Preparing for a trip of this scale, it felt like a lifetime away. In class we talked about our travels in the abstract. The fact I was finally in Europe didn’t set in until a nice man with an Irish accent asked if I was queing for coffee. After a few jet-lagged days in Dublin I made my way to London Heathrow airport. After a bit of confusion with the ATM, I made my way to the underground with the other seven students who were on my flight. In a city like London you can’t afford to keep your head down
The Comrades had to work hard to catch the Tube at London Heathrow Airport.
and follow the crowd. If you aren’t aware of your surroundings you will get lost. The underground rail system, the Tube, is incredibly overwhelming at first glance. However, it becomes easier with time. The system is made up of about 13 lines. As long as you know which stop you want to get off at it is fairly simple to navigate the station. If you have to change trains it gets a little more difficult. I had to practice a lot during my time in London, and by the end of the week I felt like a pro. I also quickly learned that even with a group, you have to know where you’re going. There is a very good chance you can be separated, and in that situation you’ll want to know how to get around. I’ve never been more thankful for my sense of direction and my pocket map than I was in London.
I really enjoyed seeing the Churchill War Rooms, the HMS Belfast, and Bletchley Park. Each of these sites was far different than I had imagined. I was really
Ben and Jon heard from past employees of the War Rooms.
impressed with the scale of the museums associated with these sites, and with how well everything was presented and preserved. I was expecting small museums or no museums that would take maybe an hour to get through. Every site surprised me with room upon room of artifacts, recreations, and panels of text. The amount of weapons, uniforms, papers, and many other objects on display was startling. I especially liked the Churchill museum within the War Rooms. Going into the museum I didn’t know much about Churchill outside of his part in the war. They split up the museum by period of his life, and
Winston Churchill is taking a phone call.
These men were hard at work.
started with WWII and ending with his childhood. The WWII section included clothing, old letters, audio from speeches and a massive hour-by hour timeline of “A Day in the Life of Winston Churchill.” It
The plaster mold used to make Churchill’s wax figure was on display.
was interesting to see how much had been saved, from a lock of his baby hair to the plaster mold used to make his wax figure for Madame Tussaud’s. This site was highly interactive. There were stations where you could pick up a telephone and listen to the voices of the people who worked with Churchill, watch films, touch
screens with explanations or games, and touch screen table where a visitor could choose a day and read what had happened in relation to the war. All of the rooms in the War Rooms, and rooms in all of the sites we visited, were set up to look as if you were stumbling upon the in the 1940’s. This set up included mannequins posed in conversation or study. I appreciated being able to see these rooms being “used,” but a few of the mannequins were a little cheesy for my taste. More than once I was startled. Unfortunately, my allergies got the best of me and I wasn’t able to enjoy everything to the extent I had originally hoped.
My favorite day in London was the last day. I took the day to myself, and it was incredibly liberating. I had to find my own way around, but I went where I wanted
The old London meets the new at the Tower of London.
when I wanted without worrying about accidentally leaving someone. It was the most time I’ve spent with myself in a while, and I loved every second. The time spent on the Tube and waiting in lines gave me a lot of time to think. Being able to plan a day for myself made me feel much more confident. I started the day with a trip to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. I also visited the armory and wandered around the grounds for a while. There were a lot of school trips, so around lunchtime it became
The best pizza I’ve ever eaten was at Union Jack’s.
too crowded for my taste. I made my way to Covent Garden from the Tower. I had been there once before, but I was so jet-lagged I can’t remember it well. Covent Garden is somewhat similar to an outlet mall in the sense that a lot of it is open air and there are many different kinds of stores. I watched some street performers and realized I hadn’t eaten lunch. I finally got a table at a place called Union Jack’s. I ordered a lemonade and their “Margaret” pizza. It was one of the best meals of my life. After lunch I enjoyed some excellent pistachio gelato while people watching. In the evening I went down to Piccadilly Circus and attended a performance of The Phantom of the Opera. The show was absolutely breathtaking, but I do wish that the space between rows had been a little bigger. Every aspect of the show was so well orchestrated I was slightly overwhelmed.
I was by myself for almost the entire day, yet I can’t imagine a better way to spend my last hours in London. I fell in love with the city. To see how elements of the past were worked so well into the thriving and increasingly modern city that is London set the tone for what is shaping up to be quite the adventure.
More to come from Normandy!
Bailey