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It’s been quite an eventful a day to say the least. Some of us lucky travelers got a nice wakeup and others woke up… late, and had to quickly get dressed so we wouldn’t miss the yummy delicious breakfast. Thank the lord most of our stuff was together from the day before.
After the tasty English breakfast we got on the coach for a two hour bus ride. Too bad for some this ride became longer and longer as an accident made the traffic get heavier and heavier. So we pulled over to the nearest motorway stop to have a comfort break and some scrumptious snacks. After a 30 minute stretch break it was back on the coach to enjoy some more hours on the way to Stratford-upon-Avon.
Some slept while others watched the beautiful scenery pass by… then finally… there it was, our first destination - Anne Hathaway’s lovely house. The gardens were gorgeous and the inside delightful, but we couldn’t take any pictures of the inside.
After taking in the beauty of the land it was back on the coach for a short, ten minute ride to Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. Then each individual group went off to enjoy some lunch. After regaining our energy, it was time to explore the sight we came for.
We ventured into the little museum before the house to learn more about one of the greatest writers of our time’s life. After all this information was taken in, it was on to the house.
The house was once the largest one in the city, but to us, seemed quite small (especially for those of us who our more on the tall side). The house had many bedrooms, one of which is where Shakespeare was actually born in. We learned a lot from the guide about the early years of a baby life. The mother was in the bedroom with the curtains drawn for six weeks before and after. The baby was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in the cradle where it slept until it was old enough to sleep on a trundle bed. This trundle bed had to be tightened once in a while and this is where we get the saying “good night, sleep tight”.
We stopped by the gift shop next and then had to leave for the coach. We spent some more time on the bus as we traveled to our next hotel. We got there and got our room keys then made our way through the maze that is our hotel and found our room. And here we our; some just relaxing in front of the TV, others working out, and some already in the pool.
It’s going to be a great night tonight and it’s too bad we can’t stay longer… but it’s off to London tomorrow and we’re all excited!!!
See everyone in 5 days?!?! Where have all the days gone?!? - Elizabeth Lund ‘10
Maybe I’m just inundated with Southern California’s too perfect weather, but Edinburgh seems like an entirely inconceivable city to me. Its situated closer to Norway than London, and it’s on the same latitude as the Hudson Bay in Canada. This means that in the winter they only get four hours of sunlight! Not that you can tell anyway, because it’s perpetually cloudy. If there’s one thing this trip has taught me, it’s that I’d never really experienced weather before. I saw three umbrellas get turned inside out in the course of ten minutes!
That being said, Edinburgh is an unbelievably beautiful city. The architecture is gorgeous and every street is rich with history. Robert Louis Stevenson got his inspiration for Treasure Island from a pond in a park across from his house, and the base for his character Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde came from an actual notorious man who owned a bar not far from Stevenson’s house. In the center of the city lies a formidable and grand castle, home to both ancient and modern Kings and Queens, that can be viewed from almost every corner of Edinburgh.
For a soon-to-be-senior like me, Edinburgh has an even greater attraction. The city is the home to the third best university in Britain, just after Oxford and Cambridge. It is most well known for Medicine and Engineering, and some of its alumni include Prince Andrew, Kate Middleton, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I will admit that Edinburgh, with all its history and grandeur, had always had an attraction for me, and that I’m still seriously thinking about applying to the University. Now I just have to get past the weather and the lack of sunlight. But if Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and millions of other Scots can do it, so can I! Reilly St. Amand '09
Well today was just another day in paradise! We woke up a little earlier than usual; about 15 minutes past five in the morns. The “California Girls” (as our tour director, Paul, likes to call us) were out to the coach for a small ride to the Dublin Port. From there we all boarded the Irish Ferry, which took us from Ireland to Northern Wales, while sailing across the Irish Sea. While we were on the boat for a good three hours, many of us spent the time soaking up some sleep lost from the previous night. . . including the teachers and chaperones. As we neared the shore of North Wales, many awoke to explore on the top deck and were dumbfounded by the incredible views of the foreign lands. We had officially entered the United Kingdom.
Today was one of the warmest and clearest days we have had yet. Aside from the day that we traveled through the streets of Dublin, this day was one of the first that the sun gave us a visit. It was relatively warm, as a cool breeze followed us about.
After we got off the boat, we met our new coach driver, who took us through the country side of Wales. As we got further and further, we neared a small town that was surrounded by the walls of the Conwy Castle. This town was once part of the empire ruled by Edward I. We explored through the little town for lunch and walked along the shores of the Irish Sea before we entered the Conwy Castle itself. As we toured through, all were amazed at the intricate architecture and the many high towers that looked over the seas, forests, and Sedona Mountains of the UK. After an unforgettable trip through Wales, our bus headed into a small English town called Stockport. We soon discovered our quaint hotel and made ourselves at home. Many of us enjoyed the pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, and the gym. After a full day of excitement we were all tired and went in to get ready for another day in England. - Emily Greenwood ‘10
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We awoke on Day 6 at the ridiculous hour of 5:15. We grudgingly rolled ourselves out of bed and started to pack away our belongings, getting ready for the leave to Wales. Leaving our amazing Dublin apartment was sad but underneath lay the excitement for what would be in store next on our European journey. A short ride took us to a port where we were to ferry off to the unknown territory (at least to us) of Wales. As we waited to board we tiredly munched through our bagged breakfast, which wasn’t the most tasteful snack but of course, better than nothing.
Once inside the ship we settled ourselves on the several cushiony benches. Promptly then almost everyone in the tour including teachers and chaperones fell one by one asleep. Unusually peppy at the early hour I challenged my sleepy friends to different card games. An hour later, seeing their glazed over stares I knew I had to let them catch some shut eye.
Wondering the boat I found myself on the top deck gazing out over the large span of Irish Sea. I watched the bright blue water splash and stared out at the clear sky (yes, it was a beautifully clear and sunny day). Pretty soon, land started to line the horizon and we wound our way back into the hull of the ship to grab our things and head out.
From there we drove through beautiful vast countryside of Wales. As usual, everything was incredibly green and quaint little homes dotted the hills as we made our way to the city of Conwy. Here the houses and buildings looked older and more rustic then we’d seen so far. Bordering the city itself was a tall stone wall. Once we caught sight of the large castle cameras started flashing. Before we toured through it though we were let loose to wonder the small city. Shops were tucked into old stone buildings and the cobblestone streets coiled themselves throughout the mass of old architecture.
The castle itself was incredibly breathtaking. It stood perched at the top of a hill where it overlooked the bay and the surrounding mountains. Bright pink flowers curled from cracks and fat pigeons crouched in little nooks within the walls. It was preserved extremely well and narrow steps wound their way to the tops of tall turrets. Sometimes inside tiny rooms led off these steps and you could find rooms like the King’s personal chapel and bed chamber. Even here you could distinguish the intricate details of the design built so long ago. From the towers, you could see the inside the castle and the remnants of walls and rooms. The view was indescribable and absolutely amazing.
I was reluctant to leave but having climbed hundreds of steps in one day I was relieved to sit down and sleep on the bus on the way to the hotel. Today was one of the best days yet and I will remember it for the rest of my life.
- Jennifer Eneriz ‘10
We were all forced against our will to wake up a tad bit earlier. More time in the bus. A sightseeing tour of Dublin. Some of the things we saw included St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Trinity College and the Book of Kells. We also got some free time in Dubin to grab lunch and walk the streets. After our 3 hour bus tour, Sr. Maria joined us on the bus and we took a drive to Dundalk. Dundalk is a city where Louisville's sister school is located. It was interesting to hear how things are done on this side of the world. St. Louis' all girls school of Dundalk looks just slightly different from Woodland Hills. Besides the cows on the hills and the castle at the center of campus, the atmosphere just felt like that of Louisville. The Louisville emblem was near and “Dieu Le Vieu” and “Ut sint unum” never ceased to remind me of home. Even though we are 6000 miles away, we share a sisterhood. Dinner this night is in a restaurant called Dublincity and we take the “Lewis” (metro) back to the apartments. Our last day in Ireland was one for the books.
Day three was for the most part spent on a bus driving to Dublin, it was an amazing opportunity to see the beauty of the countryside. Even though the bus rides are long and tiring, there really isn’t any other way to grasp the vast greenery of this country. It was a tad bit chilly and rainy today but the weather is a nice break from the heat of California summers. One of the most famous sights of Ireland is the Blarney Castle, which holds at the top of its tower, the Blarney Stone. The patient travelers in our bunch waited in the 45 minute wind and rain to get to the top of the castle and kiss the stone. Supposedly the stone blesses the kisser with the gift of gab, and it was totally worth it. The remaining part of the day was spent driving to Dublin where we were fortunate to find that groups of 6 would be sharing apartments in the center of the city. Not only are the apartments a taste of luxury, but there is a sense of independence you get when you are responsible for your own place. – Maddie Sciarra ‘09
8 am breakfast: toast, cereal and fruit. We went to Bog Village. The houses were so small it was as if leprechauns could live in them. We then continued our journey and stopped in Waterville for lunch. On these long bus rides we read, talked, laughed, slept, took pictures, and the rest listened to their iPods. Our last stop was in the area of Killarney where some girls got some ice cream while others shopped for souvenirs and postcards. The views from the bus and other stops along the way were unbelievable. It’s amazing how green it is and cameras do not do it justice. We passed along the western coast and it seems that there are green mountains everywhere we turn. We were home by six in time for dinner and then after Mr. Wilson led brave girls and some other chaperones on a 12k walk. That’s 8 miles!!!! It was to see a castle and although many still have blisters from the hike, we can now say that we walked 8 miles to see a castle in Ireland in the rain; how many people can say that? – Chrissy Romero ‘09
In the past 24 hours we have gotten approximately half an hour of sleep. This is not including the few minutes people get with their mouths hanging open on the bus and airplane. But don’t worry, we have been well fed… airplane food is delicious. We did eat some tasty food in the small village of Adare. Ireland is amazing! Everywhere you go, there are people that look like the nuns at Louisville. All the land is green and there are cows grazing everywhere. Now we are staying at a beautiful hotel in Fossa, near the city of Killarney, where we just had an amazing dinner. Hope to write more later.! - Reilly Saint-Amand '09
