Saturday, June 16, 2012 and Sunday, June 17, 2012
Day 8
Today we started off by getting on the tube and then a tour bus that would eventually take us to Bath, Salisbury, and Stonehenge. The first stop was Bath, which is a little town on the west side of Great Britain. Here, we were able to see the Roman baths that were created back in that time period and then restored to its former glory. This is an amazing cite to see and is absolutely gorgeous. Definitely a place to visit in Great Britain. The next place we went to was Salisbury, which is known for it's cathedral. This cathedral is the only cathedral that was built in the same type of architecture design in all of Great Britain and holds the oldest clock known to man. It is another great place to see. The last place that we visited today was Stonehenge, which is located about an hour and a half outside of London in the middle of nowhere. Here we got to hear about the 3 stages that it took to build Stonehenge and how they could have possibly built it back during the time period it was built. We also learned about the original stone that was placed a little ways away from the known part of Stonehenge and is now hit with direct sunlight on June 21, the longest day of the year. After seeing Stonehenge we headed home to London for the night.
Day 9
Sunday consisted of working on getting ready for the week at school and having lunch with my host family.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Day 7
Today we paused the sight seeing to visit the school that we will be at next week. We started off by going through an orientation of what we will be doing at Gallard Elementary School while we are there. After the orientation, we were taken on a tour of the school by three year six students (5th graders). At their school, they have a huge field area, garden, chickens, children's area, and more. When our tours were complete, each person got to go to their classroom and meet their host teacher. After meeting my teacher, I got to go with her and my classroom to see them audition for solo parts in a play they are making. After that we had lunch and then back to the classroom for some more practice for the play. When we were done, the students got to participate in a thing called golden time. This is when the students get to chose a interest group activity to participate in. They can do things like knitting, zumba, football (soccer), cartoons, and dress up. Something different about this school was that for lunch the students get a complete hour and have to wear a uniform. School ended at 3:25pm and students got to leave, but they don't have school buses. Instead they have public buses or their parents pick them up. Today made me excited for next week and I can't wait to be back at the school.
Day 7
Today we paused the sight seeing to visit the school that we will be at next week. We started off by going through an orientation of what we will be doing at Gallard Elementary School while we are there. After the orientation, we were taken on a tour of the school by three year six students (5th graders). At their school, they have a huge field area, garden, chickens, children's area, and more. When our tours were complete, each person got to go to their classroom and meet their host teacher. After meeting my teacher, I got to go with her and my classroom to see them audition for solo parts in a play they are making. After that we had lunch and then back to the classroom for some more practice for the play. When we were done, the students got to participate in a thing called golden time. This is when the students get to chose a interest group activity to participate in. They can do things like knitting, zumba, football (soccer), cartoons, and dress up. Something different about this school was that for lunch the students get a complete hour and have to wear a uniform. School ended at 3:25pm and students got to leave, but they don't have school buses. Instead they have public buses or their parents pick them up. Today made me excited for next week and I can't wait to be back at the school.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Day 6
A long journey on the tube and train started the day off today. Hampton Court Palace was our first stop. Hampton Court Palace is located outside the center of London and is known as a place where different royals used to go and stay during their reign. Today the palace is known for its garden maze and huge flower area that was commissioned by the queen. Inside the palace, there are a lot of different apartment areas that were set up for different kings and queens. One of the most known kings to stay here is King Henery the 8, who has a large area dedicated to him in the Palace. When walking through, visitors can see how it used to be set up when it was in use. The Hampton Court Palace is very big and you can easily get lost in it, but is a pretty cool place to visit while in London. When we finished seeing Hampton Court Palace we decided to head to the London Zoo. This is a great place to visit if you are in London. The zoo is well set up, beautiful, and holds a ton of different animals. At the zoo we got to see giraffes, penguins, zebra, lions, leopards, butterflies, tons of different birds, and much more. The zoo was our last stop of the day. Check in for the next day of adventures.
Day 6
A long journey on the tube and train started the day off today. Hampton Court Palace was our first stop. Hampton Court Palace is located outside the center of London and is known as a place where different royals used to go and stay during their reign. Today the palace is known for its garden maze and huge flower area that was commissioned by the queen. Inside the palace, there are a lot of different apartment areas that were set up for different kings and queens. One of the most known kings to stay here is King Henery the 8, who has a large area dedicated to him in the Palace. When walking through, visitors can see how it used to be set up when it was in use. The Hampton Court Palace is very big and you can easily get lost in it, but is a pretty cool place to visit while in London. When we finished seeing Hampton Court Palace we decided to head to the London Zoo. This is a great place to visit if you are in London. The zoo is well set up, beautiful, and holds a ton of different animals. At the zoo we got to see giraffes, penguins, zebra, lions, leopards, butterflies, tons of different birds, and much more. The zoo was our last stop of the day. Check in for the next day of adventures.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Day 5
Today we started off our day by hopping on the tube to get to our meeting spot. From there, we went to the Science Museum. The Science Museum has free admission and consists of many different floors of all kinds of science related items. We started on the top floor where we you can participate in your own science experiments such as water viscosity, body heat, magnetism, and electric conductivity. This is a really cool area to get children and even adults excited about science. On some of the other floors there are things on mathematics and astronomy. After the Science Museum, we went to the National Museum which starts you off by taking you up an escalator into a huge metal globe looking thing that shows different visuals inside it. From there, the museum takes you down different routes that show you all kinds of things related to Earth: the past, the present, and the future. This museum also has all kinds of different minerals and gems that different people in history used to own. The last museum that we went to is the Victoria and Albert Museum. This museum is massive and holds all kinds of different art from every continent on Earth. While we were there, we visited the fashion collection of different decades, the sculpture area, East Asia's art, and the gardens.This museum is probably one of the best places to visit in London because the art is absolutely amazing! After our time at the museums we went to Piccadilly Circus, which is compared to time square in New York City, NY and Camden Street, which is close to New York City's canal street. Both are great places to go shopping and great places to see in London. Well that is all for today.
Day 5
Today we started off our day by hopping on the tube to get to our meeting spot. From there, we went to the Science Museum. The Science Museum has free admission and consists of many different floors of all kinds of science related items. We started on the top floor where we you can participate in your own science experiments such as water viscosity, body heat, magnetism, and electric conductivity. This is a really cool area to get children and even adults excited about science. On some of the other floors there are things on mathematics and astronomy. After the Science Museum, we went to the National Museum which starts you off by taking you up an escalator into a huge metal globe looking thing that shows different visuals inside it. From there, the museum takes you down different routes that show you all kinds of things related to Earth: the past, the present, and the future. This museum also has all kinds of different minerals and gems that different people in history used to own. The last museum that we went to is the Victoria and Albert Museum. This museum is massive and holds all kinds of different art from every continent on Earth. While we were there, we visited the fashion collection of different decades, the sculpture area, East Asia's art, and the gardens.This museum is probably one of the best places to visit in London because the art is absolutely amazing! After our time at the museums we went to Piccadilly Circus, which is compared to time square in New York City, NY and Camden Street, which is close to New York City's canal street. Both are great places to go shopping and great places to see in London. Well that is all for today.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Day 4
The day started off with he tube again, on our way to Windsor Castle. When we got there, we were able to chose if we wanted to go on a tour with a guide or meander around by ourselves. I chose to go on the tour and listen to an expert on the castle. It was interesting to hear about the mound and moat created to help keep out invaders. We also were able to hear about the other defenses the castle has, such as arrow holes and holes in front of the gates that they can pour hot liquids down to kill the invaders. Windsor Castle was huge, with many rooms to for all kinds of visitors. The castle is known as one of the main households of the queen and the one that she prefers. Inside the castle, there are many rooms that are set up to show what they used to look like back in the day and all the glorious paintings that it holds. While at the Windsor Castle, we learned that there was a huge fire that happened. During this fire there was a lot lost, but they were able to restore almost all of it to its original state. After Windsor Castle, a group of us went to Harrods and then to Hyde Park. At Hyde Park, we were able to rent bikes for only 2 pounds for an hour and ride around the park. In the park, the roses were blooming and there was an amazing view on a bridge of the river flowing through their. After Hyde park, we went home, had dinner, and went to sleep. Another long, but great day. Stay tuned for more!
Day 4
The day started off with he tube again, on our way to Windsor Castle. When we got there, we were able to chose if we wanted to go on a tour with a guide or meander around by ourselves. I chose to go on the tour and listen to an expert on the castle. It was interesting to hear about the mound and moat created to help keep out invaders. We also were able to hear about the other defenses the castle has, such as arrow holes and holes in front of the gates that they can pour hot liquids down to kill the invaders. Windsor Castle was huge, with many rooms to for all kinds of visitors. The castle is known as one of the main households of the queen and the one that she prefers. Inside the castle, there are many rooms that are set up to show what they used to look like back in the day and all the glorious paintings that it holds. While at the Windsor Castle, we learned that there was a huge fire that happened. During this fire there was a lot lost, but they were able to restore almost all of it to its original state. After Windsor Castle, a group of us went to Harrods and then to Hyde Park. At Hyde Park, we were able to rent bikes for only 2 pounds for an hour and ride around the park. In the park, the roses were blooming and there was an amazing view on a bridge of the river flowing through their. After Hyde park, we went home, had dinner, and went to sleep. Another long, but great day. Stay tuned for more!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Day 3
Today started with an early morning of getting on the train and then the tube. When we finally got to the tube station where our group meet, we were ready to get on the bus for a tour of downtown London. During the tour, we were able to see the London bridge again, Westminster Abby, Big Ben, Parliament, and Buckingham Palace. During our tour, it rained on and off and because of that, it was hard to take pictures of all the stuff we saw. As we rode around, we were able to get out and go into Westminster Abby and go on a tour with our tour guide from our bus. In the Abby, we were able to learn about all the different people buried there. There are different sections of the Abby for different groups of people like politicians, musicians, and many others. There are also many older kings and queens that are buried there. The Abby is also where William and Kate were just married. We found out that there is a plaque in the ground that is for the unknown warrior in the ground. No one is allowed to step on this plaque, and so, we found out that when Kate had to walk down the aisle she had to go around it. I never knew this before and it blew my mind. During our tour we also got to get out at Buckingham Palace, but they were still taking down all the different things they had up for the queens jubilee. The jubilee is for the amount of time the queen has reigned over her country. This Jubilee was the diamond jubilee, meaning that she has been in reign for 60 years. Currently, queen Victoria holds the longest reign time, but queen Elizabeth is close to passing that record. The day ended by coming home and having some dinner with our host mom. Check back for tomorrows events.
Day 3
Today started with an early morning of getting on the train and then the tube. When we finally got to the tube station where our group meet, we were ready to get on the bus for a tour of downtown London. During the tour, we were able to see the London bridge again, Westminster Abby, Big Ben, Parliament, and Buckingham Palace. During our tour, it rained on and off and because of that, it was hard to take pictures of all the stuff we saw. As we rode around, we were able to get out and go into Westminster Abby and go on a tour with our tour guide from our bus. In the Abby, we were able to learn about all the different people buried there. There are different sections of the Abby for different groups of people like politicians, musicians, and many others. There are also many older kings and queens that are buried there. The Abby is also where William and Kate were just married. We found out that there is a plaque in the ground that is for the unknown warrior in the ground. No one is allowed to step on this plaque, and so, we found out that when Kate had to walk down the aisle she had to go around it. I never knew this before and it blew my mind. During our tour we also got to get out at Buckingham Palace, but they were still taking down all the different things they had up for the queens jubilee. The jubilee is for the amount of time the queen has reigned over her country. This Jubilee was the diamond jubilee, meaning that she has been in reign for 60 years. Currently, queen Victoria holds the longest reign time, but queen Elizabeth is close to passing that record. The day ended by coming home and having some dinner with our host mom. Check back for tomorrows events.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Day 2
Today, we started our adventures in London. We started off the day by taking the tube to get into the city. When we got there, we meet up with the group and started our tour of the London Tower. The London Tower is located next to the Thames river. Inside the London Tower we got to learn about all the different beheadings that took place there. We also got to see the Crown Jewels, which were amazing. In the jewels section there is a couple of different peoples jewels that are similar, but different for each person that wore them. Some had large diamonds, while others had pearls and rubies. We also to see the famous ravens in the inside green space. It is said that there needs to be at least 6 ravens on the grounds at all time otherwise the tower and Great Britain will fall. So to prevent this, they keep about 8 there at a time and clip one of their wings so they can't fly away. After the London Tower, we got to go on the London Bridge up into the observatory area above the bridge. From this area, you can see much of London's cityscape and there are some different things you can do in it as well. While we were there, there was different pictures of the cities that the olympic games have been held in and different kids activities such as a hydraulic chair lift. When we were finished with the London Bridge, different groups split up and went to places around London. Our group went to Wimbledon Stadium to see where they have the major tennis tournaments. That area was amazing and had so much green around it. There was a ton of ivy and grassy areas that made it smell so fresh. Definitely check this place out if you like tennis! After Wimbledon, we came home for the night and got to have a home cooked meal of salmon, mashed potatoes, and broccoli thanks to our great host mom, Alex. Well that concludes day 2. Check back in tomorrow to see what we explore next.
Day 2
Today, we started our adventures in London. We started off the day by taking the tube to get into the city. When we got there, we meet up with the group and started our tour of the London Tower. The London Tower is located next to the Thames river. Inside the London Tower we got to learn about all the different beheadings that took place there. We also got to see the Crown Jewels, which were amazing. In the jewels section there is a couple of different peoples jewels that are similar, but different for each person that wore them. Some had large diamonds, while others had pearls and rubies. We also to see the famous ravens in the inside green space. It is said that there needs to be at least 6 ravens on the grounds at all time otherwise the tower and Great Britain will fall. So to prevent this, they keep about 8 there at a time and clip one of their wings so they can't fly away. After the London Tower, we got to go on the London Bridge up into the observatory area above the bridge. From this area, you can see much of London's cityscape and there are some different things you can do in it as well. While we were there, there was different pictures of the cities that the olympic games have been held in and different kids activities such as a hydraulic chair lift. When we were finished with the London Bridge, different groups split up and went to places around London. Our group went to Wimbledon Stadium to see where they have the major tennis tournaments. That area was amazing and had so much green around it. There was a ton of ivy and grassy areas that made it smell so fresh. Definitely check this place out if you like tennis! After Wimbledon, we came home for the night and got to have a home cooked meal of salmon, mashed potatoes, and broccoli thanks to our great host mom, Alex. Well that concludes day 2. Check back in tomorrow to see what we explore next.
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