Last Day in London :(

Our last day in London led us to Leeds Castle. I have never seen a real castle before, but it was just as how I would imagine it! The drawbridge was no longer there, but we could see the old mill and gate still in place (murder holes for pouring hot oil and all). We had audio guides for our tour of the castle, so we got to hear all about the previous owners of the castle. What really interested me about Leeds was the fact that it was a Lady's Castle, having been owned mostly by women. For example, King Henry and one of his wives used to live there. We got to see her giant night bed and her small day bed, as well as what would have been her bath. Besides Kings and Queens, many famous people visited Leeds Castle. For example, JFK and Charlie Chaplin attended parties there. Not only did famous people visit, but important events like the discussions that later led to the Camp David Peace Summit occurred in Leeds Castle. The castle had so many stories tied to it, like the love story of Edward the first and Eleanor of Castile and the tragedy of Richard the second's kidnapping and murder. Lady Baillie, the last owner, probably had the most visible impact, being the last to live there. Not only is the castle gorgeous though, the grounds are too. There were black swans and peacocks walking around and a beautiful lake too.

After Leeds Castle, we got back on the coach and drove to Canterbury. On the way, we heard the story about Thomas Becket who was murdered because of a disagreement between him and Henry II. Becket became a martyr as he was killed in his own church. Even though he knew that the knights were coming, he never closed the doors of the cathedral. Canterbury Cathedral was really very beautiful. The Puritans destroyed a lot of stained glass windows, but there was one showing the genealogy of Christ that still remained, as well as some other panels that have mostly lost the rest of their sequence. We never got to see Becket's tomb though because crazy King Henry VIII went on a rampage through the church, burning Becket's tomb and supposedly throwing the ashes into the ocean. Where the tomb used to be is a burning candle though. The town of Canterbury was pretty much how I imagined it. Despite all the major stores, there were still cobblestone roads and old timey shops. I really enjoyed Canterbury.

We ended the last day shopping. We ran back to Harrods for some last minute gifts and then grabbed some Cadbury chocolates for the family. We saw a man playing the song from Titanic on a giant harp in the tube station and laughed about how he managed to carry that harp in. I really enjoyed my time in London, and I definitely learned a lot more in a week there then I think I ever could in the classroom.

Pantomime and the East End on Day Seven

The day began with a very, very long tube ride out of what we had come to know as London. When we finally arrived at the small theater where we were supposed to watch the Cinderella pantomime, we were very surprised when we saw that we were surrounded by children. As the play started, we saw why. The pantomime was definitely not what we expected. Unlike a regular play, it was much more focused on being for the children (although there were some references that probably weren't for children such as the girls being from Essex). Some of the people in our group got really into it, but a lot of us were hesitant to scream "Chocy-buttons!" What I found to be kind of weird was that, while the play was very obviously British, they played a lot of American songs. Before London, I just kind of assumed that Brits and Americans had very different ideas and culture, but now I see that there is a ton of overlap.

The long ride back was not as expected either, as more people had to leave due to the sickness. Like a plague, it slowly passed through the group. Hopefully, I could make it to the last day without getting sick.

Our next stop was the East End, but before we went out we grabbed some more distinctly British food. First was a patsy; I got one with lamb and mint. It wasn't much my style, so then I got my first Cadbury chocolate. It definitely tastes different from a normal chocolate, but it was still extremely delicious.When we started our East End walking tour, it was, not surprisingly, raining. As we walked though the East End, it was as if walking through time periods. Right behind us were the tall sky scrappers of the business district, but next to us were the remains of an old Jewish soup kitchen. We learned about three big waves of immigration to London, and specifically to this historically poor area of the city: the French Huguenots, the Jews, and the Bangladeshi. Many immigrants lived in the East End because it was on the edge of the city and tons of people were stuffed into the small area because no one could afford better housing. Like the Jewish soup kitchen, there were also remnants of the other immigrants. For example, we got to see the beautiful houses left by the rich French Hugo silk makers (whose houses are still marked with spools). There's also a monument in one of the parks on the East End that's a replica of one in Bangladesh for students who were killed. It's actually really cool to not only see so much diversity in one area, but to see how well documented it still is. For example, Toynbee Hall and Attlee House were where social work was basically started. We also got to see the only building outside of Jerusalem to be a synagogue, a mosque, and a church. It's sad to think that the business part of the East End wanted to keep expanding. Luckily an artist bought one of the buildings on the edge to keep the encroaching at bay for the YBA (Young British Artists). Honestly, the art in the East End was my favorite part. I was constantly looking for street art, and I wasn't disappointed. I don't think I saw a real Banksy, but I did see a work probably by Stik. Since I did my social media project on street art, I was definitely happy. Everything wasn't happy though. The East End was also known for the Jack the Ripper murders and the racial bombing that happened on Brick Lane. We had a lot of free time later, but there wasn't too much to do.

Finally it was our group dinner at the Standard Balti House. I usually don't like Indian food, but I really tried my best to try what I got. I can't say I loved my food (a lamb chop and a chicken in some kind of orange coconut sauce), but I definitely tried to eat what I could.I think the best way to really describe the East End was that it was covered in the shadows of many different people.

Day Six Starts in Cambridge

The day started muggy and early with a long coach ride out to Cambridge. I think no one tried to stay awake this drive because everyone (myself included) were fast asleep within minutes. As we entered Cambridge, people slowly began to wake to see the buildings of Cambridge University. While OSU is still probably much bigger, it seemed like the town of Cambridge was the entire University (and basically it is). We didn't stop to get out here though; we kept driving.

When we finally stopped, it was at the American Cemetery. In the dreary weather, the mood was very serious and solemn. As we entered, we came face to face with row upon row of crosses and Jewish stars. Every tombstone represented some young man who died far away from home. As we walked past some, I saw that the men were from many different states. Every once in a while though, I would pass a grave with no name and I felt a pang of sadness. There was a small building on the grounds. Inside was stained glass windows with all the medals of honor a person can receive for their service and all the seals from the states. There were the war plans on one giant wall with a beautiful mural. Walking out of the building, there was a long wall covered in the name of the soldiers whose bodies were never found, many of who's airplanes were shoot down. Again the men came from just about every state and there were even some famous names among them like JFK's brother. The only reason to really smile when faced with such death were the small gold flowers next to some of the names that meant that their body was eventually found. Some of the small flowers were brand new, which is crazy considering how much time has passed. There was a giant flagpole at the end of the grounds, but in light of the Sandy Hook tragedy, the flag was at half-mast. The cemetery was full of symbolism as well. For example, there are 21 flowerbeds because when you add the numbers in 1776 it equals 21.

After a humbling morning in the cemetery, we went back toward Cambridge University. The town itself is seeped in important buildings and memories. We passed by the famous Cavendish labs and went into the bar where Watson and Crick announced their discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. We also learned that Cambridge students, while surely bright, are still just college kids who like to do crazy things like party for all night at the May ball and climb to crazy heights for fun. I can't believe the rules they used to have though, and still do. Students used to have to wear their robes whenever they were off campus, and they still do when they eat in one of the dining halls. Students also had to have a strict curfew, and when one student wrote about the seven ways to sneak in, the dean replied that there were actually over twenty. The first college we saw was Trinity. The outside of the dorms was nice, but I could not imagine having to run around the quad in the freezing cold to go to the bathroom! The contest to run all the way around before the bell finishes its twelve strokes seems much more fun. The next college we went to was King's College. One of the most memorable things for me was the fact that they had an apple tree related to the apple tree Sir Isaac Newton sat underneath when he came up with the theory for gravity. Sadly it didn't make apples, but somebody always tied an apple to a string and hung it up...or they tied a banana. The King Henry statue also doesn't have his scepter. Instead, he wields a mighty chair leg (which I guess it's better than the other things students put in his hand when the school took away the chair leg).

Also very memorable was the strange clocks you could see in the window of one of the buildings on the main street. A rich man who liked clocks made this gold clock with the creepiest giant grasshopper on top that moved the clock along. Apparently, every hour, the grasshopper's mouth opened and you could hear a chain falling into a coffin. It supposedly represents that time will keep going on, but your time will end. Sometimes, I think Brits are kind of weird.

I had some real British food today! We went to the Eagle pub (where Watson and Crick made their announcement) and ordered some fish and chips. The piece of fish was huge! I honestly couldn't eat it all. We also got to watch as some men made fudge from scratch (and of course, we tried some too).