England and Scotland Maymester: "The trip of a lifetime"

June 22, 2010

From the journal of history major
Stephen Thomas

5/12/10

We headed to Trafalgar Square, which was full of Kodak moments of historic monuments, buildings, and churches. We could see Big Ben off in the distance. We shopped in the Piccadilly Circus, the hub of shopping and big business. After passing the Empire Theatre, we experienced our first drizzle in a wet London so we took our lunch break in a fish and chips restaurant. The rain stopped, and we continued our tour visiting St. Paul’s Church and the National Gallery. We shared a prayer as we lit candles in the back of the quaint church, and we saw original paintings of Van Gogh and Picasso.

The tube took us back to our apartments so we could freshen up for the Globe Theatre. We took a tour of the huge four-tier theatre and ate dinner. We wined and dined on salmon, lamb, and Merlot. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was comical and entertaining. Following the play, several of us walked back across the River Thames and toured around, taking pictures of Saint Paul’s Cathedral and the Royal Courts. With a good grasp and understanding of the tube system, I left the group and made my way back to the apartments for some much-needed rest.

5/13/10

Our first stop was Windsor Castle, which was more magnificent and larger than pictures can capture. We observed the changing of the guard, accompanied by a brass and percussion band. After Windsor Palace, a few PC students and I went to Madam Tassaud’s only to find out the ticket line was a three-hour wait. We opted to go around the corner to the Sherlock Holmes’ museum. We got to actually sit down, touch, and try on almost everything in there as well as take flash photography.

Next we went to Saint Paul’s Cathedral and took a seat to participate in the service. That was the most breath-taking place I have ever been. After Saint Paul’s we decided to stretch our legs and walk the River Thames, viewing London Bridge, HMS Belfast, Tower of London, and Tower Bridge. We underestimated the walk and were pretty tired by the time we reached the Tower of London.

We found a really cool place to eat right on the river called the Dickens Inn, a three-story building. The first story was a bar and grill, the second a pizzeria, the third a nice wine and dine restaurant. We grabbed a couple pints to celebrate and reward ourselves for a long day of touring and conquered the largest pizza I have ever seen.

5/18/10

First thing on today’s agenda is Edinburgh Castle. It was magnificently perched on top of a volcanic mountain peak. My previous research I had done on the castle was just a fraction of the size, age, and historical significance of the actual structure. The tour opened my eyes to life in this castle centuries ago, unique and elaborate architecture, not to mention the pain and suffering that was experienced during the wars and prison terms.

5/21/10

After a good night’s rest from travel the day before, we started our morning with breakfast in out hotel in Fort William. Prior to boarding the bus at mid-day, we took an early morning hike to the top of one of the Scottish hills behind our hotel. We had the best view and took some awesome scenic pictures. We could see Glen Nevis behind us with snow covering its peak. We loaded up on the bus and went to my favorite castle so far, Castle Urquhart. It was situated overlooking Loch Ness, which appeared to have no end. The castle was the oldest and probably in the worst shape of all the castles we have seen. This location next to Loch Ness was unique and threatening. We were lucky enough to catch the tail end of a wedding taking place at the castle when we arrived as well. We traveled on to Inverness, ate dinner at a Chinese buffet, and called it a night.

5/22/10

Following breakfast in Inverness as we were loading up on the bus, a war memorial marched its way down the street. We were alerted by the beautiful sound of twenty men dressed in kilts playing their bagpipes and drums as they walked down the street. No better way to start an authentic tourist day in Scotland.

We travelled to the Battlefield at Culloden. A GPS headset served as our guide and directed us to different points around the battlefield.

After leaving Culloden, we had lunch at Cawdor Castle, which was very modern on the inside. Following our view of the castle, a friend and I went to the adjacent Par Three golf course and played around on the putting green. Now I can say I have played golf in Scotland... sort of.

5/25/10

The trip of a lifetime is over. I am glad to be home, but I would give anything to be back in the United Kingdom and experience the trip once again. That was the most slam-packed-fun twelve days I’ve ever had. Although you may see pictures of these historical sites, seeing them first-hand gives you a greater appreciation for the Old World.

posted by Stacy Dyer '96
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