanied us on our train journey to HakescherRahul Beghal, Year 11Markt, where we were given time to eat some lunch and shop, before Mikhail continued on his tour of Berlin, which included visits to the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and the Holocaust Memorial.Mikhail was an outstanding tour guide,42'