Holidays

Summer holidays
Almost whole summer holidays a spend in our cottage in Ostrava – Petřkovice.This is a very nice place for relax.Somethimes I go with my friends for a tent trip. My parents arrange a summer camp every years, so sometimes I help them with preparations. When I need some money I take summer job.

Winter holidays
I spend them at home or on the mountains where I do hiking with my friends or relations. From time to time I go to downhill skiing, but I haven’t my own skies, because my parents prefer cross-country skiing, so I have only cross-country skies.

People take their holiday from various reasons. They want relax, they want to know new places, be with family, meet new people etc.

Various kinds of holidays
Our holiday can be educational and cultural If we could, we would put for some language courses. We would love to see the world’s most famous sights, galleries and museums. We can also have working holiday. We will make some money and than we can travel abroad, because if you want to travel, you need some money. Our holiday can be also romantic ( somewhere at the lake ) or exotic ( somewhere in jungle ) or dangerous ( in Himalayas ).

A sightseeing holiday
You may do a bit of / a lot of sightseeing, but you will probably go to a museum or art gallery, and see or visit some things as temple, castle, cathedral, market, fountain, statue, palace. Many people go on sightseeing tour of a town ( usually by bus ).They can also go on a tour of the castle, cathedral, the art gallery etc.When you are sightseeing, it helps to buy a guidebook ( a book information for tourists ) and a map of the town you are in. If you didn’t buy it you can get lost! People on sightseeing holiday usually look round the shops where they spend money, they can take snaps ( photographs ), buy souvenirs ( souvenir – typical product from the country ), go out most evenings ( it means – go to different places for social reasons, e.g. restaurant or disco ).
Venice is a beautiful but it’s always packet with tourists in the summer.
New York is very cosmopolitan ( full of people from different countries and cultures )
Vienna has lots of historical monuments ( places e.g. castles, built a long time ago )
Many beautiful cities have become very touristy ( but it’s negative word – too much tourism )
Sao Paolo is a really lively place ( It is full of life and activity ) and the night-life is fantastic.

Various types of accommodation
They can go to hotel, rent a apartment or a holiday flat or villa ( a house by the beach ), they can sleep in a tent.

Holiday on the beach
Many people spend their holiday in seaside resorts, where they can spend most of their time on the beach. Some people enjoy swimming, others love sunbathing ( lying on the beach in order to get a suntan. If you like sunbathing, you should use suntan lotion to help you get a tan and protect your skin. If you don’t have any protection, you may get sunburn, which is painful and can be dangerous. And if you want total protection you should use sun block, or sit under a beach umbrella.Swiming can be also dangerous if there are rocks under the water or if the sea is rough e.g. with big waves.

In the country
People who live in large towns often like to get away and enjoy the peace and quiet ( calm and tranquillity ) of the country. Some people just like to put their feet up ( relax and do nothing ) and occasionally go for a stroll ( slow casual walk ), while others enjoy hiking across the hills and valleys. And the countryside is a great place to have a picnic ( eating prepared meal of cold food outside ).

Travelling abroad
When going abroad we must get necessary documents. First of all a valid passport and visa ( to some countries we still need a visa which we can get at a local embassy in Prague ).Besides, we must change money to hard currency in a bank or at an exchange office. When going by train ( or fast train, or express ) we must buy tickets ( single or return, first or second class ) and when we fly, we must get air ( or flight ) tickets and find out our flight number and departure time.
We should know foreign languages, because it’s important for making ourselves understood. English or German can be used almost all around the world.
Travelling has some disadvantages – it may be dangerous. We can meet bad people, we can get lost, be murdered or our money may be stolen. And sometimes travelling is very expensive, especially if you travel by plane.

Travel agencies
Travel agencies arrange almost everything what you want.
They arrange :
- A flight to an airport near the resort ( usually by charter flight )
- Transfers from the destination airport to the holiday accommodation
- Holiday accommodation – hotels, self-catering villas and apartments
- Some meals - B&B, half board, full board
- Free use of hotel facilities such as swimming-pools, tennis courts etc.
- The services of a courier – The courier is a person who knows the area and is able to offer help and advice. the courier also has the task of selling the optional excursions and car hire that are an important part of the tour operator’s profit.

Types of Hotel
Hotels in Great Britain are graded with stars from one-star to five-star ( five-star hotel is the best and most expensive ).You can also stay in B&B where you pay for a bedroom, possibly an ensuite and breakfast.

Types of hotel accommodation
- a single room – for one person with a single bed
- a double room – for two people with one large double bed
- a twin room – for two people with two single beds
- full board – includes breakfast, lunch and dinner
- half board – includes breakfast and dinner
- B&B – just the room & breakfast

A visit to a hotel
We should book our room in advance, because when it’s in the middle of the tourist season it can be full ( without free rooms ).When we arrive we check in at reception, then the porter carry our suitcases up to our room. We should give him a small tip. The staff is usually very friendly ( good chambermaid ).

Useful words and expressions
- Could I book a room for next Thursday ?
- Could I have an early morning call at seven a.m. please ( Could you wake me at seven a.m. ?)
- Could you put it on my bill, please
- Could I pay my bill, please ?
- Could I order ( call ) a taxi for me to go to the airport ?
- Are you fully booked next week ?
- Is breakfast / dinner included ?
- Where is the lift ?
- Excuse me. How do I get to the underground station from here ?

Our republic
The Czech republic lies in the middle of Europe. The major nationalities living here are Czech and Moravian and Silesian, but there are minority groups such as the Roms, the Poles, the Germans, the Russians etc.
In the Czech republic there are many spots of great natural beauty as well as areas totally spoiled by industrial ( e.g. Most area ).the border of Bohemia and Moravia is lined by the Šumava mountains, the Ore, the Jizera, the Luž mountains, the Giant mountains and the Eagle mountains. Bohemia and Moravia are separated by the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. The biggest mountain regions in Moravia are the Hrubý Jeseník, the Moravian-Silesian Beskids.South Bohemia is particularly rich in ponds ( rybníky ).Bohemia and Moravia are quite rich in mineral springs and spas ( prameny a lázně ).among the most beautiful natural places are : the Czech Paradise, “rock town” in Prachov rocks, the Děčín walls, Czech Switzerland, the Boubín virgin forests etc.
There are many places associated with our history, because the territory was settled by the Slavs in the 5th century. In the 9th century they founded the first state formation – The Great Moravian Empire. In Bohemia e.g. Říp or Stadice are associated with the oldest legends. Among the most beautiful historic towns are Prague, Kutná Hora, Tábor, etc.

Prague
Prague is the capital of the Czech republic and lies in the middle of Bohemia. It covers an area of nearly 500 sq kms and it’s population is about 1,200,000.Prague is divided into many historical boroughs but now Prague is surrounded by a ring of a modern housing estates.

Prague is the seat of our President, the Czech government, all important state ministers and the Czech Parliament.

It’s also an important industrial and business centre and transport crossroad. It’s also a cultural centre of the republic and can offer many outstanding theatrical and musical performances ( e.g. Prague Spring International Music Festival in May-June each year ).

the National Theatre
Built in late renaissance style from the public money collection of the people in the second half of the 19th century. The best artist of the 19th century decorated the theatre ( M. Aleš, F. Ženíšek, V. Hynais )

Many world known personalities lived or spent some time in Prague e.g. Mozart, Beethoven, Čajkovskij, Einstein, Kafka, Lenin etc.

The Prague Castle
It was founded after 880 by the first Přemyslid Prince Bořivoj.In 1344 the construction of the St. Vitas Cathedral started. Famous sights in the Prague Castle include : Vladislav Hall, the Golden Lane etc.

Old Town Square
The Astronomical Clock strikes every 60 minutes and is controlled by a very complicated mechanism built in the Middle Ages. In the upper part of the horologe a procession of the Apostles can be seen every hour. There are also 12 signs of the Zodiac.

The Charles bridge
- commissioned by Charles IV in 1357 and build by a famous Gothic architect Petr Parléř.

The Powder Tower
A monument of the Czech late gothic period, stands at the end of Prague’s new pedestrian zone called King’s Road.

The Carolinum
The oldest building of Charles University founded on 4th April 1348 as the first institution of this kind in Central Europe.

Wenceslas Square
The centre of the city. It’s about 750 m long and 60 m wide. The statue of the Czech patron St. Wenceslas made by J. V. Myslbek is a symbol of free and independent republic. People usually gather here in troublesome moments of Czech history.

What travelling have you done as a youngster during your summer and winter holidays ?
During the summer, my family has been to summer camp. We did mainly hiking. I also used to go to our cottage. What I enjoyed most was my trip, because there I was with my schoolmates from secondary school and it was really great time. During the winter holidays, we used to go to mountains to do cross-country skiing, but I have never liked it much. I prefer downhill skiing. But it’s more expensive and sometimes you have to queuing long. In the mountains we usually use the chalet to sleep. The least enjoyable winter holiday for me was when I was ill, so I couldn’t do anything besides staying at home and watching TV.

How were your holiday trips with your family ? How did you enjoy holidays you have had without your parents ?
I have enjoyed travelling with my family when I was child because I couldn‘t travel alone. Together we have played games as tennis, squash etc..Spending holidays without my parents has also been a good experience for me, because I didn’t need to be depend on my parents and I could do what I wanted to do. It has given me the opportunity to be on my own.

Have you planed your holiday trips at home as a family, or has a travel agency arranged them for you ?Which do you think is better ?
We have planed all our trips together as a family. We have never used any travel agency. But on the other side it’s true that the advantage is that we don’t need to worry about a lot of details I remember my trips with my friends of the same or a similar age. These actions were not organized. We haven’t had any plans where to go, where to sleep. We have had just a tent, some clothes not to be cold and some money to buy something.

What trips have you taken with your school? How have these trips been educational for you?
When I was student in a primary school we visited some sights in our country. When I was in the secondary school oriented on phones and telecommunications techniques we were in a collective tour. It was oriented especially on hiking a tourism. It was taken in Slovakia in the town of Banks Bystrica. We stayed in the similar school as we attended. From this trip I have better known something about students life in Slovakia. I also learnt something about this town.

Do you prefer holidays with a lot of touring and sightseeing, or would you rather stay in one place and relax ?
I like trips where I can see a lot of new places and things, because after that I can say : I was there and saw this and this and……But on the other side I didn’t like long trips round the castles and others facilities of the same kind. I didn‘t prefer staying in one location, but relax is also very important, especially for people who works hard.