Favorite Part

Throughout the past two weeks, each and every experience was an unforgettable one.  Some of my favorites include the ride on the London Eye, Disneyland Paris, and the individual trip to Palace of Versailles.  The London Eye was amazing for so many reasons but really just because it was such a unique experience.  We were able to see the city of London and some of its most popular attractions.  Disneyland Paris was one of the best days because it was like being a little kid again running around the park to all the different rides.  It was also really awesome because I have been fortunate enough to visit Disney world in Florida and also Disneyland in California, and can now say I’ve been to Disneyland Paris.  As I have learned so much about the Palace of Versailles in my history classes throughout high school it was incredible to see the real thing in person.  The courtyard and gardens were probably some of the most beautiful landscaping I have ever seen.  The trip as a whole was an unbelievable experience and one to remember for a lifetime.  

Kelsey Scamman

Day 5; Jaguar and Range Rover Plants

      Although this was one of our earlier mornings, I was too excited to sleep on the bus. Waking up at 5am seemed easy, with the rest of the busy London-ers this morning. We all shuffled on to the bus where most of us resumed sleeping, but this was my first time out of London, and my first time to get a chance to see a little of the country side. I was in maximum "tourist" mode, taking pictures of the sunrise hitting the green and yellow- flowered hills as the bus sped by. I felt as if I was in a movie seeing farmers getting ready to tend to their sheep in the fields! But nothing could get me more excited then when we finally arrived to our destinations; the Jaguar and Range Rover manufacturing plants.
      I had chosen to go to the Jaguar plant because ever since I was younger that was "the" car to have. When I think of Jaguar, I think of power, pride, and speed. Walking into the foyer of the factory was so exciting, being able to see the newest models of the XJ, XF, and XK made me even more ecstatic to be there, and to learn how this ever growing company makes these diamonds in the rough. Even though we had to wear vests and dorky goggles, I couldn't wait to get inside and see the busy shuffle of the factory floor.
     At first, I was surprised by how organized it was. In my head I was imagining a huge dark building, with confusing pathways and loud crazy noises. But this plant was so clean, so bright and almost, well simple. The noises were soft hums of machines and cracks of ignited sparks, I just wanted to learn about every process to making these perfected sports cars; which I did. Our tour guide was wonderful, he would stop at every station and explain how each machine and employee worked. He would ask us questions to get our minds thinking, through which I feel we better understood why they did what they did. For example, they use aluminium metal for most of their parts and for the body of the car because it is lighter, and more efficient when it comes to dynamics and speed. And one of my favorite things that I learned about this plant is how the employees communicated. If, for example, the station where tires were being put on needed assistance, the employee would pull a string which would initiate a jingle to play throughout the factory. Each station had their own jingle, so when "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer" would echo throughout the plant, someone would know to assist the tire placement station. I thought that was so smart because it is a fun way to communicate with each other in the most efficient and effective way. Which brings me to something else that I learned from visiting this factory, that time management is one of the most crucial aspects of being successful in a business. The Jaguar plant taught me that yes, they do need to get their products finished and sent to the customer (because their customers are usually custom ordered or special requests) as quickly as possible, but they also need to take the time to make sure their product is perfect. Quality over quantity is one of the motto's they go by, which makes perfect sense to me. If they find that the dimension of a bumper is off even by a centimeter, it will make the rest of the manufacturing process a failure. They take pride in their products, which is why they are gaining more and more demand around the world today. This trip was definitely worth the hour drive at 5 in the morning, and the business techniques concerning the manufacturing of products and appealing to your target market will be useful throughout my life.

Maggie Keane, Class of 2014

London

Throughout the past two weeks my favorite part of the trip was in London when we went to Westminister Abbey. It was interesting seeing all of the history that our tour guide showed us. Seeing the memorials of all the historians that I have learned about in the past was very intriguing. I learned so much here and it captured an interest for me. Also, seeing where Kate Middleton and Prince William got married was very fascinating. We were able to walk along the same path as Kate had when she walked down the aisle and learned fun facts about their wedding. This day was undoubtedly my favorite because of the culture and history that we learned from this visit to West Minister Abbey.

--
Courtney Coelho
Bryant University
Class of 2014

Versailles

Visiting the Palace of Versailles was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The Palace was originally a hunting lodge for King Louis VII, but was turned into a more ornate chateau by King Louis XIV during the 1600s. The town of Versailles is about a 45 minute train ride from Paris and the Palace is only a 10 minute walk from the Versailles station. When we got there, we saw the extensive gardens and then went inside to tour the rooms. Everything is beautiful and ornate with gold detail, and all of the windows have picturesque views of the gardens. We also saw the famous Hall of Mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919 to end World War I. After leaving the Palace we wandered through the beautiful town of Versailles and shopped in an outdoor market.  It was a great opportunity to see what France looks like outside of Paris. I really enjoyed touring the Palace and town of Versailles and hope to return to France soon.

Stephanie Lizardi, Class of 2014

Day 12

After what felt like a very long trip Day 12 finally arrived. I could not believe that this was our last day in Paris and have to start the process of heading home. Although the trip seemed very long because our jammed packed days we have only been away for 10 days. Personally I did not want to go home. I could have stayed in Europe for another week. Today was no different than any other day on the trip. We all were up at the crack of dawn getting ready for the days events. Today was the first time that everyone was able to decide which event they would like to go to. Many of us went with Betty and Ron to Invalides, a museum of military history of France, as well as a hospital and retirement home for war veterans. The museum was packed with European military equipment throughout the last 200 years. On display were different uniforms and weapons used throughout many famous wars. One of the best parts of Invalides was the tomb of Napoleon. His bodies lies in a huge tomb in a beautiful hall with a high dome, which is ironic because of how small he was. After viewing the Napoleon's tomb most of started to head back to the hotel to get ready to leave.
          After leaving the museum everyone packed their suitcases and waited to be taken to the airport. Some of us went to the Eiffel tower one last time before we had leave.We finally left the hotel and made our way to the airport. At this point everyone said there goodbyes to Paris and were off to the United States. On the flight I believe the majority of us stayed up the entire time and watched as many movies as possible. The second the plane landed everyone turned their phones back on and were bombarded by mass amounts of emails and texts that were not received over seas. After this everyone said their final goodbyes. Some people were leaving from Logan airport and others were heading back to Bryant for the night. This trip was a once in a lifetime experience, and is something that I will never forget. We had such a great group of students and leaders that made everything so much fun. Hopefully I will be able to return to Europe sometime soon.

Alex Marenco, Class of 2014

Louvre and Bus Tour of Paris

Bonjour everyone!

 

It's such a beautiful time to be in Paris!  We had great weather today in the upper 80s and it's feeling like summer!  Our day consisted of visiting the Louvre and taking a bus tour! We got to the museum around 10am and split into 2 groups and met our tour guide.  She showed us around to the different paintings of Napoleon, famous queens and kings, and Egyptians.  We also saw many different sculptures and one of my favorites was the Mona Lisa!  It was a lot smaller than I imagined but it was a great experience!  After we walked around for an hour we got some lunch at the food court outside the museum and had a chance to do a little shopping.  I got a Paris bag with a map that covers the bag, a charm bracelet for my mom, and a little music box.  After we all met as a group, we had a bus tour of the city of Paris!  It was a great, we got to see shops, the Arc De Triumph, and travel all around the city!  Paris has been amazing so far and I can't wait to travel all around the city and discover new places and more deserts! 

 

Au revoir!

 

Pamela Sitkiewicz

Class of 2014

London Day 3

After a jam-packed day full of insurance markets, museums, musicals, it is almost time for bed.  It was a very long, very hot, very tiring day, but it was all worth it, because we're in London!!  This morning we donned our formal business suits and headed to the tube in order to listen to a presentation by Paul Dalton from Lloyd's of London, the world's leading insurance market.  I personally found the presentation to be very interesting as he discussed the origins of Lloyd's and the different components of an insurance market.  We then headed to Lloyd's of London.

Lloyd's of London was a very interesting building, very different than those we see in the States.  To tell the truth, it is almost ugly, but it is very cool to see.  All of the things that would normally be found on the inside of the  building were placed on the outside to allow for more room on each floor.  All of the water and other pipes and even the glass elevator can be found on the outside of the building.  From the top floor of Lloyd's, we could also see the Olympic Stadium which was very awesome.  Lloyd's of London also held a lot of English History.  For example, it had the logbook of the original sinking of the Titanic, among other things.

After Lloyd's we visited the Bank Museum and learned all about the gold standard, the origins of the National Bank and other interesting things.  We also got to walk around the Royal Exchange which was very high-class and luxurious.  As if that wasn't enough, we then got back on the tube and headed to the British Museum which was massive and beautiful.  My friends and I capitalized on the opportunity to view the Rosetta stone.  We also checked out the Egyptian galleries, which have always been my favorite.

This evening we got to see Mama Mia which was amazing! I had never seen the show or even the movie before so I was so excited.  The music was so catchy and the actors were so talented and engaging.  The entire audience was standing and singing and dancing at the end of the show.  Overall it was a great day.

Summer Lyons, Class of 2014

Last night in Paris

Good afternoon!

 

It's our last day in Paris! I'm going to miss waking up next to the Eiffel Tower every morning and having a great view on the balcony!  The past 10 days have gone by very fast in England and Paris.  Everyday has been an exciting and new adventure with many miles of walking and hopping on and off of the off the Tube and Metro.  For the last day, Angela, Jamie, Ramesh and I went to the Centre de Pompedue.  I learned about the museum in high school when I was taking French so I thought it would be exciting and I wanted to go visit all of the paintings and sculptures.  One of my favorite parts of the trip was climbing the Eiffel Tower.  We did it at 10pm on Tuesday and it was amazing seeing the whole city and all of the buildings and lights!  One of my favorite parts of England was going to Westminster Abby.  I loved the architecture of the inside and the beautiful stained glass windows. 

This trip has been a once of a lifetime experience and I hope that I will come back very soon and travel more in Europe.

 

Au revoir!

Pamela Sitkiewicz

Class of 2014

Paris

My best day on the trip had to be the second night in Paris. I most definitely enjoyed London, but since our hotel here in Paris is almost directly in front of the Eiffel Tower I enjoyed the view. The first night here in Paris, a group of my friends and I just went out to eat and walk past the Eiffel Tower. Once we saw how many people sit on the grass area in front of the tower we planned to do the same. We walked around the hotel in search of something to eat and we found a nice french/italian place that gave a a meal of panini and fries for a fairly good price. Once we picked up our food we sat on our towel and ate right in front of the Eiffel Tower. We had a great time just sitting there and eating while many others did the same. Aside from having so many men offer us wine, we had an amazing time. Just sitting there chatting, eating, and enjoying the view. It was an experience to remember for very long. I was so glad I decided to go out even though I was so tired from the morning activities. Even though I had seen the Tower light up the night before, I still enjoyed it as if it had been my first time. It is such a great thing to watch!


Jessica Guerrero, Class of 2014

Lloyds of London

Reflecting on the past two weeks, my favorite part of the trip had to be the visit to Lloyds of London. The structure of the building was absolutely amazing. All of the pipes and elevators were located outside of the building and the modern façade truly stood out against the older building.  After going inside the building, we were able to ride the elevator which was technically outside. The glass walls gave an amazing view of the city and we were able to see for miles. Next, we went into the trading room where we saw hundreds of people working. It was really a cool site and there was so much energy in the room. We learned all about the history of Lloyds and even got to see the insurance claim for when the Titanic sunk.  After our tour we all walked around the financial district together, blending in quite nicely as we were wearing our business formal. This day was truly one to remember and absolutely one of the highlights of my trip. 

Meghan Crowley, Class of 2014

Lloyd's of London

It is very difficult to name one single event as my favorite from this trip because everything we did in both London and Paris was extremely exciting and interesting. However, one event that stood out to me was when we visited Lloyd's of London, the famous insurance market place. This building was enormous and very modern and even had a glass elevator which allowed us to see incredible views of the city of London. The building also had a central cluster of crossing elevators that started on the main business floor and continued up to many other floors. Not only was the construction of this market place cool to see, but the information we learned about their functions and tasks was also very interesting. Lloyd's of London is known for insuring unusual and strange things including body parts, miniature sculptures, and basically anything you want. Our tour guide showed us a book where they keep track of all their "losses" and which they write in everyday with a traditional quill. In this book The Titanic was recorded as a loss after "the unsinkable ship" tragically hit an ice burg. This was really exciting to see because the Titanic is such a well known story. After hearing everyone's reaction to the tour when it was over, I think it is safe to say that everyone really enjoyed this part of the trip and will not forgot visiting the extremely successful office.
-Kady Deane

Bus Tours

My favorite part of the trip were the bus tours of the two cities. They gave us an overview of some of the most important historical places and events. They were also very helpful in planning what places to visit during our stay. I feel that the bus tours taught me a lot about London and Paris. I would definitely recommend them in the future.

- Elise Daniell

straight to the top

I would have to say that the best part of my Sophomore International Experience was climbing the Eiffel Tower in Paris. At a first glance, the massive iron structure appears intimidating, but once you are up close to the tower, there is a feeling that reels you in and forces you to want to get to the top. It cost 9 Euros to climb 674 steps to the second level of the tower, & then take the lift to the third level. The walk was invigorating. The view was incredible. Arriving at the final platform was an accomplishment that seemed very much anticipated by all of the people at the top. France is an absolutely wonderful place, with so much culture and history surrounding you everywhere you go, but for me, it would be hard to imagine Paris if the Eiffel had actually been torn down...it is truly, so much more than an icon. Looking down over the city of Paris from the Eiffel Tower really makes you think about how much of the world there is left to experience.

--

Angela Rosario Potter 2014

Walk to Remeber

My favorite part of the trip was being able to have our own time at night and throughout some days.  My personal favorite was our first night in Paris.  The group went to Notre Dame and then after my girlfriend and I went back and walked all the way back to our hotel which was quite a few miles.  It was really nice to see the beautiful city and to be able to stop where we wanted for as long as we wanted.  I enjoyed stopping and see Notre Dame a lot along with the walk down the river seeing the Museum D'Orsay which really is an amazing sight.  Topping off the entire journey as getting back by the hotel and seeing the Eiffel tower light up and sparkle.  it was indeed a perfect day in the amazing city of Paris.
class of 2014 Seth Weimer

May Vickers - My favorite part

My favorite part of the SIE London Paris trip was climbing down the Eiffel tower at night and seeing it sparkle on my way down. The sparkle lasts for about ten minutes and occurs approximately every hour. The sparkle from the tower was reflected on the buildings. This was my favorite part of the trip because I have never seen any other kind of architecture like the Eiffel tower in other countries. The metal looks duller in the daylight but at night the whole tower is lit up and really reflects French culture and their appreciation of fine art. I had a wonderful trip and hope to return back to London and Paris in the future.

Not Getting Lost

The London Paris SIE trip was a lot of fun. One of the things I am most proud of is the fact that I was able to navigate my way around two foreign cities without getting lost. I had never really used public transportation before and I was able to figure out the tube/metro in both places. One was even in a foreign language. It also helped me learn how to read maps better, and I feel like I would no longer be afraid of traveling in larger cities. Rebecca Revaz '14

Piccadilly Circus

My favorite part of the trip was walking around Piccadilly Circus in London. This gave us a great opportunity to sample the local cuisine and meet locals. The fish and chips and the steak and ale pie were especially delicious! The locals in London were for the most part, very welcoming and helpful. These experiences made the trip very enjoyable. Lauren Fayne, Class of 2014

Stairway to Memories

Sitting in our hotel, I am thinking back to all the fun activities and seminars that we have done while out of the United States. Of all the things that I recall doing climbing the stairs of the Eiffel Tower was by far the most memorable. Although we did not do this as a group, my roommate and I took the potentially overwhelming physical challenge together, literally one step at a time. We could not walk every step to the top because we were not allowed, but we did hike the 689 steps available to us. From the front door of our hotel it is exactly 400 steps to the base of the Eiffel Tower. We made it to the top in about 12 minutes. By the time we made it to the top it was sunset. We were allowed to take the elevator down to the ground. On our way down the tower started to twinkle. It was magical. I do not think that I will ever forget descending the most recognized monument in the world while it sparkled in the night sky. I could not help but think back to the things that we have learned on the trip. Being on top of one of the tallest structures in Paris allowed me to fully appreciate the beauty of Paris. 1789 steps to the top, but an infinite number of memories on the way down. Denise Wood Class of 2014

Day 10

Hi everyone!

We have now been in Paris for a few days and it is absolutely gorgeous. For our tenth day in Europe, we first visited Fontainebleau and the beautiful palace located there. We got a great tour of this palace and learned alot about who it has housed over the years. Many kings resided there when they were not at the Louvre or other homes. An interestering part of this palace was that there were many different designs within the building because most kings who lived there changed something about it to go with their own personal tastes. One of the most famous men to reside there was Napoleon himself.

Many rooms of this palace are decorated with gold embellishments and intricate detail. There are many different apartmetns within the massive home and each room had its own purpose back when royalty lived in it. There were rooms used solely for sleeping to ones used as grand ballrooms and throne rooms. The state does an amazing job of keeping the palace in tip-top shape. One of the best parts about this place, however, had to be the perfectly symmetrical garden behind the building where we must have taken at least 10 group photos! After the tour was over, we had some free time to get lunch and explore the town a little bit.

After leaving Fontaibleau we stopped at Barbizon Village to check out the little town. It is actually an extremely quiet town with not all that much going on. Artists tend to live there, and many people also visit for peaceful vacations. We walked around for a few minutes and then jumped back on the bus to go back to the hotel and have free time from about 4:00 p.m. on. Overall, it was a good day and the trip has been amazing so far!

Jamie Pepin 2014

Premier Jour en France

Bonjour !

 After a long trip from England (which was unbelievably delayed due to an earlier suicidal accident on the train tracks) our group has finally arrived in Paris, France. From the moment of our arrival, you could sense the cultural differences amongst the two European nations. In England, it is evident that a lot of the architecture was constructed more recently; all of the buildings were symmetrical with modern marvels surrounding the city. Much of it was so picture perfect and extremely tidy (most likely because the country is anticipating the Olympics). France on the other hand, gives off a uniquely beautiful atmosphere by combining contemporary aspects with a much richer history.

Graffiti art was spray painted on the sides of underground buildings and used as advertisements on trucks. Artists behind Notre Dame set up their canvases by the rose gardens and fountains, avid to recreate. Musicians in the streets & even on the metro were ready to serenade a crowd with their accordions. Street dancers from Africa were impressive with their dances of capoeira, one performer even balancing a bowl of goldfish on his head while dancing!

Norte Dame was absolutely amazing. Hard to believe that everything from the stained glass to the detailed gargoyles, saints & kings was constructed without modern machinery. It was moving to tour the inside of the Cathedral while a mass service was taking place, whereas Westminster Abbey in England was a museum with a tour guide. The religious theme of most of the architecture in Paris contributes to the romantic vibe of the city, along with the notoriously picturesque Eiffel Tower, which is right across the way from our suites in the Pullman (that has free wi-fi btw :)

A three course meal for 12 euros was deliciously satisfying for lunch. Ordering in France for the first time didn’t prove to be an issue, as a few versions of the menu were in Anglais. French Onion Soup Au Gratin, followed by Salmon Pasta in a Lemon Butter Sauce & completed with Chocolate Mousse was the perfect way to take in the culinary arts of France. ( I am ashamed to admit that a couple of us stopped in McD’s in England ).

Enjoying a meal with friends in the outdoor restaurant setting where we could listen to a musician singing French songs was, by far, the most perfect way to experience the Parisian culture for the first time.

Au Revoir,
<3 Angela Rosario Potter 2014

Day Five

Greetings from Paris! Unfortunately I just made time to talk about our fifth day in London, we have been kept very busy! On Friday we split up into two groups and went to either Jaguar or the Land Rover plant where they made and distributed the cars. I went to Jaguar and found the production line very interesting. We went through two different models from start to finish and saw each step of the process. Throughout the process our guide spoke about the lean mangagement system that they use where all waste is eliminated so they can have the most efficient and effective system. This was cool for me because I had just taken operations management and what I learned in class was applied at Jaguar. We went through a PowerPoint presentation after the site tour and were told the details of their process and distribution. Jaguar no longer uses the fordist model where they made too many cars and did not have enough demand for the cars so they lost money. They now make each car once they are ordered, so each car is made for specific buyers the way they want them. I found the Jaguar plant to be very interesting and insightful. I did not attend the Land Rover site visit but since both car manufacturers are owned by Tata of India, they are ran very similarly. After lunch at the site, which consisted of chips and candy because we did not like the food, we went to Warwick Castle. The weather at the castle was beautiful, sunny, and warm. We went through the wax museum of old knights and kings as well as went up and down the three towers. The views from the towers were many green fields and we saw the town very clearly. I would say we all enjoyed our time spent at Warwick Castle on such a beautiful day to be outide. Cheers! Stephanie Benowitz 2014

Day 6

Greetings from London!! Today was our last full day in here and it happened to be the day we had the most free time to explore the city even more! This morning we went on a river cruise to Greenwich, walked around that area for a while and at after lunch we had the rest of the day off.  Everybody scattered into different groups and visited different places on their own.  I personally went to Abbey Road (famous picture with The Beatles), while others went to see the new Olympic stadium and some went shopping around the city. The weather has been absolutely amazing this entire trip, high 70s to low 80s and sunny the entire time! We definitely got lucky in that aspect of things.  The days are long and exhausting but 100% worth it; there doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to do everything that we want! I'm extremely sad that we're departing London tomorrow morning to head of to Paris, but I'm excited to see what it has to offer! This trip has been so amazing so far and I can't believe it's already halfway over.

Cheers!

Kelsey Grady (2014)

Day 4 in London

Our fourth day in London was very busy, but very enjoyable. We were all dressed in our business suits as we took the Tube in the blistering heat to listen to a speaker on Lloyd's of London, Paul Dalton. He gave us a very informational background on Lloyd's and told us what to expect when we arrive at Lloyd's.

We then visited the Bank of England museum. This was a small museum that gave an overview of the historic bank and the country's currency. It was interesting to compare the currency to the currency in the US. We were also able to walk around a shopping hall where several scenes in Harry Potter were filmed.

We then made our way into the Lloyd's Insurance Market building. This building is extremely unique even from the outside with all the usual inside pipes and elevators being on the outside. We went through security and walked throughout the building. We went in a glass elevator that showed off a seemingly endless view of the city and we visitied the underwriting fllor. We got to see the underwriters and brokers at work, as well as the written records of losses that date back many centuries. This included the written record of the loss of the Titanic.

Later in the day, we visited the British Museum. Even in a short amount of time, we saw many objects such as the Rosetta Stone and the Pantheon sculptures. In the evening, we saw the musicial, Mamma Mia!, at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Although I had seen this show before, it was great to see it again, especially with English accents!

We have one more day in London tomorrow, and then its off to Paris!

-Lauren Fayne, Class of 2014.

Day 4

Hello from London!  Today we went to Lloyd's of London and the Bank of England.  In the Hamilton House, we were given a brief introduction of the Lloyd's of London and how it is a market for insurance between brokers and underwriters.  When we went to go visit the location, we had to split up into 3 separate gorups due to security reasons.  Lloyd's has a very unique design with the elevators and pipes on the outside of the building to create most space on the inside.  We were given a tour that was very interesting about the process of insuring specialty items between brokers and underwriters at the boxes.  It also included the original coffee shop where the signing of the insurance claims were made.

Since the group was split up into 3 different groups, the others either had an independent lunch or went to visit the Bank of England.  The Bank England involved a quick quiz of finding information through the mesuem part of the bank which included the history of it, today's structure and the different forms of currency available.  We had a very eventful and enjoyable morning!  Cheers!

Jeffrey Oberg, Class of 2014

Hello from London! On day three we visited the Parliament,Westminster Abbey, and took a city tour.  We started off our day bright and early with a trip on the coach bus.  Warren, our tour guide, exposed us to a variety of sights within the city of London. As we drove through the streets students on the bus were scrambling to take photos through the windows.  There were many significant monuments on either side of the road which created a competition. Warren would announce, " coming up on your left you will see the Tower of London", and the people on the right side would quickly try to snap photographs.  This tour was all done solely on the bus, however Warren directed us to the Changing of the Guards at Windsor Castle. We were able to stand behind gates and view a parade-like ceremony where the guards were led by police on horses and a marching band. They marched up to the gates, and switched the guards' shifts. We were surprised to see how robotic and organized the ceremony was.

After the ceremony concluded, Warren dropped us off at Parliament. Here we discussed the differences between the UK laws and the United States Constitution. There were many surprising facts that we learned, which included the high illiteracy rates in the UK as well as the universal health care situation. Students posed several questions to try to get a better understanding of the United Kingdom.

Soon after we took a tube-ride to Westminster Abbey, which is an enormous cathedral governed by the Queen of England. Here, many significant historical scientists, poets, Kings and Queens were buried under the marble floors of the cathedral. We split up in to two groups, and were given detailed tours of the entire church. We were not allowed to take any pictures of the gorgeous architecture and scupltures, but we can tell you that they were breath-taking!

After we left the church we took a walking city tour, in which we walked past the iconic London Eye and strolled across the walking bridge (across the Thames River). Although the area was packed with people and fun attractions, we did catch some sneaky pick-pocketers who were trying to distract innocent tourists by challenging them to a simple magic trick. Luckily we made it out okay!

We'll update soon!! Cheers mates!

Ariana Goldberg, Elefteria Kastanaras, Jamie Bowers

Exploring London

Hello from London! We got off the plane this morning bright and early at 6:30am! And because most of us could not sleep on the plane we are now running on 35hours of no sleep! Despite that we had so much fun today. When we left the airport the group split for tours of Oxford and Hogwarts.  My tour was of Hogwarts and it was truly incredible! We got to look at the real props and sets that were used in the making of all 8 Harry Potter films.  We saw all of the actual costumes that all of the actors and actresses wore.  And there was even a chance to take a picture on a flying broom using a green screen!  Being able to see the actual props used in the films and seeing a lot of what happens behind the scenes was truly magical.  It was an experience that I will always remember about this trip- and I'm sure those on the Oxofrd tour saw some really interesting things as well!  After our Hogwarts and Oxford tours, we went to our hotel and were able to finally shower and rest!  But only for a little while and then we were back to our schedule and learned how to ride the London Undeground.  The rest of the evening was dedicated to exploring Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square.  There is so much to do there! It is like the Times Square of London! So many restaurants and shops and places to go.  It is about 10:30pm here right now and finally i am about to go to sleep- although some are still exploring this awesome city! Can't wait to see what the rest of the trip has in store!

Cheers!

Jen Thayer 2014

Day 1 in London

Hello! I am writing this very exhausted because I've literally been up for 35 hours. Its been a long day. We got off the plane at 6:30 in the morning. I think I can speak for most people when I say that I thought I would sleep for at least 4 or 5 hours but couldn't because there was no way I could get comfortable on that plane. Once we did get off we waited in a very long immigration line to officially get us into the UK! Right from the airport after a quick break we set off in separate coach buses to either Oxford University or the Hogwarts studio tour. I went to Hogwarts. As a Harry Potter geek I was freaking out over the numerous Harry Potter set objects, props, and buildings that were at the tour that were actually used in the movies themselves. It was definitely an incredible experience for all the Harry Potter fans. My favorite things I got to see there were the Grand Hall where all the meals and the sorting hat scenes were filmed. I also loved seeing the different props such as the goblet of fire and the snitch. We even took it one step further and got our pictures on the broomsticks and in the flying car. After the tour, we had some unexpected time to kill so we went to have lunch and explore a little of London. Once both tours were over, we all came back to the hotel and took much needed showers. At 5:30 we all met outside to learn about how the Tube worked. We went to Leicester Square via the Tube and walked all around and took pictures. Then we were free to enjoy the night doing whatever we wanted.

Can't wait for Day 2 and the rest of our time in London!

Ashlee Burke '14

Bonjour et Bienvenue!  (Hello and Welcome!)

So excited to leave for London and Paris with our wonderful Bryant group!