(Wednesday, June 18th)

After our amazing experience of the theatre from the night before, I was still feeling very energized when I awoke to my first morning in London. We were scheduled for a guided tour of Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath in just about an hour. We boarded our tour bus at 7:30am after a very filling English breakfast courtesy of the Royal National Hotel. We met our driver, Martin, and our tour guide, Priscilla. The best way I can describe Priscilla is very energetic, with many strong opinions. She was definitely a lively part of the day.

On the way to Windsor Castle we were given some more history of the city. It’s amazing how much history one city can hold. We arrived at Windsor and although we had a short time table before getting back on the bus, we were able to see many areas of the castle. The tour covered the Queen’s doll house, several sitting and dining areas and what I’ll call the Heraldry room. The room was covered in hundreds of family crests, from many generations. We were also very fortunate to see a parade of the guards coming up the street to the castle for the changing of the guards. Although we didn’t get to see the changing, the parade was very lovely.

After a few minutes to collect ourselves we were back on the bus for Stonehenge. Once again our guide didn’t fail to give us quite a bit of history on our way, but she did get off on a few tangents. Finally we arrived at Stonehenge. Now, you’ve all seen pictures of it online, in a documentary or wherever, but nothing compares to seeing it in person. What this structure must have meant to those who built it. It is amazingly large and would have taken great effort to put together. It’s was definitely not done on a whim, it had a great purpose. Once again, a few moments to collect and we were off to lunch!

Our schedule for lunch was to stop at a very old pub called The George, located in Lacock. The town and pub may have been small and tucked out of the way, but that was why it was so popular. The look and feel of the town made it the perfect setting for filming and it had several famous movies to boast of. For example, The Other Boleyn Girl, Pride and Prejudice and the 1st, 2nd and 6th Harry Potter movies were filmed in the streets or at the beautiful Abbey. We didn’t have time to visit those areas of the city, but there was a picture frame hanging in The George that described all the excitement. The lunch itself was very good, very filling and was just what most of us needed to recharge for the remainder of the day.

Off once again, this time to Bath. The city itself is breathtaking and very picturesque. It’s built on the side of a mountain and features some very interesting structures. Not only does it contain the Roman Baths and the Bath Abbey, but there is a bridge built there that, while you are on it, looks nothing like a bridge. You would think you were just driving down a street, but if you looked through the windows on one side of the shops you would see the river that flows through the town. The shops on that side are not very deep so you can just see right through their windows. The Baths were amazing, beautiful artwork and structures and the fact that after so many hundreds of years the water flowing from the springs is still warm! Yes, I stuck my hand in it just to make sure.

On the road again (isn’t that a song?) and this time back home to London, but only after our driver gave us one last beautiful view of Bath. It was about a 2 ½ hour ride back so most of us caught a little nap. When we arrived in London, five of our group (including myself) caught a cab for a very hurried ride to the London Eye, before it closed. This ride, which looks like a really large Ferris wheel, took us up 135 meters above London. We were able to see some spectacular views and get some amazing pictures. It was well worth the time we took at the end of our busy day. We took a small stroll down some of London’s streets at night before we caught a cab back to our hotel.

That last evening consisted of packing since we were leaving the hotel around 3:45am to check in for our flight home. It was exciting, but sad just the same. We’d all been looking forward to this trip and we’d all had an amazing time, but all good things must come to an end. As I was packing I noticed the Harlaxton crest on a fleece blanket I purchased. There were thirteen crosses on it and I thought it fitting that there just so happened to be thirteen of our inaugural group. What an amazing trip and wonderful memories I’ll treasure for a lifetime.

Goodbye Harlaxton, Hello London!

The morning of our departure, I used the lift to lug my baggae downstairs. As it made its descent, the glorious sounds of Italian opera filled the air. The lovely gentleman at the reception desk told me that there is no better way to start the workday than with the sounds of Le Divo. What a perfect way to remember Harlaxton! We all had such a wonderful experience at the Manor. The staff went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable and to make sure all the library and computer resources were available for our use. As the coach pulled away from the front oval, we all turned for one last glance. Dave, being such a sensitive driver, took us for an additional go around so all on the coach could get one last glimpse at our unforgetable stay at the charming country manor! Parting is such sweet sorrow! A moment of sad silence fell over the coach as Harlaxton disappeared in the distance. I'm sure all of us will always cherish our visit. Fellow student, Alexis , shared a passage she wrote on the ride:

A plane ride so long and over 3000 miles away

Is a place named Harlaxton where many students do stay

When you pull to the manor all sleepy and tore

You can't help but be awakened by its beauty and allure

The staff comes to greet you, as if you were kin

With a warm British welcome, the castle begged us to come in

So many stairs to climb and windows to look out

We ran quick to our rooms so we could wander about

Big ballrooms and galleries in which you explore

Many stairwells and passages some that have hidden a door

Such a warm building for being so cold

What an amazing new experience for a structure so old

When our time here was over we packed up for home

My heart did ache to leave dear Harlaxton alone

Not sure when I will make it to see you again

Remember me Harlaxton, you are always a friend!

A few hours later, the country charm was replaced with the bustle of the big city traffic. For such a big city, London is clean, friendly, and relatively safe! We all checked into our European style hotel rooms and headed our separate ways to fulfill our "bucket list" of events!

For the majority of us, that trail lead us directly to the world famous British Museum! Right before our eyes, we experienced the awe of the Glgin Marbles, The Rosetta Stone and many ancient artifacts that have influenced the world!

Afterwards, our groups dwindled to even fewer amounts as some of us had particular preferences of sights to see - for either research or enjoyment purposes. I ventured onto the Underground and used the "tube" as my main sourse of transport. The subway system is used by the majority of Londoners to reduce the amount of traffic congestion in the city. It was very easy to use and was much like the Metro in Washington, DC. As a part of my research, I had the priviledge of interviewing native British Sign Language users!

When I rode the Tube back, I found some of my cohorts and we shared details from our mini-adventures. Most of us completed our check lists of sights, but were a bit let down to find some of the tours too lengthy of a wait to partake of. However, the opportunity to experience the people and culture of London was not disappointing at all!

Later in the evening, we all met for our trip to the theatre. Everyone looked absolutely dashing and felt a bit "posh" as we walked to the Donmar to see The Chalk Garden! Strolling through the westend Theatre districh was a must see sight! The night was filled with a fun atmosphere as we saw signage of famous plays throughout the district. We all agreed with the words of UE professor, Joe Flauto, and knew that we were "not in Kansas anymore!" Most of the theatre-goers were on foot, but aligning the streets, we did see our fair share of Mercedes, Bentleys, and Porsches that belonged to the real "posh" people.

The Chalk Garden by Enid Bagnold was a delight!

"The child's a flower. She grows in liberty."

An excerpt from the program reads:

Raised in a manor house beside the sea, where the flowers struggle to grow, sixteen-year-old Laurel runs wild. As her eccentric grandmother tends to the garden, Laurel's need for love forces her into a world of fantasy. But things begin to change iwth the sudden appointment of a governess who brings a mysterious new presence to an already dysfunctional household.

Upon leaving the play, we all excitedly discussed our opinions of the outstanding performance. Overall, reviews were in consensus - we loved it! A short walk lead us back to our hotels, where most of us retired for the evening with exhilarated exhaustion!

What a day - What an adventure!

Our day in Grantham

We had a wonderfully late start this morning. The school van left at 10:30 for Grantham, so it was a great morning to sleep in. We awoke to sunshine, but regretfully the clouds did manage to breakout off and on and off and on. But, that is how the weather appears to be here. We toured St. Wulfram Church today. We started the tour in the Trigge Library, which is a chained library and one of five still left. It is located in the church, up a very narrow circular stone staircase. The books are actually chained to the bookshelves.
The church was a remarkable example of different building styles blended together. St. Wulfram was a French Bishop, born in the 7th century and never set foot in England. The church was originally built in the Norman style, in the 1100's there was a change to a French Style, then on to English perpendicular (Gothic) around 1260. It was built over a time span of 200 years. In the old Norman Church, what is now the entrance area would have been a marketplace. In the 1500's a Lady Chapel was built, the stained glass had more flowers, and the tracery on the window was in the shape of a butterfly. The alter cloth in the Lady chapel was designed by the local children at the church.

We visited the Crypt Chapel below, which was a 14th century chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinty.

In the visitors center of the church, which may have been the original entrance, was a shield bearing Queen Elizabeth's coat of arms presented for her 80th birthday.

Speaking of birthdays, I am now at the half century mark!

Sir Issac Newton attended school in Grantham, as did Margaret Thatcher.

We had fish and chips for lunch, the portions were more than gererous.

After lunch we broke into smaller groups and had the rest of the day free to shop, tour, or relax until class tonight.

As a birthday faux paus I spent way too many pounds!

By the way it is just lovely outside right now.

A few extra hours of sleep is how it all began today. We did not have to be on the bus until nine o'clock, it was almost like a vacation. Today we went to a the Royal House in Sandringham, which is the winter get away for the royal family. The day started off great with that wonderful few extra hours but then the long part of the day which consist of a two long bus rides. For most of us the bus ride seemed quick. When we arrived we arrived to a massive field of people playing soccer and cricket with their dogs. As usual Martha had to go get our tickets to have free reign all over the country home. We had to walk a little way to the house that was sitting in the middle of a gated area. It was absolutely stunning to see the brick faced house that was built in the late 1800's. Walking through the house was also amazing, to see how the royal family actually lives. What was neat for me was that was that instead of having one person guide us through the house there were guides in every room that knew everything about the place and were really friendly and informative. The tour through the house only consisted of wondering through a small portion of the bottom floor, and we could not take pictures. My favorite room was the last room which was the ball room, the celling was as high as the sky. Then we were let loose to rome around the fields which had a museum, a lake, and lots of ducks.

We were at the country house for a few hours and then we were off early because it was a bit breezy and cold. Our bus driver, David, was kind enough to take us to a town on the ocean side, since we were originally supposed to go to Skegness, it was a marvelous view. David showed us a few sites and then back on the road for the long and gruelling adventure back home; the people in the back decided to have a little nap together. Well Happy Fathers Day to all the dad's out there and good night, morning, afternoon, which ever it is when you read this.

Day in York

The day began with the usual pigeons calling to us in our room; they wake us up as if they were an alarm clock. We met up with our lovely driver Doug who has been an awesome form of transport through the last 6 days. The day started with a class on the bus with Kelly. After the two hour drive, we arrived at our destination the lovely town of York. We grabbed our lunches and headed down to the York Minster Cathedral.

Upon arrival at the cathedral words cannot express the awe and wonder of the largest Gothic cathedral in Europe. As we entered the doors of the church I knew it was going to be a great place to visit. Some of my favorites within the building was the fact that the cherubs were crying as they sat next to the fallen Saints and Bishops. In the Chapter House everyone who entered was in complete amazement by all the stained glass surrounding them. We witnessed a mass while we were there which was inspiring. After exploring there we headed down for the Roman Bathe. We decided to divert or plans when Kelly realized it was more of a pub than a historical site. The group split and got some much needed extra clothing since it is only about 60 degrees here. OK the truth is we got to do a couple of hours of shopping.

On our way back to meet Doug we climbed up on the Wall of York to behold the day and soak it all in. We caught the bus right on time as usual and headed back to Harlaxton, our home away from home. We had a Mexican dinner waiting on us. What I would not do for some pizza, oreos, and my family to be enjoying the richness of the experience with me.

The sun sets on another busy day

The sun sets on another busy day here at Harlaxton where we just spent the day in Cambridge. After an early departure to the train station we got ourselves into Cambridge for the villiage bus tour.

WOW!! is all I can say about it. All the architecture and history (and bicycles) were a lot to take in. We cruised down old cobblestone streets and past statues to get a feel for the atmosphere at the perch of the double-decker bus. On the bus tour, we hopped off at the Fitzwilliam Museum. We got a room by room look at everything from the Egyptian artifacts to the French Impressionist (loved that Monet!!) and beyond.
Kelly gave us mini classes at the galleries, bringing us up to speed on our history time lines. I have to say I liked the Fitzwilliam visit better than the Tate Modern we visited yesterday (it helped too that the weather today was only cool and not rainy). I couldn't get over how impressive it was to see all those artifacts and paintings. The history of it all and how we've been able to put it in a time line through art is just amazing to me. This has to be the best museum I've been in............and it didn't hurt that I got to see it all in Cambridge!




The side view of the Fitzwilliam Museum with the lions guarding the steps

Gate sign for the museum



Here we are at the entry foyer of the Fitzwilliam Museum





Picture of the entry foyer from the top of the staircase


Oh, let's not forget that their are approx. 120,000 people that live in Cambridge and there are almost 35,000 bicycles!!!! This is a "bike park" outside the train station.



The walk back to the train station made me appreciate their way of transportation over here. Not that many people have cars and they walk or ride their bikes everywhere!

We spent the rest of the day walkig the streets and soaking up the atmosphere. We went to King's College and took in whole thing. What an awsome piece of architecture!! This is all of us standing outside the College for a snapshot.

First day in London by Ashley Brown

Woke up early, we wake up early every morning but this morning was the worst despite my going to bed at 8:30pm last night. The train ride from Grantham to King's Cross Station was fun, sort of like Am Track, not at all what I had expected. While we were there it seems as though I may have offended the lady working in the station by saying "thank you" after she checked my ticket and passport; which would be normal American courtesy, however, that may not be the case here. It took about an hour to arrive in London from Grantham, which is about 100 miles.

When we arrived in London, we went on a sight seeing tour, which took up the majority of the day. It was my first experience on a double decker bus and most of our group sat on the top. We had an excellent tour guide that was very informative and friendly. We saw many sights and took a lot of pictures. Unfortunately my camera battery died. What we saw included the place where Paul McCartney met Linda Eastman, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, a pub that Charles Dickens used to drink in, and many others. I learned that that Geoffrey Chaucer is buried at Westminster Abbey, which would be interesting to visit.

Our last stop was the Tate Modern Art Museum, which I personally didn't find too appealing, but I don't like modern art. I don't like it because I don't find the qualities that make it art, however some critics would argue that point. Afterwards we headed back to Grantham, some of us want to a local pub and others came back to the manor.

We had a great day and now we get to have a little bit of rest and start over tomorrow.