We finally came home after an adventure of a lifetime. I have made such wonderful and lifelong friends. There are things about England that I miss, but at the same time there are other things that I appreciate even more about the states.
Land Ho!!! I’ve made it to America.
Double-Decker!
Just playing catch up, but two weeks ago, C-95 traveled north to the Lake District to hike among the sheep and stone walls. We also were able to see Fountains Abbey (an old Abbey in ruins) and Chatsworth House (a rich family estate that the family opened as a tourist attraction in order to protect it from harsh taxes). It was a great trip!
Fountains Abbey
Fountains Abbey
Fountains Abbey
Fountains Abbey
Saint Mary’s Church – Fountains Abbey
Lake District
Lake District
Lake District
Lake District
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House Gardens with Sarah.
Director Ringenberg took us on our highly-anticipated punting class trip! It was a beautiful, warm spring (summer?) day. Our guide, who was originally from Romania, gave us a brief history of the buildings and colleges as we punted down the river. Many of the buildings date back to the 13th and 14th centuries! It was a great time and Brendan and I both learned how to punt! Apart from running our punt through two willow trees and crashing into a bridge, I think I did alright!
Cambridge, England
Cambridge, England
Left to Right: (Emily P., Brendan, Sarah, Stephanie)
Cambridge, England
Mathematical Bridge, Queen’s College, Cambridge, England
Cambridge, England
As some of my friends were off on the continent of Europe, I decided to stay back and go to London. I just love the city so much. I saw my favorite places and I even swam in the London Olympic Pool!
London, England
London, England
St. James Park, London
Buckingham Palace, London
London Olympic Aquatic Centre – Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
London Olympic Aquatic Centre – Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
London Olympic Aquatic Centre – Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
If you stroll along the river Cam towards the south for about two miles or so, you run into the lovely village of Grantchester. It is beautiful to walk along the fields and see the country side. We even had to make our way through several cows as they grazed along the path. It was lovely to see a village that is less commercial and truly more British.
On the way to Grantchester
Tea Garden in Grantchester
Grantchester, England
I felt like a mariner on the second have of my Swedish adventure. I spent a couple days out sailing in the Stockholm Archipelago, visiting beautiful islands. This is a top vacation destination in the summertime. Stockholm is also lovely while covered in fresh snow!
Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm Harbor – Royal Palace
Stockholm Archipelago
Vaxholm Fortress
Finnhamn Island
Finnhamn Island
Stockholm Archipelago
I loved Scandinavia so much that I had to return! Over our two week break, I explored Stockholm and its archipelago. I spent my first few days just in the city. The harbor is gorgeous. I saw the famous (or infamous) Vasa warship from the 1600s and the largest IKEA store in the world (IKEA is a Swedish company).
Stockholm Harbor
Stockholm Harbor
Stockholm Harbor
Vasa warship – Stockholm
Vasa warship – Stockholm
Stockholm
IKEA – Stockholm
After World War II, a great cemetery was constructed in honor of the American men and women who fought to help protect their English allies. Technically the ground is American soil and we saw our first real American flag in a long time. It was a proud and patriotic moment for all of us.
American Cemetery – Cambridge, England
American Cemetery – Cambridge, England
American Cemetery – Cambridge, England
American Cemetery – Cambridge, England
On the last leg of our journey, C-95 journeyed to Stonehenge, one of the most famous prehistoric landmarks in the world. One of the interesting things about site is that the stones frame the sunset on the Equinoxes and we were there the day after the equinox so the sun would have been framed fairly well at sunset. However we were there in the middle of the afternoon. After Stonehenge, we visited Hampton Court Palace on the southwest side of London. This was the palace of King Henry VIII, and the monarchs William and Mary. It was a beautiful estate, both inside and out.
Stonehenge – (left to right) Emily P., Jessica, Sarah
Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Hampton Court Palace
Main Dining Room – Hampton Court Palace
a courtyard – Hampton Court Palace
For the next part of our journey, we traveled to Stratford-upon-Avon (the birthplace of William Shakespeare) and saw the play “The Jew of Malta.” The next day we traveled to Bath and saw the ancient baths that the Romans built on top of the natural springs in the southwestern part of England.
Live performances outside Shakespeare’s childhood home
Stratford-Upon-Avon downtown
Cathedral in Bath
The Roman Baths
The Roman Baths (statues of emperors around the top viewing gallery)
Roman Baths
The Royal Crescent
The Royal Cresent w/ Emily P.
The Royal Crescent w/ Emily P.
The Royal Crescent
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