jarrexi

Hear ye! Hear ye! I am moments away from regaling you with the tales of the trials and tribulations of the 18th day of this magnificent trip! So sit down! Rest your feet! And prepare yourself for an epic like no other!

Our story begins in a quiet manner, for only 3 (no more, no less!) of our storymakers found within themselves the wherewithal to trudge the rugged path to the dining hall on time. However, no sooner had they plopped into a chair to eat, than were they joined by some of their fellow journeyers. With food in their belly and a pep in their step, our breakfast goers each made a crucial decision: were they to fall into the temptation of another hour of sleep, or would they brave the morning to explore Hyde Park?

And yet, this grand morning begins with our band of brethren separated already! Not only had dear Nick left early in the morning, but Alex, David, and Luke departed to London Oratory for Mass at 8 and, following service in a beautiful church, stopped at a quaint breakfast shop. With delicious ciabattas in hand (one deliciously cranberry-flavored), the adventurers returned to their domiciles.

The time had arrived. The clock struck 9 and (most) everyone turned from their present task to prepare for the challenges the day had in stock for them. With a glimmer in their eyes, our merry, but motley, crew reconvened outside the dorms, yawning, but ready to explore and conquer yet another castle.

The group met their mentors (tour guides) for the morning, Steve and Helena, and they promptly set off to rediscover the wonders of those buildings erected in dedication to Prince Albert. Sarah attempted to explain to Helena why our accents weren't the southern drawl she was expecting while they passed by the Royal Albert Hall and trekked through the vegetation of Hyde Park. With great trepidation, the adventurers crept into Kensington Palace to view a vast collection of dresses, both antiquated and modern. Along the way, they uncovered secrets regarding the royal Queen Victoria's muddied past. As the team burst out of the doors of the Palace, they split up for coffee, for gardens, and for napping!

Following their return, the travelers searched their memories for the way to the classroom and, after several long and treacherous flights of stairs, wearily took their seats. They began their tireless labor as they crafted glorious presentations about myriad interesting topics. During their work, they were graciously granted sustenance in the form of sandwiches, chips, and apples. After they made their final touches, presentations began with Animals in Art. Each group presented in turn until it was time to collect the votes and determine the winner.

In the meantime, our glorious leader Luke delivered a riveting oration concerning the organizational structure of our beloved educational institution. We gazed on attentively as we learned about the many offices involved in the operation of Texas A&M and the role of the faculty with whom we will soon interact. Following the conclusion of his session, Luke announced the results of the voting on our presentation. The group presenting on historical death rituals (Sir Hunt, Sir Jones, and to a lesser extent, Sir Bendixen) claimed the trophy and emerged victorious from the cutthroat competition on top. 

With both feelings of triumph and utter and total defeat (so terrible was the Death Ritual's victory that everyone else shuffled out in total shame), the group divided itself again before returning for dinner. While most of the weary travelers retired to their locations of residence, some brave souls decided to journey out of the dorms. One group found themselves in CeX in search of cheap games and electronic equipment. Unfortunately, Nikhil found his attempts to purchase games foiled by his youth but still left in good spirits and with plans to return.

A separate set of individuals weathered the storm to acquire Boba to slake their thirst. Unfortunately, the storm delayed their approach and they were caught amongst the crowd bustling through the dinner line. Nevertheless, they bravely waited in line and, with food in their trays, indulged in the delicious meal before making plans to further explore the city.

Satisfied with the outcome of their presentations and their dinner, one group of travelers set off to attend the famed market of Spitalfield. They set off with dreams and wonder in their eyes, but a great darkness loomed in the distance. Their hopes would soon be dashed as time’s lethal march would prevent them from frequenting the shops. Dismayed and disheveled, they stumbled to Five Guys in a daze, consoling themselves with sugary milkshakes. Spirits brightened, or at least sweetened, they headed home a jolly bunch, unencumbered by their failure to attend the market.

Sated by dinner, another group of three stumbled through the slick streets of London to not one, not two, but three different bus stops before racing to catch up with the vehicle they desired. On the way, the double-decker ran (or drove) into trouble, forcing the intrepid trio to disembark in search of a more effective form of transportation. Finally, the group arrived to marvel at their destination: the grand, the one and only 221B Baker Street! While the building was difficult to find, and the numbering system of the street confusing, their task was accomplished. Spurred on by their success, the band of heroes found their way to Buckingham Palace, from which they wandered to the stables and to Trafalgar square before attempting to utIlize the tube on their trek home. They narrowly escaped a train run loose in the wrong direction and rewarded themselves with a popular local ice cream parlor. With food in their bellies and ice cream on their fingers, this fragment of the group was satisfied, and their day complete.

Inspired by others’ exploits in search of boba, another group set out to take pictures at Buckingham Palace before stopping at a candy stop. Upon their return to South Kensington Station, they successfully purchased boba before a return to the dorms and a stay at T.J. 's Kitchen.

After the many groups returned from their journeys, the weary students convened in T.J.’s Kitchen (flat 002 common room style) to discuss the events of the day. There, our noble bloggers gathered to document the happenings of our second-to-last day in London while the rest of the heroes distracted the authors as much as possible (especially Annie).

Howdy there bruvs! The day started off with a bang as some of the Brown Scholars ate at the Imperial College dining hall while others slept in a little to eat breakfast at local eateries.

After a quick ride on the underground, we found ourselves at St. Paul’s Cathedral, a massive domed cathedral with intricate architecture.

We then traveled across the Millennium Bridge on our way to the Borough Market. At the market, we weaved through a huge number of stalls. Past cheesemongers, butchers, and vegetable vendors we went. Stacks of fresh bread, fresh baked cookies, and sizzling burgers called out to us. After oohing and aahing at the many stores, we were able to explore the surroundings a little bit. From the modern art museum to the Tower Bridge to watching cricket on a giant, outdoor screen, we all had a bit of fun before heading to the Globe Theatre.

At the theatre, we watched “The Comedy of Errors” by William Shakespeare. Although it took a wee bit of time, we managed to get the hang of Shakepearean english (those of us who didn’t manage to find online translations of the play).

We split up after the play and each group went off to explore the city. 

Some of us stared in awe at the Arsenal stadium before finding a Polish restaurant to kick back and relax at. While the food was incredible, they were craving some dessert and found ice cream at Tesco to share at Hyde Park (using coffee stirrers of course because they had forgotten spoons).

Another group tried their best to head to the British Museum, but due to railroad labor strikes, they did not make it on time. Instead, they headed to Harrods (an extremely upscale store that sells everything from Gucci to £5 apples). After Harrods, some people got chai, some people napped, and others got lost in the endless maze of London’s beautiful streets. After recollecting the group, we headed to Din Tai Fung, a restaurant specializing in dumplings and buns. After an incredible meal, we retired to the dorms for a good night’s sleep.

Farewell!

- Arjun and Rudolf

After the ever-shrinking group of breakfast-goers returned from the dining hall, the whole team (minus a few) piled on to the coach for a quick nap en route to Windsor Castle. Due to an injury, a few of us stayed behind to explore Chelsea. The rest took an audio tour of the Royal Apartments and the King George Chapel. We saw a hundred-year-old dollhouse that belonged to Queen Mary, and we're just in time to witness a changing of the guards. One group even found a fellow Aggie – Class of '01!

Next we split off to explore all that the small town of Windsor had to offer. Some groups went to italian experiencing some delicious authentic —and with that expensive — Italian carbs, and others went off to exploit the cheap underground Windsor video game market. We had to be back strictly at 1, and while the group of lads made it back 10 minutes past than that, Nikhil managed to get back 20 minutes past due to his escapades. We hopped back on the bus and made our mary way off to Hampton’s court.

The court was stunning. While it’s elevation didn’t quite match the rest of the palaces we’ve seen, the courtyards, gardens, and intricate architecture well made up for it. Our guide led us inside and let us disperse to do as we please, where we explored William VIII’s apartments, the hedge maze, the natural scenery, and a fancy indoor court for a peculiar wall-tennis sport. We ended our visit with some subpar rock skipping and headed off back to HQ.

Alex and Nacho made great use of the bus ride back to solve green eggs and ham… something about basic linear algebra and coordinate planes. On our return, we encountered our first form false fire alarm. Luckily, it only lasted a few minutes. After a sampling mushy peas in the dining hall, the group split up to explore the V&A art museum and the British Museum. 

We hope to make some time tonight for writing postcards, seeing where the Tube takes us, and maybe even sleeping!

Cheerio and Gig 'em,

Allie and Gavin 

Our grand epic begins later in the morning than usual. Each adventurer struggled to fight the urge to roll over and shut off their alarms, and while the battle was close, most of our heroes were triumphant and made an appearance at breakfast. While the grub was good, they began to realize the difficulty in consuming the same set of food each and every morning. Fortunately, today was brightened for everyone by the fact that it was the hero Akira's birthday. Following the fulfilling meal, the merry group dispersed for coffee and a moment of rest before the trials of the day were to begin.

They met outside their home with the tour guides of the day: Leo and Clarissa. These brave travelers guided the group through the perils of the underground in the safest manner available, but some of our keener adventurers deciphered a more efficient (while more difficult) route to our destination. Fortunately the journey was short and the heroes arrived in Greenwich shortly after. As they traveled to their destination, they made sure to scope out the market for potential luncheon locations. The naval museum contained many wonders to explore, including the back of a boat, an operating boat engine, and the coat jacket of a famous British Admiral. To complete the planned portion of the expedition, the group hiked up to the nearby observatory to discover the origins of how time was tracked and how captains navigated the treacherous seas through adjusting their clocks based on where on the globe they were. Several people also successfully stood on two hemispheres at once!

The expedition (and skipping breakfast) had worn out many of the adventurers rather quickly, so a group split up and rushed down the hill to quest for something to quench their hunger. The remaining team waited to watch the daily ball drop at the Greenwich observatory at 1pm before rolling down the slope themselves to follow after their companions. From brisket sandwiches to strawberry Gelato, the Greenwich market had much to offer the starving heroes, and everyone agreed that the food was delicious.

On the return journey, the group discovered a new passageway back to Imperial College: a boat. Through the deep, perilous waters of the Thames River, our brave adventurers sailed to reach Westminster Abby. From there, the team split up and rushed to accomplish as many feats as possible before everything began to close. In a race against time, the explorers witnessed the British Parliament in action, learned about the history of space travel, marveled at the beauty of ancient art, and (the most dangerous task of all) dared to sleep through the afternoon. With new knowledge gained and experiences cataloged, the group reunited upon the footsteps of the college.

Tonight, dinner was even more exhilarating than it normally is. Cakes were brought out and singing was in order in celebration of Akira's birthday. Apparently, the cake looked so good that a fellow adventurer from another group couldn't help but ask for some. Everyone was amused and Mr. Altendorf demonstrated some of his magic skills to her while she chowed down. Fully sated, the team split yet again. Some decided to watch the new Oppenheimer film, while others hopped on bicycles to explore town, and yet others wandered off together to discover what London had in store for them.

As the evening closes in and the shroud of darkness envelopes the bright and bustling city, the heroes of our story each slowly (but surely) find their own way to their beds and promptly fall into a deep sleep, for they are all sorely exhausted and yearning for each moment of shut-eye they can catch at this point in their journey.

Signing off

Mr. Bendixen & Mr. Kinley

 

 

Hello loyal readers!

After our first few days in London, it was finally time to branch out from the big city. We hopped on the bus and got ready for our journey to the prestigious Oxford University. On the way, some trip members caught up on lost sleep and were caught on camera.

At Oxford, we toured New College, which is actually old and from the 1300s, and was the inside courtyard of Hogwarts from the Harry Potter films. We then walked to the main campus before breaking to eat lunch in the market and walk the city. Many of us ended up in the bookstore to buy British classics but some found their way exploring even more of Oxford's great campus.

After our escapade to Oxford, we once again got on the bus, this time to Blenheim Palace, the ancestral home of Winston Churchill. The palace held many exquisite tapestries and pieces art, as well as a hedge maze. Seeking to challenge the maze, many members of the group tried their best to best the hedges. Despite its initial impression as a kids playground, the maze rapidly became complex and confined some members so long they had to run to catch the bus.

Finally, the day was over and the bus trudged along back to Imperial College. After dinner and another night of missing the museums before closing, we had a free night on the town, with some going to Oxford Street (not the university!) to shop while others visited Chinatown and the LEGO store. We still have a long way to go before seeing all the things London has to offer.

Cheers,

TJ