Stonehenge/Salisbury

I had a nice day on our coach trip to Stonehenge and Salisbury (Land of the Steak?)  Stonehenge is impressive if you think try to contemplate how and why the stones are in that arrangement.  Some theories given on the audio tour are: aliens, Merlin, and/or The Devil.  Though probably not true, they are entertaining!  It isn't as big as I had imagined it and it is a shame that you can't touch the stones.  The experience was sort of like my grandparents trip to the Grand Canyon - "Yep, looks just like the pictures," they said, then left.  Same thing with Stonehenge.

Next, we went

to Salisbury Cathedral.  It was similar to Westminister Abbey, but this time we were able to take pictures of the inside. The ceilings are soaring way up overhead, with gorgeous stonework and elaborate stained glass windows.

Stephanie and I ate a picnic lunch in the grassy area out front, then toured the town.  On Tuesdays they have a market in old downtown.  It was a lot like a flea

 market/garage sale with fruits and vegetables, odd clothing, (including an underwear stand), and random car mats. 

Next, we wandered into the local library.  It was  in a renovated office building, but they made it really homey with kids artwork and colorful displays in the children's section.  I asked the librarian in that area about some good titles to

 share with my girls back in the U.S.  She was very happy to talk to us and was quite surprised by our blank looks when she

 mentioned some of the popular children's literature authors in the UK.  Some of her suggestions are: picture books by Julia Donaldson (Room on a Broom was her favorite)and The Whisperer by Nick Butterworth; The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton; The Horrid Henry series by Francesca Simon; and books by Michael Morpurgo.  It was interesting to talk to a British librarian and to hear what books are popular with children over here.

Wow - what a day!

We officially started classes here in London this morning.  After a short classroom session, we headed off to Westminister Abbey, which happens to be across the street from the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.  Could there be a better place to focus on photographing buildings?

We took a tour of Westminister Abbey (with Hugh, our favorite Blue Badge Guide.)  Photographs are no longer allowed inside the Abbey, so I can't share with you how awe-striking it is.  It is so ornately detailed - everywhere you look are more decorative tombs, ceilings, and architectural accents.  The history of the place is hard to comprehend as an American.  It is so closely tied with the monarchy and there are kings and queens from the 1400s buried alongside famous scientists (such as Isaac Newton) and authors (Chaucer and Rudyard Kipling, and more.)

 

We also saw the Guards and #10 Downing Street.  Just after I posed with one, an officer came over and inspected him.  He fiddled with his belt and made sure he was holding his sword at precisely the correct angle.

Up close you can hardly tell the gigantic London Eye is moving, but it moves surprisingly fast.  It provided amazing views of the city; it was a unique perspective.

London Bus Tour

We took a bus tour around London this morning.  It was again led by a Blue Badge guide; Hugh was quite knowledgeable and shared lots of tidbits of London history with us.  We viewed all the major sights - Big Ben/Parliament, Westminister Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower of London, London Bridge, The London Eye, and Buckingham Palace.  I posted LOTS of pictures to Facebook earlier.  You can tell many of them were taking from a bus - there are reflections of my camera and window frames in the way!  We did hop off a few times for some unobstructed pictures: at St. Paul's, across the river from the Tower of London, and at St. James Palace/Buckingham Palace where we watched the Changing of the Guard.  We will get more indepth visits at many of these places, but this was a great overview of the city.

Wimbledon

Saturday, Myra & I took the tube down to Wimbledon.  We went to the All England Lawn Tennis Club.  There we walked around the complex and took some pictures.  You could hear a bit of the matches beng held on Centre Court.  To get same-day tickets, you can "queue" (line up) - we got there at 3 and the queue was a 5-6 hour wait. So unfortunately, we did not make it inside.  But I still got strawberries & cream!                     

Bloomsbury/Soho Walking Tour

This morning we took a walking tour of the Bloomsbury/Soho area of London (the area the FSU Study Centre is in.)  It was lead by an entertaining Blue Badge guide.  We saw Soho Square, where they had an adorable kangaroo, and the St. Giles-in-the-Fields Church, where they used to treat lepers.  Many music legends have been associated with this area - we saw where the UFO nightclub used to be (where Pink Floyd got its start), Paul McCartney's office, the studio that first had Dolby recording (Hey Jude was recorded there & some Queen stuff), and Tin Can Alley where you can buy instruments & sheet music and the Regent Sounds Studio where Cat Stevens, The Rolling Stones, and Elton John all recorded.  We also saw the pub that George Orwell frequented.

Settling In

Today, I attended two orientation sessions about the FSU programs, living in London, and keeping safe.  We also took a walking tour of the area near where we are staying highlighting tube stops, grocery stores, walk-in clinics (complete with a EMS bicycle team), and other necessities.  The rest of the day was spent settling in - buying groceries, getting a cell phone, and unpacking.  Below is a slideshow of pictures of our lovely flat.

My flatmates are Stephanie and Myra.  Myra is also in Project LEAD and teaches in St. Petersburg.  Stephanie is from Winter Haven and works in a public library.  She is getting her Masters in school media.  Both are very easy to get along with and we are having a nice time together.

On to London

This morning I was in Germany - now I'm sitting in my flat in London!  Back in April when I was making plane reservations, I was so proud of my small airline flight from Zweibrucken, Germany to London, England that only cost 10 euros (around $15).  Sure there were a few extra fees for bags and online booking, but it was a still a great deal...well, I got to the airport and found out that my bag was 7 kilos too heavy - which only cost me another 105 euros!  Oh well, I still think I did a pretty good job of making for nearly a month in just one suitcase.  I don't think that I could have made it under 30 lbs anyway.

The flight itself was uneventful.  I flew into a smaller London airport (Stanstead) and took the express train into central London.  Shortly after leaving the airport, a voice came over the loudspeaker saying that we were going to be delayed because the train ahead of us was on fire! On the train, I was sitting across from a barrister.  We talked a bit during the wait and he actually does wear the curly wig on days he is in high court.  I was disappointed he didn't have it with him because I would have loved to have taken a picture!  (No views of burning trains either, so no photos today!) We were finally diverted another direction and got there over an hour late.  

I hopped on the tube and made it to Tottenham Court Road and the FSU London Study Centre.  I am living with 2 other girls in the multimedia program in a flat that is on the fourth floor.  It is 59 small, winding steps up to our flat.  Lots of fun with a suitcase!  I had dinner with the other girls from Project LEAD at a Spanish tapas restaurant, then came back and unpacked.  Tomorrow we have several orientations and more time to settle in.