Places

Prague

First I´ll talk about Prague. In my life I´ve visited this city three or four times. I think it´s very beautiful city. Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and the political, cultural and economic centre of the country. It has a population of over 1.2 million people and it spreads out on both banks of the river Vltava. The whole city consists of 10 administrative districts. The oldest parts are the Old Town, The Lesser Town, the New Town, Josefov, Hradčany and Vyšehrad. The Prague Castle is the dominant of the city. The complex of the castle includes three courtyards and over 700 rooms (Vladislav Hall – there the election of the President takes place, Spanish Hall, Rudolph Gallery). The most impressive building at the Castle is St. Vitus Cathedral. It was completed in 1929. The present cathedral is the result of the work of two famous architects, Matthias of Arras and Petr Parléř. The oldest bridge over the river Vltava is the Charles Bridge. It has bacome a favourite place for walks and tourist attractions. It´s decorated with 30 sculptures and groups of statues. The Old Town Square is the centre of the Old Town. The best known building in the square is the Old Town Hall. Tourists come to see a horolage with the statues of the Apostles on the tower. In the Smetana Hall are held balls and concerts of the Prague Spring Music Festival. The National Museum contains historical and natural history collections. Near the National Museum stands the St. Wenceslav Memorial. The National Theatre is situated on the bank of the river Vltava. Along the river we come to Vyšehrad. The Vyšehrad site also contains the Slavín Cemetery, the burial place of famous personalities of our cultural and political life. The Charles University, founded in 1348 by Charles IV, is the oldest university in Central and Eastern Europe.


London

I´ve never been to Great Britain and London, but I´d like to spend some days there. I could take a language course, too. First, I´ll pack my suitcase. I´ll go by plane there, so I´ll have to book a flight ticket. I´ll have to go to Prague to the Ruzyně Airport to catch a plane to London. London lies on the river Thames. I´ll go through passport control. My papers will be in order and I´ll fill out a form about an intendent length of stay. I´ll take only one suitcase and one hand luggage. My plane will take off on time. I´ll fly to London to the Heathrow Airport, the biggest airport in London.

When I´ll land in London, I´ll take a taxi and find a cheap hotel. Then I´ll go round the city. I´ll visit the Buckingham Palace. It was built by Duke of Buckingham. Nowadays, it´s a residence of the Queen Elizabeth II and royal family. I´ll wait here till 11.30 to see changing of the guard. Then I´ll be interested in the Houses of Parliament and a famous clock tower Big Ben, named after Benjamin Hall. I´ll have a lot of time, so I´ll go to the Westminster Abbey, where British kings and queens are crowned. Many royal weddings take place there, too. I can´t forget to visit St. Paul´s Cathedral, which is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. The cathedral is known for its whispering gallery. Standing on this gallery, you can clearly hear what is whispered on the opposite, 107 feet far from you. Prince Charles and Lady Diana got married here. Then I´ll catch a double-decker to Piccadilly Circus. There stands the statue of Eros, Greek god of love. The Piccadilly Circus is also a centre of entertainment and shopping. I´ll be very tired, so I´ll relax in one of the famous London´s parks – St. James´ Park, Hyde Park, Regent´s Park, Green Park, Richmond Park, Kew Gardens, .. In the evening I´ll visit Soho. There you can eat in a restaurant or entertain yourself. Next days I should go to the Trafalgar´s square to take a photo of Admiral Nelson´s statue. I´d like to see the Tower of London. It was built in the 11th century. It´s said that kingdom will die when the ravens leave the Tower. The Tower was a fortress, a royal palace and a prison (Anna Bolleyn was kept there). Nowadays, it´s a museum and the Crown jewels are kept here. The Tower Bridge over the river Thames is one of the most famous symbols of London, so I´d like to visit it too. And then, I´ll visit the National Gallery, the British Museum, the Tate Gallery, the Museum of London, the National Portrait Gallery, the Madam Tussaud´s Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Other days I´ll visit university towns Cambridge and Oxford, Stratford upon Avon, where William Shakespeare lived. In the Holy Trinity Church is his grave, and Stonehenge, the European most famous prehistoric monument.


Washington & New York

If I have to arrange a trip to the USA, I´ll visit New York and Washington.

Washington is the capital of the USA and there are many memorials and buildings, which are worthseeing.

There are situated the White House (president´s residence), the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Arlington National Cemetery, Pentagon (the largest office building in the world), the National Gallery of Art, the National Theatre, the American Film Institute, the Concert Hall (It´s a home of National Symphony Orchestra) and the Opera House.

New York is called “The Big Apple“ or “The City, which never sleeps“. You can visit here:
Statue of Liberty – It´s situated on Liberty Island and it´s a symbol of freedom. The statue was given by the Frenchs to the Americans on the occasion of 100th anniversary of American Independence. Manhattan – It´s a heart of New York with many skyscrapers. It´s also the commercial and financial centre.
Times Square – People go there to welcome the New Year.
St. Paul´s Chapel – the oldest church in New York built in 1766.
St. Patrick´s Cathedral – the largest church in America built in 1888.
Lincoln Center – a large complex of buildings:
New York State Theatre – New York City Opera, New York City Ballet
Metropolitan Opera House
Metropolitan Museum of Art – collection of art
Museum of Modern Art – collection of modern arts
American Museum of Natural History

Parks: Central Park (the largest one), New York Botanical Garden, Battery Park, East River Park


Australia

Sydney is the oldest town of Australia founded by Arthur Philip. The most famous building is the Sydney Opera House. It´s a unique example of modern architecture. It´s the home of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Ballet and Australian Opera. In the centre of Sydney you can find many parks with a huge amount of exotic plants. Adelaide, Darwin (The botanical garden, national park Berry Springs), Melbourne (National Museum – contains valuable skeletons of dinosaurs, The National Gallery and the Art Centre), Perth, Brisbane (a lot of parks and modern buildings), and Canberra (the capital of Australia, Australian National University, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Gallery) are another cities you can visit in Australia.