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Hi all
I hope this reaches all of the parents. As we have limited connectability I wanted to get out a general post to all about the status of the trip. Today we finished the third day of the walk and we are presently in the town of Wye in Kent. I am very pleased to say that other than some aching muscles and many, many blisters, all of the students are doing great! We have covered about 35 miles so far and their enthusiasm remains fantastic. The weather has been beautiful and everyone is having a wonderful time. Tomorrow we walk the final 14 miles to Canterbury and then we have a well earned rest day before we move on to the White Cliffs. I will post details on the blog when I have a chance but you can see some of my pictures at my Picasa site at this address:
https://picasaweb.google.com/mwaldredge/EnglandMTerm2011#
Please pass on the message that all is well to anyone that does not see this post.
Thanks again for letting your children enjoy this amazing experience!
Matthew
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Images From London
I am having difficulty attaching pictures from my iPad but I am uploading them to my Picasa account and you can see them there. Copy and paste this address into your browser and it should take you there.
https://picasaweb.google.com/mwaldredge/EnglandMTermFirstDay#
https://picasaweb.google.com/mwaldredge/EnglandMTermFirstDay#
The Rest of London
So many adventures, so little time to blog! Sorry we have not posted in a while but we can only connect to the Internet when we have wi-fi. So let's try to catch up. We entered Westminster Abbey early Thursday morning and saw the tombs of such illustrative people as Newton, Chaucer, Bloody Mary and Elizabeth I and Old Tom Parr, reputed to have died at the age of 152 (that's what it says on the stone!). After passing through the Horse Guard's Parade we passed Churchill's World War II war rooms (sorry we couldn't go in Rachel), Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and then spent two hours enthralled with amazing art in the National Gallery. You parents would be thrilled to see how enthusiastic your children were when viewing masterpieces from the Renaissance to the modern period. Ross School curriculum rocks! That night we ended a very full day with an excellent dinner at Wagamama and where joined by two former Ross students, Julia Wennstrom and Thomas Impiglia, who live here in London.
Friday we were up early for a 9:00 am tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theater. We had an excellent tour guide who took us throughout the amazing recreation of an Elizabethan theater and was even an extra in the movie Shakespeare in Love. After crossing the Thames on the Millennium Bridge we visited St. Paul's Cathedral and climbed the 528 steps to enjoy a spectacular view of all London from the very top of the dome. We then visited the Tower of London to see the ravens and the Crown Jewels. A fantastic day was capped off by an amazing French bistro dinner at the Little Bay restaurant (thanks Olivia for finding the best meal in London).
Saturday morning we walked the towpath of the Regent's Canal from Regent's Park to Camden Town where we visited the street markets and watched canal barges navigate the locks. On to Bloomsbury we spent almost three hours in the British Museum seeing amazing exhibits like the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles and the Sutton Hoo treasures. All agreed there was way too much to see in such a short time. But there was no time to loose as we raced down the Thames by boat to see the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. Unfortunately we arrived fifteen minutes after the last entry time, but we still were able to bestride the Prime Meridian and stand in both the eastern and western hemispheres at the same time. Most everyone was exhausted by the time we reached the hostel that night.
This morning we left our beloved Palmers Lodge and spent much of the last day in London wandering. We again met Thomas and Julia and another old student Raphael Shapiro who arrived today from the US for a Sunday lunch at The Lamb, a famous Victorian era pub. Many feasted on roast beef and Yorkshire pudding while others favored the traditional fish and chips. Finally we left London (boo) by train from Victoria Station to travel to the historic town of Rochester. We were met there by Derek of Walk-a-While Ltd. who explained the history of the Pilgrim's Trail. Tomorrow we set off bright and early on the first (and longest, 14 miles!) section of the walk. All is going incredibly well and the students have all been a genuine pleasure. Finally they created their top ten favorite parts of the trip so far:
Top Ten Events in London
Cat rescued from the tree on Lamb's Conduit
Changing of the guard at Windsor Castle
Climbing the dome of St Paul's
Little Bay Restaurant- fantastic food and cheap
The markets at Camden Town
The cupcakes at Covent Garden
The guide at The Globe Theater
British Museum- sensory overload
Walking the wall at The Tower
Tea at Fortnum and Mason
Friday we were up early for a 9:00 am tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theater. We had an excellent tour guide who took us throughout the amazing recreation of an Elizabethan theater and was even an extra in the movie Shakespeare in Love. After crossing the Thames on the Millennium Bridge we visited St. Paul's Cathedral and climbed the 528 steps to enjoy a spectacular view of all London from the very top of the dome. We then visited the Tower of London to see the ravens and the Crown Jewels. A fantastic day was capped off by an amazing French bistro dinner at the Little Bay restaurant (thanks Olivia for finding the best meal in London).
Saturday morning we walked the towpath of the Regent's Canal from Regent's Park to Camden Town where we visited the street markets and watched canal barges navigate the locks. On to Bloomsbury we spent almost three hours in the British Museum seeing amazing exhibits like the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles and the Sutton Hoo treasures. All agreed there was way too much to see in such a short time. But there was no time to loose as we raced down the Thames by boat to see the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. Unfortunately we arrived fifteen minutes after the last entry time, but we still were able to bestride the Prime Meridian and stand in both the eastern and western hemispheres at the same time. Most everyone was exhausted by the time we reached the hostel that night.
This morning we left our beloved Palmers Lodge and spent much of the last day in London wandering. We again met Thomas and Julia and another old student Raphael Shapiro who arrived today from the US for a Sunday lunch at The Lamb, a famous Victorian era pub. Many feasted on roast beef and Yorkshire pudding while others favored the traditional fish and chips. Finally we left London (boo) by train from Victoria Station to travel to the historic town of Rochester. We were met there by Derek of Walk-a-While Ltd. who explained the history of the Pilgrim's Trail. Tomorrow we set off bright and early on the first (and longest, 14 miles!) section of the walk. All is going incredibly well and the students have all been a genuine pleasure. Finally they created their top ten favorite parts of the trip so far:
Top Ten Events in London
Cat rescued from the tree on Lamb's Conduit
Changing of the guard at Windsor Castle
Climbing the dome of St Paul's
Little Bay Restaurant- fantastic food and cheap
The markets at Camden Town
The cupcakes at Covent Garden
The guide at The Globe Theater
British Museum- sensory overload
Walking the wall at The Tower
Tea at Fortnum and Mason
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The First Three Days
Hello from London! Sorry it took so long to post but we have had wi-fi challenges at our hostel. We arrived at JFK without a hitch and went from the bus to the gate in under twenty minutes! After an uneventful flight we took the Paddington Express into London and arrived at Palmers Lodge Boutique Backpackers Hostel just in time to meet Rachel and her father. Next stop was a lovely breakfast and then off to Westminster to visit the Queen. Squeals of delight sounded as we emerged from the Tube directly at the base of Big Ben. We passed the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace ending up in Trafalgar Square. While the weather was cool and cloudy the enthusiasm of the students made up for any discomfort. Next stop was Coventry Garden for coffee and hot chocolate before the rigors of overnight traveling began to set in. Returning to the hostel for well needed hot showers we enjoyed a quick dinner and then all raced for their beds.
Wednesday morning we were off to Paddington again for a short train ride to Windsor Castle. We made it in time to see the changing of the guard and enjoyed the military bands version of The Beatles "Yesterday" and "Putting on the Ritz". Next it was off to visit the State Apartments and Queen Mary's Dollhouse. After lunch in Windsor we journeyed back to central London and enjoyed a fantastic tea at Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly. Scones, jam and Devonshire cream! A little slice of heaven on Earth. To walk it off we strolled up Regent's Street and ended up walking all the way back to the hostel. Tired but happy the students spent the rest of the evening hanging out in their rooms. Overall, a fantastic start to the trip!
Wednesday morning we were off to Paddington again for a short train ride to Windsor Castle. We made it in time to see the changing of the guard and enjoyed the military bands version of The Beatles "Yesterday" and "Putting on the Ritz". Next it was off to visit the State Apartments and Queen Mary's Dollhouse. After lunch in Windsor we journeyed back to central London and enjoyed a fantastic tea at Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly. Scones, jam and Devonshire cream! A little slice of heaven on Earth. To walk it off we strolled up Regent's Street and ended up walking all the way back to the hostel. Tired but happy the students spent the rest of the evening hanging out in their rooms. Overall, a fantastic start to the trip!
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