Author: Luke

A Mind-opening Experience

      Although not even two weeks have gone by, my time in London seems a lifetime away. Sometimes it doesn’t quite feel real, that just 11 days ago I was in a different country, separated by thousands of miles and the Atlantic Ocean.

       I had not had many preconceptions about what London would be like, even so, I was still surprised. I was surprised by not the differences but rather the similarities between London and many large cities in the U.S., more specifically, how many things we had in common. Thinking about it now, it makes sense. Cities, generally, all work the same way, so it would be logical that the big/basic stuff is the same. They have roads, we have roads. They have parks, we have parks. They have T.K. Maxx’s, we have T.J. Maxx’s.

       Yet there were differences. One of the most intriguing differences for me was where they put their street signs. Instead of on a post like we do, they slap them on the side of a corner building. I wouldn’t say there is anything particularly magical about this, but I realized, upon seeing their method of sign placement, that I had never thought about how there may be a different way to do such a thing. Perhaps that is what a study abroad allows you to see; it forces your mind to open up to new ideas, methods, and ways of life that you had never conceived of before.

Me at Stourhead

Looking out at the City from St. Paul’s

Group selfie on a double-decker bus

Me and Tyler at Salisbury

Me and Casey at the Queen’s House

The Peculiar Mixing of the New and the Old

As the days have gone by I’ve come to enjoy London more and more. Many things are different here than in the U.S., but perhaps none as much as the mixing of past and present. In U.S., sites of deep historical significance are few and far between. The ones that do exist are set almost on a stage, in their own environment, removed from the modern world in a way. That is not the case here. There are so many historical sites, too many to see in just 10 days. All of these sites are part of the fabric of London; they sit on the street like every other building. I first noticed this when I saw parts of the old Roman walls. They were just in a little green space, in the shadow of several buildings. I thought it was incredible that these pieces of ancient architecture were just sitting here, free for anyone to climb on, paint on, or just ignore. Although other sites I visited were held in a higher sense of reverence, they were still just sitting there, right next to the sidewalk. As I headed to St. Paul’s Cathedral, I couldn’t help but feel that it was somewhat peculiar to have this grand cathedral on one side of the street and a McDonald’s on the other. Even Westminster Abbey, which is somewhat more isolated as it is next to Parliament, sat right next to the street, with people just driving and walking past trying to get to somewhere else. It just seems wild to me that these buildings and sites of huge cultural and historical significance are framed by, or in the shadow of, apartments, cafes, and commercial businesses. Even when I went to Stonehenge, I couldn’t help but notice that it was not surrounded by a park, but rather farmland, with sheep grazing just a plot of land away. Maybe because Britain, and London more specifically, has so many historic sites, that it would be impossible to give them all the “proper” setting, so instead they are just treated like every other building. Either way, at least I can observe St. Paul’s while eating a Big Mac.

Parts of the Roman walls, just kind of sitting there, seemingly forgotten.

Stonehenge framing a highway

Westminster Abbey siting right behind a flow of traffic

The British Museum, is it right?

Today we went to the British Museum. I had a great time as there was so much to see. One of the best things about the Museum was its vast collections of artifacts and art from all over the world. However, the location of those pieces here in London raises questions concerning Britain’s (and other nations) history of “relocating” or “saving” items of cultural significance from around the world. While admiring all of the artwork, I couldn’t help but ponder on whether the British Museum should be allowed to hold such important pieces of other societies. On one hand, I would argue that it is good that the British Museum has done this, as someone like me can visit one place and see art from all over the world, dating back thousands of years. London, being such an international city, provides easy access for all of the world to experience those works of art. Had those pieces stayed in their places of origin, I would not have been able to see Greek pottery, Roman sculptures, Egyptian mummies, Chinese jade jewelry, and so much more in just one day. Most likely, I, and many other people, would have never been able to experience any of those things. On the other hand, I would argue that there is something not quite right with someone growing up in Greece, living within eyesight of the Parthenon and never seeing the Parthenon Marbles while a kid living in England could see them whenever they choose. The more I think about it, the harder it is for me to say that it’s okay. Why does England (and several other countries) get to take the most incredible pieces of culture from all over the world and keep them for themselves? Imagine if the U.S. (or any other country) just took the Crown Jewels and held them in a museum. I think everyone would agree that that isn’t right, so what’s different about what England has done? Nevertheless, I am grateful that I was able to visit the British Museum and experience all of “its” wonders.

Me displaying Greek Statues

A bronze Chinese sculpture

Me wondering if the Parthenon marbles should be housed in England

Luke’s pre-departure thoughts

I’ll be arriving in London today and I can hardly wait. There are so many things that I have to look forward to that it’s hard to remember everything that we have planned. However, there are several experiences I am most looking forward to.

One such thing is visiting the British Museum. I am a big fan of museums and as such, being able to visit the British museum is an opportunity worth today’s 3 am alarm.

Another part of our trip that I am looking forward to is our day trip to see Stonehenge. Although I have seen pictures of it, I get a feeling that seeing it in person will be a completely different experience. The age of Stonehenge alone is enough to make me pause in awe, not to mention the fact that those super-heavy stones were transported miles and miles to end up where they are now.

Another aspect of our trip that I am looking forward to is Kew Gardens. Even though this winter hasn’t been particularly cold, I cannot wait to go inside the greenhouse and see some plants with actual leaves on them. The vast diversity of species at Kew Gardens is amazing; this trip, more than likely, will be my only opportunity to see many of these plants from all over the world in person. 

    Although those three things come first to mind when I consider what I am looking forward to most, they are by no means the only things I am looking forward to. I would be hard pressed to think of anything occurring on this trip that I am not excited for.

Luke Ciminillo Delamotte’s Bio

 

Hi, my name is Luke Ciminillo Delamotte. I am a first year. My major is City and Regional Planning but I am double majoring in Economics as well. I am from Columbus, I’ve lived here my whole life. As you might guess, since I’m a CRP major, I am most excited to see the actual layout of London as a whole, how it functions as a city, how people live and work in it, and how people move around and throughout the city. However, there are several actual sites I am excited to visit. One of which is St. Paul’s Cathedral; from what I’ve seen in photos, the design seems breathtaking and I am sure that it is awe-inspiring in person. I also am excited just to travel abroad. I’ve never left the U.S. so this spring semester will be pretty momentous for me.

One of my major goals for this course is to improve my sketching skills, which are fairly novice at this point. Being more skilled at drawing has always been a life goal for me and this class seems like the perfect opportunity to achieve that. I also want to learn more about architecture, as its principles can have a large impact in city planning, especially urban design.

Luke Ciminillo Delamotte’s Bio Photo