DIGITAL STORY - London: The Living Memorial

In the 65 years since the end of World War II in Europe, the city London continues to commemorate and preserve its involvement in that last great conflict for future generations. (Custom music provided by Microsoft Photo Story 3)

PHOTO BOOK - London and Paris Highlights

Highlights of our time in London and Paris...

"Last stop!"

As one nears the end of any study abroad or travel experience, you try to keep an open mind to the possibility of returning again in the future, but for now, you inevitably reach the traditional day of "lasts": the last class, the last excursion, last bit of sightseeing, one last night out at the pub, and the litany goes on.

Keeping this mindset, I tried to take in as much as I could during our tour of Buckingham Palace, recalling much of the same grandeur of British style and architecture that we had seen at Hampton Court, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and many of the other sites we had visited in our three weeks here.

It was interesting that my last full meal in London would be at Hard Rock Cafe, as I had left behind American-style cuisine for the past 20 days. But, having a big hamburger and free refills on soft drinks was a good way to begin the transition back to American culture. I still managed to learn about 20th century British pop culture, as I wasn't aware that the London Hard Rock Cafe was the original restaurant that launched the franchise worldwide.

While we were officially done with class at that point, I did have to make one last sightseeing stop on the way back to the FSU Study Centre. I wanted to visit Marble Arch, near which my family and I had stayed in London back in 1978. I wasn't able to locate the Holiday Inn where we actually stayed at the time (it may very well no longer exist), but it was nice to finally see Marble Arch again after 32 years. My sightseeing in London was complete... at least for this trip.

Now transitioning to the mode of souvenir-gathering, packing, and preparing to check out of our flats, it's far too early for me to start taking stock of what I've learned and experienced on this program, but as I cross back over the pond on Thursday afternoon, there will be plenty of time for reflection.

Time Files...

As most of our class was still trying to decompress from the hectic, hustle-and-bustle of the Paris weekend and the day trip to Oxford, the excursion to Hyde Park was definitely welcomed by all. It seemed quite appropriate that at the entrance to the children’s park had a small clock tower with the words “Time Flies” on it, as the reality began to register in my mind that our time in London was drawing to a close. But I think everyone also took it as a challenge to enjoy the time we had left.

I had this challenge in the back of mind as our group adjourned after lunch that afternoon. Even though my classmate Tara and I had gone on a “practical” mode of souvenir shopping, I found myself still taking long looks at some of the sites we had already seen early on—the Eye, the Thames, Big Ben, Abbey Road… Despite the many photographs I had taken over these last three weeks, I somehow I felt the need to experience these sights once more in person. I expect that I will be in the same mode for the remainder of my time here in London.

As the clock tower said, time does indeed fly...

Back to School...

Having been in a "museum" mode for much of this stay in London, it was easy for me to forget during our class visit to the University of Oxford that is an actual institute of learning. As soon as we arrived on the campus and began touring some of the centuries-old buildings, it felt once again as though we were visiting a museum, which much of the campus is in many ways, given its centuries-old history and classic architecture. Yet, although classes were our for the summer, the sight of campus announcements posted on various wall bulletin boards, desktop computers in the library, and some students with backpacks scurrying between buildings were reminders that Oxford is still very much a functioning, modern-day university.

My reaction to visiting Christ Church was similar, especially with the number of visitors and tour groups lined up to see the various buildings around the campus. When we were informed by our tour guide that certain buildings on the Christ Church campus were used as locations for the Harry Potter feature films, I couldn't help but wonder if that was part of the reason for the seemingly large number of youths visiting Christ Church that day...

But, like with our visits to past museums and historical places of interest, I left the University of Oxford and Christ Church with the same level of awe at the amount of history associated with both of these institutions.

An American In Paris

While I was one of a few people in the class who had been to Paris before (in my case, six years ago), I had a much better opportunity to explore some of the city in depth, and with a greater degree of freedom than the first time around. I was able to get a better read on the city itself, and hear it speak to me.

So what does the voice of Paris sound like? Well, with its immediate first impression, the city definitely speaks with an attitude--perhaps echoed through some of the Parisians themselves. It's certainly a beautiful city, without a doubt, but it's a little rougher around the edges when compared to London. The city definitely challenges you, not just with the language difference, but with its obvious cultural differences as well. I found that to experience Paris, and to enjoy what it has to offer, you have to rise to the challenges it poses and embrace those differences that make it such a unique city.

There was definitely no better way to experience these differences up close than exploring the city on foot. Seeing first-hand the graffiti on the walls, the constant presence of panhandlers, gypsies, street musicians, the swarms of tourists, and yes, the stereotypical Parisians with attitudes as well, all made me both wary and aware as I explored the city. But after just a day's exploring, I found myself growing more accustomed to the city's grittier vibe, and was able to start enjoying the amazing sights and sounds of the city itself.

Obviously a weekend is definitely not enough time to see everything in Paris, but I was able to fill in a few of the gaps that were left from my last visit. It's certainly good to be back "home" in London, but I would not hesitate to visit Paris again in the future.

Turning the pages...

Amidst the many centuries-old marvels that the city of London has to offer, I would certainly consider the British Library one of London's marvels for the present day. Visually, even from just the outside, the library is an impressive sight, and although the architectural style is modern, it has enough "Old World" touches to make a very open, bright, and inviting place for visitors.

The British Library is obviously first and foremost a library, with literally millions of documents and books in print and other formats contained in its catalog. However, the library also has several galleries of well-preserved, original historical manuscripts that are open for public viewing. As I made my way through one of these galleries I naturally felt like I was in a museum, although the member of the library staff who was giving us the tour had stated that on rare occasions, even items from these gallery collections are considered "working" and have been utilized by individuals for research.

As with the various museums that our class has visited around London, I came away from the British Library with a similar feeling of amazement that the city made such a worthy investment over the years to collect, preserve, and give ready access to such a vast collection of knowledge to the general public. The British Library truly is one of the marvels of London!