Commie U in London 2023

 Today was our last full day in London 😢 and we have our work cut out for us today.  Starting off, we went to breakfast at Bill's. Some of us got traditional British breakfasts, while others opted for more "usual" items.  Clean plate club! After breakfast, we had some time to ourselves. A few of us went sightseeing while others stayed back in the flats to pack. I personally took a nap, it was going to be a busy afternoon.  Kat, Becca and I met Dr. Hicks outside the flats around 1 P.M. and we were off to the Globe Theatre for Comedy of Errors .  Here's a pic from our journey! The trip wasn't long, we took the tube most of the way and then walked for about 10-15 minutes. A bit longer than our usual trips, but it is do-able.  Soon enough we made it to the theatre. We met up with Whitney, Frankie, and Maddie outside of the entrance and went to get our cushions (you really need them). The cushions are a dirty red color and they really help you be just a bit mor...

  After dealing with the French all weekend, it was refreshing to wake up in London. Today was our free day [ ed. comment: it wasn’t] , so the group split up for one part to go sightseeing and the other to the Harry Potter Studios. After struggling with the washer/dryer, Frankie, Kat, Whitney, and I headed out of the flat around 10:30 to jump onto a bus to Victoria, where we walked to the Victoria Coach Station. If you haven’t been on a double-decker bus before, it’s like driving in a simulation but having no control of the steering wheel or pedals; it is scary but fun at the same time.  We arrived early for our coach and purchased some breakfast and drinks. We met some Aussies who were very interested in our American culture and then got into our coach for the hour ride. Frankie enjoyed some Taylor Swift while Kat, Whitney, and I passed out for much-needed sleep.  On our arrival, we headed right to the tour part of the studio, where our fellow nerds welcomed us. The tour...

Today, like all the other days of the trip was very busy for us, with one difference, we woke up in Paris. Kat, Madi, Frankie and I all shared a four-person room, the room itself was odd, there were two full-size beds but they were so close together it was pretty much a giant bed. We woke up at 8 and all got ready in the tiny room, and then walked across the street for breakfast. We ate at the Paris Nord Café. We all ordered the same thing because it was a good-sized breakfast for the price. The breakfast included a croissant, bread with butter on it, jelly, coffee (or tea for Madi), orange juice, eggs and bacon for about €15. After that, we went to the RER station and went on an adventure. First, we got on the correct train, after we found it, but then we got off at the wrong stop. This caused a lot of confusion and annoyance. We finally found out what to do, get on a metro, get to the correct stop and finally, we’re on the correct RER for The Palace of Versailles. We were on it for a...

The author on Parliament  Square      It was an early start to our day, with jet lag messing with all of our sleep schedules. The other 5 girls and I met our dear professor outside of our flat and started our walk down to the Tube station. We spent about 15 minutes on the London Underground, then found ourselves right in front of the infamous Big Ben! From there we went on to Westminster Abbey, where the coronation of King Charles III just took place just ten days before.   After a quick stop at the gift shop for souvenirs for family back home, we continued on to Trafalgar Square, where we got to sit by the fountains and watch children gleefully chase the pigeons around (quite like NYC back home!) The National Gallery was right by Trafalgar Square, so while Dr. Hicks took a coffee break, the girls and I embraced the art.  After that, we went down the "shopping street," as Dr. Hicks called it. None of us bought anything. We went to a delicious Indian food pl...

 This is the blog for the Lock Haven-Bloomsburg program trip to London, May 2023.  We will publish every day we are in the U.K. -- with each student contributing on a given day.  We are not only seeing London's sites, but going to Stratford-upon-Avon, Cambridge and either Windsor or Hampton Court Palace.  And the students are going independently to Paris and (some) to the Harry Potter tour.  And there will be at least one picture per day.  Rah.  So, come back here on May 16 and join the trip.