Arcadia England
Experiencing England!
Date
December 8, 2020
This past weekend our students got the chance to get out and explore more of the country they have called home for the last eight weeks, during their Experiential Weekend. And what a weekend it was! It was filled with culture, history and, of course, lots of fun!
DAY ONE: Greenwich Boat Tour
The weekend started out with a trip down the River Thames on Friday! We set off from Westminster Pier and traveled down the river past iconic London landmarks such as the London Eye, Tower Bridge, and Canary Wharf until we ended up in Greenwich. Once in Greenwich, we stopped for coffees and pastries and then the students had free time to explore the area. They started by walking through Greenwich Park up the hill to the Royal Observatory and Prime Meridian Line. The spot on top of the hill has one the best views of London! They spent the rest of their afternoon wandering Greenwich, doing some holiday shopping at Greenwich Market, and visiting places like the National Maritime Museum and the Old Royal Naval College.
DAY TWO: Stonehenge and Salisbury
On Saturday, it was an early start as we set off at 7am toward the English Countryside. One perk of the early start was seeing the beautiful sunrise over London as we were driving away. After a couple of hours on the coach, we arrived at Stonehenge! Due to the lack of tourists at the moment, it was only our group and a handful of other visitors marvelling at the stones that have been standing since 3000 BC.
After Stonehenge we made our way to the city of Salisbury. There the students had some free time to get lunch and explore the quaint British city. They decided to go to Salisbury Cathedral, a 13th century building and home to the Magna Carta, before grabbing a bite to eat. After that it was time to head back on the coach and make the long journey back to London.
DAY THREE: Tower of London
On the final day of our Experiential Weekend, we visited the Tower of London, one of London's most famous landmarks. The Tower of London has formerly been a royal palace, prison, and is currently home to the Crown Jewels! Like Stonehenge, the Tower of London was uncharacteristically quiet so we were able to really soak in all of the rich history the tower holds and get some amazing pictures!
Reflecting upon the weekend, it's clear that there probably won't be another time when all of these places will ever be as empty again, and we feel so lucky our students were able to have this unique and unforgettable experience!