Entry 3: July 26, 2008

It seems that I talk more about what I’ve done outside of London than in it. Last weekend I traveled with two other students and one of our professors to Paris, France. While in Paris we visited Musée D’Orsay, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Saint-Sulpice, Notre Dame, Champs Elysée, the Arc du Triumph and Sacre-Cour.

One wonderful thing about this trip was the fact that we saw a great deal of the city without rushing around. We took our time, but made sure that we got to where we wanted to be. It was interesting to learn that the “Mona Lisa” in the Louvre had actually been stolen once. It had also been slashed with a knife and had acid poured on it. For those reasons there is a protective glass in front and a bar set up so no one can get too close.

Upon returning from Paris I went to see Speaker’s Corner. This corner is an area in Hyde Park that people are allowed to speak as long as the police consider their speeches lawful. When researching the corner I read that police tend to be tolerant and intervene when they receive a complaint or when they hear bad language. The corner was originally used as an assembly point for workers’ protests. The speakers there on Sunday were numerous and varied in what they spoke about. Many just bring a chair or ladder and start talking. When they are done they pack up and leave. One man spoke about Jesus and how he was there to save us. The man didn’t seem to even care that very few people were listening to what he said. Another man had a sign that said he wasn’t selling anything and had no message but to come and listen anyway. This got a small crowd to come and see and they asked him questions and he just talked. There was a large audience at the corner and at times it was just uncomfortable to be there. Each person had different opinions and they were all being vocal about what they thought. I felt like a fight could erupt at any moment, but nothing ever did.

As a group we took a trip to Bath. We rode a coach (bus) from London and were met by Dr. Webb and John Rose at downtown Bath. The coach ride was a little nerve-wracking. The vehicle seemed to sway a lot and it was as if the driver was impatient with traffic. We got there safely though and went to see the Roman baths. The baths haven’t been completely discovered and parts of archeological digs are left under the structure to see as you go through. The east baths were originally built for both women and men to use and at that time most bathed in the nude. It was changed so that they bathed separately before being able to go into the main bath to relax.

Everyone leaves London tomorrow. The majority of the group is going to North while a few of us are going to Austria with Dr. Williams. While in Austria we will visit Vienna and Salzburg to learn about Mozart further. We will be going to see the Schonbrunn Palace, the Ringstrasse, and the Schonberg Center. After our trip in Austria the three of us who are going will return on the 1st of August. I hope that everyone’s travels go smoothly.

Enjoy!

Entry 2: July 17, 2008

I have had such a busy time in London. There of course have been some ups and downs, and a lack of sleep, but that’s what comes from trying to do it all. I feel like no matter how much I write I will not be able to fully describe everything that I’ve done and seen so far. I can explain one day trip that I took.

Just a week ago I was able to travel with three other girls to visit Oxford. Originally the 10th was meant to be a group trip to Canterbury, but it was changed to be an on your own travel day. We decided to go to Oxford for our trip. I know that one reason for going was to purchase a specific book, but the reasons for going grew after doing some research.

Before our trip we went down to the library and checked out some books on Oxford. In looking at these books it was discovered that Oxford was home of Alice Liddell. This girl was the inspiration for “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Oxford actually contains Alice’s Shop across from Christ Church. When we actually got to go to the store all of us were extremely excited. It is something to be able to see all the Alice souvenirs after seeing the production at Meredith College. There was so much that I could see purchasing for the different teachers and faculty that participated in the show.

One part of our trip in Oxford was to take a walking tour. The guide took us to the original places of gates into the city and spoke about how it turned into a university town. Out of the 39 universities we only walked by two and really examined only one. Merton College is said to have the oldest quad, which is enclosed by 14th century buildings. This college also was where J.R.R. Tolkien taught for a period. I was excited to hear that from the guide because his writings are simply wonderful.

A surprising fact I learned during this trip was that women weren’t allowed on any campus except to clean or cook. It wasn’t until about 1878 that women were finally allowed to attend a university. Even then they couldn’t receive degrees until the 20th century. There were strict rules that women had to attend school in groups and could not be alone while on campus. So many women passed through the universities without receiving their degree, but simply going to get education. It is amazing that not only had it taken so long to allow women to attend a university but also that the last women’s university is going to be co-ed next year. Hearing the guide say that made me just appreciate being able to attend Meredith College. I am very proud of my school being able to remain an all women’s college for so long. I feel like that says a lot about the people who work at and attend Meredith, that they really love it.

Now that was merely one day last week. This week I am taking another trip but going to Paris. We actually leave tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m. and get to spend more time than in Oxford because we return on Sunday in the afternoon. I am extremely excited about going to Paris because it will give me a chance to put to practice what I learned in French at school. I feel like two days is not quite enough to see it all in Paris. We have had more than that in London and I have yet to see everything. I do know that we will have fun on our trip and it will be an adventure to try and speak the language.

I hope that everyone has enjoyed reading about my travels. I know it hasn’t been much, but it is just so difficult to sit down and type it up. I always seem to be on the go but just don’t have the time to share all my adventures.

After my trip to Paris I am going to write more.

Entry 1: July 5, 2008

I have made it to London safely. It was quite an adventure the first day because we were not allowed to sleep. It was a chaos of getting in, going out, buying oyster cards (to use for the tube or buses), learning how to use the tube station, getting lunch, eating, getting on touring busses, touring all of London, going back to the Maria Assumpta Center, getting dinner, going over rules, and going to bed. It seems like such a long time ago since I left the U.S. when it has only been one week. It seems strange to say that. I’ve been in London for one week.

This one week has been a very busy one. The time has gone by so fast that at times it has been difficult to process everything that I’ve seen and learned. Some of the first places that I had a chance to visit were the British Library and the British Museum. These two buildings were a great undertaking. The Library is enormous and extremely interesting. In one room that can be visited are several scores from Handel, Schubert and Mozart. There is also a small case that contains information on the Beatles including lyrics to different songs and who wrote them. There is of course information on other subjects like William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and even several different copies of Bibles.

The British Museum is even grander than the Library. It contains many artifacts that come from all over. These artifacts have been placed together in different sections based on their area (Asia, Europe, Africa, etc.). This museum holds quite a few major finds for the world. One find is the Rosetta stone which has text written in two languages but three different scripts. Another find is the Sutton Hoo which has only recently been discovered. While these finds are incredible the works in-between are just as good. I would suggest everyone to go, but know that you can spend hours on end visiting each floor and region.

The National Gallery is another wonderful place to discover. I would definitely suggest going on a free tour as I did because you get in depth information about very specific pieces. This also allows one to get a basic feeling of the gallery and see where you may want to venture after the tour. I had a great time going to different rooms to see more specific paintings rather than being lost trying to see it all. This is by far one of the best art galleries that I have ever been to and I am just so glad that it has been part of my experience here in London.

I have done a great deal more things and gone more places but to include them all in this journal entry would be too much. These places that I have talked about are just where I went the 2nd and 3rd day I was here. The nice thing about the Meredith abroad program is that even with taking classes in the morning there is a great deal of time in the afternoon and evening to go out and explore. I find that it is also nice to know some of the girls that I am traveling with. It gives me an opportunity to learn from them and meet the girls I don’t know to become friends. It is also fun to know that I can sleep perfectly well with trains traveling past my window all day and night.

Much more to come soon.