SU Story: From Danube to Vltava – Playing the game of the summer

Is there anybody who likes playing games?  If so, check this out!

Recently the biggest game of the summer took place in Hungary and Czech Republic. Twenty five players from Europe and beyond were guided by the best game masters from AEGEE-Budapest and AEGEE-Praha following one single rule: take all the AEGEE spirit you can to make this Summer University unforgettable.

With the name “Everybody on Board!” this Travel Summer University did not only gather European people, but also visitors from Iran, Pakistan and China. It is an amazing experience to see how different cultures meet in a common place, but we should keep in mind that travelling is not that easy for everyone. On behalf of Visa Freedom Working Group, Jana Pokorná from AEGEE-Praha prepared some enjoyable workshops and creative games in order to teach the participants the actual situation in Europe due to visa issues. It is interesting to see how little we know about Europe and how much can be done to improve a traveller’s conditions outside the Schengen zone.

The first stage of the game began in the divided city of Budapest. It is true that the Hungarian capital has incredible landscapes and views, but the parties were also incredible. Crowding a party boat on the Danube or watching the city from a rooftop bar is just priceless.
When the heat was about to melt the group down, we took the train to the Hungarian sea:  Lake Balaton. Beach, water games, sunbathing, goulash… Is there a better way to relax and recharge the batteries for the next step?

Everybody was on board for the second and last stage: Praha. Surrounding the river Vltava, the city simply oozes charm. Since the first day, participants were in tune with the city.  The music on top of the Castle called some of them to dance without fear, and actually this was one of the most acclaimed shows around there. The John Lennon Wall did not escape the AEGEEans’ touch either, nobody wanted to leave without painting a piece of… let’s call it art.

Czech people say that beer is like bread for them, and after staying there for a week it is easy to understand why. If you like beer, you will fall in love with Prague, and if you stay in Praha you will end up loving beer! The best day for beer lovers came with the trip to Plzen and the visit to the biggest brewery.

On the last day, a very special meeting took place. The participants from the SU organized by AEGEE-Plzen and AEGEE-Brno completed their “Czech Mission” in Prague partying with us. It was the last party, the last night, the night of goodbyes…

The name of this game? Call it summer, culture, friendship, love… call it AEGEE. The fact is that after all everyone was a winner, leaving with some new international friends in our hearts, the memories of the two amazing weeks in our minds and the taste of Czech beer and Hungarian pálinka on our tongues!

Written by Ander Fernández, AEGEE-Bilbao

Photos by Ander Fernández, AEGEE-Bilbao