LONDON! Part 1

As you all may have figured out, I am not very good at this whole blogging thing. It's been nearly a month since I have posted anything! So today, instead of working on my last paper that is due on Tuesday, I've decided to spend some time updating you :)

And where else better to start than London, England! Two friends and myself went to London on March 16th-17th. This blog will be about Saturday's adventures as I have a lot to post, and don't want it to be over-whelming. We left early Saturday morning in order to cram as much sightseeing in as we could. Amber wanted to spend the day visiting museums so Camille and I set off on our own little adventure.

First Stop - Westminster Abbey...possibly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the Abbey, but Camille is sneaking and was able to snap a few on her iPhone.

The front of the Abbey                       The entrance into the Abbey

Camille's secret photos of the inside

After spending nearly 2 hours in Westminster Abbey, we walked around seeing some of the main London attractions such as:

The London Eye

                     The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

The Buckingham Palace    

The following picture comes with a story. This is the Crush Room inside the Royal Opera House.

 I thought it would be pretty neat to get to see the inside of the Royal Opera House. *Please Note: Camille is wearing American leggings with the Stars on one leg and Stripes on the other while I have on my bright blue poncho.* I was able to get us free daytime visitor passes where we were supposed to only be able to see three rooms. We walk into what looks like the reception area of the Opera House and there are hallways labeled "Opera Stalls." Being the curious ladies that we are, Camille and I wonder into one of the hallways. Before we know it, we are stuck in the middle of a pack of people dressed to the nines, unable to turn around in the small hallway. We are lead up into the front of the Main Stage where in just a few moments, an opera was to begin; the place was packed. (I later did some research and discovered it was the performance of Tosca). We obviously stuck out like sore thumbs and were soon stopped and asked to show our tickets. I just kind of laughed, and said we must have made a wrong turn. Despite the embarrassment, we got to see the stage itself which was incredible!

After our shenanigans, we decided to head to the Tower of London. While in the Underground, we ran into Amber who had just finished going around to several different museums. Talk about a small world! In all of London and all the Underground stations with trains that run every 3 minutes, we somehow managed to accidentally find each other.

When we arrived at the Tower of London, the ticket officer suggested we wait until the next day to ensure we'd have plenty of time to explore and not feel rushed. So we walked down to the Tower Bridge, got some roasted peanuts and made our way to the hostel for the night. Here are some pictures of the Tower Bridge which was probably one of my favorite things! (I guess that's why I took nearly 20 pictures of the thing)

Stay tuned for Day 2 of London! As always, thanks for reading :)

Shannon Baker

Salisbury, England

On February 2, 2013, a group of six of us from Westminster College traveled to Salisbury, England.

My traveling companions at the train station. From left to right: Greer, Brianna, Ali, Camille and Hannah.

For a decent price, we were able to purchase a tour bus that escorted us to both Stonehenge and Old Sarum. Our first stop was Stonehenge where we all quickly discovered that we'd under-estimated the amount of clothing layers needed. Though the sun was shinny, it was bitterly cold with a wind that seemed to pierce through our winter coats. Nevertheless, we were all thrilled to get to witness first-hand this mystical, awe-inspiring structure that has been pictured in so many of our history books.

The group's next destination was Old Sarum where the town of Salisbury was originally established. Romans, Normans and Saxons have all inhabited the area at one point in history. To better understand the layout of the area, I've included an aerial shot taken from the site's webpage.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/old-sarum/

 This is the first ditch surrounding the site leading up into Old Sarum.

This is the second ditch before entering Old Sarum. If you look at the top of the aerial view, you can see the road we took leading into Old Sarum and the bridge that crosses this second ditch.

Old Sarum

 There were so many nooks and crannies to be explored! We spent about two hours just walking around the site discovering new walkways, staircases and amazing views.

 The remains of the town's original Cathedral.

Our final stop of the day was at the Salisbury Cathedral. The building of the Cathedral began in 1220 and was finished 38 years later in 1258. From 1310 to 1330, the additions of the Cathedral's Tower and Spire were built. With foundations only 4 feet deep, the tower and spire stand at 404 feet high.

The Salisbury Cathedral also contains the largest cloisters of any Cathedral in Britain.

 My attempt to capture the details and colors of the Cathedral's ceiling which were incredible!

The Cathedral's Altar with the Trinity Chapel's stained glass in the background.

 Fun Fact: The Cathedral's Chapter House is home to the best preserved (of four surviving originals) Magna Carta sealed by King John in 1215.

Portsmouth, England

On January 26, 2013, three friends and myself traveled to Portsmouth, England. We were able to take a train right into Portsmouth Harbour. The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (being right next to the Harbour) was our first stop where we were able to see the HMS Warrior of 1860 and HMS Victory.

The HMS Warrior of 1860 is the only surviving member of Queen Victoria's Black Battle Fleet.

The HMS Victory is the oldest commissioned warship in the world. She is known for her victory in the Battle of Trafalgar under the command of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson. 

Our next stop was the Portsmouth Cathedral which is also known as the Parish Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury. We were only able to see the Nave as the other parts of the Cathedral were under construction. 

After having lunch in The Dolphin (Portsmouth's Oldest Pub), we headed off to see the Round Tower, Square Tower, and the Royal Garrison Church. Unfortunately, the Round Tower and Square Tower were both under construction so we were not able to reach the tops of the sites. 

The Round Tower was built to defend the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour. It was completed in 1420.

The Royal Garrison Church, built in 1212, was hit by a fire bomb in an air raid on January 10, 1941.

Further down the coast, we passed through an amusement park (Clarence Pier) where we were able to satisfy our ice cream cravings, and continued on down to visit the Southsea Castle.

 The Southsea Castle was built in 1544 to protect England from invaders. The Mary Rose (Henry VIII's beloved flagship) sank in front of the Castle right before its completion.

My friend, Colleen, and I sitting on one of the surrounding defensive walls at Southsea Castle.

With the day shortly coming to a close, we decided to make one more stop at the Point (or Spice Island).

Standing at the Point with the Portsmouth Harbour and Spinnacle Tower behind me. 

Needless to say, it was a successful day in Portsmouth, England! One of my favorite parts of the trip was getting to see the Spinnacle Tower and Portsmouth Harbour lit up at night. Following are some additional pictures of memorable moments. Enjoy!

My first cup of English tea in Portsmouth's City Museum.

Playing with Deadly Weapons in the Mary Rose Museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

A walk along the coast - young vs. aged love