Don't Worry, it's on the Queen's Tab

It comes as a very pleasant surprise that London's world-class museums are free.  I recently paid my fourth visit to the British Museum, and third to the National Gallery.  The museums are far too large and overwhelming to see in any single visit.  I've still seen only a fraction of what they offer.  The magnitude, gravity, and volume of what these museums house, contribute in yet another way to London's grandeur and Britain's power.  Behold, the eminence of Great Britain.  We house the world's most prized possessions and won't even charge you to see them!  I think the message is there.  Exploring London day-to-day is a privilege, but the great expense of this pursuit can become a source of anxiety for struggling English majors.  The museums are an escape from this financial circumstance.  You can spend days exploring these marvels and it's on the Queen.  Below, are a few photos that provide a glimpse of a glimpse.  Mummies?  Socrates?  The ROSETTA STONE?! Ya, they've got it.

Weekend Getaway to Belgium

Some of the students in the program have made really great use of their time in Europe with weekends off.  I’ve spoken with classmates who have already gone to Bath, Oxford, Dublin and Paris, and Rome (among other cities).  I recently found out that it was both affordable and relatively easy to get to Belgium.  It’s a bit ambitious, given its distance from London and the time constraints of a weekend.  All that said, I’ve now done it and it was well worth it.  Take a bus.  Perhaps you’re wondering how one takes a bus across the English Channel–let me tell you.  I booked a ticket through National Express for £54 round trip (as compared to the £250 Eurostar train ticket).  The bus leaves central London, drives you to Dover (hi, Shakespeare nerds) where your bus actually drives onto a train.  YES.  The train goes under the sea in the English Channel Tunnel and emerges in France, where your bus drives off of the train and straight for Belgium.  The whole trip takes 9 hours (to Brussels), but you also lose an hour by crossing into a new time zone.  If you are going to make a weekend trip out of it, leave as early as you can Friday and return as late as you can Sunday.  Remember that you gain an hour back on the return.  The bus will take you to the spectacular city Gent, or Brussels (and beyond).  I chose Brussels, which was... not quite what I had expected.  However, I had heard so many great things about Brugge.  I must admit that out all the cities I have ever been, this might be my new favorite.  I ended up spending the entire weekend there.  English is spoken very widely in Belgium, so getting around is not too complicated.  Also, they’re on the Euro, so your money goes much further here than in London.  I almost booked a hostel in Brussels for 30 Euros, but found that a hotel was only $87.  As a quick note, take euros out of an ATM in London without fees, as many ATMs offer both pounds & euros.

William Blake and the British Museum

 We were given the rare opportunity to see a collection of William Blake's copperplate engravings and prints at the British Museum.  What an amazing privilege to see his craftsmanship before our very eyes.  These relics are housed behind locked doors at the British Museum, but can be viewed by the public by appointment.  Here are a few photos:

A Few Recent Photos

St. Giles - located at the heart of 18th and 19th century London slums

Dr. Makdisi at St. George's Parish Church

St. George's Parish Church

Photos from the nearly 1000 year old Borough Market

London Royal Courts of Justice

A few photos from one of my daily jogs: Hyde Park

 Hyde Park & Royal Albert Hall

Hyde Park & Kensington Palace

Cailey Hall's Tour in front of the home of John Keats in Hampstead, north London.

Home of John Keats

Hampstead, north London.  The inspiration of Romanticists

Walk to Kensington Palace

Homes near Regent's Park

A Note on the Banknote

Here's a few helpful tips on money.
First off, each pound costs us Americans $1.71 as of July, 2014.  The figures that you see in the stores and restaurants are roughly the same as they are in the US ( £1.50 for a bottle of water, £7 for a sandwich with chips, £3 for large Americano, etc).  Therefore, most everything costs anywhere from one and a half, to twice as much as it does at home.  Prepare for this.  Your £10 lunch is $17.  
Don't use Bureau de Change or other currency converters once in London.  Just pull money from the ATM which converts dollars to pounds automatically.  The ATMs in London don't charge you, but your bank at home does.  I bank with Chase, who charges $5 for each international ATM withdrawal, and an additional 3% of the amount your withdrawing on top of that.  This is pretty standard.  To avoid paying the $5 over and over, take out fewer, but larger sums.  With these fees, you will still pay substantially less than you will at a walk-up currency converter.  According to Chase, Wells Fargo is the primary international bank in the US.  So if you bank with them, you might find that your fees are lower.  If you already bank with Wells Fargo at home, it might be a good idea to order a couple hundred £s from home.  This takes a couple days, but is free to you as a Wells Fargo customer.  In the long run, you're only saving $10-$20, perhaps, BUT you've got some money in your pocket when you get into the city and it's one less thing you have to worry about.  I don't recommend pulling out thousands of pounds in the US and carrying them over, because losing that money will ruin your whole trip.


Notify your bank that you're leaving the country by calling the number on the back of the card or going in.  You run the risk of getting your checking account locked up by not letting them know.  An overseas withdrawal for a large some of money is very much a "red flag" with regard to fraudulent activity.  The call will ensure that they don't freeze your account.  


Lastly, does your debit/credit card have a chip in it?  They're usually visible on the front of the card.  I didn't let my bank know that I was leaving until the day before, making it too late to order a free replacement card with a chip.  I didn't really think that this would be a big deal, but it's been troublesome not having it.  The London Underground ticket machines have difficulty processing cards without chips.  It usually takes me... like 10 swipes to get it to read & accept the transaction.  Also, the city rental bikes are by credit card only.  Because I don't have that chip, the machines do not accept my payment at all.  Thus, I can't rent a bike in all of London.  Bummer.  But, now YOU know.

Sunday in London: 74°F

 I had the pleasure of speaking with a lifetime Londoner who generously gave me an entire list of things to see and do – none of which included the iconic, touristy locations of the city.  As an American visitor, I think that many of the spots where the tourists flock are essential to experiencing London, but it's really nice that we have the luxury of time, allowing us to branch out and get a feel for what many Londoners enjoy doing in their own spare time.  One such place that was recommended to me was the Columbia Road Flower Market.  Each Sunday, Columbia Road comes alive.  It's just like a massive farmer's market at home that spans several city blocks–but sells only flowers and potted plants.  While it's off the beaten path of touristy British landmarks, it's still tremendously popular.  There were thousands there.  The Londoner I spoke with advised me to go there just after 12pm (if I intended to buy flowers), as all their inventory drops to half price or even lower, before they close up at about 3pm.

The adjacent streets are full of shops, selling everything from antiques, to art, to books.  There are a wealth of great spots to eat and drink, from small cafes to outdoor food and drink vendors.  Lastly, there's live music.  It makes for a really great Sunday afternoon, and won't cost you too many £s!

A street vendor's merchandise near Columbia Road.  

Directions:  Exit Old St. Underground Station (which is within Zones 1 & 2).  You can walk or hop on a bus to Columbia Rd from there.  We took the bus because we didn't know where we were going, then walked back to the Underground at Old Street.  The walk takes only 10-15 minutes.

 

Visit to the British National Archives

The several hundreds of documents pulled by Dr. Makdisi were mostly handwritten letters dated in the 18^th century.  The content of the letters enabled us to peer into a compelling period of English history, which is known for its contentious sociopolitical climate.  The French and American Revolutions of the era revealed that common people were capable of achieving radical political change. Examples of the pursuit of change, as well as the suppression of it, are revealed in some of the documents that we held in our hands.  Some more noteworthy documents viewed and handled included an original Thomas Paine publication as well as a statement drafted by the then radical London Corresponding Society, encompassing its aspirations of political reform.  To actually touch, see, (and even smell) these exquisitely written documents, and recognize their historical impact is an experience that I’d deem priceless–and it’s free. 

group photo?  no big deal.