Brown Smith UK 2023

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

Today started early in the morning at around 7:30 again. Half of us made it to breakfast bright and early, while the smart ones slept in and met us for the tour guide at 9. Some of us found the Greek yogurt served with honey which was probably the best part of an otherwise hit-or-miss meal. Once we all finished, we regrouped… except for Dhruv who had to stay . To start our journey, we hopped on the bus number 9 to Hyde Park corner station, then the 414 to Marble Arch (which we almost missed because we got on the wrong bus initially!). Afterwards, we went down to the underground, got on a few (read: a lot) of wrong trains, and made conversation with an absolutely jacked stranger about how much he benches (200 kilos!!). 3 trains later, and after a few briefings about the brand new Elizabethan line which we tried out, we all ended up at the fancy Canary Wharf train station which had tons of both ‘Canary Yellow’ decorations and memorable photo opportunities.

We arrived at the center of the London dock—one of the largest and most influential ports in the world. Interestingly enough, containerization (brought into commercial practice only decades ago) reduced the number of dock workers from 100,000 to just 300 today! Really shows the power of mechanical and transportation engineering to change an entire workforce (A&M Engineering, anyone?). We then took a short walking tour of the area and saw some modern artistic pieces. Then, we split for a brief ten-minute break. Tejas and Nikhil went to a tube-like structure between the station and the skyscrapers to take pictures, while Anish and a few others went to get coffee and pastries. Once we met up again, we took the Elizabethan line back to Liverpool Street to visit a cluster of skyscrapers and a residential center of the city. We learned how airspace regulations, city building codes, and historic view preservation efforts limit the construction of skyscrapers to small, isolated areas away from the path of incoming air traffic. As a result, we were in the center of some very interesting, crowded architecture. One of the buildings had a so-called “cheese grater” form of transportation where elevators lined a layer outside the main building so as to not take up any space on the floors. Also, we saw a building aptly named “The Gherkin” (pickle in American terms) which stood out for its really unique shape.

Next, we journeyed down a few blocks to a primary residential center where we came across the Barbican—a tower at the entrance to a castle. Finally, as we were walking along a beautiful garden area, we ran across some very aggressive ducks that tried biting Caitlin! Though cute at first sight, these ferocious creatures were not meant to be messed with.

At around 1:15, we made it back to the Imperial college and headed for a presentation on theatre (its history and impacts) right after heading back to our dorms. We also took our Imagination House books for a meeting we would have with Mr. Lee Walker at 3. Though many of us were tired from quite a busy morning of transit and walking, we were surprised to see that we had a better-than-normal packed lunch. There was some quite “exquisite” chicken shawarma which was leagues better than the sandwiches served back at York. We also had vegetarian sandwiches and spicy crisps served with a proper can of spring water. Vibha and Marie went to the farmers market and picked up some local food and fresh fruit from truck vendors. Right around when we finished eating, Mrs. Wilson presented on theatre; then, we started up a Zoom call with Mr. Walker and Mr. Will Wynn (former mayor of Austin!). A few notable questions asked were about Mr. Walker’s imaginative process and how he included his philosophy of curiosity throughout his endeavors, as well as explaining his morals and how he maintained them in the cutthroat business world. During the remainder of the evening, we attended a showing of Les Misérables which was one of the most entertaining experiences of the trip. Taking a single train to Piccadilly Square (depicted in the COD: MW game), we got off after four stops and walked to the showing area. From the get-go, the theatre’s inside was ornate, and the showing room had a historic atmosphere. Though slightly crowded, everyone managed to find comfortable seating. The story has multiple twists and turns, and it is absolutely worth watching a live performance or reading the play for the full tale; however, in a sentence, it depicted the story of a criminal-turned-hero and his adopted daughter evading the police, hoodlums, and the chaos of the French Revolution of 1832. The music was impeccable, and the acting even more so. At points, it seemed like actors and sets just teleported into and out of the stage as every single scene was so well done. Most of us agreed that the whole experience was a 9.5/10 (save for the late showing time which resulted in a couple of us dozing off). Nikhil also met an individual that he knew from South Texas who was on an exchange program for his performance studies degree. To round off the night, we all took (a very crowded) train right back to the dorms, where most of us immediately retired to doze off in preparation for a busy day tomorrow.

This is your London crew signing off for the night. Catch us tomorrow for Oxford and more!

Nikhil and Vibha

Hey guys,

Today we started our first full day in London bright and early with breakfast right at 7:30 am. After our meal, we had an hour to explore on our own. A large group of us walked to the skinny house, a building only 6 feet wide, while others went back to the dorms to sleep for an extra hour. We also walked over to the nearby shopping mall, one of the biggest in the world, but it was closed.

We then met up with our tour guide and set off for Westminster Abbey, the site of coronation for numerous monarchs, as well as a burial site for many important figures in history. We had some free time to explore and either continued to walk around the abbey or walked around near Big Ben and the Thames.

Hungry, we set off for lunch at PizzaEast, owned by Gordan Ramsey. It was an interesting experience, filled with expensive, cheesy food. We hate cheese but the pizza and olives were good. The tiramisu was good for the individuals who were not nut free (Nick).

After lunch, we took the complex tube system for several miles to the Tower Bridge. During this visit, we saw a pirate ship cross under the opening drawbridge. After seeing the incredible view, we toured the Tower of London to see the incredible Crown Jewels, giant ravens, and beautiful scenery from the White Tower. After another confusing ride in the London Underground, we arrived at our dorms in time for a wonderful dinner of sweet and sour chicken with steamed rice. When the dinner concluded, several of the members including Marie and I went to an incredible Tchaikovsky concert filled with a mosh pit of senior citizens bumping to 1800’s classical hits.

Top of the morning!

Before the sun could even peek over the top of the York minster, we were on our way to our last meal at York St. John’s dining hall. After another tragic breakfast of granola (bird seeds and sawdust) and toast from a toaster that did not work, we embarked to the York railway station for our train down to London King’s Cross.

The two hours we spent on the London-Edinburgh line flew by as we sped through picturesque countryside. After touring the rest of the train, we concluded that many British people do not shower on a regular basis. The train bathrooms were also in a disastrous state. Minor inconveniences aside, the train was very nice and we soon arrived at London King’s Cross (where Harry Potter’s platform 9 ¾ is located).

We emerged from the station and saw sunlight for the first time since arriving in Britain. The view of King’s cross square and St. Pancras station was incredible. After a short bus ride, we arrived at Imperial College London. While waiting for the dorms to open, several of us looked at some nearby embassies (including the Taliban/Afghanistan embassy on our street). We also indulged in the quintessential British pastime of football (not soccer) in a nearby park.

In the evening, we went on a walking tour of Imperial College. We explored the Kensington subway, or, “the tube,” station and received our metro cards. We also stopped at The French Institute, an embassy of French Culture from the World War I era. Brownstones and elegant white townhouses lined the streets, costing upwards of £15,000,000. These buildings were commonplace in the posh west side of London.

London is a perfect blend of Europe and America. While we speak the same language, the urban environment could not be more different. Across the equally motorist and pedestrian-shared street from our dorms lie the Museum of Natural History, Science Museum, and Victoria & Albert Museum with the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gardens, and Hyde Park down the street.

As the #6 University in the world from the QS World University Rankings, Imperial lives up to its top-tier name. The campus boasts modern architecture while maintaining a natural vibe in London’s cityscape. The dinner had a variety of international flavors, with Asian, Indian, and American food available tonight (with some unexpected special guests). Even for a travel day, we’re all working to maximize our time here and still are constantly making plans to go out and see all that London has to offer.

Hiya! 

Today marked our third and final day trip from York. We hopped on the coach at 8:45 and headed to the Yorkshire Dales, another national park. “Dales,” for our fellow Americans, are highlands and hills. As we passed what felt like 8,000 sheep on the endless windy roads, our lovely guide Johnny taught us about his experience on his Auntie Nelly and Uncle Harry’s farm. He also taught us (“us” as in the few that remained wide-eyed and bushy tailed) the road we took up was called A1. Evidently, it’s the British equivalent of Route 66! We then discussed Quaker-led businesses in York, which led us to discussing the dairy farm we were headed to visit. Once we arrived at Wensleydale Farms, the well-rested kids eagerly lined up to taste eight different cheeses (not to be biased, but the Yorkshire Wensleydale was our favorite). The group then split for a brief bit to see the town, with one group finding some friendly ponies on the side of the road. After spending an abnormal amount of time taking pictures and feeding the ponies grass from outside their fence, it was time for everyone to make the trek back uphill for the cheese-making demonstration. 

At the demonstration, we watched how the farm made their famous cheese (the same cheese featured in Wallace and Gromet! Aka, the best show of our childhood). From fresh milk to curdles, whey, and finally cheese, the Wensleydale Farms uses all products involved in the process to their fullest extent to minimize waste. Only 15% of milk can be used for cheese, so as you can imagine, there’s a lot of byproducts. While the cheese production area was closed for the weekend (sad, we know), we were still able to view the intricate machinery from the viewing gallery. 

 

As we boarded the coach once more, the still knackered kids (American tip: knackered means tired) fell back asleep to the sway of the rollercoaster roads- it was like we got a taste of amusement parks from home! As we drove through the tiddly tiny towns (Johnny’s favorite word), we approached the Fountains Abbey, which lived up to Johnny’s extraordinary description (“extraordinary” is his second favorite word, in case you were wondering). The Fountains Abbey, as Johnny informed us, was originally formed by a group of St. Mary’s Abbey monks who felt their first monastery was straying from their beliefs. They rebelled and were granted land to begin their own monastery, which is now the Fountains Abbey. Like the other monasteries, the Fountains Abbey was destroyed by Henry VIII during his war with the monasteries, but the ruins remain. Inspired by those in our group who went on the rock-climbing excursion yesterday, many decided to climb and explore the Abbey today, while others ventured on the well-vegetated path to the Serpentine Tunnel and the Octagon Tower. It’s safe to say that although we were a little discombobulated after our impromptu naps, we were ready for some activity (“discombobulated” happens to be Johnny’s word of the day, which is not to be confused with his all-time favorite or second favorite words). We all met back up by the Visitor Centre and got delicious ice cream (yet, arguably overpriced ice cream) before embarking on yet another thrilling ride on the coach back to York. 

For our final night out in the extraordinary town of York (Johnny would be proud of our exquisite vernacular), the entire program went to an all-you-can-eat Asian Fusion buffet (we adventure-filled tourists are quite hungry at the end of the day). We also said our goodbyes to York St. John University by taking a group photo in front of the main university building. Now, the group is splitting again as some of us head to the Barbie movie while others spend the last night exploring and packing (again, not biased, but Barbie is clearly the better choice). The movie is starting, so we’ve got to wrap this up!

Cheerio,

Amanda and Kaylee