Free day on Saturday

People did as they pleased on a Saturday that began with some rain early, but turned into a sunny, delightful day. Here's a picture provided to me by Meghan of the group in front of St. Paul's Cathedral a few weeks ago.

Our first day of "typical" London weather - cool and wet

Fridays are typically saved for students to travel for long weekends if they wish, so Elyse and I went to Buckingham Palace and toured its impressive State Rooms. No pictures are allowed inside the Palace unfortunately, something I'll have to mention to the Queen if I ever meet her. I took some pictures after exiting towards the garden and pond, looking back towards the Palace. It's like having a country home in the middle of a major city.

It isn't cheap to tour the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. For those who don't pay and walk around the back of the grounds along Grosvenor Place, what faces the street is, shall we say, a bit less inviting?

Later, it was on to the Victoria and Albert Museum. They have a nice collection of Rodin sculptures, and this one is believed to be his first large-scale bronze piece. I love Rodin's work, and would highly recommend the Rodin Museum in Paris for other folks with similar interests. Have a nice weekend everybody!

Economics and English class, followed by visit to Chelsea Methodist Church

I found this on a building very close to Piccadilly Circus. The name says it all!

There are a lot of double-decker buses in London (very economical use of a bus, since two levels essentially doubles bus capacity, but only occupies the road space of one bus). This picture is from the top level of a bus nearing Piccadilly Circus.

This is the front of Chelsea Methodist Church, where we learned more about their homeless shelter. Steve, the director, and Michael with West London Churches Homeless Concern were so kind to spend time with our group. As with many large cities, there is incredible wealth in London, along with widespread poverty. Housing is incredibly expensive in London, which exacerbates homelessness. This church is surrounded by some of the most exclusive shops in London, and the rich and beautiful come to the area to spend their money. The contrast is striking.

Here is one of our classrooms in Swedenborg Hall. We have two others as well.

We settle into a routine

The Economics and English courses started this week, so our touring around as one big group is pretty much over. After three weeks, we have a good sense of using the Tube, as well as buses, and finding our way around the city.

Today we had our third art class at the Tate Modern, and in the afternoon we went to the Volunteer Centre (note the spelling) for Kensington and Chelsea. While there, we learned more about the importance of the volunteer sector in the UK. In addition, a number of students were able to get matched up with various organizations in London to fulfill their service learning commitments.

Thursday afternoon, we'll visit the shelter at Chelsea Methodist Church. I visited them a few weeks ago on my own, and it's a great organization that does wonderful work in the community.

JP

Some of my pictures from the Scottish Highlands

We had an off day today since the Economics and English classes begin Tuesday. I thought I'd show everyone some pictures I took from a tour of the Scottish Highlands. Scotland is beautiful, but the weather is erratic. One minute, it is overcast and very, very chilly -- then the sun comes out and it's warm! This first picture is the grave of the famous political economist Adam Smith, who was Scottish. I found his burial site in Edinburgh, at Canongate Kirk.

Loch Ness, and it's foggy, wet and cold! :( Oh, and there's something moving along the surface that looks kind of like a monster. :)

On the boat on Loch Ness, the sun is out, and it's warm!

This is at Urquhart Castle, along the banks of Loch Ness.

This was at the first rest stop in a town called Kilmahog. See the pattern? Fog, sun, fog, sun.

Fun Day in Greenwich

"The" Prime Meridian, my left foot on one side and my right foot on the other. I'm not sure whose foot is in the sandal.





The official "choice" of Greenwich was based on many factors, an important one being the widespread use of nautical charts with England at the center, due to its importance as a sea power and shipping hub.

From inside the Paul's cafe of the Maritime Museum.

We went to Greenwich, a charming town near East London. Unfortunately, the Cutty Sark, advertised as "the world's last tea clipper," is under refurbishment until 2009. Undaunted, group members decided to head to the Greenwich Market, where people could explore as they pleased. After the market, group members went to the National Maritime Museum, Queen's House, and the Royal Observatory, which is where the Prime Meridian is (this is the Greenwich where we get Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT).

Helping Relay for Life in support of Cancer Research UK

Today, there were no museums or lectures. This was a day to give back to the community by helping Relay for Life's fundraising event, held today in Battersea Park. We helped set up and move necessary supplies to various places around Millennium Arena. It was GREAT to interact with fellow Londoners, if only for a few hours. Tomorrow, it's a fun day in Greenwich!

I'm the one on the left, clearly not tuned in to my cohorts.

Move over Trading Spaces, Rachel, Drew and Jodi have some fun design tips!

We express ourselves to the utmost at the Globe Theatre

On our tour of the Globe, we saw its amazing stage.



Meghan and Anne as they leave the theatre.



Jocularity was the norm, as Meredith and Jodi grow "ears" thanks to Emily. Rachel and Allison look on in amusement.



Theatre people are fun to be around, ..... ,usually!

Yeah, we're cool.

In front of the Globe's stage.

Saturday, we kick off our service learning activities as volunteers at a fundraiser in Battersea Park for Relay for Life, which helps Cancer Research UK. Sunday, we have a casual, fun day heading out to nearby Greenwich. "Regular" classes, namely economics and English, begin on Tuesday and we settle into a schedule for awhile.

Big day at the Tower of London

We went to the Tower of London and enjoyed tours led by the famous Beefeaters. Many famous people have been put to death at the tower, including Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey and Sir Walter Raleigh. We also saw the famous Crown Jewels. Special thanks to Paige for sharing her photos. It's on to the Globe Theatre Friday!

Busy Wednesday - Westminster Abbey and Houses of Parliament!

After a weekend apart when several group members traveled to Salisbury, Stonehenge and Bath, we toured Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament today. Molly Rumbelow, who spoke at Simpson last spring, led an extensive Westminster Abbey tour that focused on the architecture and history of the Abbey. Here are some pictures from our glorious day!

St. Paul's Cathedral

Today we went on a Supertour of St. Paul's Cathedral with our tour guide Chris. It was very informative, and we learned about the history of the site (there were 2 churches there BEFORE St. Paul's was built) as well as some of the intricate mosaic work inside.

After the tour, most of the group still had a lot of energy, and we climbed the many, many steps up the dome to the top. The views of London were spectacular, and the weather today was ideal.

We have an extended weekend, but we'll pick up with visits to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament next week.

Hampton Court - Once the home of Henry VIII

Here are some pictures from inside Hampton Court. The curved brick work is fascinating, and unlike anything I've ever seen before. I found a kitty cat (I'll call her Gracie) :) Tomorrow it's on to St. Paul's Cathedral. The weather has cooperated very nicely.

Monday and Tuesday Activities

On Monday we had our second art class at the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery, located in the Somerset House. The Courtauld is a small museum, but its selection is outstanding, with works by many of the major Impressionists and post-Impressionists.

http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/index.html

Today (Tuesday) we visited another one of my favorite museums, the British Library, and had a guided tour of the Sacred Text exhibition, featuring important religious texts from Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Some of the Bibles were written in gold!

http://www.bl.uk/index.shtml

Tomorrow, it's on to Hampton Court, once the home for Henry VIII. Cheers! JP

The first free day for the group

We've been together every day since we left, and this is the first day where nothing is planned. People are free to do what they choose. I went to Canterbury on a National Express bus, which took about 2 hours each way. The price was hard to beat -- a scant 12.40 pounds return (oops, that means round-trip for you Yanks across the Pond).

Here are some pics from Canterbury.

JP

Borough Market

True to form, the Borough Market was very enjoyable. The food stalls had all kinds of items -- amazing breads, fruit, vegetables, jams, seafood, meats, cheeses, ... You name it and it was there. I forgot my camera, but I hope to get some pics from folks who were there. I am including another picture from Cambridge, taken by Megan K. Thanks!

Saturday at the Market

Cambridge was a nice, relaxing day. It felt nice to get out of the hussle and bustle of London, at least for a day. The countryside reminded some of us of, well, Iowa!

Markets are a great way to feel the pulse of a city, and London has some truly spectacular ones. My favorite hands down is the Borough Market, a massive collection of vendors specializing in almost every fine food item imaginable. I want to get people to see what wonderful things are available in places besides traditional grocery stores. Some things are ridiculously expensive, but much is surprisingly affordable.

The Borough Market has its own Web page at:

http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/

Take a look and you'll see what I mean.

JP

More Cambridge

A beautiful day in Cambridge

River Cruise on the Thames