Day 1: July 8th
Was a long day on the plane because I am not used to long distance travel. We left Indianapolis yesterday at 2:20 pm, arrived in Newark at almost 5pm, flew out of there at 6:20 and arrived in London at 6:45 local time. When we arrived we met with leaders at Heathrow International which is a huge and newer complex which seemed newly automated and very busy. Spotting people from all walks of life was very interesting as we waited for other student to arrive. The bus ride to campus highlighted the very close proximity of buildings and much narrower roadways than those we find in the states and cars lined both sides. I also noticed the opposite driving direction on roadways. The streets seem to be a mixture of old brick and newer payments.
We met with Professors and took a guided walking tour to get us familiar with the operations for the tube, buses, stores and other important information. Attended our welcome dinner where we met our Professors and mingle with other students. Before dinner, I took the bus down to O2 center and bought some stuff like oatmeal, bowl, spoons and things like this so I can make my oatmeal and protein drinks. Geography around Hampstead is rolling hills that very depending on your direction of travel. I believe the school is located on middle ground because it is higher elevation than the O2 Center but lower elevation than West Hampstead Park.
Day 2: July 9th
I decided to step out in the early morning and find a coffee shop only to find out that London does not get moving until about 7:30am at the earliest and some coffee shops didn’t even open until 9:30 or so. I decided to go to Sainsbury and bought a coffee pot and supplies I would need for my dorm room.
After orientation we began our bus tour of London which is so historic and large. I love this city. What a metropolis this city is. Old and new are shoved together and life is everywhere. As we stepped off the bus we walked pass Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and other well-known attractions. We were lucky enough to see the Morris dancer near the Abbey and our tour guide said that was a rarity. This area of London seemed relatively flat and contains large and beautiful parks which contain ponds, lush trees and many beautiful gardens.
Day 3: July, 10th
Today I awoke about 7am and started getting ready for Church at St. Paul’s Cathedral. We met outside at 9am and a pretty large group of us all loaded onto the 113 bus and then took the tube to St. Paul’s. When we arrived we took some pictures outside and then went in for services. I really loved it. The focused seemed to be directly on Jesus and the Cross which I enjoyed. A letter from Paul in the book of Romans Chapter 8 verses 1 through 11was read aloud. The sermon was based on the parable Jesus used to highlight sowing seed in Matthew 13 1-9, 18-23. We sang many songs but I could not follow or understand the choir. I really enjoyed the service tremendously. The Cathedral itself is massive and such grand detail in the pillars and wood workings. The tiles on the floors are also so impressive and the marble tombs which line the outer walls highlight great sacrifice and dedication of early leaders. I have never seen a place so beautiful and moving.
After the service I walked around London and looked at some attractions like Millennium Walking Bridge over the River Thames, London’s International Salivation Army Headquarters and a special memorial dedicated to the men who died during the “Blitz” trying to save London from total destruction. The geography seen to vary here in the city and the hills seen less pronounced here than that are in other areas I have visited. Even though Church shoes were not the greatest for walking but I put many miles on them because I just could not stop adventuring London. I went to some “Charity” shop known in the states as “second hand stores” and looked for purchased some workout clothes. Day4: July 11th
First day of classes today and my geography class is on the third floor passed the reception desk where security guards are located. The college buildings appear very old and very low tech though there is a computer room with a printer and we do have wireless communications.
After classes I tried to join the “Our Gym Group” gym on Fortune Green Road but I was told I had to have a U.K. bank account to join. I walked down Fortune Green Road all the way to the O2 center and the only bank I seen was already closed. Easier walk to O2 because geography is down-hill. Many shops, restaurants and even a fire house I want to eventually visit for pictures.
After dinner I decided to visit the London Health Club because I had seen it was open. At the reception, there was a lady from the Ukraine named Barbara who had spent time in Greenwood, Indiana (very close to my town) as an exchange student while in high school. We laughed about how small the world. I hopped the 113 line and took it to where ever it dropped me which was by Victoria Station. Victoria Station is another grand structure with precise detail in everything. I am appreciating the Architecture so much because of my construction background; I realize the time and effort that went into bringing London to life. She may be older but no doubt London is a living and ever changing city. The immense amount of scaffolding overwhelms me because it seems to appear on every third building here.
Day 5: July 12th
Today we went out and about for Underworlds class. We ate lunch in the Victoria Park Gardens behind the House of Parliament which is a flat and lust green field directly next to the River Thames. We then walked to Westminster Abbey for Church service. Along the way there was so much to take in, like statutes of Churchill and Abe Lincoln to name a few. The designs and towers of the House of Parliament, Abbey and other structures seem to touch the sky. I did not take communion but did go forward to be blessed. After we left the Abbey we began to retrace the step of Mrs. Dalloway. The walk through the parks then by the Palace was really moving. This area is filled with nature which consists of a variety of wildlife, plants, trees and flowers.
We continued on to Bond Street which is a very influential shopping and living area. I bought two silk ties for 7pounds each. After about a 6 mile tour the class stopped by a local Pub to have a cold drink but I was going to the gym after so no pints for me. After a half hour rest we then moved onto the Queens Gardens which was so beautiful and smelled so nice. I have never seen and smelled so many varieties of roses. Colors consisted of bright red, yellows, white and gentler colors such as pinks and lavender. We were lucky enough to catch a wedding party which had come to the gardens to take pictures. After leaving the gardens we made our way back to school. We walked 8 to 10 miles and when I got back to campus, I headed straight to the gym to lift.
Day 6; July 13
Dropped Literature class and picked up Dance, Sports, and Games: British influence on American Pastimes. We went to the West Hampstead Park and Dr. Lewis showed us how to properly warm and stretch our bodies before and after a workout. This park is a beautiful setting with animals and tennis courts. It also sits on a hillside that overlooks London. After we warmed, and ran we did some stretching on a grassy area while listening to music. After we returned to Kings I went to the gym, showered and went to the O2 Center to get some stuff. When I came back to room I read the new class syllabus and began to prepare for my Geography class trip to Royal Observatory and London Historical Museum tomorrow. I also started to build study guides for tests.
Day 7, July 14
What a day I had. We took the bus, then tube to Financial district and then onto The Royal Observatory. Observatory obviously sits upon a large hill and overlooks the River Thames and the city of London. Currently the Olympic equestrian area is being constructed in front of the Observatory. The buildings here are hundreds of year’s old and keeping time and searching stars were both a huge part of early navigation. So there are a great deal of time pieces and versions of newer and older clocks located here. The Observatory is actually located in Greenwich and it hosts and is home of the Prime Meridian of the World. This is the 0 degree Longitude and allows visitors to straddle the 0 degree line and be standing in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres at one time. It was just too cool. Overseeing this view of London and straddling the O degree Longitude while in two hemispheres was a lifetime experience and a great memory.
I bought myself a very special gift to remember the London Royal Observatory, a Bond-Hilton watch and it is awesome. After we left there we headed to the London History Museum for a tour and seen so much as well. This class also logged about 6 miles or so of walking today. With no only street walking but stairway in and out of the tubes, this is great exercise for the legs. I always try to step-up two stairs at a time to increase the intensity on my leg muscles. After we returned to campus I went to the gym, did laundry, showered and worked on some homework. Sleep is no problem here because I am pretty worn by the end of the day.
Day 8, July 15
Off day today so I am chilling and studying in my room. Terrence came by and asked if I wanted to go to the store with him but I was just going to work out. I decided to go grab some lunch down by the O2 Center. I grabbed a grilled chicken salad and ate only the chicken and greens while I sat outside and watch the people of London move about. Afterward, I decide not to take the bus but to walk to the gym to warm up and help digest my food before exercising. Good choice because by the time I arrived at the gym I was nice and warm. It was an all uphill walk for approximately 1 to 1.5 miles. As I walked I took in all the views the neighborhoods had to offer. I looked for shop and businesses I might need in the future and just took in the buses, cars construction and people who also traveled the walks. After I finished workout, took a shower and headed for Warr’s Harley Davidson. I took my study guides for classes and tried to study on tube and buses as I traveled. After I bought some shirt for myself and friends back in States I stopped in a local neighborhood pub on the corner by the H-D dealership and met two people from South Bend, Indiana.
They saw my logo on the ISU university shirt I was wearing and we chatted for a while. The bartender looked at me pretty weird when I asked only for water put I tipped her a pound as soon as she gave it to me so she didn’t think I was broke or cheap. On the way back to campus I went to Victoria station again and had by Brit-rail Pass validated like I was requested to do by Professor Miller. On the return to Kings I stopped at charity shops and tried to find some used tennis racquets because West Hampstead Park has awesome grass tennis courts and I want to play on them before I leave. No luck with finding used racquets’ at the charity shops but I once again stopped by O2 and grabbed some baked turkey and cheese for lunch and dinners this weekend while the refectory is closed to save myself some pounds. Started working on my weekly food journal for class when I returned to my room.
Day 9, July 16
Today is a raining London morning. We have been real lucky as far as the weather goes. We learned in Geography class that we are in a Marine West Coast climate here which means mild summer and winter but lots of rain. This is caused by the warm water of the Gulf Stream that starts in South America and moves through the Gulf of Mexico then over the Atlantic and mixes with cold artic air from Labrador Canada which creates the weather patterns for United Kingdom. This patter is the same as in Washington and Oregon States of the United States. The rain kept me in most of the morning because I needed to catch up on some work because of switching classes earlier this week. About 1 pm the rain had cleared some so I decided to get out and research a trip to Amsterdam on the Euro rail transit system. I took the Tube to Waterloo station. Although it was not the correct location for International travel I did enjoy the huge station filled with restaurants, people and pigeons. Pigeons seem to be everywhere in London and surrounding areas. After pausing some 15 minutes after speaking to a police officer about the location I needed for Euro rail I moved onto the St. Pancras tube station to gather the information needed to plan my trip to Amsterdam.
Arriving at St. Pancras was just another example of the grandeur and architecture at it best. Though some parts of the tube line that enter St. Pancras are older, the international station which houses the Euro Rail line is new and states of the art. Restaurants and shops line the interior walls and a large glass domed ceiling allows natural lighting to enter and provide a warm and spacious feeling as you move about the terminal. Because of the international connections you can see many different cultures represented here. At one end of the second level there is a huge clock affixed to the block wall and I was surprised to see the Olympic Rings already placed beneath the clock. London is preparing for the world’s visit in 2012. I did not have my camera with me because of the rain but I plan to return to St. Pancras and take photographs and videos.
After I spoke to Euro Rail information services I found my way to the street and jumped on the first bus I seen. I took that bus to the first interesting looking restaurant/pub and hopped off and went inside and had a Mexican beer called Cerveza Pacifico which was four pounds. Good beer but not work four pounds. After that I decided to hop a bus toward Victoria Station and look for a friend who works at a local pub but she was not working tonight so I headed back to O2 center and bought a travel drive and returned to campus for dinner.
When I arrived back on campus I interviewed Andrew a Londoner who is also a huge European football fan. Even though the essay was 300 words I took enough info to triple that because I found all of this information so interesting. I have never been a football (European) fan so I had no clue of anything except kick the ball in the other teams net. I planned to type it up when I returned to my room but I check my email and facebook page then crashed instead.
Day 10, July 17
As I begin to type this, I am pretty depressed because I am already using day 10. My precious time in London is going too fast. I know I will blink and we will be on our way to Heathrow for departures. There are many reasons I do not even want to think about that scenario.
Today I have not left my room. I was not clear on assignment details until late last night so today I have been writing papers and studying for my Geography test tomorrow. I did some good research online for Amsterdam costs and it looks like I have been priced out of that trip. Rail fare service would be close to $600.00 U.S., alone. Not to mention the hostel prices and spending money on top of that.
Sadly, this will most likely be a quiet day on campus. It is raining again today so I really do not plan on venturing out but that could change after all, I am in London and days are slipping away.
Was a long day on the plane because I am not used to long distance travel. We left Indianapolis yesterday at 2:20 pm, arrived in Newark at almost 5pm, flew out of there at 6:20 and arrived in London at 6:45 local time. When we arrived we met with leaders at Heathrow International which is a huge and newer complex which seemed newly automated and very busy. Spotting people from all walks of life was very interesting as we waited for other student to arrive. The bus ride to campus highlighted the very close proximity of buildings and much narrower roadways than those we find in the states and cars lined both sides. I also noticed the opposite driving direction on roadways. The streets seem to be a mixture of old brick and newer payments.
We met with Professors and took a guided walking tour to get us familiar with the operations for the tube, buses, stores and other important information. Attended our welcome dinner where we met our Professors and mingle with other students. Before dinner, I took the bus down to O2 center and bought some stuff like oatmeal, bowl, spoons and things like this so I can make my oatmeal and protein drinks. Geography around Hampstead is rolling hills that very depending on your direction of travel. I believe the school is located on middle ground because it is higher elevation than the O2 Center but lower elevation than West Hampstead Park.
Day 2: July 9th
I decided to step out in the early morning and find a coffee shop only to find out that London does not get moving until about 7:30am at the earliest and some coffee shops didn’t even open until 9:30 or so. I decided to go to Sainsbury and bought a coffee pot and supplies I would need for my dorm room.
After orientation we began our bus tour of London which is so historic and large. I love this city. What a metropolis this city is. Old and new are shoved together and life is everywhere. As we stepped off the bus we walked pass Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and other well-known attractions. We were lucky enough to see the Morris dancer near the Abbey and our tour guide said that was a rarity. This area of London seemed relatively flat and contains large and beautiful parks which contain ponds, lush trees and many beautiful gardens.
Day 3: July, 10th
Today I awoke about 7am and started getting ready for Church at St. Paul’s Cathedral. We met outside at 9am and a pretty large group of us all loaded onto the 113 bus and then took the tube to St. Paul’s. When we arrived we took some pictures outside and then went in for services. I really loved it. The focused seemed to be directly on Jesus and the Cross which I enjoyed. A letter from Paul in the book of Romans Chapter 8 verses 1 through 11was read aloud. The sermon was based on the parable Jesus used to highlight sowing seed in Matthew 13 1-9, 18-23. We sang many songs but I could not follow or understand the choir. I really enjoyed the service tremendously. The Cathedral itself is massive and such grand detail in the pillars and wood workings. The tiles on the floors are also so impressive and the marble tombs which line the outer walls highlight great sacrifice and dedication of early leaders. I have never seen a place so beautiful and moving.
After the service I walked around London and looked at some attractions like Millennium Walking Bridge over the River Thames, London’s International Salivation Army Headquarters and a special memorial dedicated to the men who died during the “Blitz” trying to save London from total destruction. The geography seen to vary here in the city and the hills seen less pronounced here than that are in other areas I have visited. Even though Church shoes were not the greatest for walking but I put many miles on them because I just could not stop adventuring London. I went to some “Charity” shop known in the states as “second hand stores” and looked for purchased some workout clothes. Day4: July 11th
First day of classes today and my geography class is on the third floor passed the reception desk where security guards are located. The college buildings appear very old and very low tech though there is a computer room with a printer and we do have wireless communications.
After classes I tried to join the “Our Gym Group” gym on Fortune Green Road but I was told I had to have a U.K. bank account to join. I walked down Fortune Green Road all the way to the O2 center and the only bank I seen was already closed. Easier walk to O2 because geography is down-hill. Many shops, restaurants and even a fire house I want to eventually visit for pictures.
After dinner I decided to visit the London Health Club because I had seen it was open. At the reception, there was a lady from the Ukraine named Barbara who had spent time in Greenwood, Indiana (very close to my town) as an exchange student while in high school. We laughed about how small the world. I hopped the 113 line and took it to where ever it dropped me which was by Victoria Station. Victoria Station is another grand structure with precise detail in everything. I am appreciating the Architecture so much because of my construction background; I realize the time and effort that went into bringing London to life. She may be older but no doubt London is a living and ever changing city. The immense amount of scaffolding overwhelms me because it seems to appear on every third building here.
Day 5: July 12th
Today we went out and about for Underworlds class. We ate lunch in the Victoria Park Gardens behind the House of Parliament which is a flat and lust green field directly next to the River Thames. We then walked to Westminster Abbey for Church service. Along the way there was so much to take in, like statutes of Churchill and Abe Lincoln to name a few. The designs and towers of the House of Parliament, Abbey and other structures seem to touch the sky. I did not take communion but did go forward to be blessed. After we left the Abbey we began to retrace the step of Mrs. Dalloway. The walk through the parks then by the Palace was really moving. This area is filled with nature which consists of a variety of wildlife, plants, trees and flowers.
We continued on to Bond Street which is a very influential shopping and living area. I bought two silk ties for 7pounds each. After about a 6 mile tour the class stopped by a local Pub to have a cold drink but I was going to the gym after so no pints for me. After a half hour rest we then moved onto the Queens Gardens which was so beautiful and smelled so nice. I have never seen and smelled so many varieties of roses. Colors consisted of bright red, yellows, white and gentler colors such as pinks and lavender. We were lucky enough to catch a wedding party which had come to the gardens to take pictures. After leaving the gardens we made our way back to school. We walked 8 to 10 miles and when I got back to campus, I headed straight to the gym to lift.
Day 6; July 13
Dropped Literature class and picked up Dance, Sports, and Games: British influence on American Pastimes. We went to the West Hampstead Park and Dr. Lewis showed us how to properly warm and stretch our bodies before and after a workout. This park is a beautiful setting with animals and tennis courts. It also sits on a hillside that overlooks London. After we warmed, and ran we did some stretching on a grassy area while listening to music. After we returned to Kings I went to the gym, showered and went to the O2 Center to get some stuff. When I came back to room I read the new class syllabus and began to prepare for my Geography class trip to Royal Observatory and London Historical Museum tomorrow. I also started to build study guides for tests.
Day 7, July 14
What a day I had. We took the bus, then tube to Financial district and then onto The Royal Observatory. Observatory obviously sits upon a large hill and overlooks the River Thames and the city of London. Currently the Olympic equestrian area is being constructed in front of the Observatory. The buildings here are hundreds of year’s old and keeping time and searching stars were both a huge part of early navigation. So there are a great deal of time pieces and versions of newer and older clocks located here. The Observatory is actually located in Greenwich and it hosts and is home of the Prime Meridian of the World. This is the 0 degree Longitude and allows visitors to straddle the 0 degree line and be standing in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres at one time. It was just too cool. Overseeing this view of London and straddling the O degree Longitude while in two hemispheres was a lifetime experience and a great memory.
I bought myself a very special gift to remember the London Royal Observatory, a Bond-Hilton watch and it is awesome. After we left there we headed to the London History Museum for a tour and seen so much as well. This class also logged about 6 miles or so of walking today. With no only street walking but stairway in and out of the tubes, this is great exercise for the legs. I always try to step-up two stairs at a time to increase the intensity on my leg muscles. After we returned to campus I went to the gym, did laundry, showered and worked on some homework. Sleep is no problem here because I am pretty worn by the end of the day.
Day 8, July 15
Off day today so I am chilling and studying in my room. Terrence came by and asked if I wanted to go to the store with him but I was just going to work out. I decided to go grab some lunch down by the O2 Center. I grabbed a grilled chicken salad and ate only the chicken and greens while I sat outside and watch the people of London move about. Afterward, I decide not to take the bus but to walk to the gym to warm up and help digest my food before exercising. Good choice because by the time I arrived at the gym I was nice and warm. It was an all uphill walk for approximately 1 to 1.5 miles. As I walked I took in all the views the neighborhoods had to offer. I looked for shop and businesses I might need in the future and just took in the buses, cars construction and people who also traveled the walks. After I finished workout, took a shower and headed for Warr’s Harley Davidson. I took my study guides for classes and tried to study on tube and buses as I traveled. After I bought some shirt for myself and friends back in States I stopped in a local neighborhood pub on the corner by the H-D dealership and met two people from South Bend, Indiana.
They saw my logo on the ISU university shirt I was wearing and we chatted for a while. The bartender looked at me pretty weird when I asked only for water put I tipped her a pound as soon as she gave it to me so she didn’t think I was broke or cheap. On the way back to campus I went to Victoria station again and had by Brit-rail Pass validated like I was requested to do by Professor Miller. On the return to Kings I stopped at charity shops and tried to find some used tennis racquets because West Hampstead Park has awesome grass tennis courts and I want to play on them before I leave. No luck with finding used racquets’ at the charity shops but I once again stopped by O2 and grabbed some baked turkey and cheese for lunch and dinners this weekend while the refectory is closed to save myself some pounds. Started working on my weekly food journal for class when I returned to my room.
Day 9, July 16
Today is a raining London morning. We have been real lucky as far as the weather goes. We learned in Geography class that we are in a Marine West Coast climate here which means mild summer and winter but lots of rain. This is caused by the warm water of the Gulf Stream that starts in South America and moves through the Gulf of Mexico then over the Atlantic and mixes with cold artic air from Labrador Canada which creates the weather patterns for United Kingdom. This patter is the same as in Washington and Oregon States of the United States. The rain kept me in most of the morning because I needed to catch up on some work because of switching classes earlier this week. About 1 pm the rain had cleared some so I decided to get out and research a trip to Amsterdam on the Euro rail transit system. I took the Tube to Waterloo station. Although it was not the correct location for International travel I did enjoy the huge station filled with restaurants, people and pigeons. Pigeons seem to be everywhere in London and surrounding areas. After pausing some 15 minutes after speaking to a police officer about the location I needed for Euro rail I moved onto the St. Pancras tube station to gather the information needed to plan my trip to Amsterdam.
Arriving at St. Pancras was just another example of the grandeur and architecture at it best. Though some parts of the tube line that enter St. Pancras are older, the international station which houses the Euro Rail line is new and states of the art. Restaurants and shops line the interior walls and a large glass domed ceiling allows natural lighting to enter and provide a warm and spacious feeling as you move about the terminal. Because of the international connections you can see many different cultures represented here. At one end of the second level there is a huge clock affixed to the block wall and I was surprised to see the Olympic Rings already placed beneath the clock. London is preparing for the world’s visit in 2012. I did not have my camera with me because of the rain but I plan to return to St. Pancras and take photographs and videos.
After I spoke to Euro Rail information services I found my way to the street and jumped on the first bus I seen. I took that bus to the first interesting looking restaurant/pub and hopped off and went inside and had a Mexican beer called Cerveza Pacifico which was four pounds. Good beer but not work four pounds. After that I decided to hop a bus toward Victoria Station and look for a friend who works at a local pub but she was not working tonight so I headed back to O2 center and bought a travel drive and returned to campus for dinner.
When I arrived back on campus I interviewed Andrew a Londoner who is also a huge European football fan. Even though the essay was 300 words I took enough info to triple that because I found all of this information so interesting. I have never been a football (European) fan so I had no clue of anything except kick the ball in the other teams net. I planned to type it up when I returned to my room but I check my email and facebook page then crashed instead.
Day 10, July 17
As I begin to type this, I am pretty depressed because I am already using day 10. My precious time in London is going too fast. I know I will blink and we will be on our way to Heathrow for departures. There are many reasons I do not even want to think about that scenario.
Today I have not left my room. I was not clear on assignment details until late last night so today I have been writing papers and studying for my Geography test tomorrow. I did some good research online for Amsterdam costs and it looks like I have been priced out of that trip. Rail fare service would be close to $600.00 U.S., alone. Not to mention the hostel prices and spending money on top of that.
Sadly, this will most likely be a quiet day on campus. It is raining again today so I really do not plan on venturing out but that could change after all, I am in London and days are slipping away.
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