The Final Chapter, Official Post

I can’t believe the day that we are leaving in shortly upon us. It does not seem like we have been in England and Wales for just a little over three weeks.

It is incredibly difficult for me to pinpoint my favorite part of the trip so I’m going to break it into a few categories. The award for my favorite cathedral has to be Ely. Yes, I know I’m biased in this one due to my research, but I was blown away. First of all I loved the octagon tower. In my mind it was a blessing in disguise that the Norman tower collapsed and the octagon tower replaced it. Secondly, I loved all the stained glass. The majority of the glass has been redone and the color is amazing. Finally, the outer structure shows its dominance over the town. It was built upon a hill so looking up at the cathedral as you walk up gives the illusion of a grander structure.

My favorite castle would have to be Caernarfon Castle. The castle is massive and the multiple towers fit well into my stereotypical mindset of what a castle should look like. This place also had a great view of the straight that runs through the town and the nearby channel. The castle definitely served its purpose of protecting the immigrating English from the native Welsh.

What I will remember the most is that each cathedral and castle has their own style. Some castles were built as a symbol of dominance over an area, while others are simply a fortified manor house such as the castle in Craven Arms. While all cathedrals are built as a place to worship, the style of architecture is quite different. In fact the nave of cathedral was originally used as a meeting place, which I found quite interesting. We have seen all sorts of different styles from Norman with their rounded arches, to Early English Gothic which was a slightly pointed arch, to the Gothic style with their pointed arches and their flying buttress which helped distribute weight more effectively.

The experiences I have had over the past month have broadened my horizons and perspectives. This trip has made me realize that England is a place that I love to travel to. I love the landscape, and the people that I have encountered. Finally, I have come to realize how lucky we are to live in an area where we have space to roam. Everything here is placed right next to each other. It makes it easier for us to travel but as a guy who lived on a rural Iowa farm, I miss my space and having a yard. As much as I have loved my stay in England, this trip has made me realize how much I love the comforts of home.

A Long Day of Travels (Official Post)

Hello friends and family of everyone following our journeys. First and foremost, we have all arrived at the York hostel. However, it took us longer than what was planned.

We left Cedar Rapids on time but we had a five hour delay in Chicago. Apparently, the plane we were going to board had some type of mechanical problem. This meant we had to wait for a plane coming in from London to take us to England. The silver lining was that the plane we took was bigger and easier to sleep on.

We arrived in Manchester around noon today and then we took a train to York. I personally enjoy traveling by train.. It is a great way to look at the landscape of the country while traveling at a fairly good clip.

Once we arrived in York, we took a walking tour of the city to gain an idea of where everything is. York is a lovely town. I love all the walking trails and the architecture of the buildings. It is definitely different from the States for sure.

For dinner we ate an Indian dinner at the Gates of India at the Old Grey Mare Inn. Let's just say the dinner was a learning experience and at least I can say I tired it.

I think I speak for the entire class in that tonight is going to be a good night to relax and sleep!

Tomorrow we tour some of the popular sights of York.

Andrew Bridgewater

Andrew's First Official Post

Hello everyone! I'm Andrew. I'm really looking forward to getting away from my hectic life here in the States. Secondly, I'm looking forward to submerging myself within a new culture and learning about the vast history of the places we are going. When I return I hope to come back with new knowledge and experiences that will stay with me for a long time.

Bridge

Kaitlyn's Official Post

Good-day Mate!! Oh wait, wrong country. Kaitlyn (or KC) here and I'm currently a junior here at WCollege. I've been looking forward to this trip to England and Wales since signing up for it. For all the years I have been at college, I've wanted to travel with the study abroad program but just never had a chance due to being a park of the track program. I guess the best way to express my excitement was how early I packed for this trip. I believe I packed over Winter Break and that was at the beginning of March. Yah... Anyways, the part that I'm looking forward the most is experiencing the whole culture of England and Wale though this isn't my first time abroad. I've been to Switzerland, Germany (twice), Lichtentein-just to say we've been there, Austria, Italy and Barbados. But I think I'm more excited for this trip because of learning and studying this country all semester and I'm not travelling with my parents. Well that's all I have for now. My next report will be from the "HILLS" of England/Wales. Tah-tah for now or as the Welsh say "Nos da."

~KC