The Governorate of Græcia was one of the 10 micronations attending the Micro Euro Summit 2023, which took place in Chyše, Karlovarksý kraj, the Czech Republic. This was the first micronational event to ever be attended by our micronation! Following the invitation of Zar Antonov, President of Obscurium, a micronational ally of Græcia's, and Arthur de Tourneau, Archduke of Duckionary, a friendly micronation located in Austria, the Governorate of Græcia accepted and, as its delegation, sent His Excellency The Governor Quintus II De Vitaliis. THE TRIP H.E. Quintus De Vitaliis had never traveled to the Czech Republic before. Given that this was a unique opportunity, His Excellency first traveled on Wednesday, 12 July by plane from Athens, Hellas to Prague, the Czech Republic, where he remained until Friday, 14 July. His Excellency then proceeded to take three (3) trains to Chyše (via Plzeň (Pilsen) and Blatno u Jesenice). His Excellency opted to stay until Monday, 17 July, when the last attendees departed. His Excellency followed them to Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad), before continuing his journey alone to Plzeň (Pilsen), where He stayed until Wednesday, 19 July, before leaving via the same route back home: by plane from Prague. THE SUMMIT Although the schedule was admittedly tight, things were surprisingly smooth: the presentation on Græcia went very well, the display drew a lot of interest, dialogue with most of the participants was peaceful and full of essence, the attendees were friendly, the venues and premises were an excellent escape from urban life, and the whole organisation was well coordinated. Apart from the convention itself, other activities, such as the special event, the castle tour and the visit to the Soviet bunker are all highly recommended. The castle itself is an important part of the post-Medieval Bohemian history, while the bunker of Jasyr is a reminder of the Cold War and how things were military-wise in Warsaw Pact-controlled Czechoslovakia. PROS
+ Putting a face to allies, friends and acquaintances we had made on-line. + Meeting new people from several parts of Europe. + More affordable, compared to other similar events. + A great event to practice your German language skills. + A relaxing place to escape from the scorching heat and noise of tourists and people in general. + Prices in the Czech Republic are generally on the lower side: e.g. 1/2 L beer costs ca. 2€. + The weather in Chyše was much cooler than in the cities, which meant that you could easily regulate the room's temperature, without the need for a/c or a fan. CONS - The Czech Republic being outside the Eurozone is not helpful, as some transactions are strictly cash-based only. Conversion needs attention... - Outside major cities, many people don't speak English: you'd have to either rely on Czech or German, provided that you speak any of these languages. - If you don't have a car, the trip to Chyše could be a little exhausting. - It is not clear if it's a nationwide phaenomenon, but air condition is not common: in both Prague and Pilsen, the delegation had to rely on a ground fan. - The current schedule's format was so tight, that there was not so much room for breaks / drinking water. To the organisers' defense, they are considering loosening it significantly up. SUMMARY The Micro Euro Summit as an experience was worth it, because the delegation of Græcia finally had the chance to not only physically expose its existence, but also further tighten its current diplomatic relations and establish a dialogue background with several of the attending micronations as well. Furthermore, His Excellency himself admitted it turned out to be a motive for restarting the maintenance of His long abandoned German language skills, as most of the attendees were German-speaking, a couple of them monolingual, which made it easy for Him to adapt to a German-speaking environment. Last, but not least, His Excellency never felt regret about this trip, as it was a combination of fulfilling his personal dream of visiting the country and his micronational dream of enjoying the company of fellow hobbyists. "I wish to attend more of these annual events and stay in contact with as many friendly micronations as possible, in order to keep the spirit of MES alive. Although hovering over my dream of visiting the Czech Republic is not the main point of this analysis, it was in fact a major key on convincing myself to go on this journey. The unforgettable moments in Chyše will be forever cherished, especially the great honour of being awarded my first ever material order by the Archduchy of Duckionary; I will forever be grateful!" ~His Excellency The Governor Quintus II De Vitaliis Comments are closed.
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