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!

Both sides of the story...

While visiting the Tower of London today, I began to realize that the history of this castle really has two sides to it. On the one hand, in the present day the castle is obviously a preserved historical site and tourist attraction, yet in its previous life as a military fortress and prison it also represents a much darker part of London's history.

Even the exhibits seem to emphasize this duality of the Tower's place in history. The lavish Crown Jewels collection of the monarchy are on display, yet visitors can also see an extensive collection of the weapons of war, along with instruments of torture.

The Tower of London was a good follow-on visit from Hampton Court Palace earlier this week, as it reinforced the notion of the king wielding absolute power over the land. And, that even the most minor of infractions (legitimate or otherwise) could easily land an unfortunate soul in prison at the Tower, subjected to whatever degree of penalty saw fit by the king. We can at least be thankful that England (and the rest of the world, for the most part) has moved on from this in the last several hundred years!

Who Let The Dogs Out?

528 steps...

Our class had been given a brief preview of St. Paul's Cathedral during a coach tour earlier on, but today was finally our opportunity to explore the church in-depth. I had been looking forward to our class visit for awhile, especially after hearing how wonderful the cathedral was from several of my flatmates.

I was definitely not disappointed. Although photography was not permitted inside the cathedral, that actually gave me a better opportunity to really focus on experiencing the cathedral itself, rather than being constantly focused on taking photos of it. It was interesting to compare it to Westminster Abbey, both in terms of architectural style and history.

I also had the opportunity to climb to the Golden Gallery atop St. Paul's outer dome, some 528 total steps up from the cathedral floor. The reward for the vertical journey is a spectacular, 360-degree view of central London. I could have easily lingered in the Golden Gallery, but due to the sheer number of people who were making the ascent, cathedral staff had to keep everyone moving. Nevertheless, I was able to take several photos from this lovely vantage point before having to make the long journey back down to the ground level.

A few of my classmates and I chose to remain at St. Paul's to attend Evensong, a prayer service held every Tuesday evening. It was a unique experience to attend an Anglican service, and to finally hear the amazing acoustics inside the cathedral, especially with the organ and boy's choir leading the congregation in prayer and song. It was a wonderful way to conclude an afternoon at St. Paul's!

Riding the Routemaster

Taking a ride on a classic AEC Routemaster double-decker bus on 24 July 2010, Heritage Route 9 (RM1562 outbound and RM1735 return)

"It's good to be the king."

Mel Brooks' line from History of the World, Part 1 would be quite appropriate for today's visit to Hampton Court Palace. Looking back on this time period, it's rather remarkable to consider the level of sheer luxury and opulence that surrounded the monarchy, and how everything was intentionally designed and styled to reinforce their status as God-granted rulers of the land.

At the same time, it was also interesting to consider that without the king's army of servants waiting on him hand and foot, nor the lines of subjects waiting to have an audience with their ruler, a palace such as this is otherwise a very big, empty space. Most every room in the palace seemed to be designed to accommodate large numbers of people, yet walking through some of the large galleries and sitting rooms, I began to wonder what it must have been like when the crowds of subjects and guests had long gone. Did it ever feel "lonely at the top" for the king and queen to be roaming these huge, elaborately decorated rooms alone?

No less impressive were the gardens behind the palace, that just seemed to stretch on forever in all directions. I was reminded of a similar image of a vast palace garden when I visited Versailles in 2004. Again, it was quite impressive to think that these acres-upon-acres of well-trimmed and meticulously maintained grounds were solely for the monarchs and their heirs. The Hampton Court Palace, like other palaces of the monarchy, is certainly far-removed from the practicalities (and economics) of modern-day, but was definitely a product of its time, and certainly has its place in Britain's history.

Beatles historical sites in London (PODCAST)

If you're a fan of the Fab Four, listen here for information on easy-to-find Beatles sites you can visit right here in London!

Podcast features excerpts from original Beatles recordings:

"I've Got A Feeling" (Lennon/McCartney)
"Dig A Pony" (Lennon/McCartney)
"Get Back" (Lennon/McCartney)
"You Never Give Me Your Money" (Lennon/McCartney)
"Come Together" (Lennon/McCartney)
"The End" (Lennon/McCartney)

War and Remembrance...

Not one to let the opportunity of a "free weekend" in London slip by, I was definitely able to make the most of the time...

Attending the BBC Proms on Friday evening was a great, nearly spur-of-the-moment experience. I wasn't sure if it would even be possible given the class schedules and the rapid sellout of some of the performances I was interested in. Thankfully my flatmates had also expressed interest in attending the Proms as well, so we were able to quickly coordinate our schedules and find a good concert that was not yet sold out. It was great to finally see (and "hear") Royal Albert Hall and enjoy the uniquely casual atmosphere of the Proms, which isn't necessarily what one expects when attending a classical music concert. But, it's a wonderful summer tradition that has been part of the British cultural scene for 115 years.

Re-living a childhood memory came on Saturday afternoon, when I finally rode an original Routemaster double-decker bus for the first time in 32 years. Not many other memories from traveling with my parents in London in 1978 have remained, but I could never forget the Routemasters, especially after bringing home an original Lego version of the bus as a souvenir all those many years ago. Though withdrawn from regular service since December 2005, the Routemasters still operate on two short "heritage routes" through Central London, and still draw the attention of both tourists and Londoners alike.

Saturday evening was back to the theatre to see 'Love Never Dies', Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel to 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Despite some earlier adventures while trying to tracking down reasonably-priced seats from various discount ticket sellers, it was a very kind woman working at the Adelphi Theatre box office who ultimately gave us the best price and seats you could ask for: front row center, literally right behind the conductor and just below the stage. The show itself was amazing, with the same level of incredible staging and beautiful music that made the original so popular. My classmates and I were certainly fortunate to have been able to see it here in London!

Sunday afternoon was the opportunity to visit the Imperial War Museum. I went through the museum rather quickly, but made sure I at least visited every exhibit while I was there. Their collection is both extensive and impressive, and having seen plenty of U.S.-focused museums both back in the States and in Europe, it was an interesting change to see a museum truly centered on Great Britain's history of war, and its effect not just on the soldiers, but the civilians as well. It was both a very insightful and sobering experience, and certainly a great way to cap off the weekend!

The simpler things...

The excursion to Regents Park and Primrose Hill was literally a return to the "simpler things" in life: getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the crowded museums and tourist attractions, and admiring the beauty of nature, open spaces, and enjoying the peace offered by the wonderful parks in London.

I was impressed with how expansive Regents Park was, and how beautifully kept all of the grounds were. Our class will eventually be visiting Hyde Park as well, it will be interesting to compare the two parks. I realized that after photographing buildings, museum pieces, and other interesting but obviously inanimate objects for most of our excursions thus far, it was a refreshing change to be able to take photographs of nature, and as up-close-and-personal as the park dwelling animals would allow. We spent a considerable amount of time in Regents Park and I think many people in the class took advantage of the photographic opportunities.

Primrose Hill certainly embodied the enjoyment of simpler things: a tremendous view of the city, bag lunches, and flying kites, which is something I hadn't done since I was a child. Thankfully, the old skills came back enough so that I was able to fly my "dollar store special" a few times atop Primrose Hill, despite the challenging wind conditions. It sounds like the class may have a chance to fly their kites again at Hyde Park, and I was surprised to discover the inner child in me is actually looking forward to that opportunity...

"One if by land, two if by sea..."

Today marked another full day of excursions, including a visit to the Royal Observatory and National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, a return to Trafalgar Square, and an impromptu visit to the National Gallery.

As has always been the case with our class excursions, there was never a shortage of fascinating sights and sounds at these various venues. Both the Royal Observatory and the Maritime Museum were particularly interesting as they offered an in-depth look at England's astronomy and seafaring histories, and provided many interactive, kid-friendly activities for visiting families.

With the nautical theme of today's excursion, it was certainly appropriate that part of our transportation to Greenwich was on the Thames via the River Bus (boat) service. While as clean and efficient like the other services offered by London Transport, the River Bus service struck me as a "mellower" form of getting to one's destination, as the pace of the boats on the river is slower than the frenetic rush of the Underground or the stop-and-go traffic rhythms of the bus. It's a nice, relaxing alternative if you're not in a huge hurry to get to where you're going, and offers a unique perspective of the city itself.

The impromptu visit to the National Gallery deserves mention as it boasts an incredible collection of fine art from the past two centuries, including many original works by Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, and other masters from the Impressionist period. Perhaps most remarkable of all is that the museum charges no admission, and proudly emphasizes this to all who pass by its doors. Like many of the other fine museums in London that we have visited to date, the National Gallery is a treasure in and of itself to offer free access to such an amazing art collection. Our visit was quite brief, but I hope to return there again before my time in London is up!

The Rustic and the Reverent....

Today's excursion was a study in contrasts: two historical structures, both made of stone, but created at different periods in time, and existing for very different purposes. Even the visitor's experience, from my perspective, would be very different at both of these structures.

Stonehenge seems to grow ever more rustic, enigmatic and mysterious as the years pass, and even during the class visit today that sense of mystery seemed reinforced by keeping the crowds far back from the structure itself, forcing visitors to only observe and contemplate Stonehenge from a distance. I do realize that this distance is enforced in the interest of preservation of the structure itself, but akin to visiting a museum, it's difficult for me to truly appreciate the significance of a historical artifact without being able to see it up close.

But despite this limitation, I came away from Stonehenge with many photos and many questions to ponder, for as iconic a status this structure now commands for both historians and visitors alike, its true purpose still continues to remain a mystery.

The "detached" experience at Stonehenge would be further emphasized once our class visited Salisbury Cathedral. In contrast, we had the opportunity to explore and experience most of this magnificent worship space up close and in detail, which is obviously something that is already expected for a functioning parish.

Coming away from visiting now two historically significant and classically designed churches is the deep sense of reverence that they seem to project, in spite of being such large structures. That sense of reverence can be felt at a very personal level by the individual parishioner. And that much, in my opinion, is no mystery!

"Losing Yourself", Part II: the British Museum

Is it possible to have a random adventure in a museum? Well, when the museum in question is the British Museum, absolutely! While it's perfectly fine to plan ahead and seek out a specific collection (or perhaps even a specific item within a collection), it's often even more fun, in my opinion, to simply "lose yourself" and just wander through the museum and see what surprises lie in store.

It's entirely possible to experience a little bit of both worlds. There was a particular point of interest that I was tasked with photographing as part of our class assignment, but getting to that point of interest amidst the British Museum's vast collection made it feel like more of a treasure hunt. Since my point of interest was a certain aspect of the museum structure itself (in this case, the Great Court at the museum's center), my own quest concluded fairly quickly. But for others, it was more of a challenge to find what they were looking for, which made the "hunt" an adventure in and of itself. And although the search might extend into several hours, all along the way, there would always be amazing things to see and ponder.

At the end of the day, everyone in the class had successfully completed their quest, but with so much left to explore, certainly no one could call this their last visit to the British Museum...

Living History

How can I best describe Westminster Abbey? For lack of any other description, the church represents a piece of "living history". Learning that the oldest sections of the building are nearly a thousand years old was simply staggering to the imagination. It was perhaps even more miraculous to me that the church managed to survive the numerous conflicts in England throughout the centuries, including the relatively "recent" German bombing raids of the Blitz during the Second World War.

I found myself just constantly staring in awe at the sheer amount of intricate detail that was built into every aspect of the church, from the grandest stained glass window to the tiniest ornamentation on a choir stall--and to consider that the church and abbey were built entirely by hand, with no computers, automation, or machinery of any kind, makes it all the more incredible to behold. It infuses Westminster Abbey with an almost human quality, which truly makes it a piece of living history.

Come Together...

More lovely sights and sounds of London beckoned this Sunday, with a guided coach tour of some of the familiar highlights of central London: St. Paul's Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, London Bridge, and even the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. It wasn't a very lengthy tour, but it was enough to prime us for the more in-depth visits to some of these sites later on.

So once again, we would have the entire afternoon to ourselves, at which time I made the decision to strike out on my own and find Abbey Road. Admittedly, after the excitement of visiting Number 3 Savile Row, I honestly couldn't have waited until Tuesday, when the entire class is scheduled to visit. Plus, with my comfort level of navigating the city increasing every day and the great weather, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

After a long, brisk walk to St. John's Wood, covering a little over 3 miles, I found Abbey Road Studios, nestled in a quiet, almost suburban-like setting. Besides immediately zeroing in on the famous zebra crossing, I also saw small groups of visitors on either side of the street taking turns crossing and attempting to recreate their own version of the Beatles' album cover with varying degrees of success (much to the ire of some of the local drivers). Not surprisingly, the walls around the studio itself were covered extensively with written messages from fans from all over the world.

Once the crowds and the traffic settled down a bit, I asked some other Americans visitors present to take my photo walking across the street, and they kindly obliged. I may attempt another photo when the class returns on Tuesday, but I at least I was able to officially complete my Beatles "pilgrimage", something I wasn't able to do when I was last in London six years ago!

Off the beaten path...

There was another opportunity to wander about London this afternoon, and while my classmate Tara and I had a few points of interest that we wanted to find, we otherwise didn't have any other specific destination in mind, so off we went. Since it's Saturday and the weekend, we had to fight our way through the mass of humanity that had descended upon the shopping hotspots along Charing Cross and Picadilly, but we discovered that some breathing room was just a mere block or two to the north or south. Remaining off the beaten path became a theme for the rest of the afternoon, thus we left the din of the crowds behind, discovering some lovely, quiet parks, historical buildings, and quaint shopping areas throughout the West End and into Marleybone.

My personal highlight of the afternoon was when we were able to find Number 3 Savile Row, which was the Beatles' former Apple Corps Ltd. headquarters, as well as being the site of their famous rooftop concert that was captured in their film 'Let It Be'.






While certainly not the same tourist draw as the famous zebra crossing in front of Abbey Road Studios (which our class will eventually visit), Number 3 Savile Row still holds a special place in the hearts of Beatles' fans, who still scrawl goodwill messages of various sorts on the entryway to the building.

"Losing" yourself in London...

The more you walk around London (or any big city, for that matter), the broader your comfort zone becomes, and the more adventurous you get. Today was a classic example. It began simply enough with a search for some Gelato, which was found in relatively short order. Then, the decision was made to make our way down to the Thames, by way of Covent Garden. After some browsing of merchant stands and shops, two of our colleagues opted to remain at Covent Garden while the rest of the group pressed on to the river, which we did eventually find down at the Waterloo Bridge. The group took full advantage of the photo-op, despite the brisk winds.

We ended up taking the "extended scenic route" back to our flat by way of the Strand, Trafalgar Square, and Charing Cross. Sure, we had to reference the map a couple of times, but we never felt truly "lost" and once we sighted landmarks just a few blocks from our flat, we all knew that we had found our way back successfully. A bit of a long walk just for some gelato? Perhaps, but for the opportunity to keep exploring London, it was well worth it!

Making it across the pond...

Less than 24 hours since my flight left Minneapolis and I'm writing this post from my student flat at the Florida State University London Student Centre in the heart of the city. The flight was thankfully on-time and uneventful, as was the train journey to Paddington station and taxi ride to the Student Centre, outside of some traffic delays.

Having to lug my heavy luggage up four flights of narrow and steep stairs to my flat was a interesting exercise--it's safe to say that working those four flights of stairs for the next three weeks is going to make for an excellent workout program...

I finally got to meet the rest of my classmates, literally from all over the country, at a welcome tea reception that afternoon. Soon afterwards, several of us already began to explore the neighborhood, including a group dinner outing to Wagamama. For my jet-lagged system, chicken ramen couldn't have tasted better.

While the "official" first day of class isn't until Monday the 19th, the rest of the week and weekend will already be filled with various tours to immerse the class into the London culture. I suppose it makes sense to get everyone comfortable with the city, as once the actual itinerary starts there won't be much slowing down between now and August 4th!

London Calling...

Well, after a few last-minute errands and travel supply acquisitions, I can safely say that I'm pretty much ready to go. It's actually nice to have an evening departure, as it gives you most of the day to get everything ready and once all of the packing and other related tasks are done, you can actually relax for a little bit before heading out. Since my flight doesn't depart until 9:40, my family will be picking me up at around 5:00 and we'll have time to have dinner together before dropping me off at the airport.



The luggage is pretty full, but there was enough room for everything and I don't have to sit on it to get it closed. My cat Oliver doesn't seem to be too overly concerned yet that I'm leaving, though he stayed close by while I was packing. He'll be going along on the trip anyway as a mascot, in the form of a small, stuffed orange cat. I think the mascot is definitely more excited about going to London than Oliver is...

I've also come to realize that with a laptop, iPod, noise cancellation headphones, digital camera, Blackberry, along with all of the cables, adapters, and power supplies, I will definitely be bringing more electronic gadgets on a trip than I ever have before. Going through security should be interesting.

Typically, the reality of going overseas doesn't really sink in for me until I'm on the plane, and perhaps more specifically when the plane is actually over the ocean. That's usually the point where I can begin to think about the trip itself. That should be happening in perhaps 10 or 11 hours from now.

Having said that, the next post will hopefully be from across the pond! Stay tuned...

And so this travel adventure begins like every other travel adventure... with the empty luggage. Even before leaving the house, perhaps the most critical mission of the entire trip is the challenge of packing the optimal amount of clothing and necessities from home. Hours are spent doing laundry, sorting and folding, and staring at the contents of drawers and closets and asking yourself a litany of questions:

"Will I need this over there?"
"How many of these should I pack?"
"Do I still have room for this?"
And so on and on...

The eventual outcome, of course, is different for every trip. The game of packing and repacking can go on for hours. But, in the end, the rules will always be enforced by that piece of luggage. Expandable, rollable, and whatever else it may be able to do, that luggage is only going to carry so much...

So, here goes!