All great school trips require an unbelievably early is start is required and the Year 11 Berlin trip was no exception, with a delightfully dark rendez-vous at 4am. Feeling slightly more refreshed due to many of us sleeping on the plane, and less homesick after spotting many familiar shops such as American Apparel, we arrived at Berlin and our hostel. We were met by the ‘knowledgeable John’ (our guide). For the next few days he showed us all the historical and religious ins and outs of Berlin, including a trip to Sachenhausen concentration camp, the Wannsee villa (where the Final Solution was decided), the Berlin Wall, and the relatively new Jewish museum.  

Due to our busy schedule, lunches were our only “free” time. They consisted mainly of bratwurst – a peculiar German sausage. However, one day the ‘knowledgeable John’ FORCED 44 City girls and teachers to eat at McDonalds. Some brave abstainers, including Mr Livsey and Ms Wayne, chose to instead sample the delicacies of a German Petrol Station cuisine, where the meal of the day was tinned mandarins and bread rolls.

Our evenings were spent memorably “raving at the Reichstag” one night (this proved to be too “vertiginous” for some), and visiting a shopping centre in Potsdamer Platz on Sunday night. Again, due to our hectic timetable, there was no shopping time except for when 44 City girls were allowed to venture into one souvenir shop (the owner must have been delighted).

 After an exhausting few days, we arrived back, almost as knowledgeable as John, and having made a great contribution to the music industry with many little ditties, including one about the U-Bahn (German Underground). And so, the trip was complete, but not without a fine collection of superbly embarrassing photos of everyone, including the staff. These will help the expedition remain fixed in our minds as one of the greatest school trips of all time.

Mary, Clare and Francesca, Year 11