London from a student's perspective

Dale "Dutch" Shultz fromWITC also enjoyed the trip to London. Below is an excerpt that he wrote about all of his adventures.

From Dutch: 

Over Valentine's Day, I spent the weekend in London. My excitement was building as I prepared for my adventure. I arrived at the train station and took the tube to my hostel. We all stayed at the Generator hostel. It was a great place, clean, music playing and had helpful people working everywhere. I set out to the Tower of London where I viewed the crown jewels of England and other historic buildings and objects. My next stop was Big Ben which was renamed The Queen Elizabeth Tower in honor of her majesty's jubilee. Listening to the tower bell chime was awesome; it resonated through the busy city. Next stop was the Eye of London which is like a giant ferris wheel that many people stand in. It takes about 30 minutes to ride around. The views of the city are amazing and information is provided about buildings and parks. After the ride my friends and I decided it was time to grab a bite to eat. We found a small restaurant and had a wonderful sandwich and chips. From there we went to some pubs and enjoyed the city life and the many local people. After that we all went to a wonderful play named 39 Steps. The old theater was beautifully decorated and the actors were spot on! 

On Saturday I awoke early and enjoyed the free breakfast at the hostel which consisted of meat and cheese rolls, porridge, cucumber, tomatoes, dry cereal, fruit and yogurt. Off to the National Gallery where I viewed some of the greatest artists, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh and many others. I truly felt overwhelmed at all the magnificent paints before me. I wandered the streets looking at old buildings and enjoying the sounds. I then visited Trafalgar Square for a few moments. Next was the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum where I met up with friends. From there we took a guided walking tour of London. Our tour guide was John, and he had been living in London for 14 years moving from Wales. He was filled with knowledge and humor. We saw all the major sites and building and then were invited to a small pub and restaurant to enjoy some dinner. Bangers and mash was on the menu for me along with a cold glass of cider. In the evening I joined a pub crawl and had the great opportunity to visit many pubs throughout the night. 

Sunday my friends and I went to the changing of the guards at Buckingham palace. It was filled with people and excitement. The royal guards played music from Billy Joel. Smiles and humming could be heard from the crowed that had gathered to witness the event. From there we wndered the streets heading to China town and then to Soho. Taking in the street dancers and music players, some shopping occurred and then dinner at a great Italian restaurant. Later on we went back to China town and enjoyed some steamed buns and plum wine. 

Monday was not a rest day for me, I woke up very early enjoyed a quick breakfast and out the door I went. My adventure for the day was to walk to Abbey Road, the famous crosswalk from the Beetles album. On the way I stopped at monuments, a mosque, a synagogue and a public park. After signing my name on the wall at Abbey Road Studio I then went to Kensington Palace and strolled through the royal grounds. From there I went the Albert and Victoria museum. That  place had me feeling like a school boy, so many wonderful objects to view I couldn't stop spinning my head around. After that I went on to see some famous shopping centers like Harrod's. The place was very expensive but well worth the walk The displays were set like a museum, and the air filled with perfume. It was now time for me to return to the hostel and gather my belongings and head back to Scotland. A wonderful four hour train ride though the country and I was home at the palace!

Thanks to Dutch Shultz for his contribution to the blog!

London, Day 1

London Day 1

On Valentine’s Day, the members of Dalkeith House left at 6:30 in the morning for a long journey before we would meet at an appropriate destination later in the evening, a statue of Eros, a.k.a. Cupid. Fifty plus of us left the house at around 6:30 in the morning on a chartered bus in order to get to Waverley Train Station in Edinburgh for our train to London. I have to say, traveling by train is a very civilized form of transportation. The seats are pretty comfortable. You can get up and walk around. You can buy snacks or bring your own. The program’s chef, Henry, had packed us all breakfasts and lunches for the 4 ½ hour ride. We rode east and south, part of the way along the North Sea. In some areas, evidence of heavy rains could be seen in the partially submerged fields, but this part of Scotland and England seemed relatively unharmed from the recent flooding. 

Dutch Shultz (WITC), me, and Anna Lehman (WITC) at Waverley Station, waiting for the train

When we arrived in London, the students and the faculty split because the students were all staying in the Generator Hostel while the faculty members and their families were staying in a hotel near the train station. 

Many folks went to the Tower of London, but my family and I opted to take the tube to the Museum of Natural History. I’ll admit; I was a bit nostalgic as I made my way through the tube stations. I loved traveling on the subway system when I had attended a semester abroad program in London over 2 decades ago. Ahhh…the tube, the subway, the London Underground, some terrifyingly steep escalators, huge advertisements along the walls of the stations, buskers (musicians or performers playing for some change), and people—lots and lots of people. What a way to move over a billion passengers a year at an average of 20 miles per hour through the city (“London Underground”, 2013)! The subway trains snake both underneath the city and above ground for a total of 249 miles.

Tube Map from http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/travel/downloads/tube_map.gif

Check out “London Underground: 150 fascinating Tube facts” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/london/9789966/London-Underground-150-fascinating-Tube-facts.html

 

Thanks to the London Underground, Ahmyn, Seryahna, Djanko, and I made it to the Museum of Natural History. One of the great things about it is that entry is free. In fact, most of the museums that I have visited since arriving in the U.K. have been free. Some special exhibits require an entry fee, but I could spend days marveling at wonders from around, under, and above the world without paying a penny. 

Seryahna, Djanko, and me by Dippy, the Diplodocus

The Museum of Natural History’s building itself was stunning, built over 130 years ago. The architecture and stonework are awe-inspiring, as are the carvings and terracotta ornaments that are incorporated into the banisters, the columns, the walls, the arches, the balconies…The ceiling panels are all painted as tributes to different plants. The Central Hall is called the Cathedral of Nature, a fitting name. Ahmyn, Djanko, Seryahna, and I walked in and were greeted by a huge diplodocus skeleton. As we walked around, we were amazed. Exhibits included giant stuffed moas (the gigantic – up to 12 feet-- extinct bird from New Zealand) and dinosaur skeletons as well as robotic dinosaur models. A model of a blue whale really put size into perspective much more than simply thinking about a 98 foot long sea mammal. There were exhibits on the body, sea creatures, volcanoes, rocks and minerals, and many more. We only saw a fraction of what the museum offered; it could take days to see the whole museum. You can check out more about the museum at its website: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/. 

The Cathedral of Nature

 

Charles Darwin

Even the skeleton's shadows are imposing

Seryahna and the robotic T-rex

I am awed and overwhelmed as I walk in.

After the museum, we decided to walk to the area where we were going to meet most of the rest of the house for a play that evening. It was a longer walk than we expected, made even longer by the torrential downpours. I know, most of you in Wisconsin do not feel sorry for us a bit. We had to stop in for some hot chocolate to revive the spirits. At least the rest of our walk was so windy that it blew dry my soaking wet pants. 

Eros Statue & Picadilly Circus via missvongoetz.blogspot.com

Our destination was soon in sight when we saw the Eros statue in Picadilly Circus. The Criterion Theatre was across the way. That night we went with many other students and faculty went to enjoy a play called The 39 Steps. Although the play is based on an Alfred Hitchcock film, the play was written by a Scottish playwright, and it is hysterical. It is a fast-paced play with 4 actors play all of the 100+ parts. The main character is brought into an espionage plot when a woman is murdered in his flat in London. He must travel to Scotland to try to clear his name. One of the fun aspects of seeing the play was that we all had been in Scotland long enough to get some of the jokes about the Scottish dialect, such as a farmer having to take care of his “coos.” Laughs were had by all, especially Seryahna and Djanko who later stated that the play was their favorite part of the whole trip to London.

Me, Dutch Shultz, and Anna Lehman after a night at the theatre

That first day was quite full…More on the rest of the weekend to come…