Author: Elizabeth Rechin

Coronacation in the Perfect City

Even with all of the stress of getting to London and being able to come back to the country amidst a pandemic, the trip could not have been better. Yes, there were some unexpected bumps in the road, but we made the most of it and had a fantastic group experience. Looking back on the trip, I can’t help but smile at all the fun times shared with everyone in the group. I would not have imagined myself becoming so close and having so many memories with people I barely knew all semester. I’m so grateful that everyone was able to bond so amazingly and created a fantastic experience while in London.

I am especially grateful to anyone and everyone that helped me when I got a little sick, because it honestly sucked. But everyone’s positivity and support made me feel so much better:). Even though I had to miss out on a few things, I am so thankful that I got to experience as much of the trip as I did.

London is a city that holds a new special place in my heart. While the sites we saw were beautiful and the places we went were unforgettable, the thing that makes London so special the people that were there. We had a crazy trip with a lot of unknowns, but we got through them together and I could not have asked for a better experience. I can’t wait to eventually go back to that special city.

Sketch of St. Paul’s

Ballie Ballerson

MAMA MIA

British Museum Sketch

a Blake photobomb

Camden Market

Casey looking very normal

Where the Royals have Been

I’ve been obsessed with the Royals ever since I can remember. My love for Queen Elizabeth was obvious because we shared the same name, so much so that I wrote her a letter when I was little and was lucky enough to get one back from her “lady in waiting”. Being able to be inside of the place where she was coronated, being able to see the coronation chair, and walking that same ground was so amazing to me. Also being able to be in the same place where Kate and William recently got married was so amazing, from watching it on TV to actually being in that same room they were once in.

Even though we couldn’t take many pictures of Westminster, there were so many interesting things inside of it. I personally loved the way that it was a constantly changing church. The way our lovely tour guide described it as, things are constantly being added so we are not frozen in a gothic time, but rather be more dynamic. I really liked this concept because many times I am in a gothic church, it sometimes does feel a bit frozen in time. Not that some architecture shouldn’t be completely preserved in the completely original form, but I think it’s important to remember to stay dynamic and understanding as the ages pass.

Inside of the chapter house at Westminster

For our museum of choice, we went to Tower of London and saw the Crown Jewels, another very important part of the Royals that I was beyond excited to see.

White Tower at Tower of London

Frightening Traitor’s Gate at Tower of London

Blog 1

On Saturday, we were able to go to so many cool places such as Barbican, Museum of London, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. We took the tube for the first time from Tottenham Court Road to St. Paul’s on the Central Line! The tube was much cleaner than I could’ve imagine, especially compared to the subway in NYC. It felt very easy to navigate which was very reassuring for the rest of the trip.

Casey and I in the Tube for the first time.

Barbican was a very different building to be in, as I haven’t been in many brutalist buildings before. It was really interesting learning more about Brutalism from Troy’s lecture while we were in the building.

From Barbican we went to the Museum of London. There were a few really cool sections to see, but the most exciting one was definitely the London Wall. Even though it is just a small bit of the wall, it is so amazing to think of how long that has been standing and how much history is within that wall. We got to go all the way up to it, which I wasn’t expecting. The wall was amazing to see, and obviously Casey was very excited about it.

Casey being extremely excited about the London Wall.

After being at the museum we made our way to St. Paul’s Cathedral. This was by far my favorite part of the trip so far. I’ve been in many beautiful churches but this was one of the most amazing churches I’ve ever been in. The dome was unreal and even though the stairs all the way up to the top were extremely difficult, the view from the top was so worth it.

The inside of the dome at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Elizabeth’s Pre Departure Blog

Sitting in the airport waiting for our second flight is making me more excited to be in London than ever! Applying for this trip seems so long ago but suddenly we’re about to actually experience what we’ve been waiting so long for. All being together in the airport is getting me very excited to bond with everyone throughout the trip also. The class has gotten me so excited to experience London and all of the amazing things were about to see. In particular, I’m most excited to experience the architecture of London because seeing architecture while traveling is what initially sparked my interest in studying the subject. I am so excited to see the wide range of architecture that London has to offer, as there is old, historic architecture like Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral to look forward to, and also much more modern architecture like the Shard and the Gurken. I think the wide range of styles of architecture that London has will be create a really unique experience for all of us as students. Overall, I am so excited for this trip and have been so eager to start our adventure over to London as a class!

Intro Bio

My name is Elizabeth Rechin and I am a freshman. I have two sisters, Sophia who is 20 and Margot who is 14. I am studying architecture and I am thinking of a minor in art. I am from the Westside of Cleveland, Ohio where I went to Saint Jospeh Academy for high school. In high school I was on the soccer and basketball teams. My favorite hobbies are playing soccer, painting, drawing, hiking, eating ice cream, and traveling. One of the biggest parts of my life has always been my Greek culture. Another one of my favorite hobbies is Greek dancing! I go to a Greek Orthodox Church in Cleveland where I have been heavily involved in the church’s youth group all throughout high school where we volunteered at the church, in the community, played basketball and had Greek dances together. There have also been many opportunities from my church to be involved in my Greek culture by traveling to Greece, which I did in summer 2016. This trip really sparked my love for traveling and led me to apply for this London trip. However, the trip that sparked my love for architecture was my trip to Spain in 2018. We went to several cities in Spain and the architecture in these cities are what made me so interested in pursuing architecture. Me In Spain!!!