Our first stop was Westminster Abbey, a quick walk from our hotel, across the Thames, and next to Big Ben and Parliament. To walk out of our hotel and see that view is absolutely amazing. Westminster is THE Abbey to visit when in England. It is not only impressive in size but beauty as well. It is not only a grand cathedral, but also a memorial to many great people of England. Several kings and queens are buried there, including Elizabeth I. But, with a history dating back to 1066, some of the memorials are quite old.
The highlight for our group, though, was Poets Corner, a section of the Abbey devoted to graves and memorials to great authors of England. Chaucer, Milton, C. S. Lewis, and many more are there, so it was fun for the students to pick out authors they have studied. You would think that the kids who come on this trip are here for just the sights, but when you see them get truly excited about a memorial to one of their favorite authors, you realize that these students have gained so much from their literature studies at SCCS.
From Westminster we took a walk along the Thames to The Globe theater, stopping on the way for a bite to eat. The Globe is probably one of the most iconic buildings in England and as the place where Shakespeare's plays were performed in London, it is a fascinating place to visit for anyone who has studied Shakespeare.
We had a wonderful tour guide who is also a resident actor at the Globe. He provided in-depth information as he walked us through the Globe. But, the best part was the acting class he gave the students. They did some warm up activities, and then he had the students work through a couple scenes of Hamlet. The students had a lot of fun putting Shakespeare on its feet as they analyzed the text through playing with the words.
About the time all our counterparts back home were getting up for their first day back at school after break (haha), we hopped on a red bus to head over to the Tower of London. This old castle has been used for various purposes…home to kings and queens; a prison where torture and executions occurred; and an armory. Today it is a museum that holds an exhibit showcasing items from the armory as well as displaying the Crown Jewels.
From there we traveled over to St. Paul's Cathedral for a group picture on the final day of our trip. This is becoming an annual tradition for us.
From there we walked down the street to The Old Bank of England building for dinner at Fullers. It is a nice way to end our tour together as we "broke bread together," sharing out favorite memories from the trip. It was a really special time together.
Our final activity of the day was to return to the Tower of London for the Ceremony of the Keys. This is a private event, and we have been privileged enough to attend the past two years. We are led into the Tower by one of the Beefeaters and then observe the ceremony as the soldiers in full dress lock up the gates. Exhausted from a long day (and a fulfilling adventure in England), we returned to our hotel on one last ride on the Tube. We now pack our bags, get a few hours of sleep, and start our journey home.
Thank you all for your prayers over the past week. We look forward to seeing everyone again soon!
Looks like you all had a wonderful time and beautiful weather! Can't wait to see you!
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