31 May 2010

All of us at the Cliffs of Dover.

Today was an early day for all of us. We all were downstairs in the lounge by 8am where everyone would be handing their paper into Professor Wolfe to be graded on the train to Dover. After chomping a quicj breakfast of croissants and bananas, we all headed to the Victoria train station to get the train to Dover. It wasn't a long ride, mostly cause most of us were asleep. Even though the weather was not in our favor, and there was a slight chill in the air, the White Cliffs were gorgeous. Along with the castle on top, they were a sight to behold because of the location. At one point Dover used to be a port, out in the water there are still the sights where the ships would come in and dock. Also, about 20 miles off the coast of Dover, you can see the country, France. After some quality time on the beaches of Dover, we headed back to the train station going towards Victoria station but we got off at Canterbury East. There we headed toward the quaint town of Canterbury where the Cathedral lay at the heart of the city. It was a gorgeous Cathedral and was absolutely massive. There were so many smaller chapels inside, and a large crypt too. It was gorgeous to observe and see all the memorials and tombs of people past who took part in the Cathedral. Even though today was a shorter day, it was nice to go to Dover and relax on the beach and walk around Canterbury.

Until tomorrow, we shall see whats in store ....

28 May 2010

Since today is Friday, it was a slightly shorter day and a very nice, breezy day at that. We took a trip from Waterloo station to Hampton Court which was colossal. There was so much to look at and a lot of garden to cover. When we walked in there was a huge court which lead to other areas, like different apartments from different kings/queens of England. Most notably the castle was used for King Henry VIII and that was also the place where Catherine Howard was beheaded. In the castle there was so much to look at, and no one wanted to miss any of it. There were apartments from the time of William and Mary's reign, including very decorated rooms like the bedrooms, closets, and presence rooms they would use. The presence rooms in which William and Mary still had the chair in which they sat to greet people into the castle. Their bedrooms were immense and had intricate details on the walls, and the ceilings. In most parts of the castle where the kings/queens would be there were tapestries that covered the walls, and murals that had a message in them. There were quite a few religious murals from the time of William and Mary. There was also a large tapestry which caught my eye, and it was made from the time of Henry VII and took two years to complete. (1543-1545). Within the castle there was also contained the apartments used by Henry VIII, the chapel he used to marry Kateryn Parr, and also the extensive kitchen that was used to satisfy the cravings of the king. Just next to the kitchen was the large wine cellar which still had barrels in it. The castle was such an impressive size and had such intricate carvings in the stone and the murals were absolutely impressive. Everyone enjoyed looking around the castle. After our excursion through the castle, we all adjourned to the cafe for lunch which was yummy. The last thing we did today was go through a maze which was actually designed for children. There were two exits out of the maze but we had to re-trace our steps and go out the way we came in. First prize was ten pounds. So we all went in our different ways, and our group did not end up coming out first, but it was fun. Today was a fun day. It was a true joy to see the castle and see the rooms which were used in the past by royalty.

Until Monday, we shall see whats in store.....

27 May 2010

Cardiff, Wales was the destination for today. We got up extra early today to catch a very early train from Paddington Station, but we were treated to breakfast by Professor Wolfe who bought us all bananas, and three different kinds of croissants. After we speedily ate our breakfast, we all swiftly made our way to Paddington station from the Bakerloo line since there were closures this morning on the Circle line. After we hustled through Paddington station we were able to rest for a few moments, and get whatever else we needed (coffee, etc) but we didn't have Professor Parkhouse yet. It was at the last moment, due to closures, that Professor Parkhouse arrived at the station and made it on the train which left the station at 9 45 am. The ride was about 2 1/2 hours but it went by fast. Once we got to Cardiff Central Station, we took a walk over to Cardiff Castle where a bus tour was leaving for a 50 minute tour of the city. Since Cardiff is being revolutionized, it was interesting to see parts of history intermingling with 21st century buildings. We started off with a history of the castle and continued from there. The bus was full of people, mostly Germans. We saw different Victorian Era buildings on the tours right along side some of the more modern areas of Cardiff. One of the most modern was the Millenium Stadium, and that was the backdrop of the Cardiff Castle. We found out that Cardiff was once a great port city, with many ports and at one point a person could walk across without getting their feet wet. Now that Cardiff is re-inventing itself, there is much more going on in what was once the most desolate and fruitless parts of the city. It was also home to some Irish during the Potato Famine and now those parts have been renewed. After our exhilarating, yet slightly chilly adventure in the tour bus, we then stopped at the Castle for some lunch. Professor Wolfe, as always, got us all a wonderful lunch that filled our tummies. Following lunch, we then went on a tour of the castle. We got a private tour from our guide, David. He led us to several rooms which were constructed by William Burges but it was occupied by John Crighton-Stuart who was the 3rd Marquess of Bute. We saw the Arab Room, the Dining Room, the Garden, a bedroom with a full use tub and flushing toilet, the Drawing room, and a few other rooms which were absolutely breathtaking. The architecture and small quirks added character to each room and they were all different. There was a theme of animals all made with architecture from different parts of the world. There was one room with a Italian Cathedral theme, the ceiling was made the same way as a cathedral in Palermo Italy; the children's personal room was surrounded by fairy tale characters. Each room was unique with its own style and particular quirk. Burges had a sense of humor which made each room have a comedic flare to it. John Crighton-Stuarts bedroom, before he married, had a mirrored ceiling, and his closet was in the shape of a confessional. It was the little things in each room that brought out the uniqueness of the castle. There was one room, however; which did not have that kind of style. It was the drawing room, which remained in the Georgian style, in that it was very simple. After our wonderful tour from our spectactular guide, we then set off to walk up the 110 steps to the keep. Being that the stairs were rather narrow, and there was little room to move made us all wary of not falling any which way to our doom. Oddly enough, we came across an Elmira Alum from the Class of 1983. After the excitement, we then headed back out to the entrance where we saw Professor Parkhouse waiting for us. From there a few of us decided that we were going to head out back to the train station to catch the 3 55pm train back to London Paddington station. Today was a rather long day, but it was well worth the trip. Seeing the city being transformed and the spectacular views and rooms at the castle made today a well worth it trip.

Until tomorrow, we shall see whats in store.....

26 May 2010

Today was a long day for us. We went to quite a few places today and did a lot of walking. First, we went to get our rail passes updated. After that short excursion, we all went to St. Pauls Cathedral. Unfortunately, we were not able to take pictures, but it was absolutely beautiful inside. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and the architeture and murals are absolutely astounding. There was the dome where people could walk up and see a whole view of the city, but I did not go up. From the others that did go up, the view was spectacular. Shortly after everyone came down from the dome, we all did a walk-through of the crypts. There were the bodies and memorials of Lord Nelson, Sir Christopher Wren, and other important people who helped to shape the Cathedral to what it is today. There were also memorials to the service men and women who gave their lives in the wars past. It was a wonder to behold. The tombs were made with gorgeous marble with beautiful inscriptions. We all then said good-bye to Professor Parkhouse, but we will see him tomorrow. After we toured the Cathedral, we all took a walk over the Wibbly Wobbly Bridge, which it is not anymore. It was called that because the Queen called it such but it also has the name the Millenium Bridge. Just after the walk, we all went to the re-created Globe Theatre. It was a short walk through but we saw the history of the Globe Theatre and how it was re-created through the years. We saw the different costumes used in the past for past show, the re-created instruments they would use in Shakespeare's day and also we saw the stage they used to practice on. There was an entire display of what was used for different Shakespeare's plays from King Henry VIII to As You Like It. It was amazing to see how experts could re-create not only the Globe Theatre but all the aspects within the theatre like the costumes and all the props needed to make the performance come alive. We all ate lunch outside the Globe just before our walk to the Tate Modern Art Museum. We didn't have much time at the museum but we saw different displays of art such as poetry and every form of modern art that could be displayed in different ways. As we walked, the weather got slightly warmer so we all relaxed for a moment and de-layered ourselves. After our slight break, we kept walking all the way to the London Eye. Once we got there, we waited for Professor Wolfe to get us our tickets and waited on line to get into our own bubble, as I call it. The ride in total was about 35 mins and the view from all sides was spectacular. We saw everything from that height like Big Ben, the Parliament buildings, and the dome at St. Paul's Cathedral. It was the most amazing sight that I had ever seen and I know that everyone was overwraught with wonder being at the top of the eye. When we came down, we took a short walk over to the Houses of Parliament. It was hard to get in though because there was a security issue the day before but we all managed to get in without a problem. Once inside, we sat in on the House of Commons in session. It was interesting to see it in session and real issues being brought to the table by opposite parties. Everyone enjoyed being there and seeing Parliament in session. Today was a long day but it was a fantastic day with everyone loving everything we saw and did. Tomorrow will be Cardiff!

Until tomorrow, we shall see whats in store....

24 and 25 of May

Whew! Sorry about the late blog post but the internet was down yesterday here at Regents all day, so I was not able to do my daily post. But we now have it back and I will go over yesterdays and todays adventures.

So for 24 May 2010 we had an adventure to Windsor where we toured Windsor Castle. We had to take two trains to get there. One went from Paddington to Slough (Slow, with the 'ow') and then took another, smaller five minute train ride from Slough to Windsor. Fortunately, it was a nice day out however, hot. We took a tour of Windsor seeing the Castle and St. George's Chapel with a small view of Prince Albert's Chapel.Unfortunately, we could not take pictures anywhere in the castle or in either of the chapels. The architecture in both chapels was astounding. We also got a glimpse of the Queen Mum's Tomb. Also buried in St. George's Chapel was King Henry VIII and Princess Margaret. Lucky for us, we also got a glimpse of the changing of the Guard. It was quite a spectacle because there was so much involved and the soldiers had to follow procedure exactly. On the whole that day was good, and I really enjoyed watching the changing of the guard and the tour of Windsor Castle.

25 May 2010 we took a train to York from Kings Cross station. It was about a two hour ride to York. It was slightly chilly today so the walk from the train station to the open air tour bus was a little breezy. We took a tour from the bus all around York, seeing the walls that the Romans had built around the original perimeter of York. We also saw old churches, and places that the Vikings had built on but were built over by more modern builidings. After the bus tour, which was about an hour, we took a walk over to get some lunch. There we ate Yorkshire pudding, which was fabulous, and we celebrated Melissa's birthday. With fully bellies, we then went to a museum which was set in Victorian Era, and onwards to about the 1950's. It was a beautiful museum. There was a massive set of what a Victorian street would have looked like and there were smaller sets of what individual rooms would have looked like. It was phenomenal to look at all of those rooms and think that people actually would have lived in something similar. After that, we all left the museum to get the 3 35pm train back to London. It was a good day despite the weather.

Until tomorrow, we shall see whats in store....

23 May 2010

My apologies for not writing the blog since Thursday. I had to leave quickly in Friday for a Glasgow adventure with some friends and wasn't able to. But now I'm back from Glasgow as of last night, quite late. So I'm going to go over what we did on Friday with Professor Parkhouse. Sadly, we did not have Professor Wolfe with us Friday because she had to go to Paris for a meeting but we will have her back on Monday.
So, on Friday Professor Parkhouse took us to Portobello Road which is a long road that has a lot of little shops. Fortunately for us, the weather was gorgeous with plenty of sun, and some heat as well. There was an open air food market and other shops with little trinkets and knick knacks. The small street was just packed with vendors and a lot of the things being sold were very unique. Sadly, I could not stay for long because me and three others, Luke, Laura and Adam all had to get back to Regents to grab our stuff to make it back for the train to Glasgow. However, it was a lot of fun going to Portobello Road and looking at everything.

Until tomorrow, we shall see whats in store....

20 May 2010

So today was a special treat for all of us. We start somewhat early, and took a train to Oxford. We were guided by Professor Parkhouse who knew just about everything there is to know about Oxford, the city. It was a very bustling city, however quaint with bits of history placed throughout. Professor Parkhouse took us to various parts of Oxford College. A little fact about Oxford, is that there are 39 individual parts of the overall setting, each with their own programs. Professor Parkhouse pointed the ones that were close by out to us, and to all of our surprises, they were small in size. One of the first places we stopped was the original site of the college, where there were different rooms for the different areas that students could choose to focus their study. Also there was the site of the original library, which has since been moved from that location to across the street and it now sits next to Broad Street. We also visited the Christ Church Campus, where Professor Parkhouse himself went to college. It was a beautiful area with a fountain of Mercury in the center, which had some very large fish in it! One of my favorite parts of the trip was the one to the Christ church chapel. It was similar to Westminster Abbey, which for me, personally, was wonderful. I know that everyone enjoyed the personal guided tour we had from Professor Parkhouse. After we visited and toured at the Christ Church campus we went to eat lunch at the same location that was filmed for Harry Potter. After a spectacular lunch, we walked out of Christ Church campus toward an alley where we saw the oldest pub in Englad. 'The Bear' was dated back to 1242, and was still in fine condition and still in use. The first hand knowledge from our very distinguished Professor Parkhouse was a a special treat for all of us. Thank you to Professor Parkhouse for sharing your knowledge with us about your experiences at Oxford University.

Until tomorrow, we shall see whats in store......

19 May 2010

So today was a long day, but we were graced with beautiful sunny weather most of the day. We all met at the refectory as usual and we discussed our grades with Professors Wolfe and Parkhouse. After that we all walked to the tube station and went back to American Express to exchange more money. (This is due to the change in the exchange rate of the pound again.) Followed by that trip, we went over to the Financial District of London. According to Professor Parkhouse, that is the actual city of London, as opposed to where we are located at Regents College. While we were there we went to the Bank of England Museum where there was a whole collection of past coins (pounds), and the origins surrounding the founding of the Bank of England. Sadly, we were not able to take pictures in that particular museum. From the museum, our adventures took us to the Monument. It was a colossal monument that people can walk on and our group, or most of our group did just that. They walked all the way to the top and when they came back down, they received a certificate of achievement saying they had climbed the monument. I, and a few others along with Professor Parkhouse stayed down at the bottom. After seeing everyone was down from the monument, we all took a walk close to the River Thames, found a shady spot, and sat down to eat lunch. Then Professor Wolfe treated us all to ice cream down by the Tower of London. Then we all walked back to Professor Parkhouse, where we had lunch, and walked to the tube station, the Monument Tube Station. We took the tube to Westminster to go to the Westminster Pier for a boat tour down the River Thames to go to Greenwich and the Royal Observatory. The boat tour was about half an hour and was very informative. When we got to Greenwich we first went to the Old Royal Navy dining hall which is now used for banquets. The building was beautifully painted with such detail and was simply breathtaking. From there we walked over to the chapel, which was an Anglican Church. It was also beautifully ornate. The altar was simple as it is in all Anglican churches but was still beautiful. Here was where Professor Parkhouse left us, and we, with Professor Wolfe, went on to the Royal Observatory. It was somewhat of an uphill hike to get to the Observatory but worth the walk. We all took a picture on the Prime Meridian which is 0'00''. After we were done at the Observatory, we all trekked back down the hill, and headed toward to market. It was a quaint, quite cute market where Professor Wolfe bought us snacks to have for the trip back. We managed to eat them all before the boat ride. We said good-bye to Greenwich and got on the boat back toward London, and got off at the Westminster Pier. Today was a long day, full of walking and taking in the sites as we went. All in all, it was a fantastic day!

Until tomorrow, we shall see whats in store.....

18 May 2010

Today was a huge hustle and bustle day. We started out early and met at the Refectory at 8 am so we could leave by 8 15 am to catch the tub to get to Paddington Station to go to Bath. By the way, when I say hustle and bustle, I mean it. We walked/ran so fast that most of us were literally running to keep up with Professor Wolfe and still couldn't keep up with her pace. Most of us were running out of the gate of Regents to the crosswalk and all the way down to the tube station. Honestly, that was the most running most of us have done in a long time. We made it to Paddington Station and were able to catch our breath after the tube ride. Then we waited for Professor Parkhouse who started his journey much earlier than we did. So we got on the 9 am train to Bath and it was about an hour and a half ride. I watched as the city fell away to the countryside and saw a lot of rolling green hills, cows grazing, and sheep hiding from the sun under a bank of trees. It was a wonderful sight to behold. Finally, we arrived in Bath and it was a gorgeous, bright and sunny day. We walked down the streets of Bath to an area where we would be taking a bus tour that covered Bath, except for the skyline. That tour last about 50 minutes, and it showed us most of Bath. We saw Cathedrals, learned about the history of how the Romans started Bath, learned about the people who built the phenomenal architecture around Bath, and we were all surrounded with history. After our tour, we ate lunch at a local restaurant, and the food was wonderful. At the same time we all wrote post cards back home and we all signed ones to EC for different Administrators. After that, we went to see the Roman baths by Bath Abbey. They were absoulutely incredible. There was so much history there. I was completely astounded at what was accomplished to make those baths. It was an overwhelming experience just to see how preserved these baths are. From the individual east and west baths to the main bath in the center, the Roman Baths were the highlight of the trip. I didn't want to leave. After we left the baths, sadly, we were able to go around Bath as we pleased. A few of us took a walk over to the Jane Austen Museum. We had seen it on the open bus tour and we were curious. After trying to figure out how to get there we finally arrived after we saw the statue of Jane Austen in front. We walked around the shop for a bit and headed out. The walk back to the station was interesting. We weren't sure which way to go and were caught in the middle. While we were all trying to figure out which way to go, a nice elderly gentleman gave us the right directions back to the station to head back to Regents. The group of four of us made it back to the station for the 3 13 pm train and headed back to Regents.
Today was a phenomenal day. From the open air bus tour, to the exquisite Roman baths, to just wandering around Bath, we all had a good time today.

Until tomorrow, we shall see whats in store.......

17 May 2010

Today, 17 May 2010, we ventured to Westminster Abbey, and the Winston Churchill War Museum. On the way, we witnessed a practice of the guards for the Queen's birthday celebration. We only got a glimpse because there were masses of people in the area but we saw some of the practice of what will actually take place in the future when it is the Queen's birthday. Anywho's, we walked a little further over to the Winston Churchill Museum, and walked through the War Rooms. It was fantastic! Truly a sight to behold. All the rooms that were used, were in the same exact condition they were when they were closed after World War II. Sadly, while in the museum part we could not take pictures but walking through the War Rooms we could. Since there was limited time we couldnt walk through it all but it was truly a wonderful experience. Then followed a short lunch, and the very short walk over to Westminster Abbey. The scale of the building is huge. It was actually deceiving as to how large it actually was since you can only see a portion from a distance. Walking into the Abbey was phenomenal. The architecture was on a massive scale and so intricate. However, we were not allowed to take pictures in the Abbey at all but just walking amongst past kings, queens, and important people who helped to shape England was a wonderful experience. It was remain forever in my mind as a wonderful place. Today was one of the best days so far!

Until tomorrow, we will see what is in store.....

15 May 2010

Today was an early day for the goup, however short. We took a short detour walk over to Marylebone where it was a very nice area. It was quaint with shops and such, but we didn't walk the whole thing. Professor Wolfe only showed us part of it so we would know where to go if we wanted to go again. Following that, was a trip to the Baker Street tube where we got on for our trip to the Tower of London. Upon arriving at the Tower of London, you saw immediately the outer structure of the towers. It was a monumental structure. When we went inside the outside was immense and you were surrounded on all sides with different towers. The Tower was originally erected by William the Conqueror in 1066 for protection after he conquered Britain. The tower that was his, was the one where people would be imprisoned later on in history. Once we got inside, we were able to wander around at our pace. One of the first things we saw was traitors gate where Anne Boleyn went after King Henry VIII gave the order to behead her. There were suits of armor from different kings, arches dedicated to certain kings and queens,and there were also the crowns from past kings and queens. There was an arch to Elizabeth I close to traitors gate next to the entrance of the Tower of London. In the center of the area was the tower where people were imprisoned, and later beheaded. On the left side of the complex was a small monument which had all the names of the people who were beheaded at the Tower of London, which included Anne Bolelyn, and Lady Jane Grey. After walking around for awhile, it was decided to head back to Regents and relax for awhile. Tomorrow, we can all sleep in and do what we want. Monday begins the long days.

Until Monday, we shall see what is in store......

14 May 2010

Today was a shorter day, maybe one of the shorter ones that we will have on our three week trip here. However, today was another nice day out and we did some quality walking around. Firstly, right around 12pm we all met at the Refrectory and celebrated five birthdays. The five birthdays were Professor Parkhouse, Beth, Shannon, Melissa, and myself (the blogmaster). Both Professor Wolfe and Professor Parkhouse got cakes made from the same bakery, just different kinds. There was a chocolate one from Professor Wolfe and a carrot cake which was from Professor Parkhouse. They were both delicious. Thank you to both of you!
Right after that, we all took a walk over to Baker Street to take the tube and hitched a ride over to Euston Station to get our rail passes validated for our trip to Bath on Tuesday. After that, we all got onto the Tube again and went to Oxford Circus and went to the Travel Office, which is not like our travel agency in the US. There we found some brochures about different places in England, Scotland, and Wales.
Before we got to Whitehall we walked over to the Mall (pronounced Mal), and then headed across the street again to the original area where the British Army would assemble. Immediately following we walked over to the gates of that area and saw the guard on horseback. It was quite a sight to behold since no one could talk to the guard with so much going on.
After that, we walked over to Whitehall where the British houses of Parliament are and we saw 10 Downing Street where the Prime Minister lives. Even though it was all fenced in, we still got a good look at the Prime Ministers House.
Then realizing the time, we all had to get back on the tube again to head back to Regents so we could make a 4pm lecture with Sue Gil. The lecture that she gave was a brief history of England starting with the time of William the Conqueror and after. It was a very informative and brief, however, well detailed. Thank you so much to Sue Gil for taking time from your day to discuss this with us.

Until tomorrow, we shall see whats in store.....

13 May 2010

So we arrived in London on the 13th and we were all exhausted, but we knew that we had some things to do before we could settle in. We had an orientation at the Reid building where we are all living for the three weeks from Jonathan, our lovely equivalent of an RLC at Elmira College. He told us the do's and don'ts. Then we all got a tour of the campus about where things are. Finally, we got our much needed down time for a few hours before we headed to the Baker Street station to exchange our money,go to Picadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square. We took the tube which was a unique experience for all of us. We took a walk around after we exchanged our money and took pictures at Trafalgar Square. We had a good time walking around London and crossing the street when Professor Parkhouse told us too! By 5:00, we were all beat and ready to lay down. We got done early, walked back to the Picadilly Circus tube and took it back to Baker Street and got to Regents where we rested til tomorrow. Until tomorrow, we will see what it has in store....stay tuned!

An Introduction to the Travellers of the UK 2010 Trip and May 12 2010 at JFK

My apologies to the people who would have liked to have seen this blog sooner but there were some circumstances that prevented me from starting it. This is the blog for the 2010 UK trip and it will be a complete blast for all of us. We've been waiting for this for some time now and we are so excited to be here. My name is Alicia and I will be your guide, through this blog, about our experiences in the UK. It will be posted daily and please feel free to leave comments for me or others. Thanks for reading! :)

There are 17 wonderful travellers on the trip this year and two fantastic professors from Elmira College. I will now tell you who they are:

Melissa Sullivan '11
Major: Psychology, Sociology and Women's Studies.
What She wants to see in the UK: While in the UK I want to see the london tower, make faces at the Queens guards, try fish and chips at a chippy, and picnic on the river Thames. I want to take it all in, and go on as many adventures as possible.

Luke Sanderson '10
Major:Political Science, International Relations, and History
What He wants to see While in the UK: I plan to see the Globe Theater and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. I will also be traveling to Glasgow, Scotland.

Myesha Moss '13
Major: NursingWhat She wants to do while in the UK:Windsor Castle- the official residence of the Queen, Parliament, and Queen Elizabeth I Tomb at Westminster Abbey!

Shannon Roemer '13
Major: Nursing.
What She wants to do while in the UK: I want to visit the Imperial War Museum.

Clare Lowery '13
Major: Political Science
What She wants to do while in the UK:I hope to visit Trafalgar Square in order to see the statue of Lord Nelson.

Robbie Clark '11
Major: Criminal Justice
What He plans to do while in the UK: I hope to visit Trafalgar Square in order to see the statue of Lord Nelson.

Lawrence Memhard '11
Major: American Studies
What He plans to do while in the UK:I will be attending the Guiness PrimereRugby Final, looking forward to making new friends,and going to a technorave dance party.

Brittany Adamson '12
Major: Biology Major/Art Minor
What She plans to do while in the UK: I would like to go to Trafalgar Square where there's the National Gallery, go into the castles in Scotland and Ireland, and see all the cathedrals and architecture in the UK

Emma Prendeville '12
Major: Political Science, Public Affairs, International Relations, and Communications
What She plans to do while in the UK: I want to read about the recent media on the recent election, Parliament, Ten Downing Street (PM home), talk with people in UK about their government and how it affects them, how the political system works in the environment of the UK.

Carlie Cerne '11
Major: Biology/Pre-Med
What She Plans to do while in the UK: I plan on making the most out of my UK visit. For me, this is the opportunity of a lifetime and one I may never have again. I am looking forward to seeing everything London has to offer and much more. I plan to also see Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh to say I visited all the capitals in the UK! I cannot wait to see some of the places that the Harry Potter films were made, ride a double-decker bus and have tea and crumpets. The inner Biology-major in me is also looking forward to a trip to the Science Museum :)

Beth Sharry'13
Major: Nursing
What She plans to do while in the UK: I am Planning on seeing Andrew Lloyd Webber's newest musical Love Never Dies.

Alexandra Lugo '12
Major: History and Religion/Philosophy Double Major
What She plans on doing while in the UK: What I plan on seeing in the UK is various historical and cultural monuments, museums,and I really want to visit Chartwell where Winston Churchill lived.

Laura Trapletti '13
Major: Anthropology and Sociology with an English Literature Minor.
What She plans on doing while in the UK: I plan on seeing J.R.R Tolkien's grave at the Oxford cemetary and visiting the pub that he wrote one of his most famous books The Hobbit in.

Cassie Groth '11
Major: Psychology, Criminal Justice, Human Services
What She plans to do while in the UK:In the United Kingdom, I am excited to visit the Charles Dickens Museum and learn more about his life and see some of his personalitems. I can't wait to visit the Tower of London and learn about theplace in which Anne Boleyn was beheaded. Also, just exploring thedaily lives of the people of England, seeing The Phantom of the Opera,and noticing the differences between America and the UK.

Margorie Brockway'11
Major: Chemistry
What She plans to do while in the UK: I plan on going to Nottingham and seeing the Nottingham Castle along with Sherwood Forest and a museum there. I also want to try and visit one of the graves that could be Robin Hood's but I might not be able to do this because it is on private property and I will need to get permission.

Alicia Schmidt '11
Major: History
What I plan to do while in the UK: I plan on going to museums like the National Portrait Gallery, and I also plan on cataloging our trip to the UK and just absorbing as much of the culture of the past as I can, while trying to be the best blogmaster I can be.

Adam Pontius '13
Major: Political Science, International Studies with a minor in Philosophy.
What He plans to do while in the UK: I plan on visiting Apsley housing and observing the political habits of the British people.

Our two wonderful professors are Professor Wolfe and Professor Parkhouse and they will be guiding us through London for the next three weeks.These are the people that are travelling this year. A very diverse group, if I may say. :)

May 12 2010
The arrival point is JFK at gate 5 for a 7:45pm flight to London Heathrow Airport. It took some time for everyone to arrive but everyone was all present and accounted for. Right when we were ready to board the plane, a delay was called and the flight was delayed til 8:30 pm. However, to our surprise we boarded earlier than expected and we made up for the lost time. It was a long flight to Heathrow but it was well worth the hours and constantly taking out your papers for them to look over. We arrived at London Heathrow airport at 8:34am local time and collected ourselves for the long journey to Regents College.