The Last Bit of Orientation

Greetings All!

This past weekend we wrapped up all of the orientation for the students. 
Friday began with a final orientation meeting and then a planned guided walk through our neighborhood. Our tour guide, Doug, was amazing and we all troopered through--although it was very cold (40's) and rained the whole time. Not the little spitty rain...Rain. The students were NOT amused! Matter of fact, some were quite angry... especially the ones who walked by about a million chances to buy an umbrella (or brolly)...but didn't buy one. I don't understand youth sometimes.

There is much history in our little neighborhood...its origins can be traced back as far as 1068. It contains several "squares"--one of the most noted is Russell Square.  It hosts the University of London, the British Museum, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (where Alan Rickman and Ralf Fiennes are often seen visiting--I will have to stalk), the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (where names like Lister and Pasteur are etched into the top of the building.)

Also included is this marvelous sculpture of Ghandi--who received his degree from the University of London. 

Interesting Propaganda

This cathedral, which is magnificent--has no services. 

We were introduced to this cathedral that has an interesting story. It was taken over by George Irving, a deposed Presbyterian minister, who started his own sect of Irvingites. A group of people who worship as a part of the Catholic church (Apostolic) who believe in and are waiting for the 2nd coming of Christ. They are a bit of a mix between Catholic and Protestant but the interesting aspect is that during Irving's lifetime six apostles were "separated" for the work of the ministry. After his death six others were added. These twelve apostles were to ordain twelve prophets, twelve evangelists and twelve pastors. The last of the "apostles" died in 1901, and none has since been appointed. Because of this small problem, no services can be held in the church...but they have casual meetings and maybe once a year open the church for the public to see.

Our guide, Doug, and the rained on students.

Bloomsbury group lived here...Virginia Woolf anyone?

No great pictures --because it was raining so much!
Lovely brollies though!

Also the Birkbeck Library, the Senate House, the Foundling House and Museum and the home of many including Charles Dickens, Bertrand Russell (who I read in my doc program) and Charles Darwin. Included in this list is also T.S Eliot who is said to have been inspired by the many crazy cats in Russell Square and hence he created the Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, which of course later allowed us all to make hateful comments about the Broadway Show, Cats. 

We laughed, we cried, it was better than Cats!
 
Saturday began by taking them to the Tower of London. The weather was FABULOUS!
Simon Cowell's brother was our tour guide--no, he just looked like him and was much more pleasant! 

See, doesn't Gary look like Simon Cowell?

Tower Bridge background. Nice!

We saw the royal jewels--lots of bling in there and all the armor and other weapons. Overall, lots to take in, but all carried on.

The history of the Ravens at the Tower is very interesting. Known as the Guardians of the Tower, Charles II was convinced that if 6 ravens ever left the tower, the Kingdom of England and the Tower would fall. Today 7 ravens live there--an extra just in case (some are known to escape even though they have one wing clipped) and others are raised in places around London. 

I love this shot... a raven and a Beefeater.

I have to say, that many years later, my visit to the Tower--I am seriously troubled by the look of the traditional Bear-skinned Beefeater guards and their gigantic automatic weapons with clips. A very different scene...a little jolting but a sign of the times I guess.

Many kings at the Tower collected a menagerie of live and exotic animals...that shouldn't be put together. The newest addition to the Tower since last I visited are these amazing sculptures of the types of animals in his collection...given as gifts from leaders of other countries. They are made of layers and layers of chicken wire! Amazing!

The work on these animals is very lifelike from a distance.
Unfortunately, they didn't know how to feed the African elephant.

 Sadly there was a polar bear too.

The portcullis still works! Imagine that heavy spiked gate coming down!

We took time for a lunch break and ate at Pizza Express. It sound terrible but it is a really nice pizza chain here where handmade pizzas have all kinds of flavors and the salads are bigger than your head! 

Sam insisted on eating one pizza by herself. Hungry girl!

Pizza before

Pizza after..guess she was hungry.

We then headed to Westminster Abbey. While there, we ran into the gigantic group of Germans here celebrating their two teams making into the football (soccer for the Americans) game at Wembley. They created much noise and lots of colors as people were dressed in either red or yellow. Some wore both colors.

You aren't allowed to take pictures in the Abbey Nave or around the crypts--but can take pictures in some of the connected buildings.

Walking around, we found this odd sign and the subsequent door. 

Here's the door: Looks...old.

A bit of a view of flying buttresses

All saying--very beautiful and pretty amazing who is buried there.

Thus ended their Saturday of touring.

The next day we met not as early, 10 am at Green Park for a Royal Walk. Here we met our guide Marian and she walked us through Hyde Park, to Buckingham Palace, where the Queen was not in residence because it was a bank holiday weekend and a gigantic race was taking place...thousands of people! 

We then walked through Trafalgar Square, past the Royal Horse Guard Parade (where beach volleyball was held for the Olympics) and saw the horse guards. We also walked past #10 Downing Street. You know who lives there, right? 

Prime Minister at home?

Tough Venue!

Green Park

Buckingham Palace. No Royal Standard flag...no Queen. She must be at Windsor

Friday, Saturday and Sunday--lots to do. Our local Sergeant Gareth arrived later that evening to give a safety talk and we wrapped up a long week. They are all exhausted and now a little frightened after the talk ...but hopefully we will have no propped open doors and people paying attention on the Tube and their environs.

That's it for now. Classes have begun!
Cheers!
Toni

It's All in the Details!

Greetings! 

This week's blog is going to focus on the minute details of the city that I have so far been able to notice and have camera at the ready. 

This set of flats is near us, and on this day it rained,
literally all day--until we got close to home. 

I love seeing all the mini-chimneys on many of the older buildings...can't help but think of Charles Dickens and all those other English writers I have read who described those years of smog and smoke back when all of these chimneys worked! And of course, I have to wonder how did Burt fit down those chimneys for Mary Poppins? 

Metalwork has always appealed to me. One, it's something that catches my detail obsessed eye and also I can't help but marvel at the amount of work and skill that is needed to make it happen. I watched many a farrier over the years, prepare shoes for our horses and that does not account for 1/10th of the detail that we see in the workings of metal around the world. 

Here are a few I have had the time to capture:

Where to start on this detail of gates into Buckingham Palace?
 

Here's the full shot w/ Buckingham in the background.

I love the repeat of metal shapes 

from this angle.

 

 

 

 

Here they are from another perspective.

The metal work in front of the back gates of Parliament.

 

 

 Here's a shot through the rose shaped metal work.

This horse guard's helmet is amazing! Perhaps he doesn't feel the same in the summer!

 This horse guard is part of the regiment that still wears the metal breastplates.

 

 

If you look closely--you can see the images of the building in his breastplate.

 

Is it just me or is that a bison in the center?  I need to research this!

There was another detail I noticed today--of course we are surrounded by amazing marble work and masonry but this frieze really stood out because of the blue background. 

So, there are a few observations. There is so much to look at, there is no telling what I am missing. 
Until later, 
Toni 

Mind the Gap...the beginning

Greetings!

Arrivals and Departures is the theme of this new blog. Having wanted all of my life to live in England, I earned the position of Faculty Member in Residence in London for this summer. This is no easy task... as I have been learning...I will be responsible for 23 students as we visit exciting places and see amazing sites. I also will teach an Organizational Communication in the UK class as well as manage the budget, keep students from having drunken binges or getting lost. I will be here 10 weeks...over 2 months. Scott will be at home (but gets to visit for 1 week.) Samy will be my "assistant" for 5 weeks and hopefully will have some great times.

My plan is to blog about this experience and hopefully it will be both interesting to read and a fun experience had by all. So, join me as I will try to write each week. 

Arrivals and Departures:

Before we took off for our stay in London, I finally had time to pack...on Friday night! Too much going on with school wrapping up for the semester, trying to see my husband in little moments between his 12 hour shifts and trying to cram in as much agility and time with the dogs as possible! 
While packing, I did have a stowaway:

Our trip to the UK began with our driver (sounds so presumptuous) picking us up at the house and taking us to Dulles. There we had no wait, no lines, but a little trouble with security when Samy left a Chapstick in her pocket...which lead to the inevitable "pat down" and then later she was found to be carrying an enormous tube of toothpaste that was confiscated. Having alluded the wrath of the TSA we moved on to our gate and awaited our departure.  To my knowledge, Homeland Security was NOT notified.

Our flight was mostly uneventful. A little bit of turbulence. A LOT of talking from my Indian seat mate...who offered me to the chance to stay at his home if I visited India, and lots of movie watching! Sam and I did not sleep even a wink the entire flight (7 hours 49 minutes). 

We arrived at Heathrow and had no problems at the border with customs except being scolded for taking this picture: 

We then began our harrowing drive to 11 D Bedford Place, Westminster (cabbie madness!). Upon our arrival, we unloaded our monstrously American-sized luggage and dragged all of if it up 4 flights of stairs. 

Bedford Place

Our neighbors

Our Kitchen

Once you get to the top floor--we have more stairs!

3 beds in each room!

The flat is spacious...room for at least 6 people. A nice living room area with a TV that we cannot decipher the secret code to turning on. 

After being up 36 hours we decided exploring the neighborhood was in order, so we spent a little time walking around the neighborhood. We have two parks at each end of our street. Quite the festivities were going on in one on Sunday. 

Bloomsbury Park

Sam in a stinky phone box!

We tried to take a short nap and then went out exploring again and foraged for food. We ate at a sadly expensive Italian restaurant and then came back to the flat to climb all those stairs yet again and retire for the evening.



The next day, I went to the Madison House office to gather the phones, Oyster cards (tube passes) and a hair dryer designed for UK electric outlets and nothing terribly exciting happened. A woman who teaches at JMU is here to teach a 3 week Study Abroad class and she contacted us and us to see a play. Her 20- year- old daughter went along so Sam had someone her age to chat with.  Since we purchased Day tickets, we had back row --only 12 pounds sterling and a standing seat--5 pounds. (Very inexpensive!) We took turns at interval, so Sam and Becca sat first, then we sat for the 2nd act.

The play was at the National Theatre and we walked (4 miles). This was Sam's first time at seeing the Thames and Big Ben (although, did you know, that the bell is named Big Ben...not the clock?--How have I not known this all of my life?) 

We saw The House, a play set in Parliament in 1974 when the Labor party made a shocking takeover and its reign lasted nearly 5 years. The play was funny, staged in a very surreal style and included audience members sitting on stage in the seats next to the members of the House. After leaving the theatre, Sam decided she must have snacks--so we trudged out at 11:30 pm to try to find something open. We finally located a bodega that had every kind of UK candy and cake crap you could want. We bought much candy and came home and snacked. We walked 4.6 miles the first day, and 5.7 the second.

The Thames at night.

This concludes the first two days of our travel abroad.   Hopefully, I can keep a record of my exploits at least once a week if we have something fun or enlightening to share.

Cheers!

Toni