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