So, we had an awesome evening with the BGIFC group out in Paris. Tuesday morning we were fed a traditional french breakfast, mmmm warm croissant before being taken on the train and metro via the Arc de Triomph to the British Embassy for the opening ceremony. The ambassador offered us a warm welcome, let us walk around his beautiful abode and declared the Stampede officially open, woooohhhoooo! We had a picnic on his lawn, ask Bec about the springy turf it caused great amusement before saying our goodbyes to other teams. The BGIFC hospitality continued through the afternoon as we took a tour by the Eiffel Tower and then down to the River Seine for a hour long boat tour that was gifted to us; passing Le Louvre, under many bridges and around the Notre Dame. Talk about getting in all the sights in half a day, blimey. Following this there was a rush to the train station, three of us managed to get off the wrong side of the metro train so ended up waiting for the next one and having to dash through the next train that arrived. We were at Gare du Nord with minutes to spare before our train left, goodness it was a bit close.
Train ran smoothly to Cologne where we changed for the sleeper train to Prague. Tickets were most confusing and it took a while to find our little cabins but once found we played around like any Guides would before settling for the night. Not sure anyone slept brilliantly but it was a great experience. As for Rhodri, well he as out sharing some bevvies with the lads in the corridor before they headed to bed, he’s quite a party animal our mascot is!
Prague arrival was smooth and Sara’s knowledge of the city got us around the metro system and safely to our hostel where we dumped bags. Exploration time began. First stop Wenceslas square. Challenge duly completed, two verses of Good King Wenceslas sung in our very best voices on the steps of the Wenceslas statue, we even had two ladies join in, hoorah! The afternoon was spent exploring the old town square before crossing Charles bridge and spending a few hours exploring the castle. Prague has taken a few of us by surprise, it is quieter than we thought and the city sights are quite spectacular.
I write this as half the team are showering for the first time since the trip began, yes we smell gorgeous; others are cooking (pasta for 8 is taking it’s time) and I have the pleasure of telling you the adventures so far. Hope this is keeping you all entertained and that they’ll be some more updates on our Ultimate European Adventure in the next few days.
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