Good Evening! We had an amazing day visiting Cambridge. Everyone in our class decided to take the optional trip to Cambridge for the day so it was a lot of fun to be all together. We took a 45 minute train ride there and started the day by seeing several different colleges that make up Cambridge University. We learned that there are 31 different colleges making up the university. Dr. Bell showed us around his college, Gonville and Caius college, where he attended for undergraduate. It was fun to learn about different traditions and to see such old buildings. That college was the 3rd oldest at Cambridge, dating back to the 16th century. We then visited King's College which is the most well known and I'm pretty sure the largest. We went inside the chapel which was amazingly big. We really enjoyed it.
We broke for lunch and most of us went to try a place that Dr. Bell recommended. It sold pasties, which the closest I could relate it to was a pot pie, but completely wrapped inside of a pastry dough. I had a mushroom and chicken one, that I'm pretty sure also had potatoes in it. It was fantastic! We then chose to use the rest of our lunch break to do some shopping. There was a little market that some of us walked around in and we also hit a sort of school store type shop where many of us bought Cambridge paraphernalia. I bought an adorable light blue Cambridge t-shirt. I then went over to the market to buy some tea from this guy who was selling tea leaves, for mom, and somehow got left behind by the rest of the group. So, I had my own little adventure in Cambridge today. Thankfully, I started walking in the right direction and Drew was able to find me. It felt a lot longer than it actually was.
After that adventure, we started on a new one. We set out on the river in Cambridge on some gondola looking things called Punts. The person who uses the large stick to row is called the punter. We each got a chance to be the punter, which was extremely scary. I chose to be in Dr. Bell's punt because I was nervous about punting, as well as floating along in an extremely small boat. There were about 6 of us in each boat. Once we got the hang of punting, it was really enjoyable and we got great views of several of the different colleges.
Once we docked again, we warmed up inside next to the fire for awhile, waiting for the other punts to come back. We then got on the train going home, where I ended up falling asleep on Drew. He didn't seem to mind too much...hopefully haha. It was a great nap though! We returned to the hotel for about an hour, which I chose to use wisely and shower so that I would be able to pack tonight.
Around 7, we met at the tube station to go to our group meal dinner. We went to an African food restaurant, which I didn't really care for. It was definitely different, and some people really enjoyed it though. We also received a complimentary 4 bottles of wine, which we all took advantage of. I chose to sample both red and white. I liked the white better. We just returned back from dinner so that we can pack up and put our flats back together before we leave at 8:30am tomorrow morning. I am hoping that I will have access to Wifi as I move on in the trip, but if not, don't get worried that the blog posts might not be as regular! Miss you all tons!
Monday, January 7, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Today was a really great day because we were able to have a lot of free time! This morning we went to the National Portrait Gallery where each of us were given a different person's portrait to locate and read about with readings that Dr. Bell gave us. Then, we had to give a short presentation incorporating the new knowledge we had learned and the portrait. The man I received was William Wilberforce, who was the driving force behind the abolition of the slave trade in 1807. Dr. Bell finally cut me a break because we have been learning about Wilberforce since we arrived here.
After the museum, several of us ate lunch outside in a courtyard near Euston Station and then headed over to the British Museum. It wasn't quite what I thought because it really wasn't British at all. It was a museum of many of the world's treasures. We even got to see the Rosetta Stone! After spending a few hours at the museum, we returned back to the flats for a little bit.
After a small rest (30 minutes), a few of us met in the lobby to go to the American Sports Bar to watch the Ravens game. We had a great time watching the game, drinking beer, and eating wings. Funny enough, we were probably the only Americans in there. I also attempted to do laundry this afternoon, but I haven't taken the laundry out yet, so I'm not sure what the final result will be. I will keep you updated. It was another long full day and we are all exhausted. Going to try to get another early night tonight!
After the museum, several of us ate lunch outside in a courtyard near Euston Station and then headed over to the British Museum. It wasn't quite what I thought because it really wasn't British at all. It was a museum of many of the world's treasures. We even got to see the Rosetta Stone! After spending a few hours at the museum, we returned back to the flats for a little bit.
After a small rest (30 minutes), a few of us met in the lobby to go to the American Sports Bar to watch the Ravens game. We had a great time watching the game, drinking beer, and eating wings. Funny enough, we were probably the only Americans in there. I also attempted to do laundry this afternoon, but I haven't taken the laundry out yet, so I'm not sure what the final result will be. I will keep you updated. It was another long full day and we are all exhausted. Going to try to get another early night tonight!
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Hi!
So today was a more relaxed day because we had such a big day yesterday. We spent the morning at Dr. Johnson's house who wrote the first comprehensive, English dictionary. He was an interesting man and we focused a lot on the life of his slave, Francis Barber, to get an inside look as to what being a slave was like in England, as opposed to on a plantation. We also got to see Dr. Bell put on a dress, so that was fun.
After the visit, we all grabbed lunch and brought it back to my flat to have a movie viewing on the abolition of the slave trade. We then discussed some discussion questions based on the movie and our readings for the day. Briana and I also booked our train tickets to Paris for the day on the 17th. We are both really excited to go!
Myself and two other girls then made our way to Piccadilly Circus for the evening, where we did some touristy shopping and ate dinner at a cute Italian place. It was really good! It was so warm outside, we were even able to sit outside to eat! I was able to pick up a few souvenirs, so that was really great! Sorry this blog post is super short, but I am exhausted and am going into the shower and to bed! I will send more tomorrow!
So today was a more relaxed day because we had such a big day yesterday. We spent the morning at Dr. Johnson's house who wrote the first comprehensive, English dictionary. He was an interesting man and we focused a lot on the life of his slave, Francis Barber, to get an inside look as to what being a slave was like in England, as opposed to on a plantation. We also got to see Dr. Bell put on a dress, so that was fun.
After the visit, we all grabbed lunch and brought it back to my flat to have a movie viewing on the abolition of the slave trade. We then discussed some discussion questions based on the movie and our readings for the day. Briana and I also booked our train tickets to Paris for the day on the 17th. We are both really excited to go!
Myself and two other girls then made our way to Piccadilly Circus for the evening, where we did some touristy shopping and ate dinner at a cute Italian place. It was really good! It was so warm outside, we were even able to sit outside to eat! I was able to pick up a few souvenirs, so that was really great! Sorry this blog post is super short, but I am exhausted and am going into the shower and to bed! I will send more tomorrow!
Friday, January 4, 2013
Hey Guys,
So if you haven't gathered, its a little after midnight our time, meaning we had a very full day. We left our flats at 9:00 this morning to make our way to Portsmouth. After a makeshift breakfast of Starbucks and a chocolate croissant, we boarded the train. Most of us were able to do the readings for tomorrow on the 90 minute ride. When we arrived, we started in an amazing exhibit about the HMS (His/Her Majesty's ship) Mary Rose which sank in I want to say sometime in the 1500s. Fairly recently, they have recovered half of the ship that was stuck in the mud and completely preserved. We learned that it has taken them almost 34 years, which is about how long it was afloat, for them to complete the conservation process of this amazing artifact. They even found some human remains aboard, and we were told that they were able to tell the nationalities of the people by the enamel on their teeth! I thought that was just incredible! We also were able to feel some ropes from the actual ship, as well as pieces of wood. We then journeyed to lunch where most of us had our first experience with fish and chips in England. I decided to go for cod, which was okay.
After lunch, we were able to board the HMS Victory, which is the ship that Lord Nelson was shot on during the battle of Trafalgar. Some side points, Lord Nelson, as I've mentioned, was a British naval commander and is revered as a hero here. He is still a huge part of culture. The British love him! Last side point, the other day we visited Trafalgar Square on the tour with Kim where there is a giant statue erected of Lord Nelson. Anyways, the ship was huge!!!! It was so ornate, incredible that it was that old! The ship was built in the 1750s I believe, and the Battle of Trafalgar was in 1805, when Lord Nelson was shot and died 4 hours later. They have the spot marked on the ship where he actually was shot. Each cannon required about 10-12 men to load and fire because they were so big and heavy. We learned about the terrible living conditions of the men. Many of my classmates thought it was funny that I couldn't hit my head on any of the low beams, while Dr. Bell was pretty much doubled over. We all really enjoyed the tour!
When the tour was over, we journeyed over to a museum about the HMS Victory and Lord Nelson. We didn't spend much time there, but we were able to feel a replica of the death mask made of Lord Nelson's face. I also stood next to the original wheel used on the HMS Victory, which was definitely larger than I was. Briana and I were able to get inside a barrel used for water. It was put there because after Lord Nelson died, they picked him in rum for 8 weeks until they came back to London, where he laid in state in the Painted Hall which we visited the other day. The grossest part, it is said that they have a drink called something like Lord Nelson's blood because people drank the rum that he had been pickled in for weeks. Yum! haha Dr. Bell also made me and the other short girl on the trip try an activity meant for little kids, because we were under the height requirement. It was so hard we couldn't even figure out how to do it!
Our next stop was the Action Stations, which were supposed to give you a feel for some of the different parts of the navy. Several of us enjoyed playing dress up, myself included, in military uniforms. Others, including Dr. Bell, climbed the rock wall. We spent some time there and then made our way over to a shopping center. Dr. Bell let us loose for awhile and Briana and I decided to visit the Cadbury store where we bought some chocolate. We also went and I bought the second season of Downton Abbey, until Dr. Bell reminded us that British DVDs don't actually work in the US:( We quickly returned them. For dinner we went to a place called Yo Sushi where it was a sushi bar that moved. In addition to raw fish, they had lots of cooked options as well. A few of us wanted the full Japanese experience and ordered some Sakai. I ended up really liking it. It's really sweet, which I didn't expect. The lady said that we were the largest bill the restaurant has ever seen, good thing it was Maryland-paid group meal tonight!
After dinner we made our way back to London from Portsmouth and walked over to the SoHo Theatre for the comedy show called the Late Night Gimp Fight. None of us really knew what to expect. It was completely inappropriate, but very funny. We all immensely enjoyed it. I think that was everything, but it was such a long day, who really knows! Good night everyone!
So if you haven't gathered, its a little after midnight our time, meaning we had a very full day. We left our flats at 9:00 this morning to make our way to Portsmouth. After a makeshift breakfast of Starbucks and a chocolate croissant, we boarded the train. Most of us were able to do the readings for tomorrow on the 90 minute ride. When we arrived, we started in an amazing exhibit about the HMS (His/Her Majesty's ship) Mary Rose which sank in I want to say sometime in the 1500s. Fairly recently, they have recovered half of the ship that was stuck in the mud and completely preserved. We learned that it has taken them almost 34 years, which is about how long it was afloat, for them to complete the conservation process of this amazing artifact. They even found some human remains aboard, and we were told that they were able to tell the nationalities of the people by the enamel on their teeth! I thought that was just incredible! We also were able to feel some ropes from the actual ship, as well as pieces of wood. We then journeyed to lunch where most of us had our first experience with fish and chips in England. I decided to go for cod, which was okay.
After lunch, we were able to board the HMS Victory, which is the ship that Lord Nelson was shot on during the battle of Trafalgar. Some side points, Lord Nelson, as I've mentioned, was a British naval commander and is revered as a hero here. He is still a huge part of culture. The British love him! Last side point, the other day we visited Trafalgar Square on the tour with Kim where there is a giant statue erected of Lord Nelson. Anyways, the ship was huge!!!! It was so ornate, incredible that it was that old! The ship was built in the 1750s I believe, and the Battle of Trafalgar was in 1805, when Lord Nelson was shot and died 4 hours later. They have the spot marked on the ship where he actually was shot. Each cannon required about 10-12 men to load and fire because they were so big and heavy. We learned about the terrible living conditions of the men. Many of my classmates thought it was funny that I couldn't hit my head on any of the low beams, while Dr. Bell was pretty much doubled over. We all really enjoyed the tour!
When the tour was over, we journeyed over to a museum about the HMS Victory and Lord Nelson. We didn't spend much time there, but we were able to feel a replica of the death mask made of Lord Nelson's face. I also stood next to the original wheel used on the HMS Victory, which was definitely larger than I was. Briana and I were able to get inside a barrel used for water. It was put there because after Lord Nelson died, they picked him in rum for 8 weeks until they came back to London, where he laid in state in the Painted Hall which we visited the other day. The grossest part, it is said that they have a drink called something like Lord Nelson's blood because people drank the rum that he had been pickled in for weeks. Yum! haha Dr. Bell also made me and the other short girl on the trip try an activity meant for little kids, because we were under the height requirement. It was so hard we couldn't even figure out how to do it!
Our next stop was the Action Stations, which were supposed to give you a feel for some of the different parts of the navy. Several of us enjoyed playing dress up, myself included, in military uniforms. Others, including Dr. Bell, climbed the rock wall. We spent some time there and then made our way over to a shopping center. Dr. Bell let us loose for awhile and Briana and I decided to visit the Cadbury store where we bought some chocolate. We also went and I bought the second season of Downton Abbey, until Dr. Bell reminded us that British DVDs don't actually work in the US:( We quickly returned them. For dinner we went to a place called Yo Sushi where it was a sushi bar that moved. In addition to raw fish, they had lots of cooked options as well. A few of us wanted the full Japanese experience and ordered some Sakai. I ended up really liking it. It's really sweet, which I didn't expect. The lady said that we were the largest bill the restaurant has ever seen, good thing it was Maryland-paid group meal tonight!
After dinner we made our way back to London from Portsmouth and walked over to the SoHo Theatre for the comedy show called the Late Night Gimp Fight. None of us really knew what to expect. It was completely inappropriate, but very funny. We all immensely enjoyed it. I think that was everything, but it was such a long day, who really knows! Good night everyone!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Today was another great day! We got a late start this morning, 10:30am, where we jumped on the tube at our favorite tube stop, Euston Station. We went to St. Paul's Cathedral, which is the 2nd largest basilica in the world, next to St. Peter's in the Vatican. I've never seen a church that big before! It was incredible! Our whole class walked to the top of St. Paul's which is about 400 steps, possibly more. We breathlessly took in the view from the top! We also toured the crypt which has the body of Arthur Duke of Wellington, as well as Lord Nelson, who was a famous naval commander that we have been learning about for the past two days. Yesterday, we visited the painted hall where his body laid in state for three days after he died. 90,000 people came to view him! Most of us then enjoyed lunch with Dr. Bell at a place called Leon's, where I got some yummy falafel!
When we finished lunch, we journeyed back out to Greenwich to visit the National Maritime Museum. We visited a gallery and was given a tour of that gallery by the curator. It was really interesting and definitely added a lot to the museum. After a short discussion of the readings for the day, which were written by John (the curator), we marched all the way up the hill to the observatory where the prime meridian line is located. We enjoyed taking pictures in the two different hemispheres of the world.
Briana, Lauren, Drew, and I all ventured over to the London Eye and bought tickets. We then went to a mexican restaurant where Lauren and I sampled some classic margaritas! Why not, we are legal in this country! Dinner ended up being delicious and a great pick! We then walked back to the London Eye and took the 30 minute ride. The sites were great from the very top. We did some walking and shopping after around the area and finally returned back to the flats around 9:30ish. It was a long and busy day but a lot of fun!
When we finished lunch, we journeyed back out to Greenwich to visit the National Maritime Museum. We visited a gallery and was given a tour of that gallery by the curator. It was really interesting and definitely added a lot to the museum. After a short discussion of the readings for the day, which were written by John (the curator), we marched all the way up the hill to the observatory where the prime meridian line is located. We enjoyed taking pictures in the two different hemispheres of the world.
Briana, Lauren, Drew, and I all ventured over to the London Eye and bought tickets. We then went to a mexican restaurant where Lauren and I sampled some classic margaritas! Why not, we are legal in this country! Dinner ended up being delicious and a great pick! We then walked back to the London Eye and took the 30 minute ride. The sites were great from the very top. We did some walking and shopping after around the area and finally returned back to the flats around 9:30ish. It was a long and busy day but a lot of fun!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Day 2:)
Today was another fun-filled long day! I slept much better last night and felt a lot less jet-lagged today than yesterday. Still not fully adjusted, but getting better. We started our day at 9:30 again this morning and got an amazing tour of Westminster by a lady named Kim. She showed us many interesting sites around Westminster that showed how the British Empire is still affecting London today. We also encountered our first set of guards since we were in "royal territory." We saw the horse guard, which are just guards on horses, and then there were some foot guards who were wearing some silly hats. I still have not seen the actual Royal Guards who guard the palace, but apparently they don't wear red in the winter:( We got to experience real British weather today since it was quite chilly this morning and nice and wet this afternoon.
After the tour, we all split up for lunch. A bunch of us decided to go to Picadilly Circus which is like the Times Square of London. We really only had time to eat lunch there, which we ate at Garfunkels. We all were able to warm up after our almost 3 hour tour outside.
We met back up as a group and headed to Greenwich where we went to the old Naval College. The lady who gave us a tour of the museum yesterday gave us a tour of the college. We learned that it was actually the old palace for awhile. We were able to see the Painted Hall and the old chapel which were both gorgeous. There was tons of ornate painting and detail. This was one of my favorite sites that I have visited since we have arrived here.
Tonight we are going to dinner at a place called Eat that Dr. Bell is going to. Then we are venturing to a play that none of us have ever heard of and Dr. Bell won't tell us what it is about. He said that it is really strange and we will really enjoy it. Who knows! I will try to post again later with a few pictures but unfortunately I have to run to catch the tube! Miss you all:)
Today was another fun-filled long day! I slept much better last night and felt a lot less jet-lagged today than yesterday. Still not fully adjusted, but getting better. We started our day at 9:30 again this morning and got an amazing tour of Westminster by a lady named Kim. She showed us many interesting sites around Westminster that showed how the British Empire is still affecting London today. We also encountered our first set of guards since we were in "royal territory." We saw the horse guard, which are just guards on horses, and then there were some foot guards who were wearing some silly hats. I still have not seen the actual Royal Guards who guard the palace, but apparently they don't wear red in the winter:( We got to experience real British weather today since it was quite chilly this morning and nice and wet this afternoon.
After the tour, we all split up for lunch. A bunch of us decided to go to Picadilly Circus which is like the Times Square of London. We really only had time to eat lunch there, which we ate at Garfunkels. We all were able to warm up after our almost 3 hour tour outside.
We met back up as a group and headed to Greenwich where we went to the old Naval College. The lady who gave us a tour of the museum yesterday gave us a tour of the college. We learned that it was actually the old palace for awhile. We were able to see the Painted Hall and the old chapel which were both gorgeous. There was tons of ornate painting and detail. This was one of my favorite sites that I have visited since we have arrived here.
Tonight we are going to dinner at a place called Eat that Dr. Bell is going to. Then we are venturing to a play that none of us have ever heard of and Dr. Bell won't tell us what it is about. He said that it is really strange and we will really enjoy it. Who knows! I will try to post again later with a few pictures but unfortunately I have to run to catch the tube! Miss you all:)
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Hello from Across the Pond!
Yesterday's plane ride was long and uneventful. We actually landed a half an hour early so we got here around 9:30 local time. I was able to see the London Eye as well as several displays of fireworks as we landed! We then took the tube from Heathrow Airport to Euston Street, where our flats for the week are located. We arrived at the flats around 11:45pm. We celebrated the New Year by going to a little shop for some snacks. Nothing to eventful. We did not have enough time to head over to Picadilly Square, which I am told is like the Times Square of London.
This morning we woke up feeling like it was the crack of dawn, and shlepped out around 9:30am. I did not have a great night of sleep last night and am hoping that it is better tonight. The first thing we did was take a boat ride on the Thames River, called the Thames Clipper, where we saw some of the major attractions that London has to offer, such as the London Eye, Big Ben, Parliament, the Globe Theatre, Tower Bridge, and several other major attractions. We arrived at the Museum of Docklands and spent about 1 1/2 hours looking around. I then gave my fabulous presentation which I am glad is over and done with. My professor said I did a good job so hopefully he thought it went as well as I did. After a small discussion about our readings, we went to a "food court" in the mall. I call it a "food court" because it was like gourmet. They had a Pret a Manger, Paul, and sushi.
After lunch we journeyed over to the Museum of London which we took the Light Rail as well as the tube. We learned some new phrases such as "mind the gap" which the lady says every time you stop at a new station on the tube. Apparently it is an infamous phrase! We took a guided tour with a wonderful lady named Janet who gave us some background on London and especially the royals which we all truly enjoyed. At this point every single one of us were fighting through jet lag as we made our way to dinner.
Yes, dinner was Indian food. It was a first for me and I can't say I enjoyed it that much. I was really proud of myself for trying it though! After dinner, we had an optional outing with Dr. Bell to visit some of the sights at night when they were lit up! We saw Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. On our way back, we stopped at Kings Cross Station and saw THE PLATFORM 9 3/4! Of course Dr. Bell made fun of us the entire time! What can we say, we are a bunch of Harry Potter nerds! Well that its for now, I have to go write the blog for our class about the day now!
a
P.S. Got an A- on my landing paper! Boo-ya!!!
Yesterday's plane ride was long and uneventful. We actually landed a half an hour early so we got here around 9:30 local time. I was able to see the London Eye as well as several displays of fireworks as we landed! We then took the tube from Heathrow Airport to Euston Street, where our flats for the week are located. We arrived at the flats around 11:45pm. We celebrated the New Year by going to a little shop for some snacks. Nothing to eventful. We did not have enough time to head over to Picadilly Square, which I am told is like the Times Square of London.
This morning we woke up feeling like it was the crack of dawn, and shlepped out around 9:30am. I did not have a great night of sleep last night and am hoping that it is better tonight. The first thing we did was take a boat ride on the Thames River, called the Thames Clipper, where we saw some of the major attractions that London has to offer, such as the London Eye, Big Ben, Parliament, the Globe Theatre, Tower Bridge, and several other major attractions. We arrived at the Museum of Docklands and spent about 1 1/2 hours looking around. I then gave my fabulous presentation which I am glad is over and done with. My professor said I did a good job so hopefully he thought it went as well as I did. After a small discussion about our readings, we went to a "food court" in the mall. I call it a "food court" because it was like gourmet. They had a Pret a Manger, Paul, and sushi.
After lunch we journeyed over to the Museum of London which we took the Light Rail as well as the tube. We learned some new phrases such as "mind the gap" which the lady says every time you stop at a new station on the tube. Apparently it is an infamous phrase! We took a guided tour with a wonderful lady named Janet who gave us some background on London and especially the royals which we all truly enjoyed. At this point every single one of us were fighting through jet lag as we made our way to dinner.
Yes, dinner was Indian food. It was a first for me and I can't say I enjoyed it that much. I was really proud of myself for trying it though! After dinner, we had an optional outing with Dr. Bell to visit some of the sights at night when they were lit up! We saw Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. On our way back, we stopped at Kings Cross Station and saw THE PLATFORM 9 3/4! Of course Dr. Bell made fun of us the entire time! What can we say, we are a bunch of Harry Potter nerds! Well that its for now, I have to go write the blog for our class about the day now!
a
Big Ben! Wanted to upload at night too, but it takes about a year to load one pic!
The London Eye and Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Station:)
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