In March, a school trip to London took place. First and second grade students took part in it. We were looked after by prof. Agnieszka Batko, prof. Joanna Klaja and prof. Zofia Grzesik.
We set out on our journey on March 19. We traveled the route through Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium to France by coach. On Monday, around 3:00 am, we arrived at the port of Dunkirk. From there, we took the ferry to Dover, which is the England we have been waiting for so long. The cruise took about two hours and we were still three hours away from London by coach.
When we finally reached the main destination of our trip, our attention was drawn to… huge traffic jams. Nearly 9 million people live in London permanently, so such situations are inevitable. It absolutely did not put us off. The first point of our program was the Cathedral of St. Paul. This object made a great impression on each of us, mainly due to its monumental size. We had the opportunity to enter the Gallery of Whispers and see the interior of the church from above. Later that same day we went to the Tower of London. On the way, the guide told us stories and legends related to the fortress. During the tour we were not spared the rain, but it did not surprise anyone, after all, it is London …
In the evening, we had the opportunity to get acquainted with the English cuisine and their customs, because we have already stayed with families. There was not much time for talks – it was necessary to rest, because the next day was going to be as interesting as the previous one, which was associated not only with exhaustion, but also with a lot of emotions.
The next day, after breakfast at the hosts’ place, we met at the meeting point. We started our tour from one of the British Queen’s residences – Windsor Castle. Another day, another unforgettable experience. The castle is the largest inhabited object of this type in the world. It was built in the 11th century and is still in perfect condition. There is a chapel of St. George, which houses the royal tombs in its basement. In the afternoon we drove to the British Museum. There, we had the opportunity to see exhibits from ancient Egypt and Rome, as well as modern items. This museum differs from the others in that it collects things that seem completely ordinary, yet create history in combination with others.
The next, third day of our London adventure, brought rain. We were visiting the Greenwich Observatory then. The weather did not prevent us from taking pictures halfway in the western and half in the eastern hemisphere. In fact, the prime meridian is located elsewhere, but in the 20th century, the line was considered the right one. Advances in technology have proved that the marking is wrong. Then we went to Cambridge, the headquarters of the second oldest university in England. There, we visited the chapel at King’s College and entered several other schools where parents enroll their children several years earlier, and the tuition fees are huge. The whole town is very charming. In its center there is a market selling books, sweets and much more, and there are narrow streets stretching all around. That day was the last one we spent with our families.
Thursday turned out to be the most exhausting day with everything, but also the most exciting day. In the very morning, after saying goodbye to our hosts, we left for the very center of London. As our entrance to the London Eye was postponed, we managed to visit the War Museum, which houses many exhibits from World War I and II. We entered the huge Ferris wheel, 133 meters high, around noon. The entire ride takes over half an hour! We managed to find great weather, thanks to which we could accurately admire the panorama of London. Then we headed towards the famous Big Ben bell tower. As the street along the Parliament building was closed, we did not have a chance to see the monuments closely. The same was true of Westminster Abbey, the site of the coronation of the kings of England. The next point of our trip was Buckingham Palace. On foot, via St. James’s Park, we went to see the mansion where Elizabeth II lives. The Mall leads to it – a representative red road resembling a red carpet. We followed her. Our goal was to see the famous paintings in the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. The most watched work was “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh. We cannot forget about other works that we had the opportunity to see, and there were over 2000 of them. The place we visited last was Leicester Square, which is the movie district. There we took advantage of the moment to buy souvenirs from our trip. The district of China Town was also nearby, full of restaurants, where colorful lanterns were flying overhead. When evening came, it was time to go back.
IN