Core 250 in Europe

Day 22-24: Farewell to Europe!

2010-01-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

Day 22-24: Monday-Wednesday, January 25-27, 2010. Location: London (overcast, some sun); Exam 3; Major sites visited: Excursion day; Meals together: breakfasts and farewell dinner.

The last two days have been our first two free days of the trip. Other than plays in the evenings we had both days to do as we pleased. For some this consisted of navigating the train system to go on a journey to Cambridge (another university town that makes us feel thoroughly uneducated), while for others it was a great day to see all of the sights we could soak up before our departure on Wednesday. I was in this latter group, and due to the odd nature of these days (freedom? What does that even mean?) this blog is really just going to be about my days.

Monday began with breakfast as usual before hitting the Tube for an adventure back to the British Museum. You may be wondering why we would ever choose to go to yet another museum, but you must understand that when we first came to the British Museum we spent about one hour running through the highlights of this vast museum and there were whole centuries we did not even peek at. We had been told that the museum had an awesome history of money exhibit so we decided it was worth a meander.

The money exhibit began with money from long before the year 0 and showed the progression to the plastic we now use as money. What I found the most interesting was the progression of tools that have been used for making money, and the ways that counterfeit money have been found since the founding of coinage. The various sizes of coins were also amazing: they ranged everywhere from as small as the tip of my littlest finger to about the size of my head.

After the museum we headed out to lunch near Trafalgar Square and then to a lunch-time concert at St. Martin-in-the-fields. The concert was a pianist and a clarinetist, both of whom were beautiful musicians. After being on the move for 20 straight days it was wonderful to take a moment to sit back and enjoy the music.

We then headed to Oxford Circus to explore little shops, people watch, and appreciate the sounds and smells of London. We then went to Hamleys, a colossal toy store similar to F.A.O. Schwartz. This was 7 floors of joy. We played with toys, oood and ahhhd at the newest and shiniest, and told stories about the ones we remembered playing with when we were little.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at a coffee shop studying for our final exam. Around 6 we got dinner at an Indian place (which there are a surprising number of in London) before heading to Oliver!, this evening’s play. Oliver! Is the musical version of Oliver Twist. The set was mind blowing, and the play was enjoyable, but not the best play I’ve seen. Really it was all about the incredible set!

Tuesday began with a final cramming and then our final test. Celebration echoed through the halls as one at a time we handed in the test and successfully completed Core 250. This meant our last afternoon was one of jubilation! We headed out to celebration lunches or to weekday markets or to do last minute souvenir shopping. This was a day of last minutes: last minute returns to favorite museums; last minute window shopping; last opportunities to eat at a restaurant; last minute picture ops., etc.

As the sun began to set, we all returned to the hotel to beautify ourselves for our first real fancy outing. To fully understand the excitement of this occasion you must go through and look at all the pictures from the trip. Notice that, for the most, we look the same in everyone. Most of us only brought one coat, and only jeans for pants. This was our opportunity to wear fancy outfits and to take off our sneakers. Dinner was a fancy event with Italian flare. We all got awards that managed to sum up some of the best moments of the trip as determined by Annie and Andrew and key chains complements of Forrest and the Catholic Costco. Anticipation built throughout dinner for what I believe was the most awaited for part of the trip: Les Miserables!

Where Oliver! was lacking, Les Miserables was not! The singing was superb, the acting wonderful, the storyline moving, I could go on and on! I was worried beforehand that we had all talked up this play so much that those of us who hadn’t seen it before would be let down. I couldn’t have been more wrong! I would go again tonight if I could.

I now sit on a train to the airport. The last minute scramble to return clothes, and to shove souvenirs in bags is over (whether or not they will pass the weight restrictions we will soon find out). Our tests have been graded and returned and a bittersweet feeling is in the air. This trip has been a wonderful combination of class, culture and friendship all interwoven into what we can now call Core 250.

--Chelsea Zink

Day 21: A Sunday in London!

2010-01-26T04:36:00.000-08:00

Day 21: Sunday, January 24, 2010. Location: London (overcast); Major sites visited: London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Harrod’s; Meals together: breakfast.

Only a Whitworth study abroad student could say she went to a nightclub and two church services on the same day! For half of us, January 24 started at midnight while we were dancing enthusiastically to American pop music, enjoying a taste of London’s nightlife in the Theatre district. After a one am bus ride back to the hotel, we were grateful for a morning that started at 9:30 (a late start for travelers, which perhaps describes us better than “students” these days!)

Our first stop was a Ferris wheel of enormous proportions: the London Eye. Forrest scared us half to death by mentioning that for two years they could not take passengers, because in power outages the glass cells dangled upside down instead of remaining upright. Even that could not dampen our excitement for an incredible view of the city that did not involve climbing 500 stairs! The thirty minute ride was fun, but we still debated whether the four minute “4D” video experience before the ride was more impressive. It was a multimedia explosion of 3D glasses, smoke machines, snow machines, bubbles, and virtual fireworks to get us pumped for our impending “flight” up the London Eye.

After a quick dash past Big Ben, we slipped into Westminster Abbey just in time for the high church Anglican service. It is still a strange experience to have soaring stained glass, marble sculptures, and gold trim older than our country as the setting for worship. Yet we certainly appreciated the English service and sermon after our recent church attendance in France. We stole glances at Newton’s tomb and Poet’s Corner on the way out of the cathedral, pausing to contemplate the prayer engraved on the outside of the building.

The morning continued on a walking tour of the city. Annie and Morgan dashed off to see Freud’s house, while the rest of the group walked through the nearby parks to Buckingham palace, enjoying the quiet streets closed on Sundays. We oohed and ahhed at the queen’s residence, but mostly just appreciated the elaborate rituals of the changing of the guards with a few chuckles and a bit of envy for their warm, fashionable hats.

After a quick lunch break at Piccadilly circus, we prepared ourselves for one of the most overwhelming experiences of the trip: a quick stroll through Harrod’s department store. Nothing quite prepared us for the impressive, slightly sickening luxury that made our shabby tourist clothes look worse than when we were in church services. The item that made me dash frantically out of the store was the plastic hair barrette for 415 pounds. I can only hope that the decorations were real diamonds to demand such a price. I’m not sure I could have handled seeing the 64,000 pound watch that Andrew reported!

We spent the afternoon recovering in small groups, revisiting the museums we rushed through during our first visit to London: the Victoria and Albert, the Science Museum, and the Natural History Museum.

The final event of the day was an evening church service at Holy Trinity Brompton, the church where the Alpha program began. Though it is also an Anglican service, there could not have been a more dramatic difference. The flamboyant gothic ceiling was painted orange, and we sat on cushions on the floor in the middle of the nave. The service felt like a combination of youth group, camp, and contemporary American services—complete with songs we knew and could sing along to. The powerpoint and guitar music felt a little more familiar, but the informal worship was a stark contrast to our morning service. The unexpected treat of the evening was the opportunity to hear the visiting speaker, Gary Haugan, the founder of International Justice Mission. I was moved to hear a message about being the representation of the body of Christ in the lives of those who have suffered injustice: especially because our message in Westminster Abbey this morning was based on Romans 12 and how we use our unique gifts to be the body. Though the crowds of the two services were made up of quite different types of people, they both heard the same message.

The rest of the evening was for dinner (a grocery store conglomeration of goodies for the group I was with). A bit of studying for Tuesday’s exam and a low key evening to recover from our late previous night left us dozing early, dreaming of how we would spend tomorrow—our free day in London.

--Heather Wallace

Day 20: An Outing to Oxford!

2010-01-23T12:43:00.001-08:00

Day 20: Saturday, January 23, 2010. Location: Oxford (overcast); Lectures: Lewis; Major sites visited: C.S. Lewis’s house and church, Christ Church College, Oxford; Meals together: breakfast and lunch at the Trout Inn.

Today began slowly. Departing the hotel at 8:50 was the earliest we have had to been ready since getting back to London. The hour long bus ride didn’t help things either. By the time we got to Oxford, everybody was ready to get moving. After a little hike through the suburbs, we reached the home of one of the most prominent Christian thinker of the 20^th century: C.S. Lewis. His house was not the grand ordeal I had envisioned, but was much more reflective of the income one might associate with the everyday English professor. The house was quaint and cozy and personal. My favorite part of his property was the large pond behind the house that has been preserved by the city as a wildlife sanctuary. Lewis had visited this pond in order to calm his mind, and it was surreal to think that this I was standing where Lewis had once stood, pondering solutions to any rational opposition to the Christianity.

After Lewis’ house, we walked across town to his church. We observed his grave for a moment, then went inside to have a lecture. The sanctuary was empty, so we made ourselves at home in the center of the pews, while Forrest stood up by the alter and preached Lewis’ philosophy to the class. This lecture was especially significant, since it was the last one of the trip! It’s a fantastic feeling to be done with lectures, but also reminds us that we still have our final paper and our final test to get through. Afterwards, we went over to the exact seat that Lewis would sit in every Sunday in church.

Again, the significance of this location in the history of Christianity was not lost on anyone. From the church, we took a half an hour bus ride up to the Trout Inn, which holds the record as the oldest pub in England (built in 1080). Lunch was sort of a disappointment though. We were all expecting an old pub atmosphere, but received a very contemporary restaurant that apparently had remodeled and redefined their image in the last year. It also took about an hour to get our food and we were really hungry…

After lunch, we headed back towards downtown Oxford to see the university. Oxford University is renowned as one of the top three universities in the world. The school itself is actually composed of several smaller colleges that combine to make the official Oxford University. We got to tour two of these small institutions, Magdalen College and Christ Church College, the latter being the most famous and most influential college at Oxford. We then got to spend a couple hours looking around the city. Coffee shops and bookstores were scattered everywhere. It was fun to have time just to reflect on the day and the trip at large over a warm Starbuck’s grande hot chocolate. After another hour long bus trip, we were back at the hotel. Today might have begun slowly, but it ended just right. Cheers from London.

--Jay Stahlman

Day 18-19: Back in London!

2010-01-23T12:31:00.000-08:00

Day 18-19: Thursday-Friday, January 21-22, 2010. Location: London (partly cloudy, then rainy); Lectures: Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Postmodernism and Multiculturalism; Major sites visited: Tower of London; Meals together: breakfasts and one lunch at Wagamama.

Today we awoke to a lovely London day, and had a breakfast that did not contain a baguette. After two more great lectures by Forrest we headed out to Leicester Square to see the musical entertainment of Stomp (if you don’t know what it is, I suggest a youtube excursion). It was pretty amazing watching the talent these guys had. Stomp finished around five, and the rest of the day was free to explore. Most of us (if not all), decided to see another play. A large group went and saw Mousetrap, which was a murder mystery that had now been running in London for 58 years. Nick, Andrew, and I however decided to traverse across town and see he musical Wicked. This show was absolutely brilliant, and probably the best show I’ve ever seen. For those of you who don’t know the plot, it retells the story of the Wizard of OZ from the perspective of Alfaba (The wicked witch of the west). If you have the opportunity to see it, I highly recommend that you do.

Today after two more lectures, we headed out in the drizzle and rain to see the Tower of London. This fortress was full of history, wealth, weapons, and even a little fun. We split of and went with our London guides to explore. Kara led Cody and I around and we hit the main attraction right away. The Crown Jewels were absolutely stunning. There was a diamond that was the size of my fist, it was over 6,000 carats and the largest in the world. There were crowns that almost blinded you to look at because the light would sparkle so brightly on all of the jewels. There were solid gold staffs, and dinner sets. The wealth inside that room was just astounding. After we left the Jewel House we went into the main stronghold in the center of the fortress. This building was full of the armor through the ages, swords used by knights, guns by the Red Coats, and everything in between. I’m a medieval fanatic, so this was amazing to see. There was also an area full of quizzes, and games, and facts, and this was a lot of fun. Cody dominated me in a shield bashing show of swordsmanship, although I was able to get the better of him in the archery test.

After spending a couple of hours there we headed back to the hotel to work on our papers until the show that night. We went and saw “a who donit?” mystery called An Inspector Calls. This was a good play with a very surprising plot twist. It’s one of those plays that you’re never quite sure exactly what happened, and leaves you looking back trying to figure out what the symbolism meant.

Anyways it was a good couple of days full of theater, Jewels, friends, and fun.

--Shane Shettler

Day 17: Mont St. Michel!

2010-01-19T13:03:00.001-08:00

Day 17: Wednesday, January 20, 2010. Location: Mont Saint Michel (Sunny and windy); Major sites visited: Mont St. Michel; Meals together: breakfast.

After a wonderful French breakfast complete with fresh croissants and rich French roast coffee, our group took a 10 minute coach ride to Mont St. Michel. This massive abbey has both Romanesque and Gothic influences in the architecture. The whole abbey, church and mini town is built on top of a solid rock which turns into a high tide island. The whole place is just incredible. One thing that kept running through my head as we walked up the endless stairs was how did they build this in 708 without any modern day machinery?! It is absolutely mind boggling to think about it.

Up on top by the church there is an open courtyard where you can look out over the ocean and the mainland. We spent some time up here talking pictures. Morgan and Annie reenacted the famous Titanic scene, where Jack and Rose lean off the bow of the ship. It had rained before we got here so there was rain water coming out of gutters down below. The wind would whip up the side of the wall and spray the water over the wall to where we were standing. We decided that here at Mont St. Michel, it rains up instead of down.

We took an audio guide tour around the whole abbey, and then met up at noon for mass with the St. Michel monks and nuns. This was a very special experience. We went down under the main church into a small chapel. The hour mass included a cappella French hymns, communion and a short message; all of which we didn’t understand but could appreciate its beauty. A couple of us even went foreword to be blessed by one of the monks. After mass we split up for lunch. I went with Forrest to a small restaurant overlooking the ocean. I ordered lamb stew and it was wonderful! After walking around and window shopping we took our coach to the nearest airport. Ha! “Airport”? . . . more like a bump in the road. It has one airline, Ryanair, which flies to a whopping four cities. Here we were surprised that our check luggage weight limit was 15 Kg. Most of us were over, a bunch over. So imagine all of us sitting on the floor, suitcases spread out trying to stuff everything we could into our carry-on bags, which of course had to be 10 Kg.

While I was going through security, I heard my name being called over the intercom. I have no idea what they wanted but Forrest and I ended up going into a small secure room where my suitcase was being held. The guy there didn’t speak English and we of course don’t speak French. After a few stressful minutes, we finally figured out that he wanted me to open my suitcase. He proceeded to search through it, which was of course half full because the other half is in my carry on. I still don’t know what he was looking for but the search was enough for him and he let me go. Hopefully my bag will end up in Stansted with us. As I am writing this our plane is rolling into place so we should be in the air soon. Next post will be from London . . . again.

--Elizabeth Seccomb

Day 16: Bayeux and Omaha Beach!

2010-01-19T12:54:00.000-08:00

Day 16: Tuesday, January 19, 2010. Location: Bayeux and Omaha Beach (Sunny and cool); Major sites visited: Bayeux Tapestry, American Cemetery at Omaha Beach, Normandy; Meals together: breakfast and dinner.

This morning we hopped into our coach and embarked upon our journey into the north of France. As the cheery French countryside rolled by, we settled in for the day long trip. The first stop of the day was the medieval-feeling town of Bayeux. It was filled with stone-paved streets lined by half-timbered and stone buildings. After some lunch, we went to see the amazing tapestry depicting the victory of William the Bastard (he then took the title of Conqueror) at the battle of Hastings. The detail and creativity of the tapestry were incredible! Everyone refers to it as a tapestry but it really is a massive work of embroidery. Measuring about three feet high by some two-hundred feet long, the tapestry was housed in a long curving display that we walked slowly along as we listened to the audio program that explained each scene. The tapestry depicted the whole story of the seizure of England’s throne from William the duke of Normandy and his resulting advance on England. The story culminates as William’s army crosses the channel and prevails against Harold’s forces in the battle of Hastings in 1066. I loved how creatively the medieval artists portrayed the story in the difficult medium! I particularly noticed the unrealistic but effective use of the color. For example the horses were all diversely colored: one red, another green, a third yellow. The individual planks of the ships were similarly colored.

After viewing the tapestry twice, we continued on to nearby Omaha Beach. There we toured the memorial museum and walked down the steep hill to the beach below. The tide was high and the gray water calm as we quietly walked the beach, imaging the landing that had taken place there years ago. After climbing back up the same hill that soldiers once stormed, the met the director of the memorial who was good enough to give us a brief tour of the grounds and American cemetery. We stopped by a display of the invasion that overlooked the beach and the director explained some of the details to us. The cemetery was vast: thousands of neatly arranged white marble crosses. According to the director, the average age of those buried is a mere twenty-four years. He showed us a few graves in particular: one of the few women buried there and Theodore Roosevelt Jr. who lies beside his brother Quentin. The director let a few of us assist in retiring the memorial’s flags for the night. Cody and I folded one of the flags after it had been lowered. Chelsea and Aly got to fold the other. It was a special experience.

From there we climbed back into our coach and covered the remaining kilometers, finally arriving at the tiny town of Pontorson near Mt. St. Michel to eat and stay the night. At the hotel we had, in my opinion, possibly one of the best meals of the whole trip! Others, I gathered, weren’t so sure. We were the only group in the hotel dining room, and the table was set immaculately for us, though, after a long day, our appearance didn’t equal that of the table! The appetizer was a delicious pâté served cold with bread, current sauce, and wine. For the main course we were served extremely tender and flavorful leg of duck with creamy mashed potatoes. The meal was topped off with delicious crème brule.

--Andrew Ritchie

Day 14-15: Versailles and a Museum Day in Paris!

2010-01-19T12:38:00.000-08:00

Day 14-15: Sunday-Monday, January 17-18, 2010. Location: Paris and Versailles (Sunny! and foggy); Lectures: Marx and Freud; Major sites visited: Notre Dame for mass, Versailles, Paris-Story, Seine Boat Cruise, Museum day; Meals together: breakfasts and one dinner.

It is amazing how a little sun can make a difference! We woke up to a sunny Paris on Sunday the 17^th. We first headed to Mass at the Notre Dame. Although we had already had the chance to explore the building itself, having Mass there was a whole new experience! Upon sitting down, the youth choir began to sing. The voices echoed off of the stone walls and filled the massive building. Despite the fact that we could not understand the service, because of the sun shining through the large stained glass windows and the tall ceilings the presence of God was still felt. It was a reminder of just how blessed we all are to have such an adventure across Europe!

Immediately following mass, we walked to the Metro Station to head off to Versailles. Upon arriving, a short lunch was followed by a walking to The Chateau. The central palace was home to Louis XIV and his many workers. The extremely lavished rooms were brilliantly decorated with large chandeliers and of course detailed portraits of Louis himself. (Forrest was right, he did have amazing legs!) From there we wandered through the seeming never ending gardens. The perfectly kept grounds were quite elaborate and if you ask me over the top.

Back among the trees, a path lead to the play grounds of Marie-Antoinette. As a young girl raised in a lavished up brining, she longed to be a simple peasant girl. Her own personal town complete with animals was built to fulfill her desire while keeping her safe within the grounds of the palace.

Walking back from petting the donkeys and bunnies, we stopped in the park for…of course….Ultimate Frisbee. Bringing a little Whitworth flare to the gardens of Versailles we played among the trees. Although the Sun Kings beat the Legs in the actual game, the sun shining and blue skies were a welcomed break from the past weeks of snow, rain, and clouds.

Hopping back on the Metro, Forrest had us get off at a different stop than we normally get off at. As we climbed the stairs out the underground, we found ourselves in the middle of a Pr0-Life Rally. The square was full of young families, nuns, and the police in a peaceful demonstration. We followed Forrest to a small building and he bought us tickets to a show: The Paris Story. This was an hour long informative movie explaining the history of Paris. Although very educational, this was one of the cheesiest things I have sat through. We are still quoting the production now as I write this! From here we walked a short distance to “Quick.” This was the French version of McDonalds where we had a group dinner. As someone who doesn’t exactly like McDonalds in the States, I personally don’t think that Mickey-D’s has anything to worry about in France. The food was food….I suppose. Oh well, we’re making memories. Right?

After eating, walked down to the water to have the perfect ending to the perfect day. This was our evening boat cruise up and down the Seine River. The good weather created a great experience to see the city of Paris all lit up. As we backed away from the dock, the Eiffel Tower began to twinkle for its hourly light show. This was truly a moment when it was truly unreal that I was in Paris!

The next morning, we woke up to foggy skies once again but that certainly was not going to damper our Museum Day. Although we were to split up into our groups of three to go the different museums, most of us followed the same route throughout the day. My group, which consisted of myself, Aaron and Kyle, went to the Notre Dame to finally be able to climb the bell tower. (MORE STAIRS!) This historical building was truly incredible to be so intimate with. The steps themselves had been worn out in the middle where thousands and thousands have ascended the very path that we were taking. This climb took us directly next to the famous Gargoyles.

From there we traveled to the Holocaust Museum. After going through some pretty intense security, we entered to find the names of the 76,000 French citizens who were deported during World War II. It was so overwhelming to think that each of these names was not simply a name, but a human being with a story waiting to be told of the horror in which they were placed into. The black and white photos lined room after room throughout the Museum. Speaking for myself, this was truly a tug at the heart that reminded me of the grim realities of the past.

Upon leaving, we stopped for a quick lunch to let all that we had seen soak in before moving onto the next Museum. This Museum was the Pompidou Center of Modern Art. As we got closer to the building itself, the architecture alone was pretty overwhelming as huge blue pipes lined the outside. Now I admit, I am not I not the person to be blogging about the art inside of the Museum as the majority of it I just didn’t understand or appreciate as much as some of the others from our class (AKA Morgan) but I am certainly glad that I got to go into the Pompidou Center filled with some of the most influential and forward thinking art available. Someday I hope to understand how hanging a show shovel from the ceiling is art, but Morgan is working on me.

We all returned to the hotel for our lectures on Marx and Freud before having the evening off. I have dreamed of coming to Paris since I was a little girl and I cannot believe that it has become a reality. I have been so blessed to have such a dream made reality with such amazing friends to experience it with. So long Paris, I hope see you again soon!

--Annie Merriman

Day 13: Orsay Can You See!

2010-01-19T12:21:00.000-08:00

Day 13: Saturday, January 16, 2010. Location: Paris (Light, cool rain); Exam 2; Major sites visited: Cluny Museum, Invalides, War Museum, Rodin Museum, Orsay Museum ; Meals together: breakfast.

It’s amazing to wake up in the morning and think “I get to wander through Paris today.” It’s not something I would have expected to get to do during my college experience, and to see so many historical sites and get this opportunity is incredible.

Today, after eating a breakfast of a baguette with cheese, jam, and Nutella (Nutella is like the peanut butter of Europe it seems), we started our day by going to Invalides and the War Museum. At Invalides we saw Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb and got to metaphorically bow down to him. His tomb is set a level lower than where people go to view it so they have to bow to peer over the railing and see it. I’m not pointing fingers, but someone there has a bit of a God-complex.

After visiting Napoleon’s tomb we then went through the War Museum nearby. It was very sobering seeing artifacts from World Wars I and II, and seeing statistics from wars that we typically stop learning about after high school was a good reminder of how easy it is to destroy this world and each other.

We then had a short lunch at the cafeteria at the War Museum, and afterward went to the Rodin Museum. I love Rodin because he did something entirely different with sculpting and bronze casting. His statues are strange and usually look incomplete because they seem so messy. We even saw the Thinker!

The next place we headed off to was the Orsay Museum. This is the point where you should picture me continuously bouncing up and down from excitement. This museum contains many pieces by Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas, Monet, Manet, Courbet, and Gaugin. I learned about these artists last year in History of Modern Art, so seeing so many of the pieces I learned about in class was one of the best things ever! It was somewhat disappointing because the museum was undergoing renovations so the top floors were closed, but they had brought the artworks that were especially famous downstairs so people could still see them. This meant the smaller rooms were more crowded than would normally be the case, and it was harder to get to see some of the works close up, but we still got to see some of my favorite artworks, including Olympia by Manet and Burial at Ornans by Courbet. We also saw Van Gogh’s self portrait and his painting of the cathedral.

I left the Orsay later than everyone else, and definitely did NOT get lost heading back to the hotel (okay, maybe a little lost). We took our second exam—not entirely the highlight of the day—and then got gyros at a stand for dinner.

Perhaps the most incredible adventure of the day was when Annie, Shane, and I decided to go to the Eiffel Tower after dinner to see it all lit up. We were in a hurry to get there on the hour to see the light show, and just as we were running up the steps out of the metro station the tower starting sparkling! We ended up practically underneath it and were blown away by how beautiful it was. It was a foggy night, so the tower lit up the air around it and made it glow orange and made the twinkling almost surreal. We took plenty of pictures, then ran over to the carousel across the way and took a ride (yes, we were the only three on the carousel, and the little kids standing nearby were looking at us like we were crazy). It was one of the best nights thus far.

--Morgan McQuilkin

Day 12: Touring Paris!

2010-01-17T13:27:00.000-08:00

Day 12: Friday, January 15, 2010. Location: Paris (Overcast and cold); Lectures: Locke, Kant; Major sites visited: Notre Dame, Deportation Monument, St. Chapelle, Coniergerie, Louvre ; Meals together: breakfast, dinner.

We woke up today in Paris! How many times do you get to say that in your lifetime? I think it is still a bit surreal. Most of us were able to get a good night sleep and we soon would realize just how much we would need it.

We went on a walking tour of many of the major sites in Paris today. The tour began by walking across the Seine and getting our first glimpse of Notre Dame. We all took our touristy pictures in front of this amazing cathedral. We had a few minutes to poke our heads inside and witness the arches and stained glass from the inside. It was truly a sight to behold even though there is still a giant Christmas tree in front. The picture of the whole group included in this blog is in front of the Notre Dame.

Other stops on the walking tour included the Martyrs Francais de la Deportation as well as the Shakespeare and Co. The first was a memorial to all those from France who lost their lives in Nazi concentration camps. Those who enjoy books and book history could truly enjoy this very old bookstore with Shakespeare’s name on it. We also saw the church that Thomas Aquinas attended which is pretty cool. One of the highlights of the day was going to Sainte Chapelle to see the amazing stained glass windows as tall as the room. This glass was amazingly preserved during World War II and we were all very glad. Another impressive sight of the day was the Conciergerie. This building served as a prison during the French Revolution to hold those to be tortured or executed. There was an entire room dedicated to Marie-Antoinette who was held here before the guillotine. It was a beautiful building but we all agreed it was a bit sobering.

The major destination of the day was the Louvre. It is safe to say that it was and will be the largest art museum we will ever see. The building itself was awe inspiring. We saw several of the major pieces together including the Venus Di Milo, Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s Slave, and the Winged Victory (pictured). We then split up into individual tour groups to see the rest of the Louvre. We soon realized that would take about three days. We were all very overwhelmed.

The funny story from the day happened while we were browsing the Louvre. Out of nowhere, the alarm began to go off and tell us that we needed to leave the building immediately. We all got excited that we would be on CNN that night, what could it be? We got to the front entrance and realized that something was fishy. While we were walking out, they were letting more people enter. We were all so confused which has become quite a common occurrence here in France. All of the fuss ended up being over an unattended metal water bottle. We couldn’t believe it.

The day ended with everyone enjoying cheese fondue. It was a great ending to a great day here in Paris. Maybe the sun will come out tomorrow…

--Kyle Lindgren

Day 11: We Are in Paris!

2010-01-16T08:03:00.000-08:00

Day 11: Thursday, January 14, 2010. Location: Paris (Overcast and cold); Lectures: Deism, Thomas Hobbes; Major sites visited: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Élysées; Meals together: breakfast, dinner.

At 11 a.m. this morning, we finally arrived in Paris, France, after a 12 hour overnight ride from Florence, Italy. When most of us woke up on the train, we were startled to see snow on the ground, but as we traveled farther away from the Alps, it disappeared, leaving a sunny, blue sky in Paris. Due to our delayed arrival, our trip to Versailles was postponed a few days, so we made our way to the hotel first. After much appreciated showers, it was time to head out and explore the city! We grabbed a quick lunch near the hotel, which meant I got to experience delicious French crepes for the first time, and then we jumped on the underground Metro headed to the Eiffel Tower. So far, we have been doing good with not leaving people behind, but today, as we all rushed off the Metro, Mitch and Kyle got stuck as the doors closed. We watched them ride away, and laughed together as we waited for them to arrive on the opposite platform.

The view of Paris from the 2^nd level of the Eiffel Tower, which is the highest tourists can go during the winter, was beautiful and the weather was perfect, though a little chilly. This famous metal tower is very massive, yet still very impressive, especially to imagine how it was built. After numerous pictures, on top and from across the river, we went to the Arc de Triomphe, which now serves as the tomb of the unknown soldier. The Arc is located at the intersection of twelve main roads, making for some very scary traffic, and numerous accidents, as Forrest has witnessed on past trips.

The main road leading out from the Arc is the ritzy Champs Elysees, where the Tour de France actually ends. We got to experience Forrest’s strolling pace as we meandered down the street, admiring the fancy cars and expensive jewelry in the windows. We then made our way back to the hotel, where all nineteen of us squeezed into a small bedroom for lecture time.

Our group dinner at 6:30 was just down the street, at a place called Le Bourbon. After a delicious three course dinner, complete with escargot for a few brave souls, we are ready for a good night’s sleep!

--Abby Langbehn

Day 10: That Tower in Pisa Really Does Lean!

2010-01-14T23:05:00.001-08:00

Day 10: Wednesday, January 13, 2010. Location: Florence and Pisa (Overcast and cool); Lecture: Galileo and Science; Major sites visited: Museum day, Pisa Cathedral and Leaning Tower; Meals together: breakfast.

We set out on our own today in groups of three to explore the many museums Florence has to offer. As the home town of Michelangelo and once renowned Medici family, who controlled Florence during the Renaissance and collected many famous works of art, this city brought to it many famous works of art which still exist for public display. My group began the morning by visiting Florence’s Science Museum, which housed Galileo’s middle finger, a variety of old telescopes, and other early scientific instruments with which Galileo and others experimented with.

After spending some time here, my group, which included Elizabeth and Mitch, ventured into the open air market that caters towards tourists, similar to what one would see in Mexico or other American vacation destinations. After bargaining, bartering, and buying, we came out with a few nice gifts for friends and of course, a few items for personal use.

We then ventured to the Medici chapel museum, which turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Michelangelo carved multiple sculptures in this domed building, which the rich and powerful family used as its personal church. In this museum, several members of the family lay buried beneath figures carved by Michelangelo, a surprise we happily discovered after entering the museum.

We ate lunch at a quaint little Italian café, and then rejoined the large group for an hour long train ride to the (in)famous Pisa. Pisa, of course, is home to the world’s most popular architectural fiasco, the leaning tower of Pisa. The group spent awhile posing for the camera, pretending to hold the tower up or push it over. We then examined the nearby church, which was another major engineering failure. Besides the fact that this building also sank, causing some goofy and obviously improvised construction, the building was a conglomerate of many different blocks of marble and brick scavenged from across Italy. The inside though, presents a completely different picture. The church possesses an intricately sculpted pulpit, and other wonderful works of art.

After viewing the church and the tower, Forrest gave us a lecture on the development of the scientific method, looking especially at Galileo. In fact, it was in Pisa that Galileo came up with the idea that the time of a pendulum swing was the same regardless of size, and it was on the Tower of Pisa that he tested the hypothesis that objects fell at the same rate regardless of weight. The lecture looked at the development of thought concerning the nature of the universe, tracing it through Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galileo, and finally, Kepler.

The group then boarded the bus to return to the train station, and we took a train back to Florence. After dinner and some shopping, the group boarded the train for Paris! We each got to be in a room with three other people, and each person had a bunk for the 12 hour ride to the capital of France.

--Aaron Korthuis

Day 9: Florence and the David!

2010-01-14T13:01:00.000-08:00

Day 9: Tuesday, January 12, 2010. Location: Florence (Overcast and cool); Lecture: Descartes; Major sites visited: Michelangelo's David, Bargello, Ponte Vecchio, Fiesole Convent; Meals together: breakfast and dinner at La Spada.

There are no words that can describe what our eyes witnessed today; upon entering the Academia we were all prepared to see Michelangelo’s David but none of could have prepared for what we actually encountered. The massive statue, standing 17 feet tall, hovered over us making all of our jaws drop in awe. The perfection of this creature was nothing that any of us had ever seen and it is likely we will not witness anything like it again; the statue portrayed the strength and weakness, confidence and doubt of the young David as he prepared to take on the giant. We spent a fair amount of time observing but I felt that no matter how long we were there no amount of time was adequate.

After the David, Forrest decided that we needed to work up our appetite for lunch and we headed to the Duomo tower, adding 414 steps to the 563 climbed the previous day at St. Peter's in Rome. The view was well worth it! When we got to the top (and finally caught our breath) we were able to see the whole city of Florence from every angle. By the time we were done with pictures everyone was starving! So we all got lunch, had some gelato and did a little shopping at a local market. As soon as we were all gathered together again we switched from casual mode to point-to-point mode. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it is Forrest’s was of saying buckle up and get ready because we are moving out to the next location and if you aren’t ready, well, we aren’t waiting! It is something we all have learned the hard way! We were on our way to Ponte Vecchio. The bridge crossed over the river and was a jewelry lover’s paradise! It was lined with jewelry shops on both sides all filled with gorgeous jewelry. The best part was at the end of the bridge because it led us to the BEST gelato that I have tried yet and I know many agree. Thank you Forrest!

After our gelato had settled we made out for the bus station that would take us to Fiesole. When the bus dropped us off, we were not happy about what we had to do next but Forrest assured us that it was well worth it, and it was! We were faced with a massive hill that needed to be climbed to get to the Fiesole Convent where lecture was to take place. I will say the only good thought I had while climbing that hill was about the body heat I was producing because it allowed me to warm up a little! Of course when we reached the top a beautiful view of the city awaited us and that was enough to end all complaining from the group. It was there that we had our lecture as the sunset over the city was illuminated by lights, I will admit this did make it a little hard to concentrate on the lecture; that along with the frigid weather! Even Forrest had cold on the brain telling us once in the lecture that 2+2=cold! When we got back we went to dinner as a group and I think I can speak for everyone when I say we all ate way too much but it was well worth it! It was the perfect way to end the day; with a full belly and many new memories made!

--Kaytlyn Holm

Day 8: Vatican City!

2010-01-14T03:32:00.000-08:00

Day 8: Monday, January 11, 2010. Location: Vatican City (Cloudy and cold, but no rain); Lectures: Michelangelo, Introduction to the Reformation, Calvin; Major sites visited: Vatican Museum, St. Peter’s Basilica; Meals together: breakfast.

Today started out with a bang! Right off the bat, we paraded from our hotel to meet Forrest at the Termini train station. This has become pretty standard now, and this was not the exciting part of the morning. The exciting part was when we jumped into a caravan of crazy Italian taxis. The caravan was taking us to Vatican City. When we arrived at the entrance and were passing through security, I was “that tourist” that had to go through the metal detector three times. I never actually got through the detector without setting off the alarm, the guard just seemed to think I was too stupid to use whatever metal I had on me as a weapon anyways. Once that minor fiasco was over with, we got down to business right away. The first major work that we saw was the Laocoon. As we stood under cover from the rain, Forrest explained to us that this was a statue of a father and his two sons being murdered by snakes for trying to warn others that the Trojan horse was a trap.

After some more museum meandering and being denied by a security guard on a power trip, we pushed our way back against the flow of other meanderers, we made our way to the court yard where we stood for our lecture on Michelangelo. After our lecture, we made our way to a room that was painted by Raphael. This room depicted the school of Athens. Raphael painted himself in the corner on the right side of the scene looking back at the viewers as if to say “I am watching you, so don’t say anything bad about my work.” After this, we waited in a tiny room as we waited to enter the Sistine Chapel. After about thirty minutes, we were finally herded like cattle into the Sistine Chapel. This was absolutely unbelievable! The ceiling was so high! The detail that was in each scene was completely mind-blowing. The delicacy of the scene of the creation of Adam, in which God is reaching to touch Adam was so ornate and perfect. This was scene was unfortunately disrupted by security guards that would yell “NO FOTO!” every few minutes (“no foto” has now become a motto among our group in each museum).

After leaving the chapel, we proceeded outside for lunch and a lecture on John Calvin which took place on the perimeter of St. Peter’s Square. After the lecture, we prepared for one of the most amazing scenes many of us have probably ever seen. Forrest pretty much hit the nail on the head when he said he knew what our reactions would be when we got to the top of the dome at St. Peter’s Basilica. Forrest said that he regretted telling us what we would do once at the top because then we would be conscious of what we were doing, and he was right, but I didn’t really mind. He said that our jaws would drop and we would not know what to do, say, or even how to react in general other than to have our jaws drop. He was completely correct.

As I came out of the small door (it seems like every door in Italy is small, especially when you are 6’3”) my jaw really did drop and I really could not believe what I was seeing. Below me was all of Rome. Unfortunately, it was slightly hazy so sight distance was limited, but that didn’t really matter. I was able to see the Pantheon and the capitol building that sticks out like a sore thumb immediately, and the Colosseo in the distance. People below in St. Peter’s Square truly appeared smaller than ants. I wish that I could have stayed up there all day just looking and admiring the scene that was below me. I hope that I will be able to see something so historical, magnificent, and awe-inspiring again, but that may be the only place I will feel that again. I would really like to take my future children there someday, but not until they are old enough to truly appreciate what they are seeing. This is a scene that I hope everyone will have a chance to visit at least once in their lives, and be completely astounded, just like all of us on this crazy trip were.
--Cody Hines

Day 7: Rome and the Sights!

2010-01-12T23:40:00.000-08:00

Day 7: Sunday, January 10, 2010. Location: Rome (Cloudy and cold, but no rain); Exam 1; Lectures: Teresa of Avila, Introduction to the Renaissance; Major sites visited: Roman Forum, Campidoglio, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Cappuccian Crypt, Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa; Meals together: breakfast, dinner

“Roma” there is no finer word to express the essence of such a majestic place. The elegance, the simplicity, the grandeur is all summed up in the eloquence of one simple word: “Roma.”

After a disappointing early ending to yesterday, we hit the streets overflowing with excitement. We had so much to see and the sun was shining. It would be a wonderful day in Rome. We took the metro to the Coliseum and walked down the street to the prison where Peter and Paul were kept. Upon our arrival we were disappointed to find that the place had been closed. So we walked back to the entrance of the Forum. When we got there, we discovered that we needed to pay to enter. Figuring we could see just as well from up on Capitol Hill, we made the trek back that direction to look out over the whole Forum. Everyone was so positive and we had a great time, despite the extra walking.

From there we walked out though the Campidoglio, the “square” that Michelangelo designed and sculpted the facades for on our way to the Pantheon. Earlier that day it had rained off and on, as it tends to do in Rome, so when we got to the Pantheon we could see the sloped floor and drainage system at work. Here we tried our first taste of Gelato and prepared for the next leg of our amazing race.

The Trevi Fountain. I cannot in words express how excited I was to experience this incredible display. I can only tell you that I was not disappointed in the least. A few of us even went back again that evening to see it one more time. The craftsmanship, the sheer immensity of the work, and the gorgeous sunlight made the experience everything I had hoped for and far more.

From there we went to the Cappuccian Crypt. This Crypt was not quite the follow up to the Trevi Fountain that one would hope for, but then again, after such an incredible work of art, what could be? The crypt held the bones of all of the monks who had served in the Monastery displayed in artistic formations in small rooms underground.

The last place we went before dinner was the Church where we saw Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa. In this little church we had a lecture on St. Teresa of Avila and from there we headed home as the sun set over the city of Rome.

What a day. We ended with dinner together where Shane ate a whole Squid (it came on his pizza) and I attempted to acquire a taste for wine yet again, to no avail. But for some of us the day was hardly over. After half of one of tomorrow’s lectures, we hit the streets of Rome with no Forrest to lead the way. We saw the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, the Spanish Steps, and as I mentioned before, we stopped for our second round of gelato and ate in the stillness of the evening as we admired the Trevi Fountain by streetlight.

--Kara Heatherly

Day 6: Rome, Finally!

2010-01-12T03:11:00.000-08:00

Day 6: Saturday, January 9, 2010. Location: Rome (Colder than expected and rainy); Lecture: Thomas Aquinas; Major sites visited: St. Maggiore Church, Michelangelo's Moses, Colosseo; Meals together: breakfast, dinner.

Hooray we finally made it to Rome… zzzzzz or at least that’s how we felt after the plane landed at 1:00 in the morning local time. After waiting and waiting for the last of the bags to arrive, and we’re still waiting now for Chelsea’s. Then we headed for the exit with the knowledge that we would probably have to be waiting for a train for a half an hour and then longer still to get to the hotel. But nay said the interesting conversation between Forrest and six cab drivers waiting in front of the airport. Instead we went on possibly my favorite car ride of all times. 175 kmph, a few mid stoplight bubblegum runs and after many sharp turns and middle of the road driving later, we arrived at the hotel laughing and thankful for the lack of traffic and accidents.

The next morning, though technically not due to the late arrival, we set off early with the intention of visiting a lot of major sights in Rome. Our first stop, the St. Maggiore Church, we had our lecture on Forrest radio (these random headsets that he could speak into and only we could hear) about Thomas Aquinas. Before, after and during the lecture I’m sure most of us were admiring the Roman mosaics adorning the upper walls of the church and loving Forrest’s comments made while forgetting he was on a microphone.

Moving on in the day, we next visited the church of the St. Peter in chains. Here is where the “chains” that held St. Peter when he was crucified is kept, as well as Michelangelo’s Moses. The Moses was a wonderful piece to behold with many features to admire and is the first of many Michelangelo pieces that we saw in Rome.

After leaving the St. Peter church we moved on down the road a couple of blocks, turned the corner and found ourselves standing in front of… The Colosseo. A very large and historical monument right before us surrounded by the hustle and bustle of Rome. After lunch at the nearby café’s and stands we met to go into the Colosseo for some fun pictures, history and mock gladiator battles.

However during all of this Colosseo fun it was pouring rain on and off and we were all still very much tired from the night previous so we then decided to call the rest of the planed day off and pick it up tomorrow. During the lag between walking around and dinner myself and Andrew decided to go for a run around town and in a short while found ourselves back at the Colosseo and running around the forum, that building, and even did a lap around where Circus Maximus used to be. After this run and subsequent shower we went for dinner on the hotel, as a group, to a restaurant around the corner and enjoyed a three course meal to celebrate Forrest’s Birthday.

--Nicholas Gallagher

Day 5: An Extra Day in London!

2010-01-11T22:41:00.000-08:00

Day 5: Friday, January 8, 2010. Location: London (cold and icy); Lectures: Stoics and Romans, Introduction to the Middle Ages, Augustine; Major sites visited: Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum; Meals together: breakfast.

Waking up this morning we were already looking forward to a long day. It started with another breakfast at the hotel and then three long lectures. By the end of the third one many of us felt tired but ready to get the rest of the day started. Before heading out, we took a short break for lunch and we dispersed to find our own meals.

When we all met up again we headed out for more museum tours. As we were cutting through Hyde Park it started to snow. The park is beautiful and probably more so in the spring time. We were able to take a lot of nice photos and there were some every large squirrels that people were able to feed out of their hand. It is a very large park and by the time we reached the other side the snow had stopped and the sun was out. We passed by the Albert Memorial on our way to a group of museums where we had our choice of the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Our group visited the Science Museum where we learned about the history of plastic, time, and the future of technology. All of the exhibits were fascinating but there was not enough time to see them all.

Then we headed over to the Victoria and Albert Museum which is called the "London Attic." The contents of this museum were everything from sculptures, tapestry, fashion, and paintings. Some of the fashions that we saw were interesting. The shoes were small and did not look like they would support or fit anyone’s foot.

After a nice day of museum visiting, we headed back to the hotel to catch the Tube back to the airport. There were a few difficulties getting checked in because of the flight change but we all finally managed to get through. As it turns out, our flight was delayed because we needed to wait to get the plane de-iced. It was delayed for about two hours but it gave us plenty of time to finish our papers that were due the next morning.

--Alyson Cole

Day 4: London and a Cancelled Flight!

2010-01-11T22:28:00.000-08:00

Day 4: Thursday, January 7, 2010. Location: London (Cold and icy); Lectures: Aristotle, Sophists; Major site visited: museum day; Meals together: breakfast.

Today we awoke to spectacular news… Our flight to Rome had been cancelled… the massive snow storm of two inches shut down the entire Gatwick airport (We should show these people over here some Northwest weather!). This really wasn’t the worst thing in the world; we did gain an extra day in London and were able to experience it in rare form, covered in white. We were going to have our museum day in London which was led by a few different students. I got together with my group of three and we mapped out our excursion for the day. We planned on going to see the Tate Modern Museum and the Museum of London.

We started on our way and each of us stared blankly at the all our compilation of road maps, bus routes and underground (subway) locations. We finally got our route figured out and made our way to the nearest tube station. Our first task was to walk across the Millennium Bridge and the weather was beautiful. This Bridge crosses over the Thames River, and with the unique weather, it provided for some great photo opportunities. After taking nearly 100 photos we were ready for lunch, so we stopped for some Pizza (if we couldn’t get to Italy, we would bring the Italian lifestyle to us). After a long and delicious lunch we made the quick walk to the Tate Modern Museum.

None of us really knew what we were getting into when we were walking into this museum—it really came as a surprise. I know for myself, modern art is a foreign language to me. To be honest, my initial thoughts were something like this, “Wow, generations after this era are going to look back at this and say, ‘these people were nuts!’” I found myself staring at some of these pieces trying to make sense of them; it provided some great conversation within our group.

I did come across two different pieces that were very interesting. The first was a statue called “The Kiss.” It was made from marble and resembled something that we would have seen the day before in the British Museum. This piece was a man and a women kissing and I couldn’t believe the detail of each of them. The next piece that I found intriguing was a line of three arms coming out of a wall. These arms looked living, it was pretty incredible. They even had hair on the knuckles of the fingers, and sticking out of the wrists. My group and I started talking about this piece and noticed the uniforms that the people were wearing, and the positions the arms and hands were in. These arms were in a Roman Saluting position and my mind immediately went to Nazi Germany. Next I noticed the height in which these saluting arms were placed on the wall. They were much higher than my eye level and I had to tilt my head back in order to look at them. It made me feel so small, which is rather interesting because of what we have been learning in our lectures. The Greek idea of humanism and how rational art made me people feel worth something, this was the exact opposite. It was very fulfilling for me to go through this process and feel like I really understood this piece (a very unique thing for me to feel in this particular museum).

Once our minds couldn’t handle any more modern art, which came soon after, we left for the Museum of London. This museum was really fun for me, because it taught a lot about the history of London and its development. We looked through early human life in England, and they had artifacts like arrowheads, bow and arrows, old fire flints and many other things that they had found in the London area. This museum covered a vast variety of material, ranging from myths of dinosaurs to a walkthrough of a rebuilt home from the first century under Roman Rule, it was quite fascinating. After we had spent a good deal of time here we decided we should probably head back to the hotel, we did have our homework to do…

It was a long day full of interesting experiences, beautiful scenery, and great conversation. London has been great, but we’re ready for Rome, we’ll see how the weather treats us tomorrow.

--Mitchell Bailey

Day 3: London and Snow!

2010-01-07T23:49:00.000-08:00

Day 3: Wednesday, January 6, 2010. Location: London (snow, snow, and more snow than England has seen in years!); Lectures: Introduction to the Greeks, Plato; Major sites visited: British Library, British Museum, National Gallery, St. Paul's Cathedral; Meals together: breakfast.

Today felt like a whirlwind of activity. We all went to bed at around 8 PM last night completely exhausted, but for some reason many of us found ourselves awake somewhere between 9 and 11 PM. This resulted in a feeling of panic, because we believed we had overslept and Forrest had left us. Once we were able to sleep again, we again found ourselves wide awake at 4 or 5 AM. After this rough night we had breakfast at the hotel, and we began the day with a lecture on Zeitgeist and the Greeks. We then took the tube to the British Museum, where we saw several artifacts relating to what we had heard about in lecture earlier in the day, especially our examples of mythology from ancient Egypt. After a very short time we took a seat on the hard floor in a VERY cold room for our next lecture, Plato. By the end of this everyone was shivering with cold, and had sore behinds, but we were able to stay very much awake through the lecture. I'm quite certain everyone could have spent a full day (or several) here, but we were whisked away.

Our disappointment of separation was significantly reduced at the prospect of lunch, and we all went our separate ways to eat. An hour later we all met at the British Library. I could spend a lifetime here (or maybe several), but the time I had was spent in the "Treasures" section. This was full of ancient books and writings, from Beowulf to De Humani Corporis Fabrica. My only disappointment, other than the length of our visit, was that I couldn't flip through the beautiful old texts (they are, of course, in cases) and experience the heavenly smell of old books. What remained of the afternoon was spent at the National Gallery. By this time I for one was dead tired, and not quite as excited as I had been about the other locations, and it is doubtful that I was the only one. Never-the-less, we wandered around for an hour gazing at beautiful works of art.

Our last stop of the day was St. Paul's cathedral. This was probably the most beautiful building I've ever been in, it was absolutely gorgeous. We arrived just in time for mass (which I'm not sure any of us were expecting, we were a little underdressed), so we stayed for the service. I believe it was the first high church Anglican mass for some of our group. After this Forrest turned us loose in the city to go our seperate ways. This was a little frightening because it was the first time we were alone (well, without Forrest) in the city and had to get back without guidance. I went to dinner with some other members of our group at a little pub and had my first English fish and chips (which were excellent). We were able to find our way back to the hotel safely, not due to any of my help, via a double decker bus and ended the night early.

---Andrea Ansari

Day 1-2: Setting Out

2010-01-05T20:58:00.000-08:00

Day 1-2: Monday-Tuesday, January 4-5, 2010. Location: Sea-Tac (rainy and 40s) and London (high clouds and 30s); Lectures: Introduction to the Course and to Epistemology; Major sites visited: None—just general looking around; Meals together: Dinner and breakfast on plane, dinner at Wagamama’s near the British Museum

We met at Sea-Tac airport, excited and ready to go. Our little group consists of 18 students: Andrea Ansari, Mitchell Bailey, Alyson Cole, Nicholas Gallagher, Kara Heatherly, Cody Hines, Kaytlyn Holm, Aaron Korthuis, Abby Langbehn, Kyle Lindgren, Morgan McQuilken, Ann Merrriman, Andrew Ritchie, Elizabeth Seccomb, Shane (Daniel) Shettler, Jay Stahlman, Heather Wallace, Chelsea Zink; and 1 professor: Forrest Baird. We made our way through the maze of check-in, beefed-up security, and the subway to the South Terminal. We were on the same plane with Rick Hornor's London group.

After landing we collected our luggage (which all arrived!) and took the London Connect to our hotel near Paddington Station. After getting checked in, we took off to see a bit of the sights. We started by getting our Tube/Bus passes and then took the Underground to Tottenham Court. We were all hungry and cold, so we went to Wagamama’s for some warming food. After getting filled up, we walked part way down Oxford Street to enjoy the crowds before grabbing a double-decker bus back to Paddington. At that point we split up with some going to get some groceries for snacks, others heading for email cafes, and most going back to the hotel to sleep.

--Forrest